SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 Timothy 2003 – Page 2

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 5:10

5:10a

and well known for good deeds: This is the third main condition that a widow must fulfill to be included on the list of widows. Paul probably was not speaking about specific good deeds, but referring to the widow’s reputation as someone who frequently did good deeds.

In the rest of this verse Paul gave some examples of good deeds.

and well known: That is, other people know that she is the sort of person who helps others.

General Comment on 5:9a–10a

Paul here gave three conditions that were to be met before a widow could be enrolled or put on the list of widows. In some languages it might be better to make this clear by using three conditional or “if” clauses, like this:

Enroll a widow only if she is over sixty years old, if she has been faithful to her husband, and if people agree that she has always been busy doing good things.

5:10b

such as: In the Berean Standard Bible, the words such as introduce a list of four specific kinds of good deeds (5:10b–e) for which the widow should be known.

bringing up children: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as bringing up children refers to caring for children, providing for their physical needs, and training and teaching them what they need to know to be virtuous people.

children: These children may not have been her own children, but most likely her grandchildren. Use the most general word for children that you can.

5:10c

entertaining strangers: Although the Greek word here is different from the one that the Berean Standard Bible translates as “hospitable” in 3:2d, the meaning is the same. A widow must also be a person who welcomes guests into her home for food and shelter.

5:10d

washing the feet of the saints: It was usual in Paul’s time for a guest’s feet to be washed when he arrived. In John 13:1–17, Jesus showed that washing someone else’s feet was an act of humility and love and that it was something believers should do for one another. However, in this context, scholars disagree about whether this expression should be understood:

(1) literally

(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version (2011 Revision), Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible, King James Version, New American Standard Bible, Revised English Bible, NET Bible, New Century Version)

(2) figuratively. For example, the New Living Translation (2004 Revision) says:

served other Christians humbly

(Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, God’s Word, New Living Translation (2004 Revision))

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) and translate this literally. Paul was listing some specific good deeds and there is no reason to assume that he was speaking figuratively.

If your readers will not understand the reason that someone might wash someone else’s feet, you might need to add an explanation or a cross reference to John 13:1–17 in a footnote.

the saints: The Greek word for saints literally refers to “the holy ones” or “the sanctified ones.” The word saints refers to someone who believes in Christ.

5:10e

imparting relief to the afflicted: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the afflicted refers to people who are in distress, who are suffering in some way, or who are experiencing hardship/difficulties.

5:10f

devoting herself to every good work: This is a general statement that summarizes what Paul had just been saying. The widow must have been faithfully and consistently showing all sorts of kindness to people.

devoting herself to: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as devoting herself to means that she should occupy her time with doing good deeds or that she should work diligently to do good deeds. See also the note on 4:13b.

Paragraph 5:11–15

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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible. BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 6:19

6:19a

treasuring up for themselves: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as treasuring up means “to keep safe that which is of great value; to treasure up, to keep safe.” (Louw and Nida (65.11) on apothēsaurizō) When a person uses his possessions to do good, it is like he is saving up and storing away something of great value. This will happen for rich people if they will obey Paul’s command in 6:17–18.

a firm foundation: Paul described this treasure as a firm foundation. A foundation is the base on which a house is built so that it will be stable. A foundation is the most stable part of a building. See the note on foundation in 3:15d. The stability of a foundation contrasts with what Paul said about riches on this earth, which easily disappear (6:17b).

Paul was saying here that when a rich person does good deeds, it is like that person is storing treasure. These good deeds act as a strong foundation upon which the person could build or base the future.

Jesus used a similar figure of speech in Matthew 6:20; Luke 12:33, 18:22.

for the future: In this context, Paul was referring to the life that a believer would enjoy forever after death. Paul used the same phrase with the same sense in 4:8c and Ephesians 1:21.

6:19b

so that: The Greek word hina that the Berean Standard Bible translates as so that introduces the purpose for which Paul exhorted rich people to obey his commands.

take hold of that which is truly life: This is the purpose for which Paul told rich people to obey his commands in 6:17–18. Living a life which is truly life means living life fully. This is something that a believer can only do in heaven with God. Life with God is true, real life.

take hold of: Paul was saying that when a person uses his possessions to help others, he can begin to experience eternal life. Paul was not saying that people earn their salvation by helping others. See the note on 6:12b.

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SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 2:2

2:2a

for kings and all those in authority: In 2:1 Paul said that people should pray for everyone. Here in 2:2 Paul became more specific and said that believers should especially pray for people in positions of authority. Paul probably wanted the believers to ask God to help government officials to govern justly. When the authorities govern well, it is much more likely that people can live “peaceful and quiet lives,” as Paul mentioned in 2:2b.

kings: Notice that Paul used the plural form of the word for “king.” So he was not referring only to the Roman emperor (who ruled over all the countries in the Roman empire), but also to other rulers under the Emperor’s authority. For example, people called Agrippa a king, even though he was under the authority of the Roman emperor (Acts 25:13).

all those in authority: Paul wanted believers to pray not only for kings, but also for everyone who had authority in the community. This refers to government rulers and includes people like district officials and village chiefs—anyone who has been appointed or elected as a leader of the community.

