1 TIM 3:11 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=minor/spelling Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

Key: orange:accusative/object, cyan:dative/indirect object.
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).

ULT Likewise women must be dignified, not slanderers, temperate, trustworthy in everything.

UST Similarly, the women who serve the rest of God’s people must be those whom others respect. They must not say mean or false things about other people. They must not do everything that they desire. They must always act faithfully.

BLB Women likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, clear-minded, faithful in all things.

AICNT Likewise, women should be dignified, not slanderous, sober-minded, faithful in all things.

OEB It should be the same with the women in this office. They should be serious, not gossips, sober, and trustworthy in all respects.

WEBBE Their wives in the same way must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, and faithful in all things.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET Likewise also their wives must be dignified, not slanderous, temperate, faithful in every respect.

LSV Women, in like manner, dignified, not false accusers, vigilant, faithful in all things.

FBV Their wives[fn] should be respected too. They should not slander people with gossip, and they should be self-controlled and trustworthy in all they do.

3:11 “Their wives”: or simply “women.”

TCNT Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded and faithful in all things.

T4T Their wives (OR, The women who are deacons) likewise must conduct themselves suitably/appropriately. Specifically, they must be ◄serious/worthy that people respect them►. They must not speak evil about people. They must not drink a lot of alcohol. They must be faithful in everything that they do.

LEB The wives[fn] likewise must be dignified, not slanderous, temperate, faithful in all things.

3:11 Or “The women”

BBE Women are to be serious in behaviour, saying no evil of others, controlling themselves, true in all things.

Moff Their wives must be serious too; they must not be slanderers but temperate and absolutely trustworthy.

Wymth Deaconesses, in the same way, must be sober-minded women, not slanderers, but in every way temperate and trustworthy.

ASV Women in like manner must be grave, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things.

DRA The women in like manner chaste, not slanderers, but sober, faithful in all things.

YLT Women — in like manner grave, not false accusers, vigilant, faithful in all things.

Drby [The] women in like manner grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.

RV Women in like manner must be grave, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things.

SLT Wives also grave, not accusers, sober, faithful in all things.

Wbstr Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.

KJB-1769 Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.

KJB-1611 Euen so must their wiues be graue; not slanderers, sober, faithfull in all things.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation)

Bshps Euen so must their wyues be graue, not euyll speakers, sober, faythfull in all thynges.
(Even so must their wives be grave, not evil speakers, sober, faithful in all things.)

Gnva Likewise their wiues must be honest, not euill speakers, but sober, and faithfull in all things.
(Likewise their wives must be honest, not evil speakers, but sober, and faithful in all things. )

Cvdl Euen so must their wyues be honest, not euell speakers, but sober and faithfull in all thinges.
(Even so must their wives be honest, not evil speakers, but sober and faithful in all things.)

TNT Even so must their wynes be honest not evyll speakers: but sober and faythfull in all thinges.
(Even so must their wines be honest not evil speakers: but sober and faithful in all things. )

Wycl Also it bihoueth wymmen to be chast, not bacbitinge, sobre, feithful in alle thingis.
(Also it behoves women to be chast, not bacbitinge, sobre, faithful in all things.)

Luth Desselbigengleichen ihre Weiber sollen ehrbar sein, nicht Lästerinnen, nüchtern, treu in allen Dingen.
(Desselbigengleichen their/her women should ehrbar be, not Lästerinnen, sober, faithful in all/everyone things.)

ClVg Mulieres similiter pudicas, non detrahentes, sobrias, fideles in omnibus.
(Womans likewise pudicas, not/no take_awayntes, sobrias, faithful in/into/on to_all. )

UGNT γυναῖκας ὡσαύτως σεμνάς, μὴ διαβόλους, νηφαλίους, πιστὰς ἐν πᾶσιν.
(gunaikas hōsautōs semnas, maʸ diabolous, naʸfalious, pistas en pasin.)

SBL-GNT γυναῖκας ὡσαύτως σεμνάς, μὴ διαβόλους, νηφαλίους, πιστὰς ἐν πᾶσιν.
(gunaikas hōsautōs semnas, maʸ diabolous, naʸfalious, pistas en pasin.)

