1126. graódés
Lexical Summary
graódés: Old wives' tales, myths, or fables

Original Word: γραῶδες
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: graódés
Pronunciation: grah-OH-des
Phonetic Spelling: (grah-o'-dace)
KJV: old wives'
NASB: fit only, old women
Word Origin: [from graus (an old woman) and G1491 (εἶδος - Form)]

1. crone-like, i.e. silly

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
silly, wives' tale.

From graus (an old woman) and eidos; crone-like, i.e. Silly -- old wives'.

see GREEK eidos

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from graus (an old woman) and -ódés (suff. denoting similarity)
Definition
characteristic of old women, anile
NASB Translation
fit only (1), old women (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 1126: γραώδης

γραώδης, γραωδες (from γραῦς an old woman, and εἶδος), old-womanish, anile (A. V. old wives'): 1 Timothy 4:7. (Strabo 1, p. 32 (p. 44, Sieben. edition); Galen; others.)

Topical Lexicon
Definition and Usage

Strong’s Greek 1126, γραώδης, describes that which is “old-womanish,” hence trifling or silly. It carries a pejorative sense, denoting something unworthy of serious attention. The term is used once in the New Testament to characterize myths that distract from genuine godliness.

Biblical Occurrence

1 Timothy 4:7 – “But reject irreverent, silly myths. Instead, train yourself for godliness.”

Paul warns Timothy that some teachings in Ephesus were as unsubstantial as the gossip of superstitious grandmothers. The apostle’s contrast—empty accounts versus disciplined piety—frames the pastoral call to weigh every doctrine by its capacity to promote true holiness.

Cultural and Historical Background

In the Greco-Roman world older women were often viewed as conveyors of folklore and superstitions. Philosophers dismissed such tales as intellectually childish. Paul borrows the cultural stereotype not to demean age or gender but to highlight the worthlessness of false teaching that parades as spirituality yet produces no moral fruit. The Ephesian setting, saturated with magical papyri and local legends surrounding Artemis, made Timothy’s task especially urgent.

Theological Significance

1. Sound Doctrine versus Speculation
• “Silly myths” divert believers from the central truths of Christ’s incarnation, atonement and resurrection.
• The single use of γραώδης enlarges a broader Pauline theme: doctrine must lead to godliness (1 Timothy 1:3-5; 6:3).
2. Authority of Scripture
• By branding extra-biblical notions as γραώδεις, Paul implicitly affirms that authoritative teaching rests in apostolic Scripture, not in human folklore.
3. Sanctification by Discipline
• The antidote to empty talk is deliberate “training” (γύμναζε) in godliness, a metaphor drawn from athletic preparation (1 Corinthians 9:24-27).

Pastoral and Practical Application

• Discernment in Teaching: Elders and teachers must filter out content that fails the test of biblical fidelity and spiritual profit.
• Biblical Literacy: Congregations steeped in Scripture more readily recognize and refuse speculative narratives.
• Spiritual Habits: Regular prayer, worship, and obedience cultivate the kind of disciplined life Paul urges, crowding out fascination with unprofitable controversies.
• Respect with Discernment: Scripture commends older women as teachers of what is good (Titus 2:3-5). Paul’s rebuke aims at the quality of content, not the demographic of the messenger.

Related Biblical Themes

• Myths (μῦθοι) – 1 Timothy 1:4; 2 Timothy 4:4; Titus 1:14
• Godliness (εὐσέβεια) – 1 Timothy 3:16; 4:8; 6:11
• Irreverence (βεβήλος) – 1 Timothy 1:9; 6:20; 2 Timothy 2:16

Witness of Church History

• Chrysostom connected Paul’s phrase to legends that “make the soul old and feeble,” contrasting them with the vigor imparted by the gospel.
• Augustine warned against “old-wives’ fables” regarding astrology, insisting that believers hold fast to Scripture alone.
• Reformers such as Calvin applied 1 Timothy 4:7 to late-medieval relic cults, urging a return to the sufficiency of the Word.

Summary

γραώδης exposes teaching that is frivolous, superstitious, and spiritually unproductive. Paul’s single yet pointed use of the word summons every generation of believers to reject novelty without substance and to pursue disciplined godliness grounded in the trustworthy revelation of Scripture.

Forms and Transliterations
γραωδεις γραώδεις graodeis graōdeis graṓdeis
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
1 Timothy 4:7 Adj-AMP
GRK: βεβήλους καὶ γραώδεις μύθους παραιτοῦ
NAS: fables fit only for old women. On the other
KJV: profane and old wives' fables, and
INT: profane and silly fables refuse

Strong's Greek 1126
1 Occurrence


γραώδεις — 1 Occ.

1125
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