Focused Passage

1 Timothy 5:17-25

Honoring Households, Widows, Elders, and Purity in the Church

Paul moves from relational shepherding, to discerning and supporting true widows, to household responsibility, to elder honor and discipline, to Timothy's personal purity and caution in leadership recognition.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

17 Elders who lead effectively are worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.

18 For the Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” and, “The worker is worthy of his wages.”

19 Do not entertain an accusation against an elder, except on the testimony of two or three witnesses.

20 But those who persist in sin should be rebuked in front of everyone, so that the others will stand in fear of sin.

21 I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels to maintain these principles without bias, and to do nothing out of partiality.

22 Do not be too quick in the laying on of hands and thereby share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.

23 Stop drinking only water and use a little wine instead, because of your stomach and your frequent ailments.

24 The sins of some men are obvious, going ahead of them to judgment; but the sins of others do not surface until later.

25 In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even the ones that are inconspicuous cannot remain hidden.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 17

Original words

- Οἱ G3588 Article - Nominative Masculine Plural Elders πρεσβύτεροι G4245 Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural who lead προεστῶτες G4291 Verb - Perfect Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural effectively καλῶς G2573 Adverb are worthy ἀξιούσθωσαν G515 Verb - Present Imperative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Plural of double διπλῆς G1362 Adjective - Genitive Feminine Singular honor τιμῆς G5092 Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular especially μάλιστα G3122 Adverb those who οἱ G3588 Article - Nominative Masculine Plural work hard κοπιῶντες G2872 Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural at ἐν G1722 Preposition preaching λόγῳ G3056 Noun - Dative Masculine Singular and καὶ G2532 Conjunction teaching διδασκαλίᾳ G1319 Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Verse 18

Original words

For γὰρ G1063 Conjunction the G3588 Article - Nominative Feminine Singular Scripture γραφή G1124 Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular says λέγει G3004 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular vvv οὐ G3756 Adverb Do not muzzle φιμώσεις G5392 Verb - Future Indicative Active - 2nd Person Singular an ox Βοῦν G1016 Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular while it is treading out the grain ἀλοῶντα G248 Verb - Present Participle Active - Accusative Masculine Singular and καί G2532 Conjunction The G3588 Article - Nominative Masculine Singular worker ἐργάτης G2040 Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular [is] worthy Ἄξιος G514 Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular of τοῦ G3588 Article - Genitive Masculine Singular his αὐτοῦ G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular wages μισθοῦ G3408 Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular

BSB notes

  • Deuteronomy 25:4
  • Luke 10:7; see also Leviticus 19:13 and Deuteronomy 24:14–15.
Verse 19

Original words

{Do} not μὴ G3361 Adverb entertain παραδέχου G3858 Verb - Present Imperative Middle or Passive - 2nd Person Singular an accusation κατηγορίαν G2724 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular against Κατὰ G2596 Preposition an elder πρεσβυτέρου G4245 Adjective - Genitive Masculine Singular except ἐκτὸς G1622 Adverb . . . εἰ G1487 Conjunction . . . μὴ G3361 Adverb on [the testimony of] ἐπὶ G1909 Preposition two δύο G1417 Adjective - Genitive Masculine Plural or G2228 Conjunction three τριῶν G5140 Adjective - Genitive Masculine Plural witnesses μαρτύρων G3144 Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural
Verse 20

Original words

But (δὲ) G1161 Conjunction those who Τοὺς G3588 Article - Accusative Masculine Plural persist in sin ἁμαρτάνοντας G264 Verb - Present Participle Active - Accusative Masculine Plural should be rebuked ἔλεγχε G1651 Verb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular in front of ἐνώπιον G1799 Preposition everyone πάντων G3956 Adjective - Genitive Masculine Plural so that ἵνα G2443 Conjunction - καὶ G2532 Conjunction the οἱ G3588 Article - Nominative Masculine Plural others λοιποὶ G3062 Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural will ἔχωσιν G2192 Verb - Present Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Plural stand in fear [of sin] φόβον G5401 Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Verse 21

