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OET (OET-LV) Therefore I_am_wishing the men to_be_praying in every place, lifted_up devout hands apart_from severe_anger and speculation.
OET (OET-RV) That’s why I long to see men praying in every country, lifting up their morally-clean hands and not harbouring anger or disunity.
In this section Paul told Timothy some things that the believers should do when they met together regularly to worship God. They should pray for everybody. The men should pray in holiness and without anger, and the women should dress and behave modestly and appropriately.
In 2:2a, Paul told Timothy whom believers should pray for. Here in 2:8, he told him how the men should pray. They should pray, “lifting holy hands,” and “without anger or disputing.”
Therefore I want the men everywhere
¶ I am telling men that wherever they meet to worship God,
¶ Therefore, in every place where believers gather to worship God, I command the men
Therefore: This translates the Greek word oun. This Greek word connects this verse with 2:1–7. Some translations leave the connection implicit here. You should use the method in your language that most clearly conveys that 2:8 is the result of previous verses, that is, God wants Christians to pray for everyone. Therefore, men should pray, lifting holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing.
I want: Because Paul was an apostle (as he mentioned in 2:7b), he had authority to tell believers what he wanted them to do. He could also expect them to obey him. Therefore, when Paul wrote I want, he meant “I command.”
the men: The Greek word here that the BSB translates as men means males as opposed to females. It seems that Paul was speaking here about a problem that specifically affected the male believers.
everywhere: At the time when Paul was writing this letter, believers often met in each others’ houses to pray and worship God. The words that the BSB translates as everywhere probably refer to all the different places where believers met.Ferguson (1991). For example, the NLT says:
wherever you assemble
to pray, lifting up holy hands,
they should make sure that they are living in a holy way before they lift their hands to pray to God.
to pray, raising their hands in total dedication to God.
to pray, lifting up holy hands: At the time when Paul was writing, people normally prayed standing up. They also often lifted their hands while they prayed.Stott, page 82, refers the reader to the following references about standing for prayer: Nehemiah 9:5; cf. Genesis 18:22; 1 Samuel 1:26; Mark 11:25; Luke 18:11, 18:13; Revelation 7:9. He refers to the following references about “lifting” or “spreading” hands in prayer: Psalm 28:2; Lamentations 3:41; cf. Exodus 9:29, 17:11–12; 1 Kings 8:22; Nehemiah 8:6; Psalms 63:4, 134:2, 143:6. This was also a common way to pray in the Old Testament. See Psalm 134:2, Lamentations 2:19 for examples.
holy hands: Before men pray they should be sure to give themselves totally to God. Paul was emphasizing this when he said that men’s hands should be holy.
without anger or dissension.
They should not be angry or still have an unresolved argument with someone.
They should stop being angry with anyone and if they have been arguing with someone, they should resolve the argument before they pray.
without anger or dissension: Here Paul mentioned specifically in what sense the men should be holy when they prayed. They should not feel angry toward anyone and they should not be continually quarreling with anyone. Jesus said something similar in Matthew 5:23–24.
anger: Paul was saying that a person should not pray while he is angry with someone else. He was probably thinking mainly that believers should not be angry at each other. He meant that people should stop being angry so that they can pray.
dissension: Paul meant that people should resolve their arguments and quarrels before they pray.
Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-words-phrases
οὖν
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: βούλομαι Οὖν προσεύχεσθαι τούς ἄνδρας ἐν παντί τόπῳ ἐπαίροντας ὁσίους χεῖρας χωρίς ὀργῆς καί διαλογισμοῦ)
Here, the word Therefore introduces a further development of what Paul has said about praying for people in [2:1–7](../02/01.md). Now, he gives commands concerning how people should pray. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a word or phrase that introduces this kind of development, or you could leave Therefore untranslated. Alternate translation: [Now] or [In light of that]
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / gendernotations
τοὺς ἄνδρας
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: βούλομαι Οὖν προσεύχεσθαι τούς ἄνδρας ἐν παντί τόπῳ ἐπαίροντας ὁσίους χεῖρας χωρίς ὀργῆς καί διαλογισμοῦ)
Here the word men refers specifically to males. The term does not refer to people in general, since Paul next addresses women specifically. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a different word or phrase that refers specifically to adults who are male. Alternate translation: [the males]
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ
in (Some words not found in SR-GNT: βούλομαι Οὖν προσεύχεσθαι τούς ἄνδρας ἐν παντί τόπῳ ἐπαίροντας ὁσίους χεῖρας χωρίς ὀργῆς καί διαλογισμοῦ)
Here Paul implies that every place is any location where the believers are worshiping God. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make that idea more explicit. Alternate translation: [in every place of worship] or [in every location where worship is happening]
Note 4 topic: translate-symaction
ἐπαίροντας ὁσίους χεῖρας
lifted_up devout hands
In Paul’s culture, lifting up one’s hands was a common posture for someone who was praying. If it would be helpful in your language, you could refer to a common posture for prayer in your culture, or you could explain the meaning of this posture. Alternate translation: [folding holy hands] or [lifting up holy hands to pray]
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / synecdoche
ἐπαίροντας ὁσίους χεῖρας
lifted_up devout hands
Paul describes as holy one part of the person, the hands, to indicate that the entire person is to be holy. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression from your culture or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [being holy as they lift up their hands] or [lifting up their hands as men who are holy]
Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns
χωρὶς ὀργῆς καὶ διαλογισμοῦ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: βούλομαι Οὖν προσεύχεσθαι τούς ἄνδρας ἐν παντί τόπῳ ἐπαίροντας ὁσίους χεῖρας χωρίς ὀργῆς καί διαλογισμοῦ)
If your language does not use abstract nouns for the ideas of anger and argument, you could express the same ideas in another way. Alternate translation: [without being angry and arguing]
Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
διαλογισμοῦ
speculation
Here, the word translated argument could be describing: (1) quarrels or conflicts. Alternate translation: [conflict] (2) doubts. Alternate translation: [doubt]
2:8 Genuine prayer had evidently deteriorated among the Ephesians due to the false teachers’ influence (see 1 Tim 6:4-5; 1:4; cp. 2 Tim 3:1-5; Titus 3:9-11).
• holy hands lifted up: Cp. Isa 1:15-17. An ancient posture of praise and supplication (see Exod 9:29; 1 Kgs 8:22, 54; Neh 8:6; Ps 28:2; Luke 24:50).
• free from anger and controversy: Cp. Jas 3:8-12.
OET (OET-LV) Therefore I_am_wishing the men to_be_praying in every place, lifted_up devout hands apart_from severe_anger and speculation.
OET (OET-RV) That’s why I long to see men praying in every country, lifting up their morally-clean hands and not harbouring anger or disunity.
Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.
Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.