1 Timothy 5:3

The Support of Widows

3 Support^[a] widows who are genuinely widows.

1 Timothy 5:3 Meaning and Commentary

1 Timothy 5:3

Honour widows that are widows indeed.
] Who those are, see in ( 1 Timothy 1:5 1 Timothy 1:9 1 Timothy 1:10 ) . The honour to be given them is not a putting of them into the office of a deaconess, in the church; which office, some think, is referred to in ( Acts 6:1 ) ( 1 Timothy 3:11 ) ( 5:9 ) , and did obtain in some of the primitive churches; and it might be that some of these widows, the apostle here and hereafter speaks of, might be preferred to the rest, and be set over them, and have the care of such, who were more infirm; but then this could only be the case of some, whereas the honour here spoken of is what is to be given to all that are really widows; and therefore rather regards some external honour and respect to be shown them, by words and actions; and especially it designs an honourable provision for them, and maintenance of them; in which sense the word is used in ( 1 Timothy 5:17 ) ( Matthew 15:4-6 ) . So, with the Jews, giving gifts to persons, and making presents to them, is called honour. When Manoah asked the angel's name, that he might do him honour, when his saying came to pass, ( Judges 13:17 ) the sense, according to them, is ^F17,

``that I may inquire in what place I may find thee, when thy prophecy is fulfilled, and give thee (Nwrwd) , "a gift"; for there is no honour but what signifies a gift, as it is said, ( Numbers 22:17 ) , "honouring I will honour thee".''

So giving gifts to the poor, or providing for their maintenance, is doing them honour; and that this is the sense here, appears by what follows in the context.

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FOOTNOTES:

F17 Bemidbar Rabba, sect. 10. fol. 199. 4.

1 Timothy 5:3 In-Context

1 Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers,

2 older women as mothers, and with all propriety, the younger women as sisters.

3 Support widows who are genuinely widows.

4 But if any widow has children or grandchildren, they should learn to practice their religion toward their own family first and to repay their parents, for this pleases God.

5 The real widow, left all alone, has put her hope in God and continues night and day in her petitions and prayers;

Footnotes

• [a] Lit Honor