Bible Strands
1 Timothy 5:16
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.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Paul writes to Timothy to regulate church welfare, placing this directive between a warning about widows who wander off and instructions regarding elder compensation.
The words — ἐπαρκείτω (eparkeitō) means she should provide for or meet the needs of, while χήρας (chēras) specifies dependent widows.
The thread — This command aligns with the household provision mandate in 1 Timothy 5:8 and the distinction for church-supported widows in 1 Timothy 5:3.
Why it lands — The text commands a believing woman to personally support her widowed relatives so that church resources remain available for those with no other support.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
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.
Cross-references
- 1 Timothy 5:3 Honor the widows who are truly widows.
- 1 Timothy 5:8 If anyone does not provide for his own, and especially his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.