the Week of Proper 22 / Ordinary 27
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Christian Standard Bible ®
1 Timothy 2:8
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Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension.
Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension.
Where once men raised their fists in anger, I now ask them to reach out to God and be saved.
It is my desire, then, that in every place men may give themselves to prayer, lifting up holy hands, without wrath or argument.
I will therefore that the men pray in every place, lifting up pious hands, without wrath or reasoning.
I desire therefore that the men in every place pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.
I will therefore that men pray in every place, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting:
So then I would have the men everywhere pray, lifting to God holy hands which are unstained with anger or strife;
I will therefore that men pray euery where, lifting vp holy handes without wrath, and doubting.
Therefore, I desire the men to pray in every place, lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting.
I wil therfore that men praye in all places, liftinge vp pure hades without wrath or dowtynge.
I direct therefore that the men pray in publick and private, lifting up their hands to heaven with innocence, charity, and composure.
Since prayer is at the bottom of all this, what I want mostly is for men to pray—not shaking angry fists at enemies but raising holy hands to God. And I want women to get in there with the men in humility before God, not primping before a mirror or chasing the latest fashions but doing something beautiful for God and becoming beautiful doing it.
Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without anger and disputing or quarreling or doubt [in their mind].
I desire therefore that the men pray in every place, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and disputing.
I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling;
I wyll therfore that the men praye every where liftynge vp pure hondes without wrath or dowtinge.
I desire therefore that the men pray in every place, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and disputing.
I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.
I wish, therefore, that men pray in every place, lifting up kind hands, apart from anger and reasoning;
So, I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up their hands in a holy manner, without anger and arguments.
So I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or dispute.
Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands, without anger or dissension.
I want everyone everywhere to lift innocent hands toward heaven and pray, without being angry or arguing with each other.
Therefore, it is my wish that when the men pray, no matter where, they should lift up hands that are holy — they should not become angry or get into arguments.
I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling;
I will therefore that the men pray, euery where lifting vp pure hands without wrath, or douting.
I wish, therefore, that men pray everywhere, lifting up their holy hands, without anger and doubting thoughts.
I desire therefore that the men in every place pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.
Therefore, I want the men to offer prayers in every place, lifting up holy hands without being angry or argumentative.Psalm 134:2; Isaiah 1:15; Malachi 1:11; John 4:21;">[xr]
I wish then for men to pray in every place, uplifting their hands purely and without wrath and without disputations.
I desire therefore, that men may pray in every place, while they lift up their hands with purity, without wrath, and without disputations.
I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting;
In every place of worship, I want men to pray with holy hands lifted up to God, free from anger and controversy.
I want men everywhere to pray. They should lift up holy hands as they pray. They should not be angry or argue.
I desire therefore that the men pray in every place, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and disputing.
I desire, then, that in every place the men should pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or argument;
I am minded, therefore, that - the men in every place be offering prayer, uplifting hands of lovingkindness, apart from anger and disputings;
I will therefore that men pray in every place, lifting up pure hands, without anger and contention.
I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.
Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger and dispute.
I wyll therefore, that the men praye euerywhere, lyftyng vp holy handes, without wrath and reasonyng.
I want the men everywhere to pray. Men who lift their hands in prayer must be devoted to God and pleasing to him. They must be men who keep themselves from getting angry and having arguments.
Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without anger and dispute.
In every church service I want the men to pray, men who are dedicated to God and can lift up their hands in prayer without anger or argument.
Therfor Y wole, that men preye in al place, liftinge vp clene hondis with outen wraththe and strijf.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
I will: 1 Timothy 5:14, 1 Corinthians 7:7,*Gr: Titus 3:8
pray: 2 Chronicles 33:11, 2 Chronicles 33:12, Psalms 130:1, Psalms 130:2, Lamentations 3:55, Lamentations 3:56, Jonah 2:1, Jonah 2:2, Malachi 1:11, Luke 23:42, Luke 23:43, John 4:21, John 4:23, John 4:24, Acts 21:5
lifting: Job 16:17, Psalms 26:6, Psalms 66:18, Psalms 134:2, Proverbs 15:8, Proverbs 21:27, Isaiah 1:15, Isaiah 58:7-11, Jeremiah 7:9, Jeremiah 7:10, Malachi 1:9, Malachi 1:10, Acts 10:2, Acts 10:4, Acts 10:31, Hebrews 10:22, James 4:8, 1 John 3:20-22
without: 1 Kings 3:11, Psalms 35:13, Matthew 5:22-24, Matthew 5:44, Matthew 6:12, Matthew 6:14, Matthew 6:15, Mark 11:25, Luke 23:34, Acts 7:60, 1 Peter 3:7
and: Matthew 21:21, Mark 11:23, Mark 11:24, James 1:6-8
Reciprocal: Genesis 13:18 - altar Exodus 17:11 - General Exodus 20:24 - in all places 1 Kings 8:22 - General 2 Chronicles 6:12 - spread forth Nehemiah 8:6 - with lifting Job 8:6 - thou wert Job 11:15 - lift up Job 22:30 - pureness Psalms 24:4 - He that Psalms 28:2 - when Psalms 141:2 - the lifting Isaiah 56:7 - for mine Lamentations 2:19 - lift up Zephaniah 2:11 - and men Matthew 5:24 - there Matthew 14:31 - O thou Matthew 18:22 - but Acts 10:9 - Peter 2 Timothy 2:22 - call 1 John 3:21 - General
Cross-References
The Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there He placed the man He had formed.
