New International Version
1 Timothy 3:11
11In the same way, the women are to be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything.
1 Timothy 3:11 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Likewise, their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things.
- New Living Translation (NLT)In the same way, their wives must be respected and must not slander others. They must exercise self-control and be faithful in everything they do.
Context of 1 Timothy 3:11
9They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. 10They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons. In the same way, the women are to be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything. 12A deacon must be faithful to his wife and must manage his children and his household well. 13Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.
Read all of 1 Timothy 31 Timothy 3:11 word by word
Γυναῖκας ὡσαύτως σεμνάς, μὴ διαβόλους, νηφαλίους, πιστὰς ἐν πᾶσιν.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for 1 Timothy 3:11
- Leviticus 21:7“ ‘They must not marry women defiled by prostitution or divorced from their husbands, because priests are holy to their God.
- Ezekiel 44:22They must not marry widows or divorced women; they may marry only virgins of Israelite descent or widows of priests.
- Luke 1:5In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron.
- 1 Timothy 3:4He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect.
- Psalms 15:3whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor, and casts no slur on others;
- Psalms 50:20You sit and testify against your brother and slander your own mother’s son.
- Psalms 101:5Whoever slanders their neighbor in secret, I will put to silence; whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, I will not tolerate.
- Proverbs 10:18Whoever conceals hatred with lying lips and spreads slander is a fool.
- Proverbs 25:13Like a snow-cooled drink at harvest time is a trustworthy messenger to the one who sends him; he refreshes the spirit of his master.
- Jeremiah 9:4“Beware of your friends; do not trust anyone in your clan. For every one of them is a deceiver, and every friend a slanderer.
- Matthew 4:1Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
- John 6:70Then Jesus replied, “Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!”
- 2 Timothy 3:3without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good,
- Revelation 12:9The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
- 1 Timothy 3:2Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,
- 1 Thessalonians 5:6So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober.
Commentaries on 1 Timothy 3:11
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 11Even so must their wives be grave - I believe the apostle does not mean here the wives either of the bishops or deacons in particular, but the Christian women in general. The original is simply: ̔ · Let the women likewise be grave. Whatever is spoken here becomes women in general; but if the apostle had those termed deaconesses in his eye, which is quite possible, the words are peculiarly suitable to them. That there was such an order in the apostolic and…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 11Even so must their wives be grave - Chrysostom, Theophylact, Grotius, Bloomfield, and many others, suppose that by the word “wives,” here, ( ͂ gunaikas), the apostle means “deaconesses.” Clarke supposes that it refers to women in general. The reason assigned for supposing that it does not refer to the wives of deacons, as such, is, that nothing is said of the qualifications of the wives of bishops - a matter of as much importance as that of the character…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 8-13Verses 8-13 The deacons were at first appointed to distribute the charity of the church, and to manage its concerns, yet pastors and evangelists were among them. The deacons had a great trust reposed in them. They must be grave, serious, prudent men. It is not fit that public trusts should be lodged in the hands of any, till they are found fit for the business with which they are to be trusted. All who are related to ministers, must take great care to…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 11the women (or the women deacons, or their wives): The Greek word can mean women or wives. Supporting the interpretation of their wives, 3:8–13 discusses male deacons. Switching to "women deacons" here would change the context. However, there might have been women deacons in the early church (see Romans 16:1). If so, this verse might parallel 1 Timothy 3:8.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1111. their wives--rather, "the women," that is, the deaconesses. For there is no reason that special rules should be laid down as to the wives of the deacons, and not also as to the wives of the bishops or overseers. Moreover, if the wives of the deacons were meant, there seems no reason for the omission of "their" (not in the Greek). Also the Greek for "even so" (the same as for "likewise," 1Ti 3:8, and "in like manner," 1Ti 2:9), denotes a transition to…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Timothy 3:11
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Timothy 3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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