General Comment on 2:2a

Paul uses the expression “kings and all those in authority” to include everyone who was involved in governing people in any way or who was responsible for making sure people acted peacefully. It is important that you also communicate that all rulers are included from the most important ones to the lower officials.

2:2b

so that: The Greek word hina that the Berean Standard Bible translates as so that shows the result of 2:2a, that is, the result when people in authority govern justly.

tranquil and quiet: The Greek words that the Berean Standard Bible translates as tranquil and quiet are very similar in meaning. They both refer to a way of life that is calm and orderly. In this context, Paul meant that if believers prayed for those in authority, then no one would cause trouble for the believers. They would be free to tell other people about Christ, to meet with other believers, and to worship God.

2:2c

When government officials govern justly, it is much easier for believers to obey God’s laws. They are able to meet together to worship God. They can tell also others freely about Christ because they do not fear that they will be persecuted or imprisoned.

godliness: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as godliness refers to the way people behave when they respect God.

dignity: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as dignity could also be translated as “proper conduct,” “respect for God,” and “honesty.” This word also occurs in 3:4b.

It could be translated as:

to act in the right way
-or-
to act as one ought

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SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 4:4

4:4a

For: In this verse Paul explained the reason that the false teachers were wrong when they told people not to eat certain foods.

every creation of God is good: Paul was referring to Genesis 1:31 which says: “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.” Paul referred to this to support his statement in 4:3c. Everything that God created is good, so people can freely eat all kinds of food.

4:4b

nothing: That is, no food.

that is received with thanksgiving: This is the same phrase that Paul used in 4:3c and you should try and use the same words here.

4:4c

should be rejected: That is, it is acceptable to eat all food and it is wrong to teach that certain food should not be eaten.

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SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 5:21

5:21a

I solemnly charge you: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as I solemnly charge you means that Paul was commanding Timothy to do something very important.

before God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels: Paul added this phrase to emphasize that what he was commanding Timothy to do was very important indeed. He was implying that God, Jesus and even the angels would witness whether Timothy obeyed Paul or not.

Christ Jesus: Notice that in this verse Paul referred to Jesus as Christ Jesus instead of “Jesus Christ.” The names “Christ Jesus” and “Jesus Christ” refer to the same person. (Some people, however, think that when Paul used the word Christ before the word Jesus, as in Christ Jesus, he was emphasizing that Jesus was the Messiah.)

In most English versions “Jesus Christ” and “Christ Jesus” are translated in the same order as they occur in the Greek manuscripts. It is recommended that you do the same thing.

However, it is possible that, in some languages, people may be confused to see the names in two different orders. They may even think that Paul was referring to two different people. If this is true in your language, it may be necessary to translate Christ Jesus as “Jesus Christ.” This is the more usual word order in the New Testament.

Christ: The word Christ is used two ways in the New Testament. In the Gospels, Christ is a title for Jesus. It means “the anointed one.” But later, by the time that Paul and others wrote letters to individuals and churches, the word Christ was used as another name for Jesus. It was no longer used as a title. So here and in other New Testament letters you should spell Christ according to the rules of your language.

the elect angels: Paul referred to the angels here by a word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as elect. This word indicates here that God had chosen the angels.

angels: In this context, the word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as angels refers to “a supernatural, spiritual being who is a messenger from God.” See the note on 3:16d.

5:21b

maintain these principles: That is, follow or obey these instructions.

these principles: The phrase these principles refers to what Paul told Timothy to do in 5:19–20, which was to rebuke elders who had sinned. (Arichea and Hatton, page 130, say, “…verse 21 is better interpreted as looking back than forward. For one thing, the instructions that follow verse 21 seem to be less serious than the subject matter of the preceding verses. For another thing, verses 17–20 deal with one subject matter, whereas verses 22–25 deal with a combination of topics without any apparent unity.”)

without bias: The phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as without bias means to do something without being biased for or against a person. Timothy was to treat every elder the same way.

5:21c

do nothing out of partiality: The phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as out of partiality is similar in meaning to the phrase “without bias” in 5:21b. Timothy was to treat every elder the same. It should not matter whether or not the elder was a good friend, or wealthy, or powerful, or popular.

General Comment on 5:21b–c

The Greek words that the Berean Standard Bible translates as “bias” and “partiality” mean almost the same thing. Paul probably used both words to emphasize what he was saying. In some languages, there may not be two such similar words. If this is true in your language, you may say something like:

Do not discriminate in any way.
-or-
Be completely fair/just in the way you treat people.