The Lord God caused to grow out of the ground every tree pleasing in appearance and good for food, including the tree of life in the middle of the garden, as well as the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
He drove man out and stationed the cherubim and the flaming, whirling sword east of the garden of Eden to guard the way to the tree of life.
Then Cain went out from the Lord 's presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
Lot looked out and saw that the entire Jordan Valley as far as Zoar was well watered everywhere like the Lord 's garden and the land of Egypt. This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.
Did the gods of the nations that my predecessors destroyed rescue them—nations such as Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the Edenites in Telassar?
For the Lord will comfort Zion; He will comfort all her waste places, and He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord . Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and melodious song.
Haran, Canneh, Eden, the merchants of Sheba, Asshur, and Chilmad traded with you.
You were in Eden, the garden of God. Every kind of precious stone covered you: carnelian, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise and emerald. Your mountings and settings were crafted in gold; they were prepared on the day you were created.
I made the nations quake at the sound of its downfall, when I threw it down to Sheol to be with those who descend to the Pit. Then all the trees of Eden, all the well-watered trees, the choice and best of Lebanon, were comforted in the underworld.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
I will therefore that men pray everywhere,.... In this declaration of the apostle's will concerning prayer, he only takes notice of "men"; not but that it is both the duty and privilege of women, as well as men, to pray in their houses and closets; but because he is speaking of public prayer in the church, which only belongs to men, he speaks only of them; and his will is, that prayer should be performed by them everywhere, or in any place, in any part of the world where they lived. Now was the prophecy in Malachi 1:11 fulfilled, and now was the time come our Lord refers to, John 4:21. This seems to be said in opposition to a Jewish notion, that the temple at Jerusalem was the only place for prayer, and that prayer made elsewhere ought to be directed towards that. The Jews say b, that
"there is no way for the prayer of the nations of the world to ascend, seeing the gates of heaven are only opened in the land of Israel.--And again, that the prayers without the land have no way to go up before the Lord, but the Israelites send them without the land opposite Jerusalem; and when they come to Jerusalem, from thence they remove and ascend above.--No prayer ascends above from that place in which it is made, till it come to the land of Israel, and from thence to Jerusalem, and from thence to the sanctuary, and then it ascends above.''
They have also many rules concerning places of private prayer, as that care should be taken that it be not in a place where there is any filth; or any bad scent c.
Lifting up holy hands; lifting up of hands was a prayer gesture among the Heathens d, and so it was among the Jews e. R. Simeon lift up his hands in prayer to the blessed God, and prayed his prayer. Yea, they f say,
"it is forbidden a man to lift up his hands above, except in prayer, and in blessings to his Lord, and supplications, as it is said, Genesis 14:22 which is interpreted of lifting up of hands in prayer.''
And this was an emblem of the elevation of the heart in prayer to God, without which the former would be of little avail. It is an observation of the Jews g, we have found prayer without lifting up of hands, but we never found lifting up of hands without prayer. And these hands must be holy and pure; there must be purity of heart, and cleanness of hands, or a freedom from any governing sin, which renders prayer unacceptable unto God; see Isaiah 1:15. The apostle alludes to a custom of the Jews, who always used to wash their hands before prayer;
"Then Holofernes commanded his guard that they should not stay her: thus she abode in the camp three days, and went out in the night into the valley of Bethulia, and washed herself in a fountain of water by the camp. And when she came out, she besought the Lord God of Israel to direct her way to the raising up of the children of her people.'' (Judith 12:7,8)
So it is said h of the Septuagint interpreters, that after the Jewish manner they washed their hands and prayed. The account Maimonides gives i, is this:
"cleanness of hands, how is it done? a man must wash his hands up to the elbow, and after that pray; if a man is on a journey, and the time of prayer is come, and he has no water, if there is between him and water four miles, which are eight thousand cubits, he may go to the place of water, and wash, and after that pray. If there is between him more than that, he may rub his hands, and pray. But if the place of water is behind him, he is not obliged to go back but a mile; but if he has passed from the water more than that, he is not obliged to return, but he rubs his hands and prays; they do not make clean for prayer but the hands only, in the rest of prayers, except the morning prayer; but before the morning prayer a man washes his face, his hands and feet, and after that prays.''
