Titus 2:10

μὴ νοσφιζομένους. WH give μηδέ a place in their margin, on the authority of CbD2*G 17; אAC*D2cEKLP &c. have μή.

πᾶσαν πίστιν. There is some confusion about the order. The reading of the text has the weight of uncial authority, viz. אcACD2EP and d e, on its side; and it is in favour of this, as Ellicott points out, that in St Paul (except Ephesians 4:19) where πᾶς is in connexion with an abstract and anarthrous substantive, it always precedes the noun. The rec. text has πίστιν πᾶσαν with KL (so also Chrysostom, Theodoret, and the Latin Vulgate). It is remarkable that א*17 omit πίστιν altogether, and 17 for the following ἀγαθήν has ἀγάπην; WH, in consequence, place πᾶσαν ἐνδεικνυμένους� in their margin, as a reading of which it is quite possible that the others may be corruptions. See exegetical note.

τὴν διδασκαλίαν τήν. The second τήν is wanting in rec. text as it is in KLP and some other authorities; ins. אACD2EG 17, Chrysostom and Theodoret.

ἡμῶν. The rec. text has ὑμῶν, apparently through a printer’s error, for it has no MS. support.

10. μὴ νοσφιζομένους, not purloining; for νοσφίζεσθαι cp. Acts 5:3; 2Ma 4:32. Tyndale’s “neither be pickers” gives the sense exactly; the allusion is to the petty thefts which are always possible for a dishonest servant.

ἀλλὰ πᾶσαν πίστιν ἐνδεικνυμένους�, but shewing all good fidelity, sc. shewing good faith on every possible occasion; see note on the extensive force of πᾶς in St Paul, at 1 Timothy 1:15. πίστις here = fidelitas, the fidelity which slaves owe to their masters, servants to those who employ them.

ἵνα τὴν διδασκαλίας κ.τ.λ., that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things, sc. in every department and call of duty. κοσμεῖν ‘to adorn,’ is used of the ‘setting’ of a jewel; and so, here, ‘the doctrine of God our Saviour’ is, as it were, ‘set off,’ and exhibited in a favourable light to the unbelieving world, by the conduct of those who, in whatever station, profess belief in it. For the title ‘our Saviour’ as applied to God the Father, see note on 1 Timothy 1:1 and cp. 1 Timothy 4:10.