1 Timothy 5:16
◄  1 Timothy 5:16  ►
New International Version (©2011)
If any woman who is a believer has widows in her care, she should continue to help them and not let the church be burdened with them, so that the church can help those widows who are really in need.

New Living Translation (©2007)
If a woman who is a believer has relatives who are widows, she must take care of them and not put the responsibility on the church. Then the church can care for the widows who are truly alone.

English Standard Version (©2001)
If any believing woman has relatives who are widows, let her care for them. Let the church not be burdened, so that it may care for those who are truly widows.

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
If any woman who is a believer has dependent widows, she must assist them and the church must not be burdened, so that it may assist those who are widows indeed.

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
If any man or woman that believeth have widows, let them relieve them, and let not the church be charged; that it may relieve them that are widows indeed.

Holman Christian Standard Bible (©2009)
If any believing woman has widows in her family, she should help them, and the church should not be burdened, so that it can help those who are genuinely widows.

International Standard Version (©2012)
If any woman is a believer and has relatives who are widows, she should help them. The church should not be burdened, so it can help those widows who have no other family members to care for them.

NET Bible (©2006)
If a believing woman has widows in her family, let her help them. The church should not be burdened, so that it may help the widows who are truly in need.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English (©2010)
If male or female believers have widows, let them support them, and do not let them burden the church, so that it may have enough for those who are truly widows.

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
If any woman is a believer and has relatives who are widows, she should help them. In this way the church is not burdened and can help widows who have no families.

King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
If any man or woman that believes has widows, let them relieve them, and let not the church be charged; that it may relieve them that are widows indeed.

American King James Version
If any man or woman that believes have widows, let them relieve them, and let not the church be charged; that it may relieve them that are widows indeed.

American Standard Version
If any woman that believeth hath widows, let her relieve them, and let not the church be burdened; that it mat relieve them that are widows indeed.

Douay-Rheims Bible
If any of the faithful have widows, let him minister to them, and let not the church be charged: that there may be sufficient for them that are widows indeed.

Darby Bible Translation
If any believing man or woman have widows, let them impart relief to them, and let not the assembly be charged, that it may impart relief to those that are widows indeed.

English Revised Version
If any woman that believeth hath widows, let her relieve them, and let not the church be burdened; that it may relieve them that are widows indeed.

Webster's Bible Translation
If any man or woman that believeth hath widows, let them relieve them, and let not the church be charged; that it may relieve them that are widows indeed.

Weymouth New Testament
If a believing woman has widows dependent on her, she should relieve their wants, and save the Church from being burdened--so that the Church may relieve the widows who are really in need.

World English Bible
If any man or woman who believes has widows, let them relieve them, and don't let the assembly be burdened; that it might relieve those who are widows indeed.

Young's Literal Translation
If any believing man or believing woman have widows, let them relieve them, and let not the assembly be burdened, that those really widows it may relieve.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

If any man or woman that believeth have widows,.... That is, if any member of a church, whether a brother or a sister, have mothers or grandmothers, or any near relations widows, in mean circumstances, and incapable of taking care of themselves:

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Vincent's Word Studies

Man or woman that believeth (πιστὸς ἣ πιστὴ)

Lit. believing man or woman. But πιστὸς ἢ should be omitted. Read, if any woman that believeth.

Have widows (ἔχει χήρας)

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Barnes' Notes on the Bible

If any man or woman that believeth - Christians are often simply called "believers," because faith is the leading and most important act of their religion.

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Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

If any man or woman that believeth - If any Christian man or woman have poor widows, which are their relatives, let them relieve them - provide them with the necessaries of life, and not burden the Church with their maintenance, that the funds may be spared for the support of those widows who were employed in its service, teaching children, visiting the sick, etc., etc. For the performing of such offices it is very likely that none but widows were employed; and these were chosen, other things being equal, out of the most indigent of the widows, and therefore called by the apostle, here and in 1 Timothy 5:3, αἱς οντως χηραι, widows indeed - widows desolate, without support, and without relatives. See on 1 Timothy 5:10 (note).

Geneva Study Bible

{13} If any man or woman that believeth have widows, let them relieve them, and let not the church be charged; that it may relieve them that are widows indeed.

(13) The sixth rule: let the faithful help their widows at their own expense as much as they can, and do not let the congregation be burdened with these expenses.

People's New Testament

5:16 If any... that believeth have widows, let them relieve them. If any have widows among their relatives, let them support these, instead of the church, in order that the church may support the widows indeed (1Ti 5:3).

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

16. If any … have widows-of his family, however related to him. Most of the oldest manuscripts and versions omit "man or," and read, "If any woman that believeth." But the Received text seems preferable. If, however, the weightiest authorities are to prevail, the sense will be: He was speaking of younger widows; He now says, If any believing young widow have widows related to her needing support, let her relieve them, thereby casing the Church of the burden, 1Ti 5:3, 4 (there it was the children and grandchildren; here it is the young widow, who, in order to avoid the evils of idleness and wantonness, the result of idleness, 1Ti 5:11, 13; Eze 16:49, is to be diligent in good works, such as "relieving the afflicted," 1Ti 5:10, thus qualifying herself for being afterwards a widow-presbyteress).

let them-rather as Greek, "let him," or "her"; "let such a one" (1Ti 5:10).

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1 Timothy 5:16 Parallel Commentaries
Bible Hub: Online Parallel Bible


Honoring Widows
…14I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully. 15For some are already turned aside after Satan. 16If any man or woman that believes have widows, let them relieve them, and let not the church be charged; that it may relieve them that are widows indeed.

1 Timothy 5:3 Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need.
1 Timothy 5:4 But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God.
1 Timothy 5:5 The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help.
1 Timothy 5:9 No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband,
1 Timothy 5:10 and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the Lord's people, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds.