But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.
What does 1 Timothy 5:8 mean?
Honour widows that are widows indeed, relieve them, and maintain them. It is the duty of children, if their parents are in need, and they are able to relieve them, to do it to the utmost of their power.
Key themes
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Keep this verse inside its immediate passage and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on 1 Timothy 5:8
But if any provide not for his own - The apostle was speaking 1 Timothy 5:4 particularly of the duty of children toward a widowed mother. In enforcing that duty, he gives the subject, as he often does in similar cases, a general direction, and says that all ought to provide for those who were dependent on them, and that if they did not do this, they had a less impressive sense of the obligations of duty than even the pagan had. On the duty here referred to, compare Romans 12:17 note; 2 Corinthians 8:21 note.
Key words
- provide
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But if any provide not for his own,.
- worse
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And is worse than an infidel; for the very Heathens are taught and directed by the light of nature to take care of their poor and aged parents.
Context in 1 Timothy 5
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1 Timothy 5 belongs to the late movement of the book, especially the section often described as care, discipline, and final exhortations. First Timothy gives pastoral instruction on false teaching, public worship, church leadership, care, and godly conduct. Read this chapter with the wider themes of church order, sound doctrine, and prayer in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
Related topics
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Key passages on households, parenthood, children, mutual responsibility, and the way family life is placed under the Lord’s claim.
Passages on trusting God, receiving Christ, persevering without sight, and the relation between faith and lived obedience.
Passages on asking, persistence, confession, dependence, and the way prayer shapes Christian life and attention.