1 Timothy 3:5

Wycliffe Bible

for if ony man kan not gouerne his house, hou schal he haue diligence of the chirche of God? not new conuertid to the feith,

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
(If anyone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of God’s church?)

King James Version (1611)
(For if a man know not how to rule his owne house, how shall he take care of the Church of God?)

King James Version
(For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)

English Standard Version
for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church?

New American Standard Bible
(but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?),

New Century Version
(If someone does not know how to lead the family, how can that person take care of God's church?)

New American Standard Bible (1995)
(but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?),

Legacy Standard Bible
(but if a man does not know how to lead his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?),

Berean Standard Bible
For if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how can he care for the church of God?

Contemporary English Version
If they don't know how to control their own families, how can they look after God's people?

Complete Jewish Bible
for if a man can't manage his own household, how will he be able to care for God's Messianic Community?

Darby Translation
(but if one does not know how to conduct his own house, how shall he take care of the assembly of God?)

Easy-to-Read Version
If a man does not know how to lead his own family, he will not be able to take care of God's church.

Geneva Bible (1587)
For if any cannot rule his owne house, how shall he care for the Church of God?

George Lamsa Translation
For if a man does not know how to rule well his own household, how shall he take care of the church of God?

Good News Translation
For if a man does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of the church of God?

Lexham English Bible
(but if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?),

Literal Translation
But if anyone does not know how to rule his own house, how will he care for an assembly of God?

Amplified Bible
(for if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?).

American Standard Version
(but if a man knoweth not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)

Bible in Basic English
(For if a man has not the art of ruling his house, how will he take care of the church of God?)

Hebrew Names Version
(but if a man doesn't know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the assembly of God?)

International Standard Version
For if a man does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?

Etheridge Translation
For if his own house he know not to rule well, how is he able to rule the church of Aloha ?

Murdock Translation
For if he knoweth not how to guide his own house well, how can he guide the church of God.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
For yf a man knowe not to rule his owne house, howe shall he care for the Churche of God?

English Revised Version
(but if a man knoweth not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)

World English Bible
(but if a man doesn't know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the assembly of God?)

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?

Weymouth's New Testament
(If a man does not know how to rule his own household, how shall he have the Church of God given into his care?)

Update Bible Version
(but if a man doesn't know how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)

Webster's Bible Translation
(For if a man knoweth not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)

New English Translation
But if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for the church of God?

New King James Version
(for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?);

New Living Translation
For if a man cannot manage his own household, how can he take care of God's church?

New Life Bible
If a man cannot be a good leader in his own home, how can he lead the church?

New Revised Standard
for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how can he take care of God's church?

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Whereas, if anyone, over his own house, cannot, preside, how, of an assembly of God, shall he take care?

Douay-Rheims Bible
But if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?

Revised Standard Version
for if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how can he care for God's church?

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
For yf a man cannot rule his owne housse how shall he care for the congregacion of God.

Young's Literal Translation
(and if any one his own house [how] to lead hath not known, how an assembly of God shall he take care of?)

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
(But yf a man can not rule his owne house, how shal he care for the congregacion of God?)

Mace New Testament (1729)
for if a man is incapable of governing his own family, how can he take care of the church of God?

Simplified Cowboy Version
If you can't run a small outfit of those who love you, you won't last long in a bigger outfit.

Contextual Overview

¹ A feithful word. If ony man desirith a bishopriche, he desirith a good werk. ² Therfor it bihoueth a byschop to be with out repreef, the hosebonde of o wijf, sobre, prudent, chast, vertewous, holdinge hospitalite, a techere; ³ not youun myche to wyn, not a smytere, but temperat, not ful of chiding, not coueitouse, wel reulinge his hous, ⁴ and haue sones suget with al chastite; ⁵ for if ony man kan not gouerne his house, hou schal he haue diligence of the chirche of God? not new conuertid to the feith, ⁶ lest he be borun vp in to pride, and falle in to doom of the deuel. ⁷ For it bihoueth hym to haue also good witnessing of hem that ben with outforth, that he falle not in to repreef, and in to the snare of the deuel.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

if: 1 Samuel 2:29, 1 Samuel 2:30, 1 Samuel 3:13

the church: 1 Timothy 3:15, Acts 20:28, Ephesians 1:22, Ephesians 5:24, Ephesians 5:32

Reciprocal: Genesis 18:19 - command Leviticus 21:9 - the daughter 1 Kings 13:11 - came Psalms 101:2 - walk Ezekiel 44:22 - a widow Malachi 2:15 - That he Matthew 16:18 - my Romans 12:8 - ruleth 1 Corinthians 7:34 - careth 1 Corinthians 10:32 - the church 1 Corinthians 11:22 - or 2 Corinthians 7:12 - that our 1 Timothy 3:12 - General 1 Timothy 5:17 - rule Titus 1:6 - having Hebrews 12:23 - the general Hebrews 13:7 - which

Cross-References

Genesis 2:17
forsothe ete thou not of the tre of kunnyng of good and of yuel; for in what euere dai thou schalt ete therof, thou schalt die bi deeth.

