1 Timothy 5:14

I will therefore Rather, with R.V. -I desire;" the stronger verb, as in 1 Timothy 2:8; 1 Timothy 6:9; Titus 3:8: and four other passages of St Paul's Epistles: while the weaker verb is used by him more than sixty times, of which four only are in the Pastoral Epistles.

youngerwomen] The passage implies a limitation to widows, as R.V. -Do not lead the younger widows to expect such help at all as a matter of course. Then those who marry "in the Lord" again will find scope for an active irreproachable Christian life; while," as he said before, -those who have been misled, in their trouble, by the world and the flesh, and seek a worldly heathen re-marriage, will not compromise the Church by having had a place on the roll of godly almswomen."

bear children, guide the house Compound verbs again, as in 1 Timothy 5:10, used only here in N. T., the substantives connected with them however occurring ch. 1 Timothy 2:15 and Matthew 10:25, &c.

to the adversary The word occurs in three stages in N. T., (1) still retaining its participial force; in Luke 13:17 governing its pronoun, -those who opposed him," and 1 Corinthians 16:9, -and many (are) opposing," 2 Thessalonians 2:4, -he that opposeth and exalteth himself." (2) As abstract adjective in the plural, Philippians 1:28, -in nothing affrighted by the adversaries," (3) as abstract adjective in the singular, in this passage. With the use here in the singular, compare Titus 2:8, -That he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed," and the fifth question in the Order for the Consecration of Bishops apparently echoing both, -an example of good works unto others, that the adversary may be ashamed." -The hostile party, ready to catch hold of anything in the life of Christians, are personified as one," Fairbairn. St John, in his still later Greek, adopts this singular, John 11:22, where cf. Bp Westcott: -the liar, who offers in his own person the sum of all that is false; and not simply a liarwho is guilty of a particular sin."

to speak reproachfully Lit. -on account of," -to serve the purpose of abuse," so tersely R.V. for reviling. Compare the similar use, Judges 16, -shewing respect of persons for the sakeof advantage."