ει 1487 COND δε 1161 CONJ τις 5100 X-NSM χηρα 5503 N-NSF τεκνα 5043 N-APN η 2228 PRT εκγονα 1549 A-APN εχει 2192 5719 V-PAI-3S μανθανετωσαν 3129 5720 V-PAM-3P πρωτον 4412 ADV τον 3588 T-ASM ιδιον 2398 A-ASM οικον 3624 N-ASM ευσεβειν 2151 5721 V-PAN και 2532 CONJ αμοιβας 287 N-APF αποδιδοναι 591 5721 V-PAN τοις 3588 T-DPM προγονοις 4269 N-DPM τουτο 5124 D-NSN γαρ 1063 CONJ εστιν 2076 5748 V-PXI-3S καλον 2570 A-NSN και 2532 CONJ αποδεκτον 587 A-NSN ενωπιον 1799 ADV του 3588 T-GSM θεου 2316 N-GSM
Vincent's NT Word Studies
4. Nephews (ekgona). N.T.o . Often in LXX. Nephews, in the now obsolete sense of grandsons or other lineal deseendants. Derived from Lat. nepos. Trench (Select Glossary) remarks that nephew was undergone exactly the same change of meaning that nepos underwent, which, in the Augustan age, meaning grandson, in the post-Augustan age acquired the signification of nephew in our present acceptation of that word. Chaucer:"How that my nephew shall my bane be." Legend of Good Women, 2659.
'His (Jove's) blind nevew Cupido." House of Fame, 67.
Jeremy Taylor:
"Nephews are very often liken to their grandfathers than to their fathers." Let them learn. The subject is the children and grandchildren. Holtzmann thinks the subject is any widow, used collectively. But the writer is treating of what should be done to the widow, not of what she is to do. The admonition is connected with widows indeed. They, as being utterly bereft, and without natural supporters, are to be cared for by the church; but if they have children or grandchildren, these should assume their maintenance.
First (prwton). In the first place: as their first and natural obligation. To show piety at home (ton idion oikon eusebein). More correctly, to show piety toward their own family. Piety in the sense of filial respect, though not to the exclusion of the religious sense. The Lat. pietas includes alike love and duty to the gods and to parents. Thus Virgil's familiar designation of Aeneas, "pius Aeneas," as describing at once his reverence for the gods and his filial devotion. The verb eujsebein (only here and Acts xvii. 23) represents filial respect as an element of godliness (eusebeia). For ton idion their own, see on Acts i. 7. It emphasises their private, personal belonging, and contrasts the assistance given by them with that furnished by the church. It has been suggested that oikon household or family may mark the duty as an act of family feeling and honor.
To requite (amoibav apodidonai). An entirely unique expression. Amoibh requital, recompense is a familiar classical word, used with didonai to give, ajpotiqenai to lay down, tinein to pay, poieisqai to make. N.T.o . Paul uses instead ajntimisqia (Rom. i. 27; 2 Corinthians vi. 13), or ajntapodoma, (Rom. xi. 9), or ajntapodosiv (Colossians iii. 24). The last two are LXX words.
Their parents (toiv progonoiv). N.T.o . Parents is too limited. The word comprehends mothers and grandmothers and living ancestors generally. The word for parents is goneiv, see 2 Tim. iii. 2; Rom. i. 30; 2 Corinthians xii. 14; Eph. vi. 1; Col. iii. 20. Progonoi for living ancestors is contrary to usage. One instance is cited from Plato, Laws, xi. 932. The word is probably selected to correspond in form with ekgona children.
Good and acceptable (kalon kai apodekton). Omit kalon kai good and. Apodektov acceptable only here and 1 Tim. ii. 3. See note. Before (enwpion). Frequent in N.T., especially Luke and Revelation. It occurs 31 times in the phrases ejnwpion tou Qeou in the sight of God, and ejnwpion kuriou in the sight of the Lord. o LXX. Comp. emprosqen tou Qeou before God. Acts x. 4; 1 Thess. i. 3; ii. 19; iii. 9, 13. Not in Pastorals, and by Paul only 1 Thessalonians the difference is trifling. Comp. 1 John iii. 19 and 22.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
5:4 {Grandchildren} (ekgona). Old word from ekginomai, here only in N.T. {Let them learn} (manqanetwsan). The children and grandchildren of a widow. Present active imperative third person plural of manqanw. "Let them keep on learning." {First} (prwton). Adverb, first before anything else. No "corban" business here. No acts of "piety" toward God will make up for impiety towards parents. {To shew piety} (eusebein). Present active infinitive with manqanetwsan and old verb, in N.T. only here and #Ac 17:23. From eusebes (eu, sebomai), pious, dutiful. {Their own family} (ton idion oikon). "Their own household." Filial piety is primary unless parents interfere with duty to Christ (#Lu 14:26). {To repay} (amoibas apodidonai). Present active infinitive of apodidwmi, to give back, old and common verb (#Ro 2:6), to keep on giving back. amoibas (from ameibomai, to repay like for like) is old and common word, but here only in N.T. {Their parents} (tois progonois). Dative case of old and common word progonos (from proginomai, to come before), "ancestor." In N.T. only here and #2Ti 1:3. See #2:3 for "acceptable" (apodekton).
