1 TIM 6:14 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: khaki:verbs, orange:accusative/object, 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).

ULT that you keep the commandment spotless, irreproachable, until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ,

UST You must obey what God has commanded. You should obey completely. No one should be able to rightly accuse you of doing anything wrong. Continue to obey until our Lord Jesus the Messiah returns to this world.

BLB for you to keep the commandment, without stain, above reproach, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,

AICNT to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,

OEB I implore you to keep his command free from stain or reproach, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.

WEBBE that you keep the commandment without spot, blameless until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,

WMBB that you keep the commandment without spot, blameless until the appearing of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah,

NET to obey this command without fault or failure until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ

LSV that you keep the command unspotted, unblameable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,

FBV is to follow faithfully what you've been told[fn] so you will be above criticism until our Lord Jesus Christ appears.

6:14 Literally, “keep the commandment.”

TCNT that yoʋ obey what has been commanded without fault or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,

T4T I command you that as you keep all that in mind, in every way you ◄hold fast/obey► to what Christ has commanded us [DOU]. ◄Hold fast/obey► to those teachings in a way that our Lord Jesus Christ cannot ◄criticize you about/say that what you did was wrong►, until he comes again.

LEB that you observe the commandment without fault, irreproachable until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,

BBE To keep the word untouched by evil, clear from all shame, till the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ:

Moff to keep your commission free from stain, free from reproach, till the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ —

Wymth that you keep God's commandments stainlessly and without reproach till the Appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.

ASV that thou keep the commandment, without spot, without reproach, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:

DRA That thou keep the commandment without spot, blameless, unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,

YLT that thou keep the command unspotted, unblameable, till the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Drby that thou keep the commandment spotless, irreproachable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ;

RV that thou keep the commandment, without spot, without reproach, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:
(that thou/you keep the commandment, without spot, without reproach, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: )

SLT For thee to keep the command spotless, irreprehensible, until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ:

Wbstr That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:

KJB-1769 That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:
(That thou/you keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: )

KJB-1611 That thou keepe this commandement without spot, vnrebukeable, vntill the appearing of our Lord Iesus Christ.
(That thou/you keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Yesus/Yeshua Christ.)

Bshps That thou kepe the commaundement without spot, vnrebukeable, vntyll the appearyng of our Lorde Iesus Christ:
(That thou/you keep the commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Yesus/Yeshua Christ:)

Gnva That thou keepe this commandement without spot, and vnrebukeable, vntill the appearing of our Lord Iesus Christ,
(That thou/you keep this commandment without spot, and unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Yesus/Yeshua Christ, )

Cvdl that thou kepe the commaundement, without spot, vnreproueable, vntyll the appearynge of oure LORDE Iesus Christ,
(that thou/you keep the commandment, without spot, unreproueable, until the appearing of our LORD Yesus/Yeshua Christ,)

TNT that thou kepe the commaundement and be with out spotte and vnrebukeable vntyll the apperynge of oure lorde Iesus Christ
(that thou/you keep the commandment and be with out spot and unrebukeable until the appearing of our lord Yesus/Yeshua Christ )

Wycl that thou kepe the comaundement with out wem, with out repreef, in to the comyng of oure Lord Jhesu Crist;
(that thou/you keep the commandment with out spot/blemish, with out repreef, in to the coming of our Lord Yhesu Christ;)

Luth daß du haltest das Gebot ohne Flecken, untadelig, bis auf die Erscheinung unsers HErr’s JEsu Christi,
(that you(sg) hold the commandment/command without stains, untadelig, until on/in/to the appearance ours LORD’s Yesu Christi,)

ClVg ut serves mandatum sine macula, irreprehensibile usque in adventum Domini nostri Jesu Christi,
(as serves command(n) without blemish/stain, irreprehensibile until in/into/on arrival Master our Yesu Christi, )

UGNT τηρῆσαί σε τὴν ἐντολὴν ἄσπιλον ἀνεπίλημπτον, μέχρι τῆς ἐπιφανείας τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν, Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ;
(taʸraʸsai se taʸn entolaʸn aspilon anepilaʸmpton, meⱪri taʸs epifaneias tou Kuriou haʸmōn, Yaʸsou Ⱪristou;)

