Titus 2:4,5

Vers. 4, 5. The apostle goes on to specify what more especially should be taught by the elderly female members of the church to the younger sisterhood, not intending thereby to supersede instructions of the same sort by the pastors of the church (comp. 1 Timothy 5:2), but coming in aid of them, and giving them a point and application which could scarcely be done in public. That they school (The r eading σωφρονίζουσι, present indicative (after ἵνα), instead of the regular and grammatical (σωφρονίζωσι, is plainly the best supported, being found in א, A, F, G, H, P; while for the other there are C, D, E, K, L. Two other almost undoubted instances of the same usage with ἵνα in St. Paul's writings occur in Galatians 4:7; 1 Corinthians 4:6; also in John 17:3. Various modes of explanation have been offered; but perhaps the most probable is, that it is the adoption in a few cases of a faulty construction, which is know n to have become somewhat common in later Greek (Winer, Gr. xli. b. 1).) the young women to be lovers of their husbands, lovers of their children; ver. 5, discreet, chaste, workers at home, good, submitting themselves to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed. The verb σωφρονίζειν, which rules all that follows, does not precisely correspond to the Authorized Version's teach to be sober, or the Vulgate's prudentiam doceant, otherwise there would plainly have been no propriety in the term σώφρονας being afterwards included among the special characteristics. The word, though originally signifying to make discreet or prudent, came often to be used in the more general sense of schooling, or admonishing, with a view to the possession of certain things; and the reason, probably, why the apostle here used it, instead of some word expressive simply of teaching or instructing, was, that on account of the youth of the parties in question, he contemplated the necessity of a kind of authoritative disciplinary treatment from the older to the younger Christian females. The teaching recommended was to be of the more severe and urgent kind. (Hence the distinction made by means of this and another verb in Dio Cassius, p. 4:560: δεῖ τοὺς μὲν λόγους νουτωτεῖν, τοὺς δὲ ἀπειλαῖς σωφρονίζειν.) In the epithets themselves, which mark the different characteristics that were to be the objects of the schooling, there is no proper difficulty; they are all such as especially became young women who were disposed to bring their Christianity to bear on the regulation of their conduct in daily life, and through this reflect honour on their Saviour. In regard to one of them, there is a difference of reading: instead of οἰκουρούς, keepers at home, a number of the best mss. (א, A, C, D, E, F, G) have οἰκουργούς, which means, workers at home, active housewives undoubtedly a good sense; and the reading is preferred by Lachmann, Tisch., and Alford. Having such support, I hesitate to reject it, though the ancient versions, Ital., Vulg., Syriac, also Chrys., follow the other reading; while Theophyl. and Œcum. join the term οἰκουρούς to the ἀγαθάς, so as to make good housekeepers, economical housewives. This conjunction of epithets, apparently independent, is not to be justified; and the latter expression (ἀγαθάς) must be regarded as indicative of goodness generally, not with reference simply to household management = kindly, benignant. The last characteristic, submitting themselves to their own husbands, naturally winds up the description as by a sort of climax; for a heady and high-minded behaviour here would inevitably spoil the effect of all other qualities; it were utterly inconsistent with a proper conjugal bearing; and so with it as the immediate antecedent, is coupled the great end (negatively expressed) to be aimed at: that the word of God may not be blasphemed. In a measure, however, this must be carried back over the whole description; for in any one respect a behaviour contrary to that recommended would more or less have the effect of bringing reproach on God's word.