1 Timothy 5:3-14

5:3 Honor ¹  widows who are truly in need. ²  5:4 But if a widow has children or grandchildren, they should first learn to fulfill their duty ³  toward their own household and so repay their parents what is owed them. ⁴  For this is what pleases God. ⁵  5:5 But the widow who is truly in need, and completely on her own, ⁶  has set her hope on God and continues in her pleas and prayers night and day. 5:6 But the one who lives for pleasure is dead even ⁷  while she lives. 5:7 Reinforce ⁸  these commands, ⁹  so that they will be beyond reproach. 5:8 But if someone does not provide for his own, ¹⁰  especially his own family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

5:9 No widow should be put on the list ¹¹  unless ¹²  she is at least sixty years old, was the wife of one husband, ¹³  5:10 and has a reputation for good works: as one who has raised children, ¹⁴  practiced hospitality, washed the feet of the saints, helped those in distress – as one who has exhibited all kinds of good works. ¹⁵  5:11 But do not accept younger widows on the list, ¹⁶  because their passions may lead them away from Christ ¹⁷  and they will desire to marry, 5:12 and so incur judgment for breaking their former pledge. ¹⁸  5:13 And besides that, going around ¹⁹  from house to house they learn to be lazy, ²⁰  and they are not only lazy, but also gossips and busybodies, talking about things they should not. ²¹  5:14 So I want younger women to marry, raise children, and manage a household, in order to give the adversary no opportunity to vilify us. ²² 

[5:3]  ¹ sn The word honor here carries the double meaning of respect and financial support. This Greek word can imply both senses, and both are intended in this context.

[5:3]  ² tn Grk “the real widows,” “those who are really widows.”

[5:4]  ³ tn Or “to practice their religion.”

[5:4]  ⁴ tn Or “and so make some repayment to their parents”; Grk “and to give back recompense to their parents.”

[5:4]  ⁵ tn Grk “for this is pleasing in the sight of God.”

[5:5]  ⁶ tn Or “left all alone.”

[5:6]  ⁷ tn For “is dead even” the Greek text reads “has died.”

[5:7]  ⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[5:7]  ⁹ tn Grk “and command these things.”

[5:8]  ¹⁰ tn That is, “his own relatives.”

[5:9]  ¹¹ sn This list was an official enrollment, apparently with a formal pledge to continue as a widow and serve the Lord in that way (cf. v. 12). It was either (1) the list of “true widows” who were given support by the church or (2) a smaller group of older women among the supported widows who were qualified for special service (perhaps to orphans, other widows, the sick, etc.). Most commentators understand it to be the former, since a special group is not indicated clearly. See G. W. Knight, Pastoral Epistles, 222-23 for discussion.

[5:9]  ¹² tn Grk “let a widow be enrolled if she has reached not less than sixty years.”

[5:9]  ¹³ tn Or “a woman married only once,” “was devoted solely to her husband” (see the note on “wife” in 1 Tim 3:2; also 1 Tim 3:12; Titus 1:6).

[5:10]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “if she raised children.” The phrase “if she raised children” begins a series of conditional clauses running to the end of the verse. These provide specific examples of her good works (v. 10a).

[5:10]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “followed after every good work.”

[5:11]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “refuse younger widows.”

[5:11]  ¹⁷ tn With a single verb and object, this clause means “pursue sensuous desires in opposition to Christ.”

[5:12]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “incurring judgment because they reject their first faith.”

[5:13]  ¹⁹ tn L&N 15.23 suggests the meaning, “to move about from place to place, with significant changes in direction – ‘to travel about, to wander about.’”

[5:13]  ²⁰ tn Or “idle.” The whole clause (“going around from house to house, they learn to be lazy”) reverses the order of the Greek. The present participle περιερχόμεναι (periercomenai) may be taken as temporal (“while going around”), instrumental (“by going around”) or result (“with the result that they go around”).

[5:13]  ²¹ tn Grk “saying the things that are unnecessary.” Or perhaps “talking about things that are none of their business.”

[5:14]  ²² tn Grk “for the sake of reviling.”