1 Timothy 1:7

1 Timothy 1:7 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.
• New International Version (NIV)They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.
• English Standard Version (ESV)desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.
• New Living Translation (NLT)They want to be known as teachers of the law of Moses, but they don’t know what they are talking about, even though they speak so confidently.

Context of 1 Timothy 1:7

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, desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm. 8But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully, 9knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,

1 Timothy 1:7 word by word

θέλοντες εἶναι νομοδιδάσκαλοι, μὴ νοοῦντες μήτε ἃ λέγουσιν μήτε περὶ τίνων διαβεβαιοῦνται.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·μήmē · notG3361
• ·τίςtis · which?G5101
• Desiringθέλωthelō ethelō · to will/desireG2309
• to beεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• teachers of the lawνομοδιδάσκαλοςnomodidaskalos · teacher of the lawG3547
• understandingνοέωnoieō · to understandG3539
• neitherμήτεmēte · neitherG3383
• whatὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• they sayλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• whereofπερίperi · aboutG4012
• they affirmδιαβεβαιόωdiabebaioomai · to insistG1226

Cross-references for 1 Timothy 1:7

• Acts 15:1And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”
• Romans 2:19and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness,
• Galatians 3:2This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
• Galatians 4:21Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law?
• Galatians 5:3And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law.
• 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,
• Isaiah 29:13Therefore the Lord said: “Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men,
• Jeremiah 8:8“How can you say, ‘We are wise, And the law of the Lord is with us’? Look, the false pen of the scribe certainly works falsehood.
• Matthew 15:14Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.”
• Matthew 21:27So they answered Jesus and said, “We do not know.” And He said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.
• Matthew 23:16“Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.’
• John 3:9Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?”
• John 9:40Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, “Are we blind also?”
• Romans 1:22Professing to be wise, they became fools,
• 2 Timothy 3:7always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
• 2 Peter 2:12But these, like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption,

Commentaries on 1 Timothy 1:7

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7Teachers of the law - To be esteemed or celebrated as rabbins; to be reputed cunning in solving knotty questions and enigmas, which answered no end to true religion. Of such the rabbinical teaching was full. Understanding neither what they say - This is evident from almost all the Jewish comments which yet remain. Things are asserted which are either false or dubious; words, the import of which they did not understand, were brought to illustrate them: so…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7Desiring to be teachers of the law - That is, to have the credit and reputation of being well versed in the law of Moses, and qualified to explain it to others. This was a high honor among the Jews, and these teachers laid claim to the same distinction. Understanding neither what they say - That is, they do not understand the true nature and design of that law which they attempt to explain to others. This was true of the Jewish teachers, and equally so of…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 5-11Verses 5-11 Whatever tends to weaken love to God, or love to the brethren, tends to defeat the end of the commandment. The design of the gospel is answered, when sinners, through repentance towards God and faith in Jesus Christ, are brought to exercise Christian love. And as believers were righteous persons in God's appointed way, the law was not against them. But unless we are made righteous by faith in Christ, really repenting and forsaking sin, we are…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7They wanted to teach the law of Moses, but this desire showed the irony of their thoughts in contrast to their actions. They did not interpret the law very well according to the good news about Jesus. They neither understood nor followed the law (see 1:8–11).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 77. Sample of their "vain talk" (1Ti 1:6). Desiring--They are would-be teachers, not really so. the law--the Jewish law (Tit 1:14; 3:9). The Judaizers here meant seem to be distinct from those impugned in the Epistles to the Galatians and Romans, who made the works of the law necessary to justification in opposition to Gospel grace. The Judaizers here meant corrupted the law with "fables," which they pretended to found on it, subversive of morals as well…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Timothy 1:7

• Doctor
• Doctrines
• Minister, Christian
• Strife
• Vanity

In the dictionaries

• Acceptation
• Blasphemer
• Charity
• Heed
• Immortal
• Save
• Confidence
• Zenas

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