1 TIM 2:3 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

Key: light-green:nominative/subject, pink:genitive/possessor.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

UST It is right to pray like that, and it pleases God. He is the one who rescues us.

AICNT [[For]][fn] This is good and acceptable in the sight of our Savior God,

2:3, For: Later manuscripts add. BYZ TR

OEB This will be good and acceptable in the eyes of God, our Saviour,

WEBBE For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour,

WMBB (Same as above)

MSG ^(1-3)The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. This is the way our Savior God wants us to live.

NET Such prayer for all is good and welcomed before God our Savior,

LSV for this [is] right and acceptable before God our Savior,

FBV This is what is good, and what pleases God our Savior.

TCNT [fn]For this is good and acceptable before God our Savior,

2:3 For this ¦ This CT

T4T It is good to pray like that, and it pleases God, who saves us, when we pray like that.

LEB This is good and acceptable before God our Savior,

BBE This is good and pleasing in the eyes of God our Saviour;

Moff it is good to pray thus, it is acceptable to our Saviour,

Wymth This is right, and is pleasing in the sight of God our Saviour,

ASV This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;

DRA For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour,

YLT for this [is] right and acceptable before God our Saviour,

Drby for this is good and acceptable before our Saviour [fn]God,

2.3 Elohim

RV This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;

SLT For this good and acceptable before our Saviour God;

Wbstr For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior;

KJB-1769 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;

KJB-1611 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Sauiour,
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation)

Bshps For that is good and accepted in the syght of God our sauiour,
(For that is good and accepted in the sight of God our saviour,)

Gnva For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Sauiour,
(For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, )

Cvdl For that is good and accepted in ye sighte of God oure Sauioure,
(For that is good and accepted in ye/you_all sight of God our Saviour,)

TNT For that is good and accepted in the sight of god oure savioure
(For that is good and accepted in the sight of god our saviour )

Wycl For this thing is good and acceptid bifor God,
(For this thing is good and acceptid before God,)

Luth Denn solches ist gut, dazu auch angenehm vor GOtt, unserm Heilande,
(Because such is good, to_that/in_addition also pleasant before/in_front_of God, ours savioure,)

ClVg hoc enim bonum est, et acceptum coram Salvatore nostro Deo,[fn]
(this because good it_is, and accepted before Salvatore our to_God, )

2.3 Hoc enim. Ne quis putaret hæc non esse facienda pro his quos patitur Ecclesia addit: Hoc enim bonum est. Et ne quis putaret cultu unius Dei et vita bona salutem esse posse sine participatione corporis Christi, id est sine fide Ecclesiæ. Unus, inquit, Deus, unus et mediator, ut omnes homines salvari nunquam fiat nisi per mediatorem Deum Verbum quod semper erat, secundum tamen carnem, factum est.

2.3 This because. Don't who/any putaret these_things not/no to_be to_be_done for his which suffers Assembly/Church adds: This because good it_is. And not who/any putaret cultu of_one of_God and life good(s) health to_be posse without participatione body Christi, that it_is without with_faith Assemblies/Churches. Unus, he_said, God, one and mediator, as everyone people/men to_be_saved never/certainly_not fiat except through mediatorem God The_word/saying that always was, after/second nevertheless the_flesh, done it_is.

UGNT τοῦτο καλὸν καὶ ἀπόδεκτον ἐνώπιον τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν, Θεοῦ,
(touto kalon kai apodekton enōpion tou Sōtaʸros haʸmōn, Theou,)

SBL-GNT ⸀τοῦτο καλὸν καὶ ἀπόδεκτον ἐνώπιον τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν θεοῦ,
(⸀touto kalon kai apodekton enōpion tou sōtaʸros haʸmōn theou,)

RP-GNT Τοῦτο γὰρ καλὸν καὶ ἀπόδεκτον ἐνώπιον τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν θεοῦ,
(Touto gar kalon kai apodekton enōpion tou sōtaʸros haʸmōn theou,)

TC-GNT Τοῦτο [fn]γὰρ καλὸν καὶ ἀπόδεκτον ἐνώπιον τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Θεοῦ,
(Touto gar kalon kai apodekton enōpion tou sōtaʸros haʸmōn Theou, )

2:3 γαρ ¦ — CT

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, red:words differ (from our SR-GNT base).

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 2:1–15: Paul told Timothy that it was important that believers should pray

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.