Original words

I solemnly charge [you] Διαμαρτύρομαι G1263 Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 1st Person Singular before ἐνώπιον G1799 Preposition - τοῦ G3588 Article - Genitive Masculine Singular God Θεοῦ G2316 Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular and καὶ G2532 Conjunction Christ Χριστοῦ G5547 Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular Jesus Ἰησοῦ G2424 Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular and καὶ G2532 Conjunction the τῶν G3588 Article - Genitive Masculine Plural elect ἐκλεκτῶν G1588 Adjective - Genitive Masculine Plural angels ἀγγέλων G32 Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural to ἵνα G2443 Conjunction maintain φυλάξῃς G5442 Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 2nd Person Singular these [principles] ταῦτα G3778 Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Plural without χωρὶς G5565 Preposition bias προκρίματος G4299 Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular [and] to do ποιῶν G4160 Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular nothing μηδὲν G3367 Adjective - Accusative Neuter Singular out of κατὰ G2596 Preposition partiality πρόσκλισιν G4346 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Verse 22

Original words

Do not be too quick ταχέως G5030 Adverb . . . μηδενὶ G3367 Adjective - Dative Masculine Singular in the laying on ἐπιτίθει G2007 Verb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular of hands Χεῖρας G5495 Noun - Accusative Feminine Plural [and thereby] μηδὲ G3366 Conjunction share κοινώνει G2841 Verb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular in [the] sins ἁμαρτίαις G266 Noun - Dative Feminine Plural of others ἀλλοτρίαις G245 Adjective - Dative Feminine Plural Keep τήρει G5083 Verb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular yourself σεαυτὸν G4572 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 2nd Person Singular pure ἁγνὸν G53 Adjective - Accusative Masculine Singular
Verse 23

Original words

vvv Μηκέτι G3371 Adverb Stop drinking [only] water ὑδροπότει G5202 Verb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular [and] use χρῶ G5530 Verb - Present Imperative Middle or Passive - 2nd Person Singular a little ὀλίγῳ G3641 Adjective - Dative Masculine Singular wine οἴνῳ G3631 Noun - Dative Masculine Singular instead ἀλλὰ G235 Conjunction because of διὰ G1223 Preposition [your] τὸν G3588 Article - Accusative Masculine Singular stomach στόμαχον G4751 Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular and καὶ G2532 Conjunction your σου G4771 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singular frequent πυκνάς G4437 Adjective - Accusative Feminine Plural - τὰς G3588 Article - Accusative Feminine Plural ailments ἀσθενείας G769 Noun - Accusative Feminine Plural
Verse 24

Original words

The αἱ G3588 Article - Nominative Feminine Plural sins ἁμαρτίαι G266 Noun - Nominative Feminine Plural of some Τινῶν G5100 Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Genitive Masculine Plural men ἀνθρώπων G444 Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural are εἰσιν G1510 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural obvious πρόδηλοί G4271 Adjective - Nominative Feminine Plural going ahead of [them] προάγουσαι G4254 Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Feminine Plural to εἰς G1519 Preposition judgment κρίσιν G2920 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular but δὲ G1161 Conjunction [the sins] of others τισὶν G5100 Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Dative Masculine Plural vvv καὶ G2532 Conjunction do [not] surface until later ἐπακολουθοῦσιν G1872 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Verse 25

Original words

In the same way ὡσαύτως G5615 Adverb . . . καὶ G2532 Conjunction - τὰ G3588 Article - Nominative Neuter Plural good καλὰ G2570 Adjective - Nominative Neuter Plural - τὰ G3588 Article - Nominative Neuter Plural deeds ἔργα G2041 Noun - Nominative Neuter Plural [are] obvious πρόδηλα G4271 Adjective - Nominative Neuter Plural and even καὶ G2532 Conjunction the [ones that] τὰ G3588 Article - Nominative Neuter Plural are ἔχοντα G2192 Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Neuter Plural [inconspicuous] ἄλλως G247 Adverb vvv οὐ G3756 Adverb cannot δύνανται G1410 Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Plural remain hidden κρυβῆναι G2928 Verb - Aorist Infinitive Passive

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.