Their wives in the same way must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, and faithful in all things.
Parallel Translations
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Their wives in the same way must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, and faithful in all things.
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Even so must their wynes be honest not evyll speakers: but sober and faythfull in all thinges.
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Likewise their wiues must be honest, not euill speakers, but sober, and faithfull in all things.
Cross-references (22)
Passages linked to 1 Timothy 3:11 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Titus 2:3 and that older women likewise be reverent in behavior, not slanderers nor enslaved to much wine, teachers of that which is good,
- Titus 3:2 to speak evil of no one, not to be contentious, to be gentle, showing all humility toward all men.
- 1 Timothy 3:2 The overseer therefore must be without reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, modest, hospitable, good at teaching;
- Proverbs 10:18 He who hides hatred has lying lips. He who utters a slander is a fool.
- 2 Timothy 3:3 without natural affection, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, not lovers of good,
- 1 Peter 5:8 Be sober and self-controlled. Be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
- Leviticus 21:7 “ ‘They shall not marry a woman who is a prostitute, or profane. A priest shall not marry a woman divorced from her husband; for he is holy to his God.
- Leviticus 21:13-15 “ ‘He shall take a wife in her virginity. He shall not marry a widow, or one divorced, or a woman who has been defiled, or a prostitute. He shall take a virgin of his own people as a wife. He shall not profane his offspring among his people, for I am Yahweh who sanctifies him.’ ”
- Psalms 15:3 he who doesn’t slander with his tongue, nor does evil to his friend, nor casts slurs against his fellow man;
- Psalms 50:20 You sit and speak against your brother. You slander your own mother’s son.
- Psalms 101:5 I will silence whoever secretly slanders his neighbor. I won’t tolerate one who is arrogant and conceited.
- Proverbs 25:13 As the cold of snow in the time of harvest, so is a faithful messenger to those who send him; for he refreshes the soul of his masters.
- Jeremiah 9:4 “Everyone beware of his neighbor, and don’t trust in any brother; for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbor will go around like a slanderer.
- Matthew 4:1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
- Luke 1:5-6 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the priestly division of Abijah. He had a wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. They were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord.
- John 6:70 Jesus answered them, “Didn’t I choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?”
- 1 Thessalonians 5:6-8 so then let’s not sleep, as the rest do, but let’s watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep in the night; and those who are drunk are drunk in the night. But since we belong to the day, let’s be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet, the hope of salvation.
- 1 Timothy 1:12 I thank him who enabled me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he counted me faithful, appointing me to service;
- 1 Timothy 6:2 Those who have believing masters, let them not despise them because they are brothers, but rather let them serve them, because those who partake of the benefit are believing and beloved. Teach and exhort these things.
- 2 Timothy 4:5 But you be sober in all things, suffer hardship, do the work of an evangelist, and fulfill your ministry.
- Revelation 12:9-10 The great dragon was thrown down, the old serpent, he who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, the power, and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ has come; for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God day and night.
- Ezekiel 44:22 They shall not take for their wives a widow, or her who is put away; but they shall take virgins of the offspring of the house of Israel, or a widow who is the widow of a priest.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
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John Calvin 1540 · Public Domain 11. Likewise the wives He means the wives both…
11. Likewise the wives He means the wives both of deacons and of bishops, for they must be aids to their husbands in their office; which cannot be, unless their behavior excel that of others.
John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain Regard must be had also to the Pastors’ and…
Regard must be had also to the Pastors’ and Deacons’ wives.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 11 Even so must their wives be grave, not…
11 Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.
Ver. 11. Must their wives be grave] As themselves must, 1Ti 3:6. Gravity is such an elixir, as by contaction (if there be any disposition of goodness in the same metal) it will render it of the property. So that deacons’ wives cannot be otherwise than grave and gracious, having such husbands as is above described.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain Even so must their wives be grave: must their…
Even so must their wives be grave: must their is not in the Greek, but supplied by our interpreters, and, as some think, ill, judging that he speaks here not of deacons’ wives, but of deaconesses, of such women as had the deacon’s office conferred on them, such a one was Phebe, Rom 16:1; but it may be understood of either, both ought to be not light, airy, tattling persons, but composed, serious, grave people.