Paragraph 2:1–7

When believers gather together, they should pray for everybody. They should pray that God would help their government officials to govern well so that believers can worship God peacefully. They should also pray for everybody else because God wants to save everybody.

Everything that Paul wrote in this paragraph (2:1–7) was to help Timothy communicate the gospel to everyone.

One reason that Paul emphasized that the gospel was for everyone was probably because the false teachers were doing exactly the opposite. They were encouraging their followers to consider themselves as better than other people and as part of a small, elite group that excluded other people.Fee, pages 61 and 62, says, “…what might be the place of this first paragraph in the argument? The frequent answer is that the point lies in verse 2, that prayer be made for rulers so that the church may enjoy a peaceful existence. It has even been suggested that a correct Christian attitude toward the state is what is in view. Verses 4–7, then, are seen as nearly irrelevant to that point, but go back to elaborate on a secondary point made in verse 1 (prayer be made for everyone). However, it seems much more likely that precisely the opposite is the case. The one clear concern that runs through the whole paragraph has to do with the gospel as for everyone (‘all people,’ vv. 1, 4–6, and 7). In this view, the phrase this is good in verse 3 refers to prayer for everyone in verse 1, thus seeing verse 2 as something of a digression —albeit as before (1:12–17), a meaningful one. The best explanation for this emphasis lies with the false teachers, who either through the esoteric, highly speculative nature of their teaching (1:4–6) or through its ‘Jewishness’ (1:7) or ascetic character (4:3) are promoting an elitist or exclusivist mentality among their followers. The whole paragraph attacks that narrowness.”

2:3a

This is good

It is good to pray for people like this,
We^(incl) do what is right when we^(incl) pray like this,

This is good: The Greek word that the BSB translates as This refers to what Paul commanded in 2:1–2, that is, to pray for everyone. So here he said it was a good/right thing for people to pray for everyone.

2:3b

and pleasing in the sight of God our Savior,

and such prayers please God our^(incl) Savior.
and God, who saves us,^(incl) is pleased.

pleasing in the sight of God our Savior: This is the reason that it is “good” to pray for everyone (2:3a). When a person prays, it is pleasing to God.

God our Savior: When Paul mentioned God here, he was referring to God the Father. As discussed in the note on 1:1c, New Testament authors more usually refer to Christ as Savior. However, Paul used this expression six times in 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus.

our: This again refers to Paul, Timothy, and the Ephesian believers.

Savior: The Greek word that the BSB translates as Savior refers to a person who saves or rescues someone else from danger. Paul was saying that God rescues all people who trust in Christ. In other words, he saves them from their sin and its consequences.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: writing-pronouns

τοῦτο

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Τοῦτο καλόν καί ἀπόδεκτον ἐνώπιον τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Θεοῦ)

The pronoun This refers to praying as Paul has urged in [2:1–2](../02/01.md). If this is not clear for your readers, you could refer to this idea more directly. Alternate translation: [That kind of prayer] or [Praying for those things]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

καλὸν καὶ ἀπόδεκτον ἐνώπιον τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν, Θεοῦ

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Τοῦτο καλόν καί ἀπόδεκτον ἐνώπιον τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Θεοῦ)

Here, the phrase before God our Savior could go with: (1) just acceptable. Alternate translation: [is good, and it is acceptable before God our Savior] (2) both good and acceptable. Alternate translation: [is good before God our Savior and acceptable to him]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / doublet

καλὸν καὶ ἀπόδεκτον

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Τοῦτο καλόν καί ἀπόδεκτον ἐνώπιον τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Θεοῦ)

The terms good and acceptable mean similar things. Paul is using the two terms together for emphasis. If it would be clearer for your readers, you could express the emphasis with a single phrase. Alternate translation: [very good] or [extremely acceptable]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

ἐνώπιον τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν, Θεοῦ

before the Savior ˱of˲_us God

Here, the phrase before God refers to God’s evaluation or view about something. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a comparable phrase or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [in the eyes of God our Savior] or [to God our Savior]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν

the Savior ˱of˲_us

Here, Paul is using the possessive form to describe a Savior who saves us. If this is not clear in your language, you could express the idea in another way. Alternate translation: [who saves us]

Parallel 1 TIM 2:3

Section 2:1–15: Paul told Timothy that it was important that believers should pray

Paragraph 2:1–7

2:3a

2:3b

Parallel 1 TIM 2:3