1 Timothy 2:10

But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(10) But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.—That is to say, “Let them adorn themselves in that which is befitting women who profess godliness—viz., in good works.” The Apostle, still speaking of women’s true part in public divine service—urges that their works should be in accord with their words of prayer—tells them that a woman’s truest and most beautiful ornament consisted in those tender works of mercy and pity—her peculiar province—in other words, that they, like Dorcas of Joppa, whose praise is in the Book of Life, “should be full of good works and alms deeds” (Acts 9:36).

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

2:8-15 Under the gospel, prayer is not to be confined to any one particular house of prayer, but men must pray every where. We must pray in our closets, pray in our families, pray at our meals, pray when we are on journeys, and pray in the solemn assemblies, whether more public or private. We must pray in charity; without wrath, or malice, or anger at any person. We must pray in faith, without doubting, and without disputing. Women who profess the Christian religion, must be modest in apparel, not affecting gaudiness, gaiety, or costliness. Good works are the best ornament; these are, in the sight of God, of great price. Modesty and neatness are more to be consulted in garments than elegance and fashion. And it would be well if the professors of serious godliness were wholly free from vanity in dress. They should spend more time and money in relieving the sick and distressed, than in decorating themselves and their children. To do this in a manner unsuitable to their rank in life, and their profession of godliness, is sinful. These are not trifles, but Divine commands. The best ornaments for professors of godliness, are good works. According to St. Paul, women are not allowed to be public teachers in the church; for teaching is an office of authority. But good women may and ought to teach their children at home the principles of true religion. Also, women must not think themselves excused from learning what is necessary to salvation, though they must not usurp authority. As woman was last in the creation, which is one reason for her subjection, so she was first in the transgression. But there is a word of comfort; that those who continue in sobriety, shall be saved in child-bearing, or with child-bearing, by the Messiah, who was born of a woman. And the especial sorrow to which the female sex is subject, should cause men to exercise their authority with much gentleness, tenderness, and affection.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

with good works}}But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works - That is, it is not appropriate for women who profess to be the followers of the Saviour, to seek to be distinguished for personal, external decorations. If they are Christians, they have seen the vanity of these things, and have fixed the heart on more substantial realities. They are professed followers of Him "who went about doing good," and the performance of good works especially becomes them. They profess to have fixed the affections on God their Saviour, and to be living for heaven; and it is not becoming in them to seek such ornaments as would indicate that the heart is supremely attached to worldly things. There is great beauty in this direction. Good works, or deeds of benevolence, eminently become a Christian female. The nature of woman seems to be adapted to the performance of all deeds demanding kindness, tenderness, and gentleness of feeling; of all that proceeds from pity, sympathy, and affection; and we feel instinctively that while acts of hardy enterprise and daring in a good cause especially become a Christian man, there is something exquisitely appropriate to the female character in deeds of humble and unobtrusive sympathy and benevolence. God seems to have formed her mind for just such things, and in such things it occupies its appropriate sphere rather than in seeking external adorning.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

10. professing—Greek, "promising": engaging to follow.

with good works—The Greek preposition is not the same as in 1Ti 2:9; "by means of," or "through good works." Their adorning is to be effected by means of good works: not that they are to be clothed in, or with, them (Eph 2:10). Works, not words in public, is their province (1Ti 2:8, 11, 12; 1Pe 3:1). Works are often mentioned in the Pastoral Epistles in order to oppose the loose living, combined with the loose doctrine, of the false teachers. The discharge of everyday duties is honored with the designation, "good works."

Matthew Poole's Commentary

They ought to look at the ornament of good works; for those are the ornaments which best become women professing godliness, whose hearts should despise the ornament of the figure of excrementitious hair, or a little yellow earth, or a stone, or the work of a pitiful silkworm.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

But (which becometh women professing god likeness),.... By which is meant not any particular grace, was it, the fear of God might be designed, and so the Syriac version renders it; nor the whole of internal religion only; nor the form of godliness, or the whole scheme of Gospel truth, which is according to godliness; nor only outward holiness of life and conversation; but the whole of all this, all religion, internal and external, the whole of godliness, both in a doctrinal and in a practical way. All this, these women the apostle gives directions unto, had made a profession of, and had been baptized upon it, and received members of churches; and as yet held their profession: and such persons, it best became them not so much to adorn themselves with any outward adornings, as

with good works; such as are mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 5:10 Good works are like good clothes, to which the apostle alludes; they do not make persons men and women, but they adorn them as such; so good works, they do not make men and women Christians, or believers, but they adorn them as such; they are ornaments to their persons, and to their profession, and to the Gospel they profess. See Titus 2:10.