Not slanderers; not devils, (so it is in the Greek), that is, persons given to railing and accusing others.
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Sober: see the sense of that word, 1Ti 3:2.
Faithful in all things; who have approved themselves every way honest, and such persons as may be trusted.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
William Burkitt 1703 · Public Domain In the original it runs, Let the women, by…
In the original it runs, Let the women, by which is meant either the deacons’ wives, or the deaconesses, who were appointed to take care of the poor women, as the deacons were of the men; understand it of both; these qualifications are very excellent and well becoming of both; they ought to be grave and sober, not light and airy, no slanderers, not devils, says the original; the sense is, not railers, nor false accusers, but diligent and faithful in all business, and trusty in all affairs. It is not enough and sufficient that the ministers of the gospel themselves be of a grave and sober conversation, but their wives also must and ought to take special care that they demean themselves answerably to their place and station, and suitably to the character which their husbands bear; so must their wives be grave.
William Burkitt's Expository Notes on the New Testament (1700–1703) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain Even so must their wives be grave,.... Some instead…
Even so must their wives be grave,.... Some instead of "wives" read "women", and understand them of deaconesses, such as were in the primitive churches; whose business it was to visit the poor and sick sisters of the church, and take care of things belonging to them; but it is better to interpret the words of the wives of the deacons, who must be as their husbands, "grave" in speech, gesture, and dress, of an honest report, a good behaviour, and chaste conversation; which will reflect honour and credit to their husbands:
not slanderers; or accusers, and so act like devils, as the word is sometimes rendered; for should they act such a part, and accuse either the poor, or any of the members of the church wrongfully, or on any trifling occasion, as persons addicted to this vice are wont to do, it would be of bad consequence: and they also should be
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sober, temperate, not given to wine; excessive drinking is very scandalous in the female sex; and is the rather mentioned here, because women in the eastern countries were too frequently addicted to it:
faithful in all things; as in the marriage bed, so with whatsoever else they are intrusted with in the family, and civil concerns of their husbands; and this is the rather observed, because the wives of deacons may be sometimes intrusted with the church's stock in their husband's absence, to impart to the poor.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain Faithful in all things - Both to God, their…
Faithful in all things - Both to God, their husbands, and the poor.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 11. Even so must their wives be grave]…
Verse 11. Even so must their wives be grave] I believe the apostle does not mean here the wives either of the bishops or deacons in particular, but the Christian women in general. The original is simply: γυναικας ωσαυτως σεμνας. Let the women likewise be grave. Whatever is spoken here becomes women in general; but if the apostle had those termed deaconesses in his eye, which is quite possible, the words are peculiarly suitable to them. That there was such an order in the apostolic and primitive Church, and that they were appointed to their office by the imposition of hands, has already been noticed on Ro 16:1. Possibly, therefore, the apostle may have had this order of deaconesses in view, to whom it was as necessary to give counsels and cautions as to the deacons themselves; and to prescribe their qualifications, lest improper persons should insinuate themselves into that office.
Not slanderers] μη διαβολους. Literally, not devils. See note on 1Ti 3:7. This may be properly enough translated slanderers, backbiters, tale-bearers, c., for all these are of their father, the devil, and his lusts they will do. Let all such, with the vast tribe of calumniators and dealers in scandal, remember that the apostle ranks them all with malicious, fallen spirits a consideration which one would suppose might be sufficient to deter them from their injurious and abominable conduct.
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Sober] See note on 1Ti 3:2.
