SEV Biblia, Chapter 4:15
En estas cosas ocpate con cuidado , en stas est todo ; de manera que tu aprovechamiento sea manifiesto a todos.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Timothy 4:15
Verse 15. Meditate upon these things] tauta meleta? Revolve them frequently in thy mind; consider deeply their nature and importance; get them deeply fastened in thy heart, and let all thy conduct flow from this inward feeling and conviction. Let the nature, reasons, and motives of thy ministry, be ever in the view of thy heart and conscience. Give thyself wholly to them] en toutoiv isqi? Be thou in these things.
Horace has a similar expression: Omnis in hoc sum. "I am absorbed in this." Occupy thyself wholly with them; make them not only thy chief but thy sole concern. Thou art called to save thy own soul, and the souls of them that hear thee; and God has given thee the Divine gifts for this and no other purpose. To this let all thy reading and study be directed; this is thy great business, and thou must perform it as the servant and steward of the Lord. Bengel has a good saying on this verse, which I will quote: In his qui est, minus erit in sodalitatibus mundanis, in studiis alienis, in colligendis libris, conchis, nummis, quibus multi pastores notabilem aetatis partem insistentes conterunt; "He who is wholly in these things will be little in worldly company, in foreign studies, in collecting books, shells, and coins, in which many ministers consume a principal part of their life." Such persons are worthy of the deepest reprehension, unless all these studies, collections, &c., be formed with the express view, of illustrating the sacred records; and to such awful drudgery few Christian ministers are called. Many, when they have made such collections, seem to know nothing of their use; they only see them and show them, but can never bring them to their assistance in the work of the ministry. These should be prayed for and pitied.
That thy profiting may appear to all.] By being made a universal blessing; convincing and converting sinners; and building up the Church of God on its most holy faith.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 15. Meditate on these things , etc.] Not only on those instructions, advices, and exhortations, which the apostle had given him, throughout this chapter, which might be very useful to him, often to think of, and revolve in his mind, and seriously consider and reflect upon; but upon the Scriptures, the reading of which he had recommended to him, and the doctrines contained therein; it becomes every man not only to read, but meditate on the word of God, and much more ministers of the Gospel. The Scriptures should be read with care, and be industriously and laboriously searched into, as men dig in mines for silver or golden ore; and passages in it should be carefully compared together, the more obscure with those that are more plain and easy; and the whole is to be studied with great attention and application: give thyself wholly to them : to the reading of the Scriptures, meditation upon them, and preaching the doctrines contained in them, clear of all secular affairs, or worldly business and employment. The apostles threw off the branch of deaconship, or ministering to the poor, that they might give themselves up wholly to the ministry of the word, and prayer; and much more should worldly business be cast off, where the circumstances of ministers and churches will admit of it; a Christian soldier, or minister of the Gospel, ought not, if possible, to be entangled with the affairs of this life; he finds enough to do without, in the discharge of his ministerial function; and though the apostles sometimes wrought with their own hands, yet it was not because they had so much leisure from the ministry, or time on their hands, or because they had not a power of forbearing working, but out of necessity, (see Acts 20:34 1 Corinthians 9:6,7 2 Timothy 2:4), or these words may be rendered, be thou in these things ; let thine heart be in them; for if a minister's heart is not in his work, if he does not take delight in it, it will be a slavery and drudgery to him; spend all the time and strength in them, give thyself continually to them, and be always diligent and laborious in them: that thy profiting may appear to all ; that it may be manifest to all that attend the ministry of the word that there is an increase in gifts, a growing in spiritual knowledge, an improvement of the talents bestowed: or that this profiting or increase might appear in all things; in every branch of the ministry, both in exhortation or consolation, and in doctrine; or that it might be manifest among all; that is, all that hear might receive some profit, might learn, and be comforted and edified; faith might be increased, and the joy of it be furthered; and all under the ministry visibly thrive and flourish.