At the same time they will also learn to be idle, going from house to house and being not only idle, but also gossips and busybodies, discussing things they should not mention.
Parallel translations
- WEB Besides, they also learn to be idle, going about from house to house. Not only idle, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not.
- KJV And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.
- NKJV And besides they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house, and not only idle but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not.
- NASB At the same time they also learn to be idle, as they go around from house to house; and not merely idle, but also they become gossips and busybodies, talking about things not proper to mention.
- NLT And if they are on the list, they will learn to be lazy and will spend their time gossiping from house to house, meddling in other people’s business and talking about things they shouldn’t.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Idle younger widows tend to drift into gossip and meddling, going from house to house and speaking what they ought not. Unstructured idleness breeds spiritual harm.
Overview
Paul observes that without the responsibilities of household and family, some younger widows fall into idleness that ferments into gossip and busybody behavior. The concern is pastoral and practical: idleness easily becomes a doorway to sin against others. The gospel calls believers instead to fruitful, edifying speech and useful labor.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Prov 20:19He who reveals secrets is a constant gossip; avoid the one who babbles with his lips.
- 2 Th 3:6–11Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from any brother who leads an undisciplined life that is not in keeping with the tradition you received from us.
- Prov 31:27She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.
- Acts 20:30Even from your own number, men will rise up and distort the truth to draw away disciples after them.
- Jas 3:10Out of the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, this should not be!
- Titus 1:11who must be silenced. For the sake of dishonorable gain, they undermine entire households and teach things they should not.
- 1 Pet 4:15Indeed, none of you should suffer as a murderer or thief or wrongdoer, or even as a meddler.
- Luke 10:7Stay at the same house, eating and drinking whatever you are offered. For the worker is worthy of his wages. Do not move around from house to house.
- Lev 19:16You must not go about spreading slander among your people. You must not endanger the life of your neighbor. I am the LORD.
- Acts 20:20I did not shrink back from declaring anything that was helpful to you as I taught you publicly and from house to house,
- 3 Jn 1:10So if I come, I will call attention to his malicious slander against us. And unsatisfied with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers and forbids those who want to do so, even putting them out of the church.
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Original language
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