SBL-GNT τηρῆσαί σε τὴν ἐντολὴν ἄσπιλον ἀνεπίλημπτον μέχρι τῆς ἐπιφανείας τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ,
(taʸraʸsai se taʸn entolaʸn aspilon anepilaʸmpton meⱪri taʸs epifaneias tou kuriou haʸmōn Yaʸsou Ⱪristou,)

RP-GNT τηρῆσαί σε τὴν ἐντολὴν ἄσπιλον, ἀνεπίληπτον, μέχρι τῆς ἐπιφανείας τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ χριστοῦ,
(taʸraʸsai se taʸn entolaʸn aspilon, anepilaʸpton, meⱪri taʸs epifaneias tou kuriou haʸmōn Yaʸsou ⱪristou,)

TC-GNT τηρῆσαί σε τὴν ἐντολὴν ἄσπιλον, [fn]ἀνεπίληπτον, μέχρι τῆς ἐπιφανείας τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ,
(taʸraʸsai se taʸn entolaʸn aspilon, anepilaʸpton, meⱪri taʸs epifaneias tou Kuriou haʸmōn Yaʸsou Ⱪristou, )

6:14 ανεπιληπτον ¦ ανεπιλημπτον CT

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

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 6:11–21: Paul gave Timothy some final instructions

Paragraph 6:11–16

In this paragraph, Paul told Timothy some specific ways that he should behave. He gave him four main instructions:

to “pursue…perseverance” (6:11c, 6:11e)
to “fight the good fight of the faith” (6:12a)
to “take hold of…eternal life” (6:12b)
to “keep this commandment…until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ” (6:14a, 6:14c)

6:14a

Keep this commandment

to obey what you were told to do
to do everything that God has commanded you to do

Keep this commandment: The Greek word that the BSB translates as commandment is a general word that refers to any sort of commandment or order. Scholars suggest many different things to which Paul might have been referring. Three of the suggestions are:

Paul was referring to everything that God expected Timothy to do as a believer and as a minister of the gospel. For example, the NLT says:
obey his [God’s] commands (NLT, GNT, REB, NCV)
Paul was referring to everything that he had commanded Timothy to do in this letter.
Paul was referring to what he had commanded Timothy to do immediately before this, in 6:11–12. Translations that supply the word this and use a singular “command” are probably following this interpretation. (BSB, NIV, KJV, GW)

Some English versions are ambiguous. The same Greek phrase occurs in a similar context in 2 Peter 2:21 and 3:2. Also Paul did not use a word meaning this. Therefore, interpretation (1) is probably correct, and it is recommended that you follow it.Knight, pages 266–267 says, “Each option has a certain plausibility to it within this context alone. Hence consideration must be given to use of ἐντολή [=‘command’] elsewhere in contexts analogous to this one and to use of analogous terms in 1 Timothy. Paul does not use singular articular ἡ ἐντολή frequently; when he does, he refers to one of the Ten Commandments (Rom. 7:8–13), which seems unlikely here. In the non-Pauline NT letters ἡ ἐντολή is used in 2 Pet. 2:21; 3:2 (and in 1 John and 2 John of the love command, but that meaning has not been suggested here and nothing in 1 Timothy 6 would seem to warrant it). In 2 Peter ἡ ἐντολή is used ‘as a description of Christianity considered as a body of ethical teaching’ (Bauckham, Jude, 2 Peter, at 2:21; at 3:2 he indicates that the term is used ‘in the same way’). Such a meaning for ἡ ἐντολή in 1 Tim. 6:14 would seem to be supported by the significance of analogous terms in the PE [=Pastoral Epistles]: Paul has designated the Christian faith as ‘the command’ (ἡ παραγγελία, 1 Tim. 1:5), and in the conclusion of the letter (6:20) he charges Timothy to ‘guard the deposit,’ i.e., the Christian faith (τὴν παραθήκην φύλαξον). In 2 Tim. 4:7 he uses the same verb as he does here in saying that he himself has ‘kept the faith’ (τὴν πίστιν τετήρηκα). Paul speaks, therefore, about the Christian faith as a command and as that which must be guarded or kept. This formulation of the matter was already presented by Jesus in the Great Commission, which in its Greek form (Mt. 28:20) contains the same verb, τηρέω, as 1 Tim. 6:14 and the verb ἐντέλλω, which is the cognate of ἐντολή.” On pages 267–268, Knight continues, saying, “The other…alternatives…refer ‘the commandment’ to vv. 11–12 or to the whole letter and would seem to require that the text read ‘this,’ rather than ‘the,’ commandment. They also seem not to give adequate attention to the definiteness and absoluteness of the phrase ‘the commandment.’”

