1 Timothy 5:6-10

5:6 But the one who lives for pleasure is dead even ¹  while she lives. 5:7 Reinforce ²  these commands, ³  so that they will be beyond reproach. 5:8 But if someone does not provide for his own, ⁴  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 ⁵  unless ⁶  she is at least sixty years old, was the wife of one husband, ⁷  5:10 and has a reputation for good works: as one who has raised children, ⁸  practiced hospitality, washed the feet of the saints, helped those in distress – as one who has exhibited all kinds of good works. ⁹ 

Proverbs 31:31

31:31 Give ¹⁰  her credit for what she has accomplished, ¹¹ 

and let her works praise her ¹²  in the city gates. ¹³ 

Acts 9:36

Peter Raises Dorcas

9:36 Now in Joppa ¹⁴  there was a disciple named Tabitha (which in translation means ¹⁵  Dorcas). ¹⁶  She was continually doing good deeds and acts of charity. ¹⁷ 

Acts 9:39

9:39 So Peter got up and went with them, and ¹⁸  when he arrived ¹⁹  they brought him to the upper room. All ²⁰  the widows stood beside him, crying and showing him ²¹  the tunics ²²  and other clothing ²³  Dorcas used to make ²⁴  while she was with them.

Ephesians 2:10

2:10 For we are his workmanship, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we may do them. ²⁵ 

Titus 2:14

2:14 He ²⁶  gave himself for us to set us free from every kind of lawlessness and to purify for himself a people who are truly his, ²⁷  who are eager to do good. ²⁸ 

Titus 3:8

Summary of the Letter

3:8 This saying ²⁹  is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on such truths, ³⁰  so that those who have placed their faith in God may be intent on engaging in good works. These things are good and beneficial for all people.

Titus 3:1

Conduct Toward Those Outside the Church

3:1 Remind them to be subject to rulers and ³¹  authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work.

Titus 2:12

2:12 It trains us ³²  to reject godless ways ³³  and worldly desires and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,

Titus 2:2

2:2 Older men are to be temperate, dignified, self-controlled, ³⁴  sound in faith, in love, and in endurance. ³⁵ 

Titus 1:6-8

1:6 An elder must be blameless, ³⁶  the husband of one wife, ³⁷  with faithful children ³⁸  who cannot be charged with dissipation or rebellion. 1:7 For the overseer ³⁹  must be blameless as one entrusted with God’s work, ⁴⁰  not arrogant, not prone to anger, not a drunkard, not violent, not greedy for gain. 1:8 Instead he must be hospitable, devoted to what is good, sensible, upright, devout, and self-controlled.

Revelation 2:19

2:19 ‘I know your deeds: your love, faith, ⁴¹  service, and steadfast endurance. ⁴²  In fact, ⁴³  your more recent deeds are greater than your earlier ones.

[5:6]  ¹ tn For “is dead even” the Greek text reads “has died.”

[5:7]  ² tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[5:7]  ³ tn Grk “and command these things.”

[5:8]  ⁴ tn That is, “his own relatives.”

[5:9]  ⁵ 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]  ⁶ tn Grk “let a widow be enrolled if she has reached not less than sixty years.”

[5:9]  ⁷ 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]  ⁸ 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]  ⁹ tn Grk “followed after every good work.”

[31:31]  ¹⁰ tn The first word of the twenty-second line begins with ת (tav), the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

[31:31]  ¹¹ tn Heb “Give her from the fruit of her hands.” The expression “the fruit of her hands” employs two figures. The word “fruit” is a figure known as hypocatastasis, an implied comparison, meaning “what she produces.” The word “hand” is a metonymy of cause, meaning her efforts to produce things. So the line is saying essentially “give her her due.” This would either mean give her credit for what she has done (the option followed by the present translation; cf. TEV) or reward her for what she has done (cf. NAB, NIV, NLT).

[31:31]  ¹² sn Psalm 111 began with the imperative יָה הָלְלוּ (halÿlu yah, “praise the Lord”), and this poem ends with the jussive וִיהָלְלוּהָּ (vihalÿluha, “and let [her works] praise her”). Psalm 111:2 speaks of God’s works, and this verse of the woman’s (or wisdom’s) works that deserve praise.

[31:31]  ¹³ tn “Gates” is a metonymy of subject. It refers to the people and the activity that occurs in the gates – business dealings, legal transactions, and social meetings. The term “city” is supplied in the translation for clarity. One is reminded of the acclaim given to Ruth by Boaz: “for all the gate of my people knows that you are a noble woman [אֵשֶׁת חַיִל, ’eshet khayil]” (Ruth 3:11).

