1 Timothy 1:4

1 Timothy 1:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.
• New International Version (NIV)or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work—which is by faith.
• English Standard Version (ESV)nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith.
• New Living Translation (NLT)Don’t let them waste their time in endless discussion of myths and spiritual pedigrees. These things only lead to meaningless speculations, which don’t help people live a life of faith in God.

Context of 1 Timothy 1:4

2To Timothy, a true son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. 3As I urged you when I went into Macedonia—remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine, nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith. 5Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith, 6from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk,

1 Timothy 1:4 word by word

μηδὲ προσέχειν μύθοις καὶ γενεαλογίαις ἀπεράντοις, αἵτινες ἐκζητήσεις παρέχουσιν μᾶλλον ἢ οἰκονομίαν θεοῦ τὴν ἐν πίστει.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Neitherμηδέmēde · norG3366
• give heed toπροσέχωprosechō · to watch outG4337
• fablesμῦθοςmuthos · mythG3454
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• endlessἀπέραντοςaperantos · endlessG562
• genealogiesγενεαλογίαgenealogia · genealogyG1076
• whichὅστιςhostis hētis ho6ti · who/whichG3748
• ministerπαρέχωparechō · to furnish occasionG3930
• questionsζήτησιςzētēsis · controversyG2214
• ratherμᾶλλονmallon · more: ratherG3123
• thanἤē · orG2228
• godlyθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• edifyingοἰκοδομίαoikodomia · edificationG3620
• which isὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• faithπίστιςpistis · faithG4102

Cross-references for 1 Timothy 1:4

• 1 Timothy 4:7But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness.
• 1 Timothy 6:4he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions,
• 2 Timothy 2:14Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers.
• 2 Timothy 4:4and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.
• 2 Peter 1:16For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.
• 2 Timothy 2:22Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
• 1 Timothy 3:16And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.
• 1 Timothy 6:3If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness,
• 2 Corinthians 1:12For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you.
• 2 Corinthians 7:9Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing.
• Ephesians 4:12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
• Hebrews 13:9Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them.

Commentaries on 1 Timothy 1:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Neither give heed to fables - Idle fancies; things of no moment; doctrines and opinions unauthenticated; silly legends, of which no people ever possessed a greater stock than the Jews. Their Talmud abounds with them; and the English reader may find them in abundance in Stehlin's Jewish Traditions, 2 vols. 8vo. Endless genealogies - I suppose the apostle to mean those genealogies which were uncertain - that never could be made out, either in the ascending…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Neither give heed to fables - That is, that they should not bestow their attention on fables, or regard such trifles as of importance. The “fables” here referred to were probably the idle and puerile superstitions and conceits of the Jewish rabbies. The word rendered “fable” ( ͂ muthos) means properly “speech” or “discourse,” and then fable or fiction, or a mystic discourse. Such things abounded among the Greeks as well as the Jews, but it is probable…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4myths and endless genealogies … speculation: Paul might be dismissing their teachings as not significant, or he might rejecting their interpretations and their justification of bad behavior (1:7; see also 2 Timothy 4:3–4; Titus 1:14; 3:9; 2 Peter 1:16; 1 Timothy 1:8–11; 4:1–2, 7; see also Titus 1:15–16). endless genealogies: In Judaism, a genealogy (list of ancestors) established a person's spiritual heritage. The false teachers might have focused too…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. fables--legends about the origin and propagation of angels, such as the false teachers taught at Colosse (Col 2:18-23). "Jewish fables" (Tit 1:14). "Profane, and old wives' fables" (1Ti 4:7; 2Ti 4:4). genealogies--not merely such civil genealogies as were common among the Jews, whereby they traced their descent from the patriarchs, to which Paul would not object, and which he would not as here class with "fables," but Gnostic genealogies of spirits and…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Timothy 1:4

• Commandments
• Doctrines
• Fable
• Genealogy
• Minister, Christian
• Tradition

In the dictionaries

• Acceptation
• Blasphemer
• Charity
• Fable
• Heed
• Immortal
• Save
• Titus, Epistle to
• Apostolic Age
• Edification; Edify

Commentaries on 1 Timothy 1

• 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