SEV Biblia, Chapter 5:3
¶ Honra a las viudas que en verdad son viudas.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Timothy 5:3
Verse 3. honour widows that are widows indeed.] One meaning of the word timaw, to honour, is to support, sustain, &c., Matthew xv. 4, 5; and here it is most obviously to be taken in this sense. Provide for those widows especially which are widows indeed - persons truly destitute, being aged and helpless, and having neither children nor friends to take care of them, and who behave as becometh their destitute state. But see the note on verse 10.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 3. Honour widows that are widows indeed .] Who those are, see in ( 1 Timothy 1:5,9,10). The honour to be given them is not a putting of them into the office of a deaconess, in the church; which office, some think, is referred to in ( Acts 6:1 1 Timothy 3:11 5:9), and did obtain in some of the primitive churches; and it might be that some of these widows, the apostle here and hereafter speaks of, might be preferred to the rest, and be set over them, and have the care of such, who were more infirm; but then this could only be the case of some, whereas the honour here spoken of is what is to be given to all that are really widows; and therefore rather regards some external honour and respect to be shown them, by words and actions; and especially it designs an honourable provision for them, and maintenance of them; in which sense the word is used in ( 1 Timothy 5:17 Matthew 15:4-6). So, with the Jews, giving gifts to persons, and making presents to them, is called honour. When Manoah asked the angel's name, that he might do him honour, when his saying came to pass, ( Judges 13:17) the sense, according to them, is f64 , that I may inquire in what place I may find thee, when thy prophecy is fulfilled, and give thee wrwd , a gift; for there is no honour but what signifies a gift, as it is said, ( Numbers 22:17), honouring I will honour thee. So giving gifts to the poor, or providing for their maintenance, is doing them honour; and that this is the sense here, appears by what follows in the context.
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
χηρας 5503 τιμα 5091 5720 τας 3588 οντως 3689 χηρας 5503
Vincent's NT Word Studies
3. Honor (tima). Not only by respectful treatment but by financial support. Comp. timhsei, Matt. xv. 5, and pollaiv timaiv ejtimhsan, Acts xxviii. 10; and diplhv timhv 1 Tim. v. 17. Comp. Sir. xxxviii. 1. 'The verb only once in Paul (Eph. vi. 2, citation), and only here in Pastorals.
Widows (chrav). Paul alludes to widows in 1 Cor. vii. 8 only, where he advises them against remarrying. They are mentioned as a class in Acts vi. 1, in connection With the appointment of the seven. Also Acts ix. 39, 41. In the Pastorals they receive special notice, indicating their advance from the position of mere beneficiaries to a quasi-official position in the church. from the very first, the church recognised its obligation to care for their support. A widow, in the East, was peculiarly desolate and helpless. 119 In return for their maintenance certain duties were required of them, such as the care of orphans, sick and prisoners, and they were enrolled in an order, which, however, did not include all of their number who received alms of the church. In Polyearp's Epistle to the Philippians, they are styled "the altar of God." To such an order the references in the Pastorals point. The Fathers, from the end of the second century to the fourth, recognised a class known as presbutidev aged women (Tit. ii. 3), who had oversight of the female church-members and a separate seat in the congregation. The council of Laoclicaea abolished this institution, or so modified it that widows no longer held an official relation to the church. Who are widows indeed (tav ontwv chrav). Comp. vv. 5, 16. Ontwv verily, truly, twice in Paul, 1 Cor. xiv. 25; Gal. iii. 21. See on 2 Peter ii. 18. Wherever ontwv is used by Paul or by any other N.T. writer, it is used purely as an adverb (see Luke xxiii. 47; xxiv. 34): but in all the four instances in the Pastorals, it is preceded by the article and converted into an adjective. The meaning is, who are absolutely bereaved, without children or relations (comp. ver. 4), and have been but once married. There is probably also an implied contrast with those described in vv. 6, 11-13.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
5:3 {That are widows indeed} (tas ontws ceras). For ontws (actually, really), see #Lu 23:47; 1Co 14:25; and verse #5. For widows (cera) see #Mr 12:40,42; Ac 6:1; 1Co 7:8. Parry notes that in verses #3-8 Paul discusses widows who are in distress and #9-16 those who are in the employment of the local church for certain work. Evidently, as in Acts #6:1-6, so here in Ephesus there had arisen some trouble over the widows in the church. Both for individual cases of need and as a class Timothy is to show proper respect (tima, keep on honoring) the widows.