But, alas! what does all this washing signify? Unless, as Philo the Jew k, expresses it, a man lifts up pure, and, as one may say, virgin hands, to heaven, and so prays.
Without wrath and doubting; or reasoning, or disputation in a contentious way: the former of these, some think, has reference to "murmuring", as the Ethiopic version renders it, impatience and complaint against God in prayer, and the other to doubt and diffidence about being heard, and having the petitions answered; for prayer ought to be with praise to God, and faith in him: or rather "wrath" may intend an angry and unforgiving temper towards men, with whom prayer is made, which is very unbecoming; see Matthew 5:23 and both that and doubting, or disputation, may have regard to those heats and contentions that were between the Jews and Gentiles, which the apostle would have laid aside, and they join together in prayer, and in other parts of public worship, in love and peace. Maimonides l says,
"men may not stand praying, either with laughter, or with levity, nor with confabulation, "nor with contention, nor with anger", but with the words of the law.''
And it is a saving of R. Chanina,
"in a day of "wrath", a man may not pray m.''
b Shaare Ors, fol. 24. 2, 3. c Maimon. Hilchot Tephilla, c. 4. sect. 8, 9. d Apuleius de Mundo, p. 276. e Zohar in Exod. fol 4. 2. f lb. in Numb. fol. 79. 1. g T. Hieros. Taaniot, fol. 67. 2. h Arist. Hist. 70. p. 98. i Hilch. Tephilla, c. 4. sect. 2, 3. k De Charitate, p. 698. Vid. ib. de Victim. Offerent. p. 848. l Hilch. Tephilla, c. 4. sect. 18. m T. Bab. Erubin, fol. 65. 1.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
I will therefore - The Greek word here (βοὺλομαι boulomai) is different from the word rendered “will” - θέλω thelō - in 1 Timothy 2:4. The distinction is, that the word there used - θέλω thelō - denotes an active volition or purpose; the word here used - βοὺλομαι boulomai - a mere passive desire, propensity, willingness. Robinson’s Lexicon The meaning here is, “it is my will” - expressing his wish in the case, or giving direction - though using a milder word than that which is commonly employed to denote an act of will.
That men pray everywhere - Not merely in the temple, or in other sacred places, but in all places. The Jews supposed that there was special efficacy in prayers offered at the temple in Jerusalem; the pagan also had the same view in regard to their temples - for both seemed to suppose that they came nearer to God by approaching his sacred abode. Christianity teaches that God may be worshipped in any place, and that we are at all times equally near him; see the John 4:20-24 notes; Acts 17:25 note. The direction here given that men should pray, in contradistinction from the duties of women, specified in the next verse, may be intended to imply that men should conduct the exercises of public worship. The duties of women pertain to a different sphere; compare 1 Timothy 2:11-12.
Lifting up holy hands - To lift up the hands denotes supplication, as it was a common attitude of prayer to spread abroad the hands toward heaven; compare Psalms 68:31; Exodus 9:29, Exodus 9:33; 1 Kings 8:22; 2 Chronicles 6:12-13; Isaiah 1:15; see also Horace Odes, iii. 23. 1; Ovid, M. 9:701; Livy, v. 21; Seneca, Eph. 21. “Holy hands” here, mean hands that are not defiled by sin, and that have not been employed for any purpose of iniquity. The idea is, that when men approach God they should do it in a pure and holy manner.
Without wrath - That is, without the intermingling of any evil passion; with a calm, peaceful, benevolent mind. There should be nothing of the spirit of contention; there should be no anger toward others; the suppliant should be at peace with all people. It is impossible for a man to pray with comfort, or to suppose that his prayers will be heard, if he cherishes anger. The following exquisite and oft-quoted passage from Jeremy Taylor, is a more beautiful and striking illustration of the effect of anger in causing our prayers to return unanswered than was probably ever penned by anyone else. Nothing could be more true, beautiful, and graphic. “Anger sets the house on fire, and all the spirits are busy upon trouble, and intend propulsion, defense, displeasure, or revenge. It is a short madness, and an eternal enemy to discourse and a fair conversation; it intends its own object with all the earnestness of perception or activity of design, and a quicker motion of a too warm and distempered blood; it is a fever in the heart, and a calenture in the head, and a fire in the face, and a sword in the band, and a fury all over; and therefore can never suffer a man to be in a disposition to pray. For prayer is the peace of our spirit, the stillness of our thoughts, the evenness of recollection, the seat of meditation, the rest of our cares, and the calm of our tempest; prayer is the issue of a quiet mind, of untroubled thoughts; it is the daughter of charity and the sister of meekness; and he that prays to God with an angry, that is, with a troubled and discomposed spirit, is like him that retires into a battle to meditate, and sets up his closet in the out-quarters of an army, and chooses a frontier garrison to be wise in.