Genesis 3:2
To whom the womman answerde, We eten of the fruyt of trees that ben in paradis;

Genesis 3:3
sothely God commaundide to vs, that we schulden not eate of the fruyt of the tre, which is in the myddis of paradijs, and that we schulden not touche it, lest perauenture we dien.

Genesis 3:6
Therfore the womman seiy that the tre was good, and swete to ete, and fair to the iyen, and delitable in bi holdyng; and sche took of the fruyt therof, and eet, and yaf to hir hosebande, and he eet.

Genesis 3:7
And the iyen of bothe weren openid; and whanne thei knowen that thei weren nakid, thei sewden the leeues of a fige tre, and maden brechis to hem silf.

Genesis 3:10
And Adam seide, Y herde thi vois in paradijs, and Y drede, for Y was nakid, and Y hidde me.

Genesis 3:13
And the Lord seide to the womman, Whi didist thou this thing? Which answerde, The serpent disseyued me, and Y eet.

Genesis 3:14
And the Lord God seide to the serpent, For thou didist this, thou schalt be cursid among alle lyuynge thingis and vnresonable beestis of erthe; thou schalt go on thi brest, and thou schalt ete erthe in alle daies of thi liif;

Genesis 3:15
Y schal sette enemytees bitwixe thee and the womman, and bitwixe thi seed and hir seed; sche schal breke thin heed, and thou schalt sette aspies to hir heele.

Genesis 3:22
Adam is maad as oon of vs, and knowith good and yuel; now therfore se ye, lest perauenture he putte his hond, and take of the tre of lijf, and ete, and lyue with outen ende.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For if a man know not how to rule his own house,.... Which is an affair of less importance, and more easy to be done; not requiring so much resolution, prudence, care, and thought:

how shall he take care of the church of God? preside over it, rule in it, provide for it, and see that everything is in its proper place, and done according to the will of God. The argument is from the lesser to the greater.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For if a man know not how to rule - This is a beautiful and striking argument. A church resembles a family. It is, indeed, larger, and there is a greater variety of dispositions in it than there is in a family. The authority of a minister of the gospel in a church is also less absolute than that of a father. But still there is a striking resemblance. The church is made up of an assemblage of brothers and sisters. They are banded together for the same purposes, and have a common object to aim at. They have common feelings and common needs. They have sympathy, like a family, with each other in their distresses and afflictions. The government of the church also is designed to be “paternal.” It should be felt that he who presides over it has the feelings of a father; that he loves all the members of the great family; that he has no prejudices, no partialities, no selfish aims to gratify.

Now, if a man cannot govern his own family well; if he is severe, partial, neglectful, or tyrannical at home, how can he be expected to take charge of the more numerous “household of faith” with proper views and feelings? If, with all the natural and strong ties of affection which bind a father to his own children; if, when they are few comparatively in number, and where his eye is constantly upon them, he is unable to govern them aright, how can he be expected to preside in a proper manner over the larger household where he will be bound with comparatively feebler ties, and where he will be exposed more to the influence of passion, and where he will have a much less constant opportunity of supervision? Confucius, as quoted by Doddridge, has a sentiment strikingly resembling that before us: “It is impossible that he who knows not how to govern and reform his own family, should rightly govern and reform a people.” We may remark, also, in this verse, a delicate and beautiful use of words by the apostle to prevent the possibility of misapprehension. While he institutes a comparison between the government of a family and that of the church, he guards against the possibility of its being supposed that he would countenance “arbitrary” authority in the church, even such authority as a father must of necessity employ in his own family. Hence, he uses different words. He speaks of the father as “ruling” over his own family, or “presiding over it” - προστῆναι prostēnai; he describes the minister of religion as “having a tender care for the church” - ἐπιμελὴσεται epimelēsetai.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Timothy 3:5. For if a man know not — Method is a matter of great importance in all the affairs of life. It is a true saying, He that does little with his head must do much with his hands; and even then the business is not half done for want of method. Now, he who has a proper method of doing business will show it in every affair of life, even the least. He who has a disorderly family has no government of that family; he probably has none because he has no method, no plan, of presiding. It was natural for the apostle to say, If a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the Church of God? Look at a man's domestic arrangements; if they be not good, he should not be trusted with any branch of government, whether ecclesiastical or civil.