6:14b

without stain or reproach

without fault or failure
completely so that no one can accuse you of doing wrong

without stain: This is a figure of speech. If something has a stain, on it, it is not perfect. So when Paul said that Timothy should obey God’s commands without stain, he meant that Timothy should obey them perfectly.

or reproach: If Timothy obeyed God’s commands without…reproach, no one would be able to accuse or blame him for the way he behaved.

In some languages it may not be possible to translate these two terms separately or to keep the figure of speech. Some other ways to translate this verse part are:

completely and fully (CEV)

without fault or failure (NET)

6:14c

until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ,

until our^(incl) Lord Jesus Christ returns.
between now and the time when our^(incl) Lord Jesus Christ returns to earth.

until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ: Paul was telling Timothy to keep obeying God’s commands until Jesus returned.

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

Lord: The Greek word that the BSB translates as Lord is a general word that means “master.” It was used to address any respected person. Here it refers to Christ. You could translate it as “owner” or “chief.”

Jesus Christ: Notice that in this verse Paul used the more usual order Jesus Christ to refer to Jesus. It is recommended that you do the same thing.

Christ: The word Christ is used two ways in the New Testament. In the Gospels, Christ is a title for Jesus. It means “the anointed one.” But later, by the time that Paul and others wrote letters to individuals and churches, the word Christ was used as another name for Jesus. It was no longer used as a title. So here and in other New Testament letters you should spell Christ according to the rules of your language.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

τηρῆσαί σε τὴν ἐντολὴν ἄσπιλον ἀνεπίλημπτον

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: τηρῆσαι σέ τήν ἐντολήν ἄσπιλον ἀνεπίλημπτον μέχρι τῆς ἐπιφανείας τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ)

Here, the adjectives spotless and irreproachable could modify: (1) you. In this case, Timothy should be spotless and irreproachable as he keeps the commandment. Alternate translation: [that you keep the commandment in a spotless and irreproachable way] (2) the commandment. In this case, Timothy is supposed preserve the commandment that he obeys and teaches so that it remains spotless and irreproachable. Alternate translation: [that you preserve the commandment so that it is spotless and irreproachable]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / extrainfo

τὴν ἐντολὴν

Here Paul does not specify what the commandment is. He could be referring to the instructions he just wrote, to the instructions in the letter as a whole, to what Timothy is supposed to do as a leader, or to what all believers are supposed to do. If possible, use a general phrase that could refer to any of these specific commands. If you need to be more specific, you could indicate that either God or Paul gave this commandment. Alternate translation: [the commandment that you know]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

τὴν ἐντολὴν

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of commandment, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: [what you were commanded] or [what we have been commanded]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / doublet

ἄσπιλον ἀνεπίλημπτον

spotless irreproachable

The terms spotless and irreproachable 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: [completely blameless]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ἄσπιλον

spotless

Here Paul speaks as if he wants Timothy to be physically clean, without any spots or defects. He means that Timothy should not commit any sins or do anything wrong. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a comparable figure of speech or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [pure] or [without sinning]

μέχρι τῆς ἐπιφανείας τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν, Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ

until the appearing ˱of˲_the Lord ˱of˲_us Jesus Christ

Alternate translation: [until our Lord Jesus Christ comes back]

Parallel 1 TIM 6:14

Section 6:11–21: Paul gave Timothy some final instructions

Paragraph 6:11–16

6:14a

6:14b

6:14c

Parallel 1 TIM 6:14