Faithful in all things.] The deaconesses had much to do among the poor, and especially among poor women, in dispensing the bounty of the Church. They were not only faithfully to expend all they had got, and for the purpose for which they got it; but they must do this with impartiality, showing no respect of persons, the degree of distress being the only rule by which the distribution was to be regulated.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain 1Ti 3:11. Even so must their wives — Namely,…
1Ti 3:11. Even so must their wives — Namely, the wives of the deacons; be grave — Serious in their deportment; not slanderers — Or false accusers of the brethren and others; sober — Or watchful, (as νηφαλεους may be rendered,) for occasions of doing good, and guarding against every temptation to evil; faithful — To God, their husbands, and the poor; in all things — Committed to their care, lest their imprudent and unfaithful conduct should bring the character of their husbands under suspicion. The apostle, however, may be understood here, as not only speaking of the wives of the deacons and bishops, but of the believing women in general, and particularly of those who were invested with any office in the church. So the Vulgate interprets his meaning, having here, mulieres similiter pudicas, the women in like manner must be modest. Chrysostom also, and the Greek commentators, with most of the Latin fathers, were of opinion that the apostle, in this passage, is speaking both of those women who, in the first age, were employed in ministering to the afflicted, and of those who were appointed to teach the young of their own sex the principles of religion. As the manners of the Greeks did not permit men to have much intercourse with women of character, unless they were their relations, and as the Asiatics were under still greater restraints, it was proper that an order of female teachers should be instituted in the church for instructing the young of their own sex. These, it seems, were generally widows, Clement of Alexandria reckoning widows among ecclesiastical persons, Pædag., lib. 3. c. 12; and Grotius tells us that these female presbyters, or elders, were ordained by imposition of hands till the council of Laodicea.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain Even so must their wives be grave - Chrysostom,…
Even so must their wives be grave - Chrysostom, Theophylact, Grotius, Bloomfield, and many others, suppose that by the word “wives,” here, (γυνᾶικας gunaikas), the apostle means “deaconesses.” Clarke supposes that it refers to women in general. The reason assigned for supposing that it does not refer to the wives of deacons, as such, is, that nothing is said of the qualifications of the wives of bishops - a matter of as much importance as that of the character of the wife of a deacon; and that it cannot be supposed that the apostle would specify the one without some allusion to the other. But that the common interpretation, which makes it refer to the wives of deacons, as such, is to be adhered to, seems to me to be clear. Because:
(1) It is the obvious and natural interpretation.
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(2) The word here used - “wives” - is never used of itself to denote deaconesses.
(3) If the apostle had meant deaconesses, it would have been easy to express it without ambiguity; compare notes, Rom 16:1.
(4) What is here mentioned is important, whether the same thing is mentioned of bishops or not.
(5) In the qualifications of bishops, the apostle had made a statement respecting his family, which made any specification about the particular members of the family unnecessary. He was to be one who presided in a proper manner over his own house, or who had a well-regulated family; 1Ti 3:4-5. By a comparison of this passage, also, with Tit 2:3-4, which bears a strong resemblance to this, it would seem that it was supposed that the deacons would be taken from those who were advanced in life, and that their wives would have some superintendence over the younger females of the church. It was, therefore, especially important that they should be persons whose influence would be known to be decidedly favorable to piety. No one can doubt that the character of a woman may be such, that it is not desirable that her husband should be an officer in the church. A bad woman ought not to be entrusted with any additional power or influence.
Grave - notes, 1Ti 3:4.
Not slanderers - compare Tit 2:3, “Not false accusers.” The Greek word is διαβόλους diabolous - “devils.” It is used here in its original and proper sense, to denote a “calumniator,” “slanderer,” or “accuser.” It occurs in the same sense in 2Ti 3:3, and Tit 2:3. Elsewhere in the New Testament, it is uniformly rendered “devil” (compare notes, Mat 4:1), and is given to Satan, the prince of the fallen angels Mat 9:34, by way of eminence, as “the accuser;” compare Job 1:6-11 notes, and Rev 12:10 note. Here it means that they should not be women who were in the habit of calumniating others, or aspersing their character. Mingling as they would with the church, and having an opportunity to claim acquaintance with many, it would be in their power, if they chose, to do great injury to the character of others.
Sober - notes, 1Ti 3:2.
Faithful in all things - To their husbands, to their families, to the church, to the Saviour.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain Women, &c. By the Greek again, sober, grave, &c.…
Women, &c. By the Greek again, sober, grave, &c. By these women are commonly understood such as had made a vow of not marrying, and who assisted at the baptism of women; (Witham) i.e. deaconesses, who were women charged with the assistance, and sometimes with the instruction, of persons of their own sex. (Bible de Vence) --- Not given to detraction,[5] or calumnies, as in the Greek. A necessary admonition. (Witham)
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[BIBLIOGRAPHY]
Non detrahentes, Greek: me diabolous.
