2 Timothy 2:20

2 Timothy 2:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.
• New International Version (NIV)In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable.
• New King James Version (NKJV)But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor.

Context of 2 Timothy 2:20

18They have left the path of truth, claiming that the resurrection of the dead has already occurred; in this way, they have turned some people away from the faith. 19But God’s truth stands firm like a foundation stone with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and “All who belong to the Lord must turn away from evil.” In a wealthy home some utensils are made of gold and silver, and some are made of wood and clay. The expensive utensils are used for special occasions, and the cheap ones are for everyday use. 21If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work. 22Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.

2 Timothy 2:20 word by word

Ἐν μεγάλῃ δὲ οἰκίᾳ οὐκ ἔστιν μόνον σκεύη χρυσᾶ καὶ ἀργυρᾶ ἀλλὰ καὶ ξύλινα καὶ ὀστράκινα, καὶ ἃ μὲν εἰς τιμὴν ἃ δὲ εἰς ἀτιμίαν.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·μένmen · on the other handG3303
• Butδέde · thenG1161
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• a greatμέγαςmegas · greatG3173
• houseοἰκίαoikia · homeG3614
• there areεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• notοὐou · noG3756
• onlyμόνονmonon · onlyG3440
• vesselsσκεῦοςskeuos · vesselG4632
• of goldχρύσεοςchruseos · goldenG5552
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• of silverἀργύρεοςargureos · silverG693
• butἀλλάalla · butG235
• of woodξύλινοςxulinos · woodenG3585
• of earthὀστράκινοςostrakinos · clayG3749
• someὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• toεἰςeis · towardG1519
• honourτιμήtimē · honorG5092
• dishonourἀτιμίαatimia · dishonourG819

Cross-references for 2 Timothy 2:20

• 1 Corinthians 3:9For we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field. You are God’s building.
• Ephesians 2:22Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.
• 1 Timothy 3:15so that if I am delayed, you will know how people must conduct themselves in the household of God. This is the church of the living God, which is the pillar and foundation of the truth.
• Hebrews 3:2For he was faithful to God, who appointed him, just as Moses served faithfully when he was entrusted with God’s entire house.
• 1 Peter 2:5And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God.
• Exodus 27:3Make ash buckets, shovels, basins, meat forks, and firepans, all of bronze.
• Ezra 1:6And all their neighbors assisted by giving them articles of silver and gold, supplies for the journey, and livestock. They gave them many valuable gifts in addition to all the voluntary offerings.
• Ezra 6:5Furthermore, the gold and silver cups, which were taken to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar from the Temple of God in Jerusalem, must be returned to Jerusalem and put back where they belong. Let them be taken back to the Temple of God.”
• Lamentations 4:2See how the precious children of Jerusalem, worth their weight in fine gold, are now treated like pots of clay made by a common potter.
• Daniel 5:2While Belshazzar was drinking the wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver cups that his predecessor, Nebuchadnezzar, had taken from the Temple in Jerusalem. He wanted to drink from them with his nobles, his wives, and his concubines.
• 2 Corinthians 4:7We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.
• Romans 9:21When a potter makes jars out of clay, doesn’t he have a right to use the same lump of clay to make one jar for decoration and another to throw garbage into?

Commentaries on 2 Timothy 2:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20But in a great house - Here the apostle carries on the allusion introduced in the preceding verse. As the foundation of God refers to God's building, i.e. the whole system of Christianity, so here the great house is to be understood of the same; and the different kinds of vessels mean the different teachers, as well as the different kinds of members. In this sacred house at Ephesus there were vessels of gold and silver - eminent, holy, sincere, and useful…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20But in a great house - Still keeping up the comparison of the church with a building. The idea is, that the church is a large edifice, and that in such a building we are not to expect entire uniformity in all the articles which it contains. There are not only vessels of gold and of silver, … - You are not to expect to find all the articles of furniture alike, or all made of the same material. Variety in the form, and use, and material, is necessary in…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-21Verses 14-21 Those disposed to strive, commonly strive about matters of small moment. But strifes of words destroy the things of God. The apostle mentions some who erred. They did not deny the resurrection, but they corrupted that true doctrine. Yet nothing can be so foolish or erroneous, but it will overturn the temporary faith of some professors. This foundation has two writings on it. One speaks our comfort. None can overthrow the faith of any whom God…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20-21Building on 2:19, the apostle Paul uses imagery of vessels in a wealthy home (see Romans 9:21). In God's household, Christians should strive to be like a valuable and useful vessel, not a cheap or useless one.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. in a great house--that is, the visible professing Christian Church (1Ti 3:15). Paul is speaking, not of those without, but of the [visible] family of God [Calvin]. So the parable of the sweep-net (Mt 13:47-49) gathering together of every kind, good and bad: as the good and bad cannot be distinguished while under the waves, but only when brought to shore, so believers and unbelievers continue in the same Church, until the judgment makes the everlasting…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Timothy 2:20

• Minister, Christian
• Parables
• Righteous

In the dictionaries

• Acknowledge
• Approved
• Commit
• Deny
• Eat
• Endure
• Entangle
• Eternal
• Faithful
• Foolish

Commentaries on 2 Timothy 2

• 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