[9:36]  ¹⁴ sn Joppa was a seaport on the Philistine coast, in the same location as modern Jaffa. “Though Joppa never became a major seaport, it was of some importance as a logistical base and an outlet to the Mediterranean” (A. F. Rainey, ISBE 2:1118-19).

[9:36]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “which being translated is called.” In English this would normally be expressed “which is translated as” or “which in translation means.” The second option is given by L&N 33.145.

[9:36]  ¹⁶ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. Dorcas is the Greek translation of the Aramaic name Tabitha. Dorcas in Greek means “gazelle” or “deer.”

[9:36]  ¹⁷ tn Or “and helping the poor.” Grk “She was full of good deeds and acts of charity which she was continually doing.” Since it is somewhat redundant in English to say “she was full of good deeds…which she was continually doing,” the translation has been simplified to “she was continually doing good deeds and acts of charity.” The imperfect verb ἐποίει (epoiei) has been translated as a progressive imperfect (“was continually doing”).

[9:39]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “who.” The relative clause makes for awkward English style here, so the following clause was made coordinate with the conjunction “and” supplied in place of the Greek relative pronoun.

[9:39]  ¹⁹ tn The participle παραγενόμενον (paragenomenon) is taken temporally.

[9:39]  ²⁰ tn Grk “and all.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.

[9:39]  ²¹ tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[9:39]  ²² tn Or “shirts” (a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin). The name for this garment (χιτών, citwn) presents some difficulty in translation. Most modern readers would not understand what a ‘tunic’ was any more than they would be familiar with a ‘chiton.’ On the other hand attempts to find a modern equivalent are also a problem: “shirt” conveys the idea of a much shorter garment that covers only the upper body, and “undergarment” (given the styles of modern underwear) is more misleading still. “Tunic” was therefore employed, but with a note to explain its nature.

[9:39]  ²³ tn Grk “and garments,” referring here to other types of clothing besides the tunics just mentioned.

[9:39]  ²⁴ tn The verb ἐποίει (epoiei) has been translated as a customary imperfect.

[2:10]  ²⁵ tn Grk “so that we might walk in them” (or “by them”).

[2:14]  ²⁶ tn Grk “who” (as a continuation of the previous clause).

[2:14]  ²⁷ tn Or “a people who are his very own.”

[2:14]  ²⁸ tn Grk “for good works.”

[3:8]  ²⁹ sn This saying (Grk “the saying”) refers to the preceding citation (Titus 3:4-7). See 1 Tim 1:15; 3:1; 4:9; 2 Tim 2:11 for other occurrences of this phrase.

[3:8]  ³⁰ tn Grk “concerning these things.”

[3:1]  ³¹ tc Most later witnesses (D² 0278 Ï lat sy) have καί (kai, “and”) after ἀρχαῖς (arcai", “rulers”), though the earliest and best witnesses (א A C D* F G Ψ 33 104 1739 1881) lack the conjunction. Although the καί is most likely not authentic, it has been added in translation due to the requirements of English style. For more discussion, see TCGNT 586.

[2:12]  ³² tn Grk “training us” (as a continuation of the previous clause). Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started at the beginning of v. 12 by translating the participle παιδεύουσα (paideuousa) as a finite verb and supplying the pronoun “it” as subject.

[2:12]  ³³ tn Grk “ungodliness.”

[2:2]  ³⁴ tn Or “sensible.”

[2:2]  ³⁵ sn Temperate…in endurance. See the same cluster of virtues in 1 Thess 1:3 and 1 Cor 13:13.

[1:6]  ³⁶ tn Grk “if anyone is blameless…” as a continuation of v. 5b, beginning to describe the elder’s character.

[1:6]  ³⁷ tn Or “married only once,” “devoted solely to his wife.” See the note on “wife” in 1 Tim 3:2; also 1 Tim 3:12; 5:9.

[1:6]  ³⁸ tn Or “believing children.” The phrase could be translated “believing children,” but the parallel with 1 Tim 3:4 (“keeping his children in control”) argues for the sense given in the translation.

[1:7]  ³⁹ sn The overseer is another term for the same official position of leadership as the “elder.” This is seen in the interchange of the two terms in this passage and in Acts 20:17, 28, as well as in the parallels between these verses and 1 Tim 3:1-7.

[1:7]  ⁴⁰ tn Grk “as God’s steward.”

[2:19]  ⁴¹ tn Grk “and faith.” Here and before the following term καί (kai) has not been translated because English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the next to last and last terms in a list.

[2:19]  ⁴² tn Or “perseverance.”

[2:19]  ⁴³ tn The phrase “In fact” is supplied in the translation to bring out the ascensive quality of the clause. It would also be possible to supply here an understood repetition of the phrase “I know” from the beginning of the verse (so NRSV). Grk “and your last deeds [that are] greater than the first.”