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain their wives--rather, "the women," that is, the deaconesses. For…
their wives--rather, "the women," that is, the deaconesses. For there is no reason that special rules should be laid down as to the wives of the deacons, and not also as to the wives of the bishops or overseers. Moreover, if the wives of the deacons were meant, there seems no reason for the omission of "their" (not in the Greek). Also the Greek for "even so" (the same as for "likewise," Ti1 3:8, and "in like manner," Ti1 2:9), denotes a transition to another class of persons. Further, there were doubtless deaconesses at Ephesus, such as Phœbe was at Cenchrea (Rom 16:1, "servant," Greek, "deaconess"), yet no mention is made of them in this Epistle if not here; whereas, supposing them to be meant here, the third chapter embraces in due proportion all the persons in the service of the Church. Naturally after specifying the qualifications of the deacon, Paul passes to those of the kindred office, the deaconess. "Grave" occurs in the case of both. "Not slanderers" here, answers to "not double-tongued" in the deacons; so "not false accusers" (Tit 2:3). "Sober" here answers to "not given to much wine," in the case of the deacons (Ti1 3:8). Thus it appears he requires the same qualifications in female deacons as in deacons, only with such modifications as the difference of sex suggested. PLINY, in his celebrated letter to Trajan, calls them "female ministers."
faithful in all things--of life as well as faith. Trustworthy in respect to the alms committed to them and their other functions, answering to "not greedy of filthy lucre," Ti1 3:8, in the case of the deacons.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 11. Wives—The Greek word may signify either woman or…
11. Wives—The Greek word may signify either woman or wife. The their is not in the Greek. The question thence arises, whether St. Paul means wives of the deacons, or deaconesses. Note Rom_16:2. The absence of any prescription for the wives of the elders seems very decisive in favour of the latter. The existence of an ordained grade of deaconesses in the early Church was recognised by Tertullian, Origen, and others of the ecclesiastical writers.
Slanderers—Not dealing in scandal and personal gossip.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 11. Even so must their wives be grave] The…
11. Even so must their wives be grave] The R.V. translates literally Women in like manner must be grave, i.e. women deacons, favouring the general view of the earliest commentators, as Chrysostom and Theod. Mops.,’ mulieres quae diaconis officium implere statuuntur,’ and the latest, as Bps Wordsworth and Ellicott. Fairbairn gives well the reasons; ‘the mode of expression “likewise” apparently marking a transition to another class (as at 1Ti_3:8, 1Ti_2:9; Tit_2:3; Tit_2:6); also the absence of the article or the pronoun to connect the women with the men spoken of before; the mention only of qualifications for deacon work, while nothing is said of those more directly bearing on domestic duties.’
slanderers] The word is only used in these Epistles, here and Tit_2:3 of women; in 2Ti_3:3 of men. It corresponds to the ‘double-tongued’ above. Theod. Mops. Lat. gives ‘accusatrices,’ and this shews well the identity of the word with that for the great ‘accuser,’ the devil (diabolus).
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faithful in all things] That is, in all the duties of a deaconess.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (11) Even so must their wives . . .—The…
(11) Even so must their wives . . .—The position of this solitary charge, respecting deacons’ wives, in the midst of regulations concerning “deacons,” is, of itself, almost decisive against the translation of the English version, adopted also by Luther and many others. The question naturally occurs—why are deacon’s wives especially referred to, while nothing has been said respecting the wives of presbyters? Then, again, why should the choice of Timothy in the matter of his selection of a deacon be hampered with any special requirements in the wife of the candidate for the holy office? The literal translation of the Greek words would be, Women in like manner must, &c. These women, St. Chrysostom and most of the ancient expositors affirm, were deaconesses.
It is certain that there were women holding a kind of official position as deaconesses in the early Church; nor is it probable that these deaconesses were, as a class, confined to the restriction of age referred to in the direction respecting a band of widows devoted to works of mercy (1Ti_5:9-10). These widows seemed to have been in the first instance a class or order apart from the ordinary deaconesses.
