Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

1 Timothy 5:16

ἐπαρκείσθω. So אAG; ἐπαρκείτω CD2KLP. It is not easy to decide whether the active or the middle form is to he preferred.

Rec. text has πιστὸς ἤ before πιστὴ with D2KL, the majority of the cursives, the Syriac versions and good Greek patristic authorities; om. אACGP and the Bohairic version. There are Latin authorities on both sides, and it is possible that the disputed words may have been omitted through a copyist’s inadvertence; but yet the weight of evidence is against them.

16. εἴ τις πιστὴ κ.τ.λ. This may be either (a) a repetition of the injunction of 1 Timothy 5:4; 1 Timothy 5:8, the duty being now described as incumbent on all relatives, and not merely on children and grandchildren; or (b) a direction as to the maintenance of those younger widows who do not remarry and who are, in virtue of their age (1 Timothy 5:11-13), ineligible for admission to the χηρικὸν τάγμα. It appears from the context that (b) is more probable; but in any case there is a difficulty in πιστή. There seems no reason why female relatives should be mentioned to the exclusion of male; and yet (see critical note) the evidence for the omission of πιστὸς ἤ is too weighty to be set aside.

ἐπαρκείσθω. See critical note, and for the word see on 1 Timothy 5:10.

βαρείσθω. The classical form is βαρύνειν. Cp. 2 Corinthians 1:8; 2 Corinthians 5:4; 1 Thessalonians 2:9 &c.

iii. 17–25. THE DIGNITY AND THE DISCIPLINE OF THE PRESBYTERATE

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Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

1 Timothy 5:16

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