1 Timothy 5:16-21

5:16 If a believing woman ¹  has widows in her family, ²  let her help them. The church should not be burdened, so that it may help the widows who are truly in need. ³ 

5:17 Elders who provide effective leadership ⁴  must be counted worthy ⁵  of double honor, ⁶  especially those who work hard in speaking ⁷  and teaching. 5:18 For the scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” ⁸  and, “The worker deserves his pay.” ⁹  5:19 Do not accept an accusation against an elder unless it can be confirmed by two or three witnesses. ¹⁰  5:20 Those guilty of sin ¹¹  must be rebuked ¹²  before all, ¹³  as a warning to the rest. ¹⁴  5:21 Before God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, I solemnly charge you to carry out these commands without prejudice or favoritism of any kind. ¹⁵ 

[5:16]  ¹ tc Most witnesses (D Ψ Ï sy) have πιστὸς ἤ (pisto" h) before πιστή (pisth), with the resultant meaning “if a believing man or woman.” But such looks to be a motivated reading, perhaps to bring some parity to the responsibilities of men and women listed here, and as a way of harmonizing with v. 4. Further, most of the earliest and best witnesses (א A C F G P 048 33 81 1175 1739 1881 co) lack the πιστὸς ἤ, strengthening the preference for the shorter reading.

[5:16]  ² tn Grk “has widows.”

[5:16]  ³ tn Grk “the real widows,” “those who are really widows.”

[5:17]  ⁴ tn Grk “who lead well.”

[5:17]  ⁵ tn Or “deserving.”

[5:17]  ⁶ tn Like the similar use of “honor” in v. 3, this phrase
denotes both respect and remuneration: “honor plus honorarium.”

[5:17]  ⁷ tn Or “in preaching”; Grk “in word.”

[5:18]  ⁷ sn A quotation from Deut 25:4.

[5:18]  ⁸ sn A quotation from Luke 10:7.

[5:19]  ¹⁰ sn An allusion to Deut 17:6, 19:15.

[5:20]  ¹³ sn As a continuation of v. 19, this refers to elders who sin, not to sinning believers more generally.

[5:20]  ¹⁴ tn Or “censured.” The Greek word implies exposing someone’s sin in order to bring correction.

[5:20]  ¹⁵ tn “Before all” probably refers to the whole congregation, not just all the elders; “the rest” is more likely to denote the remaining elders.

[5:20]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “that the rest may have fear.”

[5:21]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “doing nothing according to partiality.”