1 Timothy 2:9

In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
manner	ὡσαύτως hōsautōs	G5615	as thus · adverb
also	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
that	κοσμεῖν kosmein	G2885	to put in proper order · verb — present active infinitive
women	γυναῖκας gunaikas	G1135	a woman · noun — accusative plural feminine
adorn	κοσμέω kosméō	G2885	to put in proper order
themselves	ἑαυτάς, he'autas	G1438	him- (her- · reflexive pronoun
in	ἐν en	G1722	"in · preposition
modest	κοσμίῳ kosmiō	G2887	orderly · adjective — dative singular feminine
apparel	καταστολῇ katastolēa	G2689	a deposit · noun — dative singular feminine
with	μετὰ meta	G3326	properly · preposition
shamefacedness	αἰδοῦς aidous	G127	bashfulness · noun — genitive singular feminine
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
sobriety	σωφροσύνης sōphrosunēs	G4997	soundness of mind · noun — genitive singular feminine
not	μὴ mē	G3361	(adverb) not · particle — negative
with	ἐν en	G1722	"in · preposition
hair	πλέγμασιν plegmasin	G4117	a plait (of hair) · noun — dative plural neuter
or	ἢ ē	G2228	disjunctive · conjunction
gold	χρυσός chrysós	G5557	gold
or	ἢ ē	G2228	disjunctive · conjunction
pearls	μαργαρίταις margaritais	G3135	a pearl · noun — dative plural masculine
or	ἤ ḗ	G2228	disjunctive
costly	πολυτελεῖ, polutelei	G4185	extremely expensive · adjective — dative singular masculine
array	ἱματισμῷ himatismō	G2441	clothing · noun — dative singular masculine

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

1 Peter 3:3-5 Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;
Titus 2:3-5 The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things…
Psalms 149:4 For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.
Jeremiah 4:30 And when thou art spoiled, what wilt thou do? Though thou clothest thyself with crimson, though thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, th…
Isaiah 3:16 Moreover the LORD saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing…
2 Kings 9:30 And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out at a window.
Isaiah 3:18-24 In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round tires like th…
Jeremiah 2:32 Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? yet my people have forgotten me days without number.

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Timothy 2:9–end

I. Here is a charge, that women who profess the Christian religion should be modest, sober, silent, and submissive, as becomes their place. 1. They must be very modest in their apparel, not affecting gaudiness, gaiety, or costliness (you may read the vanity of a person's mind in the gaiety and gaudiness of his habit), because they have better ornaments with which they should adorn themselves, with good works. Note, Good works are the best ornament; these are, in the sight of God, of great price. Those that profess godliness should, in their dress, as well as other things, act as becomes their profession; instead of laying out their money on fine clothes, they must lay it out in works of piet…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Timothy 2:9

The context requires that we understand these directions as to women, in relation to their deportment in public worship, though the rules will hold good on other occasions also. in modest apparel--"in seemly guise" [ELLICOTT]. The adjective means properly. orderly, decorous, becoming; the noun in secular writings means conduct, bearing. But here "apparel." Women are apt to love fine dress; and at Ephesus the riches of some (Ti1 6:17) would lead them to dress luxuriously. The Greek in Tit 2:3 is a more general term meaning "deportment." shamefacedness--TRENCH spells this word according to its true derivation, "shamefastness" (that which is made fast by an honorable shame); as "steadfastne…

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Adam Clarke on 1 Timothy 2:9

In like manner also - That is, he wills or commands what follows, as he had commanded what went before. That women adorn themselves - Και τας γυναικας ες καταστολῃ κοσμιῳ. The apostle seems to refer here to different parts of the Grecian and Roman dress. The στολη, stola, seems to have been originally very simple. It was a long piece of cloth, doubled in the middle, and sewed up on both sides, leaving room only for the arms; at the top, a piece was cut out, or a slit made, through which the head passed. It hung down to the feet, both before and behind, and was girded with the zona round the body, just under the breasts. It was sometimes made with, sometimes without, sleeves; and, that it m…

The Church Fathers

So far, however, as regards the dress of women, the variety of observance compels us-men of no consideration whatever-to treat, presumptuously indeed, after the most holy apostle, except in so far as it will not be presumptuously if we treat the subject in accordance with the apostle.
— Tertullian, On Prayer

For what is a crown on the head of a woman, but beauty made seductive, but mark of utter wantonness,-a notable casting away of modesty, a setting temptation on fire? Therefore a woman, taking counsel from the apostles' foresight, will not too elaborately adorn herself, that she may not either be crowned with any exquisite arrangement of her hair.
— Tertullian, De Corona

And Paul again with him stands as an accuser, telling Timothy to charge the women, "not to adorn themselves with braided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array." So that everywhere the wearing of gold is hurtful, but especially when thou art entering into a church, when thou passest through the poor. For if thou weft exceedingly anxious to bring an accusation against thyself, thou couldest not put on any other array than this visage of cruelty and inhumanity.
— John Chrysostom, Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 89

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Dress — (1.) Materials used. The earliest and simplest an apron of fig-leaves sewed together (Gen. 3:7); then skins of animals (3:21). Elijah’s dress was probably the skin of a sheep (2 Kings 1:8). The…
Hair — (1.) The Egyptians let the hair of their head and beard grow only when they were in mourning, shaving it off at other times. “So particular were they on this point that to have neglected it was a…
Pearl — (Heb. gabish, Job 28:18; Gr. margarites, Matt. 7:6; 13:46; Rev. 21:21). The pearl oyster is found in the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea. Its shell is the “mother of pearl,” which is of great value for…
Commandments · PRECEPTS OF PAUL. EXPLICITLY STATED OR IMPLIED IN DIDACTIC EPISTLES — PRECEPTS OF PAUL. EXPLICITLY STATED OR IMPLIED IN DIDACTIC EPISTLES
Dress · Rules with respect to women’s — Rules with respect to women’s
Hair · .By women — .By women
Hair, The · Of women: Plaited and broidered — Of women: Plaited and broidered
Modesty · Of women — Of women
Pearl · Ornaments ma — Ornaments ma
Pride · 4:1; — 4:1;
Righteousness · 2:17;7:10,11;9:10;10:5;13:5; — 2:17;7:10,11;9:10;10:5;13:5;
Sobriety · Women should exhibit in dress — Women should exhibit in dress
Wives

1 Timothy 2:9

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Timothy 2:9–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Timothy 2:9

Adam Clarke on 1 Timothy 2:9

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

1 Timothy 2:9

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Timothy 2:9–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Timothy 2:9

Adam Clarke on 1 Timothy 2:9

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Gill on 1 Timothy 2:9

John Calvin on 1 Timothy 2:8-10

Tyndale Open Study Notes on 1 Timothy 2:9-10