Paragraph 5:3–8
A community of believers should care for widows who have no family to care for them.
5:3
Honor the widows who are truly widows: In this context Honor especially refers to the way that Paul wanted Timothy (and others) to treat widows who were poor. He was to show that he respected them. He wanted people to show this respect by supporting them from the church offering so they could buy what they needed. (Knight, page 216, speculates as to why the verb “to honor” is in the second person imperative, singular: “Paul may have been influenced by the second person singular imperative in the fifth commandment.
widows: A widow is a woman whose husband has died. At the time when Paul was writing this letter, widows usually had no goods or services to exchange for food or clothing. They had to receive care from close family. A widow with no husband or other close family had no way to feed or clothe herself.
who are truly widows: This refers to widows who did not have children or grandchildren who could care for them. The Berean Standard Bible’s literal translation could be confusing, because although a widow could have several wealthy children, she is, of course, still a widow. However she does not need support from the church because her family can care for her. So it is recommended that you do not translate the Greek literally here but follow the New International Version (2011 Revision) (“widows who are really in need”) or the Good News Translation (“widows who really are all alone.”)
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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible. BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.