SEV Biblia, Chapter 5:4
Y si alguna viuda tuviere hijos, o nietos, aprendan primero a gobernar su casa piadosamente, y a recompensar a sus padres, porque esto es lo honesto y agradable delante de Dios.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Timothy 5:4
Verse 4. But if any widow have children or nephews] This shows that widows indeed are those that have neither children nor nephews, i.e. no relatives that either will or can help them, or no near relatives alive. Let them learn first to show piety at home] Let these children and nephews provide for their aged or helpless parents or relatives, and not burden the Church with them while they are able to support them.
And to requite their parents] kai amoibav apodidonai toiv pragonoiv? Let them learn to give benefit for benefit. Your parents supported and nourished you when you were young and helpless; you ought therefore to support them when they are old and destitute. This is called showing piety; and there is doubtless an allusion to the fifth commandment: Honour thy father and thy mother - provide for them in their old age and afflictions; God commands this.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 4. But if any widow have children or nephews , etc.] Such are not widows indeed; they are not desolate, or alone, or without persons to take care of them; their children or nephews should, and not suffer the church to be burdened with them. Wherefore it follows, let them learn first to show piety at home ; which some understand of the widows, who, instead of casting themselves upon the church for a maintenance, or taking upon them the office of a deaconess, to take care of others, should continue in their own families, and bring up their children and nephews in like manner as they have been brought up by their parents, which will be more pleasing and acceptable unto God; but it is better to interpret it of their children; and so the Ethiopic version expresses it, let the children first learn to do well to their own house, or family. It is the duty of children to take care of their parents in old age, and provide for them, when they cannot for themselves: this is a lesson they ought to learn in the first place, and a duty which they ought principally to observe; they should not suffer them to come to a church for relief, but first take care of them themselves, as long as they are in any capacity to do it; and these should be their first care before any others; so to do is an act of piety, a religious action, a pious one; it is doing according to the will and law of God, and is well pleasing to him: and to requite their parents ; for all the sorrow, pain, trouble, care, and expenses they have been at in bearing and bringing them forth into the world, in taking care of them in their infancy, in bringing them up, giving them an education, providing food and raiment for them, and settling them in the world; wherefore to neglect them in old age, when incapable of providing for themselves, would be base ingratitude; whereas to take care of them is but a requital of them, or a repaying them for former benefits had of them: for that is good and acceptable before God ; it is good in itself, and grateful, and well pleasing in his sight; it is part of the good, and perfect, and acceptable will of God; and which, as other actions done in faith, is acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 3-8 - 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 ar able to relieve them, to do it to the utmost of their power. Widowhoo is a desolate state; but let widows trust in the Lord, and continue in prayer. All who live in pleasure, are dead while they live, spirituall dead, dead in trespasses and sins. Alas, what numbers there are of thi description among nominal Christians, even to the latest period of life! If any men or women do not maintain their poor relations, they in effect deny the faith. If they spend upon their lusts and pleasures what should maintain their families, they have denied the faith, an are worse than infidels. If professors of the gospel give way to an corrupt principle or conduct, they are worse than those who do no profess to believe the doctrines of grace.
Greek Textus Receptus
ει 1487 δε 1161 τις 5100 χηρα 5503 τεκνα 5043 η 2228 εκγονα 1549 εχει 2192 5719 μανθανετωσαν 3129 5720 πρωτον 4412 τον 3588 ιδιον 2398 οικον 3624 ευσεβειν 2151 5721 και 2532 αμοιβας 287 αποδιδοναι 591 5721 τοις 3588 προγονοις 4269 τουτο 5124 γαρ 1063 εστιν 2076 5748 καλον 2570 και 2532 αποδεκτον 587 ενωπιον 1799 του 3588 θεου 2316
Vincent's NT Word Studies
4. Nephews (ekgona). N.T.o . Often in LXX. Nephews, in the now obsolete sense of grandsons or other lineal deseendants. Derived from Lat. nepos. Trench (Select Glossary) remarks that nephew was undergone exactly the same change of meaning that nepos underwent, which, in the Augustan age, meaning grandson, in the post-Augustan age acquired the signification of nephew in our present acceptation of that word. Chaucer:
"How that my nephew shall my bane be." Legend of Good Women, 2659.
