1 Timothy 5:5

International Standard Version

A woman who is really a widow and is left all alone has placed her hope in God and devotes herself to petitions and prayers night and day.Luke 2:37; 18:1; Acts 26:7; 1 Corinthians 7:32;">[xr]

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
A widow who really needs help is one who has been left all alone. She trusts God to take care of her. She prays all the time, night and day, and asks God for help.

Revised Standard Version
She who is a real widow, and is left all alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day;

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
She that is a very wyddowe and frendlesse putteth her trust in god and continueth in supplicacion and prayer nyght and daye.

Hebrew Names Version
Now she who is a widow indeed, and desolate, has her hope set on God, and continues in petitions and prayers night and day.

New American Standard Bible
Now she who is actually a widow and has been left alone has set her hope on God, and she continues in requests and prayers night and day.

New Century Version
The true widow, who is all alone, puts her hope in God and continues to pray night and day for God's help.

Update Bible Version
Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, has her hope set on God, and continues in supplications and prayers night and day.

Webster's Bible Translation
Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day.

English Standard Version
She who is truly a widow, left all alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day,

World English Bible
Now she who is a widow indeed, and desolate, has her hope set on God, and continues in petitions and prayers night and day.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Now she that is a widow indeed and desolate, trusteth in God and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day.

Weymouth's New Testament
A widow who is really in need, friendless and desolate, has her hopes fixed on God, and continues at her supplications and prayers, night and day;

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And sche that is a widewe verili, and desolate, hope in to God, and be bisy in bisechingis and preieris niyt and dai.

English Revised Version
Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, hath her hope set on God, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day.

Berean Standard Bible
The widow who is truly in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day in her petitions and prayers.

Contemporary English Version
A widow who is really in need is one who doesn't have any relatives. She has faith in God, and she keeps praying to him night and day, asking for his help.

Amplified Bible
Now 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.

American Standard Version
Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, hath her hope set on God, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day.

Bible in Basic English
Now she who is truly a widow and without family puts her hope in God, giving herself to prayer day and night.

Complete Jewish Bible
Now the widow who is really in need, the one who has been left all alone, has set her hope on God and continues in petitions and prayers night and day.

Darby Translation
Now she who [is] a widow indeed, and is left alone, has put [her] hope in God, and continues in supplications and prayers night and day.

Etheridge Translation
But she who is truly a widow and solitary (is one) whose hope is in Aloha, and who persevereth in prayer and in supplication by night and by day.

Murdock Translation
Now she who is truly a widow, and solitary, her hope is in God; and she persevereth in prayers, and in supplications, by night and by day:

King James Version (1611)
Now she that is a widow in deed, and desolate, trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day.

New Living Translation
Now a true widow, a woman who is truly alone in this world, has placed her hope in God. She prays night and day, asking God for his help.

New Life Bible
Women whose husbands have died are alone in this world. Their trust is in the Lord. They pray day and night.

New Revised Standard
The real widow, left alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day;

Geneva Bible (1587)
And shee that is a widowe in deede and left alone, trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications and praiers night and day.

George Lamsa Translation
Now she who is indeed a widow and destitute, trusts in God, and is constant in prayers and supplications both night and day.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But, she who is indeed a widow, and is left alone, hath turned her hope towards God, and is giving attendance unto the supplications and the prayers, night and day, -

Douay-Rheims Bible
But she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, let her trust in God and continue in supplications and prayers night and day.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And she that is a wydowe in deede, and left alone, hopeth in God, and continueth in supplications and prayers nyght and day.

Good News Translation
A widow who is all alone, with no one to take care of her, has placed her hope in God and continues to pray and ask him for his help night and day.

Christian Standard Bible®
The widow who is truly in need and left all alone has put her hope in God and continues night and day in her petitions and prayers;

King James Version
Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day.

Lexham English Bible
But the widow who is one truly, and is left alone, has put her hope in God and continues in her petitions and prayers night and day.

Literal Translation
But honor the one being the true widow, even having been left alone, who has set her hope on God and continues in petitions and prayers night and day.

Young's Literal Translation
And she who is really a widow and desolate, hath hoped upon God, and doth remain in the supplications and in the prayers night and day,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But she that is a right wedowe, & desolate, putteth hir trust in God, & cotynueth in prayer and supplicacion nighte and daye.

Mace New Testament (1729)
as for the widow, who is really such, and without any assistance, let her place all her hopes in God, and be assiduous in supplication and prayer.

New English Translation
But the widow who is truly in need, and completely on her own, has set her hope on God and continues in her pleas and prayers night and day.

New King James Version
Now she who is really a widow, and left alone, trusts in God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day.

Simplified Cowboy Version
If a widow truly is all by herself, I guarantee you she's relying on God to give her a hand. She's been praying every single day and every single night for help.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Now she who is a widow indeed and who has been left alone, has fixed her hope on God and continues in entreaties and prayers night and day.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now she who is a widow indeed and who has been left alone, has fixed her hope on God and continues in petitions and prayers night and day.

