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Amplified Bible

1 Timothy 5:16

If any believing woman has [dependent] widows [in her household], she must assist them [according to her ability]; and the church must not be burdened [with them], so that it may assist those who are truly widows [those who are all alone and are dependent].

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Beneficence;   Commandments;   Liberality;   Minister, Christian;   Poor;   Widow;   Women;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Widows;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Paul;   Widow;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Abortion;   Deacon, Deaconess;   Wealth;   Widow;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Faithful;   Widows;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Poor, Orphan, Widow;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Widow;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Home;   Marriage;   Timothy and Titus Epistles to;   Widows;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Widow;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
If any believing woman has widows in her family, let her help them. Let the church not be burdened, so that it can help widows in genuine need.
King James Version (1611)
If any man or woman that beleeueth haue widowes, let them relieue them, and let not the Church be charged, that it may relieue them that are widowes indeed.
King James Version
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.
English Standard Version
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
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 actually widows.
New Century Version
If any woman who is a believer has widows in her family, she should care for them herself. The church should not have to care for them. Then it will be able to take care of 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.
Legacy Standard Bible
If any believing woman has widows, she must assist them and the church must not be burdened, so that it may assist those who are widows indeed.
Berean Standard Bible
If any believing woman has dependent widows, she must assist them and not allow the church to be burdened, so that it can help the widows who are truly in need.
Contemporary English Version
If a woman who is a follower has any widows in her family, she should help them. This will keep the church from having that burden, and then the church can help widows who are really in need.
Complete Jewish Bible
If any believing woman has relatives who are widows, she should provide relief for them — the congregation shouldn't be burdened, so that it may help the widows who are really in need.
Darby 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.
Easy-to-Read Version
If any woman who is a believer has widows in her family, she should take care of them herself. Then the church will not have that burden and will be able to care for the widows who have no one else to help them.
Geneva Bible (1587)
If any faithfull man, or faithfull woman haue widowes, let them minister vnto them, and let not the Church bee charged, that there may bee sufficient for them that are widowes in deede.
George Lamsa Translation
If any believers, either man or woman, have widows in their families, let them feed them, and do not let them be a burden on the congregation, so that the church may have enough for those who are widows indeed.
Good News Translation
But if any Christian woman has widows in her family, she must take care of them and not put the burden on the church, so that it may take care of the widows who are all alone.
Lexham English Bible
If any believing woman has widows, she must help them, and the church must not be burdened, in order that it may help those who are truly widows.
Literal Translation
If any believing man or believing woman has widows, let them relieve them , and do not burden the assembly, that it may relieve those being true widows.
American Standard 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.
Bible in Basic English
If any woman of the faith has relations who are widows, let her give them help, so that the care of them does not come on the church, and so it may give help to those who are truly widowed.
Hebrew Names Version
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.
International Standard Version
If any womanman or woman
">[fn] is a believer and has relatives who are widows, she should help them. The church should not be burdened so that it can help those who really are widows.1 Timothy 5:3,5;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
If any believing man or believing woman have widows, let them support them, that they may not be burden-some on the church, that they who are widows indeed may have sufficient.
Murdock Translation
If any believing man or believing woman have widows, let them support them; and let them not be a burden on the church; so that there may be a sufficiency for such as are really widows.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Yf any man or woman that beleueth haue wydowes, let them susteine them, & let not the Churches be charged, that there maye be sufficient for them that are wydowes in deede.
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.
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.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
If any believing man or woman hath widows, let them relieve them; and let not the church be burthened, that it may relieve them that are widows indeed.
Weymouth's 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.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
If ony feithful man hath widewis, mynystre he to hem, that the chirche be not greuyd, that it suffice to hem that ben very widewis.
Update Bible Version
If any woman that believes has widows, let her relieve them, and don't let the church be burdened; that it may relieve those 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.
New English Translation
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.
New King James Version
If any believing man or [fn] woman has widows, let them relieve them, and do not let the church be burdened, that it may relieve those who are really widows.
New Living Translation
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.
New Life Bible
If you have any women whose husbands have died in your family, you must care for them. The church should not have to help them. The church can help women whose husbands have died who are all alone in this world and have no one else to help them.
New Revised Standard
If any believing woman has relatives who are really widows, let her assist them; let the church not be burdened, so that it can assist those who are real widows.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
If any, believing woman, hath widows, let her be giving them succour, and not suffer the assembly to be burdened, - that, them who are indeed widows, it may itself succour.
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.
Revised Standard Version
If any believing woman has relatives who are widows, let her assist them; let the church not be burdened, so that it may assist those who are real widows.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And yf eny man or woman that beleveth have widdowes let the minister vnto them and let not the congregacion be charged: that yt maye have sufficient for them that are widdowes in dede.
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.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Yf eny man or woman that beleueth haue wedowes, let them make prouysion for the, and let not the congregacion be charged: that they which are righte wedowes, maye haue ynough.
Mace New Testament (1729)
If any convert has widow-relations, let such relieve them, that the church may not be charged, but with the relief of such as are entirely destitute.
THE MESSAGE
Any Christian woman who has widows in her family is responsible for them. They shouldn't be dumped on the church. The church has its hands full already with widows who need help.
Simplified Cowboy Version
If any cowgirl in the outfit has been caring for a young widow, she should continue to do so. Don't let her pass the buck to y'all. Let God's outfit care for those who really need it.