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Phebe of Cenchrea (Rom_16:1), Euodias, and Syntyche (Php_4:2), probably the organisation alluded to (Act_9:36-41) as existing at Joppa, of which Dorcas was the chief, may be cited as instances from the New Testament of the employment of these women-servants of the Church. In the next century the Proconsul Pliny, in his famous letter to the Emperor Trajan, distinctly alludes to these Christian deaconesses, in the words, “ancillæ quæ ministræ dicebantur.” “In the Western Church,” says Professor Reynolds, “the order did not cease to exist until the fifth century, and was continued in the Greek Church till the twelfth. The deaconess vanished into the cloister until partially revived in comparatively modern times.”
Be grave.—The same word is used as in the case of the deacons. These deaconesses, too, must, with their modest behaviour, with their sweet, decorous gravity, as it has been well said, “inspire reverence having the halo of purity and sanctity about them.”
Not slanderers.—A woman’s most ready weapon is ever her tongue. She is, with all her noble, generous qualities, often quick-tempered, passionate, impulsive, jealous, and this weapon, always ready for attack or defence, is too often unsheathed. The professed servant of the Lord must show a high example to her sisters in self-control.
Sober.—Should be abstemious, even self-denying in the pleasures of the table.
Faithful in all things.—These deaconesses, from their position, would become the depositaries of many a household secret; to those confiding in them in moments of trouble they must be true; scrupulously honest also in their distribution of alms; faithful, too, in the holy instruction they would be often called on to give in the course of their ministrations.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain Women in like maturer must for even so must…
Women in like maturer must for even so must their wives, A.V; temperate for sober, A.V Women. What is meant by these "women"? Certainly not women in general, which would be quite out of harmony with the context. The choice lies between
(1) the wives of the deacons, as in the A.V;
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(2) the wives of the episcopi and deacons;
(3) deaconesses.
This last, on the whole, is the most probable. The male deacons had just been spoken of, and so the apostle goes on to speak of the female deacons. (at diakonoi, Rom_16:1) He conceives of the deacon"s office as consisting of two branches
(1) the deacons,
(2) the deaconesses;
and gives appropriate directions for each. It must he remembered that the office of the early deacon was in a great measure secular, so that there is nothing strange in that of the deaconess being coupled with it. The retrain in ver. 12 to the male deacon is in favor of understanding "the women" of the deaconesses, as showing that the subject of the diaconate was not done with. Chrysostom (who says, "He is speaking of those who hold the rank of deaconesses") and all the ancient commentators, and De Wette, Wiesinger, Wordsworth, Alford, and Ellicott among the moderns, so understand it (see following notes). Grave (semnav; see ver. 8, note). Not slanderers (mhlouv, corresponding to the mhgouv of ver. 8). This use of diabolov, which is the classical one, is peculiar in the New Testament to the pastoral Epistles. (see 2Ti_3:3; Tit_2:3) Temperate (nhfaliouv; see ver. 2, note). It corresponds here to the mhcontav of ver. 8. Faithful in all things (pistav ejn padin). This seems to refer specially to their being the almoners of the Church charities, and so favors the explanation of "women" as meaning deaconesses. Pistov means especially "trusty". (Mat_24:45; Luk_12:42 Luk_16:10, etc.)
The qualifications of deaconesses.
in like manner must be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things." The allusion is evidently not to the wives of deacons, but to deaconesses. Why should the duties of deacons" wives be set forth when there is no allusion to the duties of ministers" wives? The omission of all mention of domestic duties in this case is significant.
I THE ORDER OF DEACONESSES. There was evidently such an order in the primitive Church. Phoebe of Cenchrea, (Rom_16:1) Euodias and Syntyche, (Php_4:2) and probably the association with which Dorcas was connected at Joppa, (Act_9:36-41) seem to have belonged to the order. The order did not cease to exist till the fifth century in the Latin Church, and till the twelfth in the Greek Church. It had its origin, probably, in the extreme jealousy which guarded the relations of the sexes in early times, for women were comparatively secluded from the society of men. Deaconesses were, therefore, appointed to maintain the religious intercourse of Christian women with a Church whose ministrations were in the hands of men.