'His (Jove's) blind nevew Cupido." House of Fame, 67.
Jeremy Taylor:
"Nephews are very often liken to their grandfathers than to their fathers." Let them learn. The subject is the children and grandchildren. Holtzmann thinks the subject is any widow, used collectively. But the writer is treating of what should be done to the widow, not of what she is to do. The admonition is connected with widows indeed. They, as being utterly bereft, and without natural supporters, are to be cared for by the church; but if they have children or grandchildren, these should assume their maintenance.
First (prwton). In the first place: as their first and natural obligation. To show piety at home (ton idion oikon eusebein). More correctly, to show piety toward their own family. Piety in the sense of filial respect, though not to the exclusion of the religious sense. The Lat. pietas includes alike love and duty to the gods and to parents. Thus Virgil's familiar designation of Aeneas, "pius Aeneas," as describing at once his reverence for the gods and his filial devotion. The verb eujsebein (only here and Acts xvii. 23) represents filial respect as an element of godliness (eusebeia). For ton idion their own, see on Acts i. 7. It emphasises their private, personal belonging, and contrasts the assistance given by them with that furnished by the church. It has been suggested that oikon household or family may mark the duty as an act of family feeling and honor.
To requite (amoibav apodidonai). An entirely unique expression. Amoibh requital, recompense is a familiar classical word, used with didonai to give, ajpotiqenai to lay down, tinein to pay, poieisqai to make. N.T.o . Paul uses instead ajntimisqia (Rom. i. 27; 2 Corinthians vi. 13), or ajntapodoma, (Rom. xi. 9), or ajntapodosiv (Colossians iii. 24). The last two are LXX words.
Their parents (toiv progonoiv). N.T.o . Parents is too limited. The word comprehends mothers and grandmothers and living ancestors generally. The word for parents is goneiv, see 2 Tim. iii. 2; Rom. i. 30; 2 Corinthians xii. 14; Eph. vi. 1; Col. iii. 20. Progonoi for living ancestors is contrary to usage. One instance is cited from Plato, Laws, xi. 932. The word is probably selected to correspond in form with ekgona children.
Good and acceptable (kalon kai apodekton). Omit kalon kai good and. Apodektov acceptable only here and 1 Tim. ii. 3. See note. Before (enwpion). Frequent in N.T., especially Luke and Revelation. It occurs 31 times in the phrases ejnwpion tou Qeou in the sight of God, and ejnwpion kuriou in the sight of the Lord. o LXX. Comp. emprosqen tou Qeou before God. Acts x. 4; 1 Thess. i. 3; ii. 19; iii. 9, 13. Not in Pastorals, and by Paul only 1 Thessalonians the difference is trifling. Comp. 1 John iii. 19 and 22.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
5:4 {Grandchildren} (ekgona). Old word from ekginomai, here only in N.T. {Let them learn} (manqanetwsan). The children and grandchildren of a widow. Present active imperative third person plural of manqanw. "Let them keep on learning." {First} (prwton). Adverb, first before anything else. No "corban" business here. No acts of "piety" toward God will make up for impiety towards parents. {To shew piety} (eusebein). Present active infinitive with manqanetwsan and old verb, in N.T. only here and #Ac 17:23. From eusebes (eu, sebomai), pious, dutiful. {Their own family} (ton idion oikon). "Their own household." Filial piety is primary unless parents interfere with duty to Christ (#Lu 14:26). {To repay} (amoibas apodidonai). Present active infinitive of apodidwmi, to give back, old and common verb (#Ro 2:6), to keep on giving back. amoibas (from ameibomai, to repay like for like) is old and common word, but here only in N.T. {Their parents} (tois progonois). Dative case of old and common word progonos (from proginomai, to come before), "ancestor." In N.T. only here and #2Ti 1:3. See #2:3 for "acceptable" (apodekton).