Contextual Overview

3Honor and help those widows who are truly widowed [alone, and without support]. 4But if a widow has children or grandchildren [who are adults], see to it that these first learn to show great respect to their own family [as their religious duty and natural obligation], and to compensate their parents or grandparents [for their upbringing]; for this is acceptable and pleasing in the sight of God. 5Now a woman who is really a widow and has been left [entirely] alone [without adequate income] trusts in God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day. 6Whereas she who lives for pleasure and self-indulgence is spiritually dead even while she still lives. 7Keep instructing [the people to do] these things as well, so that they may be blameless and beyond reproach. 8If anyone fails to provide for his own, and especially for those of his own family, he has denied the faith [by disregarding its precepts] and is worse than an unbeliever [who fulfills his obligation in these matters]. 9A widow is to be put on the list [to receive regular assistance] only if she is over sixty years of age, [having been] the wife of one man, 10and has a reputation for good deeds; [she is eligible] if she has brought up children, if she has shown hospitality to strangers, if she has washed the feet of the saints (God's people), if she has assisted the distressed, and has devoted herself to doing good in every way. 11But refuse [to enroll the] younger widows, for when they feel their natural desires in disregard of Christ, they wish to marry again, 12and so they incur condemnation for having set aside their previous pledge.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

let them: 1 Timothy 5:4, 1 Timothy 5:8

widows indeed: 1 Timothy 5:3, 1 Timothy 5:5

Reciprocal: Matthew 15:6 - honour

Gill's Notes on the 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:

let them relieve them; out of their own substance; which is what the apostle before calls showing piety at home, and requiting their own parents:

and let not the church be charged; or burdened with the maintenance of them:

that it may relieve them that are widows indeed; that the church may be in a better capacity, its stock not being expended on others, to supply the wants of those who are really widows; who have neither husbands, nor children, nor any relations, to provide for them; nor anything in the world to support themselves with.

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.

Have widows - Widowed mothers, or grandmothers, or any other widows whose support would naturally devolve on them.

Let them relieve them - That is, let them support them. This was an obvious rule of duty; see the notes on 1 Timothy 5:8. Nothing can be more unreasonable than to leave those who are properly dependent on us to be supported by others, when we are able to maintain them ourselves.

That it may relieve, ... - That it may have the means of supporting those who are truly dependent. To require or expect the Church, therefore, to support those whom we ought ourselves to support, is, in fact, to rob the poor and friendless. In regard to these directions respecting widows 1 Timothy 5:3-16, we may remark in general, as the result of the exposition which has been given:

(1) They were to be poor widows, who had not the means of support themselves.

(2) They were, probably, to be not merely supported, but to be usefully employed in the service of the church, particularly in overseeing the conduct, and imparting instruction to the female members.

(3) They were to be of such age and character that there would be security of stability and correctness of deportment; such that they would not be tempted to leave the situation or to act so as to give occasion of reproach.

(4) It is by no means certain that this was intended to be a permanent arrangement. It grew probably out of the special customs respecting contact between the sexes in the Oriental world, and would undoubtedly be proper now in similar circumstances. But it by no means follows that this arrangement is binding on the churches where the customs of society are different. Yet.

(5) The passage inculcates the general principle that the poor widows of the church are to be assisted when they have no relatives on whom they can naturally depend. No class of people are more helpless than aged widows, and for that class God has always shown a special concern, and his people should do so likewise.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 16. 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, c., c. 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 note on 1 Timothy 5:10.


 
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