1 Timothy 3:5

King James Version

(For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)

Parallel Translations

English Standard Version
for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church?

Geneva Bible (1587)
For if any cannot rule his owne house, how shall he care for the Church of God?

Christian Standard Bible®
(If anyone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of God’s church?)

Hebrew Names Version
(but if a man doesn't know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the assembly of God?)

Darby Translation
(but if one does not know how to conduct his own house, how shall he take care of the assembly of God?)

Easy-to-Read Version
If a man does not know how to lead his own family, he will not be able to take care of God's church.

Amplified Bible
(for if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?).

American Standard Version
(but if a man knoweth not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)

Berean Standard Bible
For if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how can he care for the church of God?

Contemporary English Version
If they don't know how to control their own families, how can they look after God's people?

Complete Jewish Bible
for if a man can't manage his own household, how will he be able to care for God's Messianic Community?

International Standard Version
For if a man does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?

Etheridge Translation
For if his own house he know not to rule well, how is he able to rule the church of Aloha ?

Murdock Translation
For if he knoweth not how to guide his own house well, how can he guide the church of God.

King James Version (1611)
(For if a man know not how to rule his owne house, how shall he take care of the Church of God?)

Bishop's Bible (1568)
For yf a man knowe not to rule his owne house, howe shall he care for the Churche of God?

English Revised Version
(but if a man knoweth not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)

Lexham English Bible
(but if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?),

Literal Translation
But if anyone does not know how to rule his own house, how will he care for an assembly of God?

New American Standard Bible
(but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?),

New Century Version
(If someone does not know how to lead the family, how can that person take care of God's church?)

New English Translation
But if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for the church of God?

New King James Version
(for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?);

New Living Translation
For if a man cannot manage his own household, how can he take care of God's church?

New Revised Standard
for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how can he take care of God's church?

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Whereas, if anyone, over his own house, cannot, preside, how, of an assembly of God, shall he take care?

Douay-Rheims Bible
But if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?

George Lamsa Translation
For if a man does not know how to rule well his own household, how shall he take care of the church of God?

Good News Translation
For if a man does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of the church of God?

World English Bible
(but if a man doesn't know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the assembly of God?)

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?

Weymouth's New Testament
(If a man does not know how to rule his own household, how shall he have the Church of God given into his care?)

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
for if ony man kan not gouerne his house, hou schal he haue diligence of the chirche of God? not new conuertid to the feith,

Webster's Bible Translation
(For if a man knoweth not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)

Revised Standard Version
for if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how can he care for God's church?

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
For yf a man cannot rule his owne housse how shall he care for the congregacion of God.

Update Bible Version
(but if a man doesn't know how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)

Young's Literal Translation
(and if any one his own house [how] to lead hath not known, how an assembly of God shall he take care of?)

Bible in Basic English
(For if a man has not the art of ruling his house, how will he take care of the church of God?)

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
(But yf a man can not rule his owne house, how shal he care for the congregacion of God?)

Mace New Testament (1729)
for if a man is incapable of governing his own family, how can he take care of the church of God?

New Life Bible
If a man cannot be a good leader in his own home, how can he lead the church?

Simplified Cowboy Version
If you can't run a small outfit of those who love you, you won't last long in a bigger outfit.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
(but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?),

Legacy Standard Bible
(but if a man does not know how to lead his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?),

Contextual Overview

¹ This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. ² A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; ³ Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; ⁴ One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; ⁵ (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) ⁶ Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. ⁷ Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

if: 1 Samuel 2:29, 1 Samuel 2:30, 1 Samuel 3:13

the church: 1 Timothy 3:15, Acts 20:28, Ephesians 1:22, Ephesians 5:24, Ephesians 5:32

Reciprocal: Genesis 18:19 - command Leviticus 21:9 - the daughter 1 Kings 13:11 - came Psalms 101:2 - walk Ezekiel 44:22 - a widow Malachi 2:15 - That he Matthew 16:18 - my Romans 12:8 - ruleth 1 Corinthians 7:34 - careth 1 Corinthians 10:32 - the church 1 Corinthians 11:22 - or 2 Corinthians 7:12 - that our 1 Timothy 3:12 - General 1 Timothy 5:17 - rule Titus 1:6 - having Hebrews 12:23 - the general Hebrews 13:7 - which

Cross-References

Genesis 2:17
But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Genesis 3:2
And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:

Genesis 3:3
But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

Genesis 3:6
And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

Genesis 3:7
And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

Genesis 3:10
And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

Genesis 3:13
And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

Genesis 3:14
And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:

Genesis 3:15
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Genesis 3:22
And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For if a man know not how to rule his own house,.... Which is an affair of less importance, and more easy to be done; not requiring so much resolution, prudence, care, and thought:

how shall he take care of the church of God? preside over it, rule in it, provide for it, and see that everything is in its proper place, and done according to the will of God. The argument is from the lesser to the greater.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For if a man know not how to rule - This is a beautiful and striking argument. A church resembles a family. It is, indeed, larger, and there is a greater variety of dispositions in it than there is in a family. The authority of a minister of the gospel in a church is also less absolute than that of a father. But still there is a striking resemblance. The church is made up of an assemblage of brothers and sisters. They are banded together for the same purposes, and have a common object to aim at. They have common feelings and common needs. They have sympathy, like a family, with each other in their distresses and afflictions. The government of the church also is designed to be “paternal.” It should be felt that he who presides over it has the feelings of a father; that he loves all the members of the great family; that he has no prejudices, no partialities, no selfish aims to gratify.

Now, if a man cannot govern his own family well; if he is severe, partial, neglectful, or tyrannical at home, how can he be expected to take charge of the more numerous “household of faith” with proper views and feelings? If, with all the natural and strong ties of affection which bind a father to his own children; if, when they are few comparatively in number, and where his eye is constantly upon them, he is unable to govern them aright, how can he be expected to preside in a proper manner over the larger household where he will be bound with comparatively feebler ties, and where he will be exposed more to the influence of passion, and where he will have a much less constant opportunity of supervision? Confucius, as quoted by Doddridge, has a sentiment strikingly resembling that before us: “It is impossible that he who knows not how to govern and reform his own family, should rightly govern and reform a people.” We may remark, also, in this verse, a delicate and beautiful use of words by the apostle to prevent the possibility of misapprehension. While he institutes a comparison between the government of a family and that of the church, he guards against the possibility of its being supposed that he would countenance “arbitrary” authority in the church, even such authority as a father must of necessity employ in his own family. Hence, he uses different words. He speaks of the father as “ruling” over his own family, or “presiding over it” - προστῆναι prostēnai; he describes the minister of religion as “having a tender care for the church” - ἐπιμελὴσεται epimelēsetai.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Timothy 3:5. For if a man know not — Method is a matter of great importance in all the affairs of life. It is a true saying, He that does little with his head must do much with his hands; and even then the business is not half done for want of method. Now, he who has a proper method of doing business will show it in every affair of life, even the least. He who has a disorderly family has no government of that family; he probably has none because he has no method, no plan, of presiding. It was natural for the apostle to say, If a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the Church of God? Look at a man's domestic arrangements; if they be not good, he should not be trusted with any branch of government, whether ecclesiastical or civil.