RP-GNT Γυναῖκας ὡσαύτως σεμνάς, μὴ διαβόλους, νηφαλέους, πιστὰς ἐν πᾶσιν.
(Gunaikas hōsautōs semnas, maʸ diabolous, naʸfaleous, pistas en pasin.)

TC-GNT Γυναῖκας ὡσαύτως σεμνάς, μὴ διαβόλους, [fn]νηφαλέους, πιστὰς ἐν πᾶσι.
(Gunaikas hōsautōs semnas, maʸ diabolous, naʸfaleous, pistas en pasi. )

3:11 νηφαλεους ¦ νηφαλιους ANT CT PCK SCR

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

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 3:1–16: Paul described the sort of people who should lead a community of believers

In this section, Paul described the qualifications for Christian leaders, those who lead a group of believers.

This section can be divided into three paragraphs:

Paragraph 3:1–7: The sort of people who should be overseers

Paragraph 3:8–13: The sort of people who should be deacons

Paragraph 3:14–16: The reason Paul wrote this letter to Timothy

Paragraph 3:8–13

In 3:1–7 Paul told Timothy the sort of people who ought to be overseers. In the following verses, Paul described the sort of people who should be deacons. Many of these qualifications are similar to those for overseers.

3:11a

In the same way, the women must be dignified,

Like the deacons themselves, their wives must behave so that other people respect them.

In the same way: This verse begins with a Greek word that the BSB translates as In the same way. Paul also used this word in 3:8a where he began to list the requirements for deacons. In that verse the BSB translates it as “likewise.”

the women: There is a major interpretation question in this verse. The Greek word that the BSB translates as the women means “women” in some contexts and “wives” in other contexts. There is no special word that only means “wife.” Therefore, there are two possible ways to interpret this word and therefore this verse:

It means wives and therefore refers to the wives of the deacons. (NIV, GNT, KJV, NET, GW, NLT)
It means “women” and therefore refers to female deacons (deaconesses). (BSB, REB)

Many English versions are ambiguous but most of those that do choose an interpretation follow interpretation (1). Therefore it is recommended that you also translate this word as wives. Here are some reasons why Paul was probably referring to wives of deacons:

Paul talked about male deacons in 3:8–10, then he continued talking about male deacons in 3:12–13. Paul probably did not interrupt himself here to talk about female deacons. It is more likely that he was talking about the wives of the deacons.
Paul followed 3:11 by saying that a deacon (like an overseer) needed to be a “husband of one wife” (3:12a). If he had been referring to female deacons in 3:11a, he would probably have said that female deacons should be faithful to their husbands.

However, it is impossible to be absolutely certain which interpretation is correct.Fee, page 88, says, “This sentence is one of the genuine puzzles in 1 Timothy.” If possible, you should explain both possibilities in a footnote.

dignified: The Greek word that the BSB translates as dignified is a general word. It means that these women must behave in a way that deserves respect from other people. That is, other people will esteem and honor them because they had earned that respect by the way they behave.

This is the same word that Paul used in 3:8a. You should use the same term here.

3:11b

not slanderers,

They must not say bad things about other people.

slanderers: When Paul said that deacons’ wives must not be slanderers, he meant that they must not gossip or say hurtful things about other people. It does not matter whether or not the things are true. If they are meant to be hurtful, the women should not say them. Paul used the same word in Titus 2:3. You should try to use the same term in both verses.

3:11c

but temperate and faithful in all things.

Instead they must be self-controlled. They must be people whom other people trust in all situations.

temperate: The Greek word that the BSB translates as temperate means “behaving in a sober, restrained manner.” It often refers to not drinking too much alcohol. But most commentators agree that the meaning is more general here. It includes not getting drunk, but also includes not losing control of themselves in any other way. The same word is used in 3:2c and Titus 2:2.

faithful: If a person is faithful, people can trust him to fulfill his responsibilities and to do what he promises. He is trustworthy, dependable, and reliable. Two ways to translate this are:

a person whom others trust

a person who always does what he says he will do

in all things: Most scholars and English versions agree that in all things is grammatically attached to the word faithful. So the BSB expression faithful in all things could be translated “completely faithful.”

Parallel 1 TIM 3:11

Section 3:1–16: Paul described the sort of people who should lead a community of believers

Paragraph 3:8–13

3:11a

3:11b

3:11c

Parallel 1 TIM 3:11