Contextual Overview

³ Honor widows who are really widows.[fn]1 Timothy 5:5,16;">[xr] ⁴ But if a widow has children or grandchildren, they must first learn to respect their own family by repaying their parents, for this is pleasing in God's sight.Genesis 45:10-11; Matthew 15:4; Ephesians 6:1-2; 1 Timothy 2:3;">[xr] ⁵ A woman who is really a widow and is left all alone has placed her hope in God and devotes herself to petitions and prayers night and day.Luke 2:37; 18:1; Acts 26:7; 1 Corinthians 7:32;">[xr] ⁶ But the widowthe one">[fn] who lives for pleasure is dead while she lives.James 5:5;">[xr] ⁷ Continue to give these instructions so that they may be blameless.1 Timothy 1:3; 4:11; 6:17;">[xr] ⁸ If anyone does not take care of his own relatives, especially his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.Isaiah 58:7; Matthew 18:17; Galatians 6:10; 2 Timothy 3:5; Titus 1:16;">[xr] ⁹ A widow may be put on the widows'widows'">[fn] list if she is at least sixty years old and has been the wife of one husband.devoted to her husband; lit. a woman of one man">[fn]Luke 2:36; 1 Timothy 3:2;">[xr] ¹⁰ She must be well known for her good works as a woman who has raised children, welcomed strangers, washed the saints' feet, helped the suffering, and devoted herself to doing good in every way.Genesis 18:4; 19:2; Luke 7:38,44; John 13:5,14; Acts 16:15; Hebrews 13:2; 1 Peter 4:9;">[xr] ¹¹ But do not include younger widows on your list.on your list">[fn] For whenever their natural desires cause them to lose their devotion to Christ, they want to remarry. ¹² They receive condemnation because they have set aside their previous pledge.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

a widow: 1 Timothy 5:3, Romans 1:5, Romans 1:12, Romans 1:20, Romans 1:21, 1 Corinthians 7:32

and desolate: Isaiah 3:26, Isaiah 49:21, Isaiah 54:1, Lamentations 1:13

trusteth: Ruth 2:12, Psalms 91:4, Isaiah 12:2, Isaiah 50:10, 1 Corinthians 7:32, 1 Peter 3:5

continueth: Luke 2:37, Luke 18:1, Luke 18:7, Acts 26:7, Ephesians 6:18

Reciprocal: Exodus 38:8 - assembling Nehemiah 1:6 - day and night Psalms 27:4 - dwell Jeremiah 49:11 - let thy Luke 7:12 - a widow Acts 6:1 - their Galatians 4:27 - desolate 1 Thessalonians 2:9 - night 1 Timothy 2:1 - supplications 1 Timothy 5:16 - widows indeed Titus 2:3 - as

Cross-References

Hebrews 9:27
Indeed, just as people are appointed to die once and after that to be judged,after that the judgment">[fn]Genesis 3:19; Ecclesiastes 3:20; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 20:12-13;">[xr]

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Now she that is a widow indeed,.... A real widow, whom the Jews r call גמורה, "a perfect one", in opposition to one that is divorced, or a brother's widow, that has had the shoe plucked off for her: and such an one as the apostle means, is one that is

desolate, or "alone": who has neither husband to take care of her, nor children or nephews to show kindness to her, nor any worldly substance to subsist upon:

but trusteth in God: not in man, nor in an arm of flesh, but in the living God, the giver of all good things, the Judge of widows; who vindicates their cause, avenges the injuries done them, protects and defends them, and relieves their wants, and gives all encouragement to them, to trust in him; see Jeremiah 49:11.

and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day; as the widow Anna did, Luke 2:36. A Widow indeed is one that has no outward dependence, betakes herself to the Lord, puts her confidence in him, and cries to him continually for a daily supply; and such an one, amidst all her poverty and meanness, is a living believer, one that lives by faith on the Lord; and is profitable, and useful to the church by her prayers and supplications made for them, as well as for herself; whereas she that is in the next verse described is just the reverse.

r Jarchi in Exek. xliv. 22.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

A widow indeed, and desolate - The word rendered “desolate” means “solitary, alone.” It does not necessarily imply the idea of discomfort which we attach to the word desolate. The sense is, that she had no children or other descendants; none on whom she could depend for support.

Trusteth in God - She has no one else to look to but God. She has no earthly reliance, and, destitute of husband, children, and property, she feels her dependence, and steadily looks to God for consolation and support.

And continueth in supplications and prayers night and day - Continually; compare notes on 1 Timothy 2:1; see also the description of Anna in Luke 2:36-37. The apostle regards this as one of the characteristics of those who were “widows indeed,” whom he would have received into the class to be maintained by the church, and to whom the charge of younger members of the church might be entrusted.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Timothy 5:5. And desolate — και μεμονωμενη. Left entirely alone-having neither children nor relatives to take care of her.

Trusteth in God — Finding she has no other helper, she continues in prayer and supplication, that she may derive that from God which, in the course of his providence, he has deprived her of among men.