Anger is a perfect alienation of the mind from prayer, and therefore is contrary to that attention which presents our prayers in a right line to God. For so have I seen a lark rising from his bed of grass, and soaring upward, and singing as he rises, and hopes to get to heaven, and rise above the clouds; but the poor bird was beaten back with the loud sighings of an eastern wind, and his motion made irregular and inconsistent, descending more at every breath of the tempest than it could recover by the libration and frequent weighing of his wings, until the little creature was forced to sit down and pant, and stay till the storm was over; and then it made a prosperous flight, and did rise and sing, as if it had learned music and motion from an angel.” “The Return of Prayers,” Works, vol. i. 638. Ed. Lond. 1835.
And doubting - This word, as used here, does not mean, as our translation would seem to imply, that we are to come before God without any doubts of our own piety, or in the exercise of perfect faith. The word used (διαλογισμός dialogismos) means, properly, computation, adjustment of accounts; then reflection, thought; then reasoning, opinion; then debate, contention, strife; Luke 9:46; Mark 9:33-34; Philippians 2:14. This is the sense evidently in this place. They were not to approach God in prayer in the midst of clamorous disputings and angry contentions. They were not to come when the mind was heated with debate, and irritated by strife for victory. Prayer was to be offered in a calm, serious, sober state of mind, and they who engaged in polemical strife, or in warm contention of any kind, are little fitted to unite in the solemn act of addressing God. How often are theologians, when assembled together, so heated by debate, and so anxious for party victory, that they are in no suitable state of mind to pray! How often do even good people, holding different views on the disputed points of religious doctrine, suffer their minds to become so excited, and their temper so ruffled, that they are conscious they are in an unfit state of mind to approach the throne of grace together! That theological debate has gone too far; that strife for victory has become too warm, when the disputants are in such a state of mind that they cannot unite in prayer; when they could not cease their contentions, and with a calm and proper spirit, bow together before the throne of grace.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse 8. I will therefore — Seeing the apostle had his authority from Christ, and spoke nothing but what he received from him, his βουλομαι, I will, is equal to I command.
That men pray — That is, for the blessings promised in this testimony of God. For, although God has provided them, yet he will not give them to such as will not pray. See note on 1 Timothy 2:1, the subject of which is here resumed.
Everywhere — Εν παντι τοπῳ· In every place. That they should always have a praying heart, and this will ever find a praying place. This may refer to a Jewish superstition. They thought, at first, that no prayer could be acceptable that was not offered at the temple at Jerusalem; afterward this was extended to the Holy Land; but, when they became dispersed among the nations, they built oratories or places of prayer, principally by rivers and by the seaside; and in these they were obliged to allow that public prayer might be legally offered, but nowhere else. In opposition to this, the apostle, by the authority of Christ, commands men to pray everywhere; that all places belong to God's dominions; and, as he fills every place, in every place he may be worshipped and glorified. As to ejaculatory prayer, they allowed that this might be performed standing, sitting, leaning, lying, walking by the way, and during their labour. Beracoth, fol. xi. 1. And yet in some other places they teach differently. See Schoettgen.
Lifting up holy hands — It was a common custom, not only among the Jews, but also among the heathens, to lift up or spread out their arms and hands in prayer. It is properly the action of entreaty and request; and seems to be an effort to embrace the assistance requested. But the apostle probably alludes to the Jewish custom of laying their hands on the head of the animal which they brought for a sin-offering, confessing their sins, and then giving up the life of the animal as an expiation for the sins thus confessed. And this very notion is conveyed in the original term επαιροντας, from αιρω to lift up, and επι, upon or over. This shows us how Christians should pray. They should come to the altar; set God before their eyes; humble themselves for their sins; bring as a sacrifice the Lamb of God; lay their hands on this sacrifice; and by faith offer it to God in their souls' behalf, expecting salvation through his meritorious death alone.
Without wrath — Having no vindictive feeling against any person; harbouring no unforgiving spirit, while they are imploring pardon for their own offences.
The holy hands refer to the Jewish custom of washing their hands before prayer; this was done to signify that they had put away all sin, and purposed to live a holy life.
And doubting. — διαλογισμου or διαλογισμων, as in many MSS., reasonings, dialogues. Such as are often felt by distressed penitents and timid believers; faith, hope, and unbelief appearing to hold a disputation and controversy in their own bosoms, in the issue of which unbelief ordinarily triumphs. The apostle therefore wills them to come, implicitly relying on the promises of God, and the sacrifice and mediation of Jesus Christ.