Geneva Study Bible

But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Expositor's Greek Testament

1 Timothy 2:10. ἀλλʼ ὃ πρέπει: It has been assumed above that διʼ ἔργων ἀγαθῶν is to be connected with κοσμεῖν. In this case ὃ πρέπει—θεοσέβειαν is a parenthetical clause in apposition to the sentence. It is, however, possible, though not so natural, to connect διʼ ἔργων ἀγαθῶν with ἐπαγγ. θεοσ. So Vulg., promittentes pietatem per bona opera. Then ὃ would mean καθʼ ὃ, or ἐν τούτῳ ὅ (Math.), and the whole clause, ἀλλʼ ὃ—ἀγαθῶν, would be an awkward periphrasis for, and repetition of, ἐν καταστολῇ—σωφροσύνης.

ἐπαγγέλλεσθαι usually means to promise as in Titus 1:2; but here and in 1 Timothy 6:21 to profess.

θεοσέβεια: ἅπ. λεγ., but the adj. θεοσεβής occurs John 9:31.

διά is instrumental, as in 1 Timothy 4:5, 2 Timothy 1:6; 2 Timothy 1:10; 2 Timothy 1:14; 2 Timothy 3:15; 2 Timothy 4:17, Titus 3:5-6, not of accompanying circumstances, as in 1 Timothy 2:15; 1 Timothy 4:14, 2 Timothy 2:2.

ἔργων ἀγαθῶν: see note on chap. 1 Timothy 3:1.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

10. which becometh women professing godliness] Best as A.V. and R.V. forming a parenthesis to justify the boldness of the dress recommended immediately after.

godliness] The noun occurs only here, the adjective only in John 9:31, ‘a worshipper of God.’ It seems to be distinguished from its kindred word above, 1 Timothy 2:2, thus: theosebeia looks to the worship being that of God in contrast to idols, and embodies the phrase in use for converts from heathen polytheism to Judaism throughout the Acts 13:43; Acts 13:50; Acts 16:14; Acts 17:4; Acts 17:17; Acts 18:7, ‘one that worshipped,’ and in full ‘one that worshipped God.’ While eusebeia, above and in nine other places in these epistles, by its prefix goes deeper than the change of outward worship—heart reverence and devotion, ‘the best worship’: as the years went on a natural advance urged on the Christian converts in whom the seed was ‘to grow secretly.’ In this place then, where it is a question of public worship and the right surroundings, the word chosen here is the exactly appropriate one; ‘You profess the worship of God by your coming to the public prayers: your best dress is to be known and esteemed for your zeal in acts of love and service for Him in His church.’

with good works] R.V. through; the change of preposition suggests a change in the character of the phrase, that St Paul is now speaking metaphorically.

Bengel's Gnomen

1 Timothy 2:10. Ἐπαγγελλομέναις) promising (engaging to follow), professing. The same word is at ch. 1 Timothy 6:21.—διʼ ἔργων, with works) construed with adorn; with works, without speaking, which is competent for (the province belonging to) men, 1 Timothy 2:8; 1 Timothy 2:11-12; 1 Peter 3:1. There is a very frequent mention of works in the epistles to Timothy and Titus, and those are adorned with the appellation of good works, which come to be performed in the ordinary affairs of human life.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 10. - Through for with, A.V. (The change from "with" to "through" is quite unnecessary, though more strictly accurate. "With" does equally well for ἐν and διά, the one applied to the ornaments and dress in or with which the woman adorns herself, the other to the good works by which she is adorned.) Professing godliness. In all ether passages in the New Testament where it occurs, ἐπαγγέλλεσθαι means "to promise," except in 1 Timothy 6:21, where, as here, it means "to profess," as it frequently does in classical Greek: Απαγγέλλεσθαι ἀρετήν σοφίαν, etc. Θεοσεβεία only occurs here in the New Testament; but it is used in the LXX. in Job 28:28; Genesis 20:11; also in Xenophon. In John 9:31 we have Θεοσεβής, "a worshipper of God." Through good works. Compare the description of Dorcas (Acts 9:36, 39). Ἔργα ἀγαθά mean especially acts of charity (comp. 1 Timothy 5:10; 2 Corinthians 9:8, 9; Colossians 1:11; elsewhere it is us, d more generally, like ἔργα καλά, though this phrase also sometimes points especially to acts of charity, as in 1 Timothy 5:10; 1 Timothy 6:18; Titus 3:14; Hebrews 10:24). 1 Timothy 2:10

Vincent's Word Studies

Professing (ἐπαγγελλομέναις)

In the sense of professing only in the Pastorals. In Titus 1:2, and everywhere else in N.T. it means promise. See Acts 7:5; Romans 4:21; Galatians 3:19, etc.

Godliness (θεοσεβείαν)

N.T.o. Several times in lxx. The adjective θεοσεβής worshipping God, John 9:31. It is equals εὐσέβεια. See 1 Timothy 2:2. Const. by good works with professing godliness: omit the parenthesis which - godliness; take which (ὅ) as equals with that which (ἐν τούτῳ ὅ) and construe it with adorn. The whole will then read: "That women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefastness and sobriety; not with braided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array, but (adorn themselves) with that which becometh women professing godliness through good works."