KJV King James Version
But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to shew piety at home, and to requite their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God.
VERSE STUDY • KJV
1 Timothy 5:4
But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to shew piety at home, and to requite their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God.
Read it in 5 translations
BSB Berean Standard Bible
But if a widow has children or grandchildren, they must first learn to show godliness to their own family and repay their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God.
WEB World English Bible
But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them learn first to show piety towards their own family, and to repay their parents, for this is acceptable in the sight of God.
ASV American Standard Version
But if any widow hath children or grandchildren, let them learn first to show piety towards their own family, and to requite their parents: for this is acceptable in the sight of God.
YLT Young’s Literal Translation
and if any widow have children or grandchildren, let them learn first to their own house to show piety, and to give back a recompense to the parents, for this is right and acceptable before God.
Surrounding context — 1 Timothy 5
1 Rebuke not an elder, but intreat [him] as a father; [and] the younger men as brethren;
2 The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity.
3 Honour widows that are widows indeed.
4 But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to shew piety at home, and to requite their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God.
5 Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day.
6 But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth.
7 And these things give in charge, that they may be blameless.
Topics connected to this verse
Original-language word links
These Hebrew/Greek tokens are linked by Strong's number. Click one for its lexicon definition and other occurrences.
εἰG1487 · eiifδέG1161 · dethenτιςG5100 · tisoneχήραG5503 · chērawidowτέκναG5043 · teknonchildἢG2228 · ēorἔκγοναG1549 · ekgonosdescendantἔχει,G2192 · echōto have/beμανθανέτωσανG3129 · manthanōto learnπρῶτονG4413 · prōtosfirstτὸνG3588 · hothe/this/whoἴδιονG2398 · idiosone's own/privateοἶκονG3624 · oikoshouse: homeεὐσεβεῖνG2151 · eusebeōto show pietyκαὶG2532 · kaiandἀμοιβὰςG287 · amoibērepaymentἀποδιδόναιG591 · apodidōmito payτοῖςG3588 · hothe/this/whoπρογόνοις·G4269 · progonosparent/ancestorτοῦτοG3778 · ohutosthis/he/she/itγάρG1063 · garforἐστινG1510 · eimito beἀπόδεκτονG587 · apodektospleasingἐνώπιονG1799 · enōpionbeforeτοῦG3588 · hothe/this/whoθεοῦ.¶G2316 · theosGod
Cross-references
Ephesians 6:1-3Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.Matthew 15:4-6For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.John 19:26-27When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!Genesis 47:12And Joseph nourished his father, and his brethren, and all his father’s household, with bread, according to [their] families.Genesis 45:10-11And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children’s children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast:1 Timothy 2:3For this [is] good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;Mark 7:11-13But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, [It is] Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; [he shall be free].1 Samuel 22:3-4And David went thence to Mizpeh of Moab: and he said unto the king of Moab, Let my father and my mother, I pray thee, come forth, [and be] with you, till I know what God will do for me.Ruth 2:2And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after [him] in whose sight I shall find grace. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter.Luke 2:51And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.Ruth 2:18And she took [it] up, and went into the city: and her mother in law saw what she had gleaned: and she brought forth, and gave to her that she had reserved after she was sufficed.Proverbs 31:28Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband [also], and he praiseth her.Judges 12:14And he had forty sons and thirty nephews, that rode on threescore and ten ass colts: and he judged Israel eight years.Isaiah 14:22For I will rise up against them, saith the LORD of hosts, and cut off from Babylon the name, and remnant, and son, and nephew, saith the LORD.Job 18:19He shall neither have son nor nephew among his people, nor any remaining in his dwellings.Genesis 47:28And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years: so the whole age of Jacob was an hundred forty and seven years.
HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION
Compare classic commentaries on 1 Timothy 5:4
Put Matthew Henry, Adam Clarke, Calvin, Wesley, Barnes, Jamieson–Fausset–Brown, Aquinas’ Catena and other public-domain sources beside the passage.
Compare commentaries →