II THE QUALIFICATIONS OF DEACONESSES.
1. "Grave." Not given to levity or gay manners, but sober in speech, gesture, and dress.
2. "Not slanderers." Not too ready to take up an accusation against the poor, or too ready to use the tongue in the way of false insinuation.
3. "Sober." Not to be given to pleasures of the table, but showing a seemly abstemiousness.
4. "Faithful in all things." Faithful in all ecclesiastical duties.
(1) Faithful to the poor, whose secrets are to be jealously kept;
(2) faithful to the Church, which entrusts its funds to their wise and discriminating distribution; and
(3) faithful to God in all religious obligations whatsoever. T.C.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain Even so must their wives be grave.
1Ti_3:11
Even so must their wives be grave.
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The pastors wife
A good example is the pastors first ministry, and Paul associates the wife in this ministry, when he wishes the wives to be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. This has been felt to be so important that in certain churches, those of Hungary, the minister has been made positively responsible for the conduct of his wife. He is everywhere so morally, and the responsibility is a grave one, the ministry may suffer considerably if it is not regarded. How much may the humours and vices of the wife (slander, avarice, negligence, display, etc.), compromise the respectability of the pastor? And conversely: Julian the apostate, observing that one cause of the success of the gospel was the purity in the manners of its followers, and especially its ministers, and wishing to enable paganism to compete with Christianity, ordered the pagan priests to maintain their wives, children, and domestics in the same sanctity of manners. (Vinet.)
Talebearing discouraged
Hannah More had a good way of managing tale-bearers. It is said that whenever she was told anything derogatory of another, her invariable reply was, Come, we will go and ask if this is true. The effect was sometimes ludicrously painful. The tale-bearer was taken aback, stammered out a qualification, or begged that no notice might be taken of the statement. But the good lady was inexorable; off she took the scandalmonger to the scandalised, to make inquiry and compare accounts. It is not very likely that anybody ever a second time ventured to repeat a gossipy story to Hannah More. Milton being asked if he intended to teach his daughters languages, replied, No, one tongue is enough for a woman! (E. J. Hardy, M. A.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
B. W. Johnson 1891 · Public Domain 11. Even so must their wives. The word in…
11. Even so must their wives. The word in the Greek may mean women or wives. It is rendered wife in verse 12. The Revision says, “Women must be, etc.” I believe that the Old Version is nearer right. The duties of women generally are not spoken of in the midst of a discussion of elders and deacons. Either deaconesses are meant, or the wives of bishops and deacons; more likely the latter. We know that an injudicious wife may mar the work of a church officer. Not slanderers. Not given to tattling.
B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 Women in the same way
Women in the same way
Possible meanings are 1) "women" refers to the wives of deacons or 2) "women" refers to female deacons.
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be dignified
"act properly" or "be worthy of respect"
They should not be slanderers
"They must not speak evil about other people"
be moderate and
"not do anything to excess." See how you translated this in 1 Timothy 3:2.
husbands of one wife
A man must have only one wife. It is unclear if this excludes men who have been previously widowed, divorced, or never married. See how you translated this in 1 Timothy 3:2.
manage well their children and household
"properly take care of and lead their children and others who live in their homes"
For those
"For those deacons" or "For these church leaders"
acquire for themselves
"receive for themselves" or "gain for themselves"
a good standing
The implied meaning may be stated explicitly. AT: "a good reputation among other believers" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus
Possible meanings are 1) they will trust in Jesus with even more confidence or 2) they will speak confidently to other people about their faith in Jesus.
translationWords
slander
faithful
deacon
household
servant
confidence
faith
Jesus
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 3:11 their wives (or the women deacons): The Greek…
3:11 their wives (or the women deacons): The Greek word can be translated women or wives. In favor of their wives, 3:8-13 is a discussion of male deacons; switching to “women deacons” would disrupt the flow of thought. However, there might have been women deacons in the early church (see Rom 16:1). In that case, this verse might parallel 1 Tim 3:8.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.