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SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 2:13

2:13–14

In these verses Paul gave two reasons why he did not allow women to teach or exercise authority over men. These reasons are based on what the book of Genesis records about the first man and woman, Adam and Eve.

(a) The first reason is that God created Adam before Eve (see 2:13a).

(b) The second reason is that Satan, the devil, deceived Eve, not Adam (see 2:14b).

2:13a

For: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as For introduces the reason for the previous statement. Here Paul introduced the two reasons why he did not allow women to teach or have authority over men.

Adam: The book of Genesis says that Adam was the name of the first man. God had created Adam from the dust of the ground. In some languages, it may be necessary to say explicitly that Adam was the first man.

was formed: Paul was referring to the time when God made Adam out of earth. See Genesis 2:7.

first: In this context, first means “before Eve.” See 2:13b.

2:13b

Eve: The book of Genesis calls the first woman Eve. God made Eve from one of Adam’s ribs. See Genesis 2:21–22.

General Comment on 2:13a–b

You should not try to include all the information about Adam and Eve in your translation, nor use long explanations. However in some languages, it may be necessary to make explicit some details. One way to do this is:

The reason why women should not teach men or rule them is that when God created human beings, he made Adam, the man, before he made Eve, the woman.

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SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 4:15

4:15a

Be diligent: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Be diligent means to pay attention to something and to do it earnestly, with enthusiasm and energy. It means the opposite of “neglect.” See the note on 4:14a.

these matters: Paul was referring to all the things that he had written about in 4:11–14.

4:15b

and absorbed in them: The Greek expression that the Berean Standard Bible translates as absorbed in them literally means “devote yourself to them” (4:13b). Paul used this expression to emphasize how important his instructions to Timothy were.

4:15c

so that: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as so that connects 4:15c with 4:15a–b. In 4:15c, Paul explained the reason that Timothy should obey Paul’s instruction in 4:14a–b. The reason was so that other believers would see how he was progressing spiritually.

your progress: Paul expected people to see Timothy’s progress, but he did not say what he meant by progress. Paul was probably thinking about progress in Timothy’s faith, and he probably expected Timothy to be able to use his gift better (4:14a).

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SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 6:9

6:9a

Those who want to be rich: When Paul referred to Those who want to be rich, he was referring to people, like the false teachers, who wanted to be rich more than they wanted to follow God.

however: The Greek particle de connects 6:8 and 6:9. In this context, this particle indicates that there is a contrast between these two verses. The contrast is between those who are content (6:8) and those who want to become rich (6:9). The Berean Standard Bible translates this with the word however. If in your language you have a way to show this contrast, you should use it to connect these verses.

6:9b

fall into temptation: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as fall into temptation is a figure of speech. It means to give in to temptation, that is, when a person is tempted to do something wrong, they choose to do the wrong thing and so sin.

become ensnared: This is another figure of speech. Paul had used the metaphor of a snare already, in 3:7c. He also used it in 2 Timothy 2:26. The desire to be rich is like a snare or trap that catches an animal. The person caught in such a trap cannot get free by himself.

6:9c

many foolish and harmful desires: There are two ways to understand this phrase:

(1) This is a third trap into which the people who want to become rich fall.

(New International Version (2011 Revision), Revised Standard Version, King James Version, New American Standard Bible, Revised English Bible, NET Bible)

(2) This is what the trap mentioned in 6:9b consists of. For example, the Good News Translation says:

the trap of many foolish and harmful desires

(Berean Standard Bible, Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible, Contemporary English Version, God’s Word, New Revised Standard Version, New Century Version, New Living Translation (2004 Revision))

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1).

foolish…desires: People who want to become rich also have many foolish…desires, that is, they start to want things that are wrong, unwise, and sinful. This is what happens to people when they want to become rich more than they want to follow God.

harmful desires: The desires that these people have are not only foolish, but also harmful. They want to do things that could hurt or damage themselves or other people.

6:9d

that plunge them into ruin and destruction: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as plunge means to push someone or something under water. Paul was using a figure of speech here. He meant that the desires of 6:9c often cause overwhelming ruin and destruction. In some languages, it may be necessary to remove the figure of speech and translate only the meaning. One way to do this is:

that cause people to be ruined and destroyed

ruin and destruction: Scholars interpret these two words in different ways:

(1) They say that both words refer to suffering on this earth. (Moore, page 55, classifies this as a synonymous doublet.)

(2) They say that ruin refers to suffering before death and destruction refers to suffering after death, in hell.
Either interpretation is possible and it is recommended that you translate them in as general a way as possible.

These two words translated ruin and destruction mean almost the same thing. In some languages it may be necessary to combine these two terms into one expression. For example:

absolute ruin

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Source: SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 2003

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 5:10

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 6:19

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 2:2

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 4:4

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 5:21

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 2:13

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 4:15

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 6:9

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