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 11-16 - Men's youth will not be despised, if they keep from vanities an follies. Those who teach by their doctrine, must teach by their life Their discourse must be edifying; their conversation must be holy; the must be examples of love to God and all good men, examples of spiritual-mindedness. Ministers must mind these things as their principal work and business. By this means their profiting will appea in all things, as well as to all persons; this is the way to profit in knowledge and grace, and also to profit others. The doctrine of minister of Christ must be scriptural, clear, evangelical, an practical; well stated, explained, defended, and applied. But thes duties leave no leisure for wordly pleasures, trifling visits, or idl conversation, and but little for what is mere amusement, and onl ornamental. May every believer be enabled to let his profiting appea unto all men; seeking to experience the power of the gospel in his ow soul, and to bring forth its fruits in his life __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
ταυτα 5023 μελετα 3191 5720 εν 1722 τουτοις 5125 ισθι 2468 5749 ινα 2443 σου 4675 η 3588 προκοπη 4297 φανερα 5318 η 5600 5753 εν 1722 πασιν 3956
Vincent's NT Word Studies
15. Meditate (meleta). Only here and Acts iv. 25 (citation). Often in Class. and LXX. Most translators reject the A.V. meditate, and substitute be diligent in, or practice, or take care for. Meditate, however, is legitimate, although in Class. the word commonly appears in one of the other senses. The connection between the different meanings is apparent. Exercise or practice applied to the mind becomes thinking or meditation. In LXX it represents seven Hebrew equivalents, and signifies to meditate, talk of, murmur, deligfit one's self in, attend to. Often to meditate, Josh. i. 8; Psalm i. 9; ii. 1; xxxvii. 12; lxxii. 6; Sir. vi. 7. Meditation is a talking within the mind, and issues in speech; hence to speak, as Psalm xxxiv. 28; xxxvi. 30; Isaiah lxix. 3. Similally, logov signifies both reason and discourse. In Lat. meditari, "to reflect," is also "to exercise in," "to practice," as Virgil, Ecclesiastes i. 2. In the Vulg. meditabor is the translation of murmur or mourn iu Isa. xxxviii. 14. The Hebrews hanah means to murmur, whisper; hence the inner whispering of the heart; hence to think, meditate, consider, as Psalm lxiii. 7; lxxviii. 13.
Give thyself wholly to them (en toutoiv isqi). Lit. be in these things. The phrase N.T.o . The only parallel in LXX is Prov. xxiii. 17. The meaning is that he is to throw himself wholly into his ministry. Comp. "totus in illis," Horace, Sat. i. 9, 2.
Profiting (prokoph). Better, advance or progress. Only here and Philip. i. 12. The verb prokoptein in 2 Tim. ii. 16; iii. 9, 13. In LXX, see Sir.li. 17; 2 Macc. viii. 8. The figure in the word is uncertain, but is supposed to be that of pioneers cutting (koptw) a way before (pro) an army, and so furthering its advance. The opposite is ejgkoptein to cut into, throw obstacles in the way, and so hinder. See Gal. v. 7; 1 Thessalonians ii. 18; 1 Pet. iii. 7.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
4:15 {Be diligent in these things} (tauta meleta). Old verb from melete (care, practice), present active imperative, "keep on practising these things." In N.T. only here and #Ac 4:25. {Give thyself wholly to them} (en toutois isqi). Present imperative second person singular of eimi, "keep on in these things." Note five uses of en in verse #12 and three datives in verse #14. Plutarch (Pomp. 656 B) says Caesar was en toutois ("in these things"). It is like our "up to his ears" in work (in medias res) and sticking to his task. {Thy progress} (sou he prokope). _Koin_ word from prokoptw, to cut forward, to blaze the way, in N.T. only here and #Php 1:12,25. Paul's concern (purpose, hina and present subjunctive i of eimi) is that Timothy's "progress" may be "manifest to all." It is inspiring to see a young preacher grow for qen the church will grow with him.
