1 Timothy 3:4

One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
ruleth	προϊστάμενον, proistamenon	G4291	to stand before · verb — present middle participle, accusative singular masculine
well	καλῶς kalōs	G2573	well (usually morally) · adverb
own	ἰδίου idiou	G2398	pertaining to self · adjective — genitive singular masculine
house	οἴκου oikou	G3624	a dwelling (more or less extensive · noun — genitive singular masculine
having	ἔχοντα echonta	G2192	to hold (used in very various applications · verb — present active participle, accusative singular masculine
children	τέκνα tekna	G5043	a child (as produced) · noun — accusative plural neuter
in	ἐν en	G1722	"in · preposition
subjection	ὑποταγῇ hupotagēa	G5292	subordination · noun — dative singular feminine
with	μετὰ meta	G3326	properly · preposition
all	πάσης pasēs	G3956	all · adjective — genitive singular feminine
gravity	σεμνότητος.¶ semnotētos	G4587	venerableness · noun — genitive singular feminine

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

Titus 1:6 If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.
Genesis 18:19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and ju…
1 Timothy 3:12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
Titus 2:2 That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.
Joshua 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were…
Acts 10:2 A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.
Psalms 101:2-8 I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.
Titus 2:7 In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,

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

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Timothy 3:1-7

The two epistles to Timothy, and that to Titus, contain a scripture-plan of church-government, or a direction to ministers. Timothy, we suppose, was an evangelist who was left at Ephesus, to take care of those whom the Holy Ghost had made bishops there, that is, the presbyters, as appears by Act 20:28, where the care of the church was committed to the presbyters, and they were called bishops. It seems they were very loth to part with Paul, especially because he told them they should see his face no more (Act 20:38); for their church was but newly planted, they were afraid of undertaking the care of it, and therefore Paul left Timothy with them to set them in order. And here we have the chara…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Timothy 3:4

ruleth--Greek, "presiding over." his own house--children and servants, as contrasted with "the church" (house) of God (Ti1 3:5, Ti1 3:15) which he may be called on to preside over. having his children--rather as Greek, "having children (who are) in subjection" (Tit 1:6). gravity--propriety: reverent modesty on the part of the children [ALFORD]. The fact that he has children who are in subjection to him in all gravity, is the recommendation in his favor as one likely to rule well the Church.

Adam Clarke on 1 Timothy 3:4

The fourteenth qualification of a Christian bishop is, that he ruleth well his own house; του ιδιου οικου καλως προΐσταμενον, one who properly presides over and governs his own family. One who has the command, of his own house, not by sternness, severity, and tyranny, but with all gravity; governing his household by rule, every one knowing his own place, and each doing his own work, and each work having the proper time assigned for its beginning and end. This is a maxim of common sense; no family can be prosperous that is not under subjection, and no person can govern a family but the head of it, the husband, who is, both by nature and the appointment of God, the head or governor of his own…

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The Church Fathers

As a good overseer of his children, the father's task is not to abdicate to their opinion but to teach them all the virtues, even if he must act strongly to shape their wills.
— Theodoret of Cyrus, INTERPRETATION OF THE FIRST LETTER TO TIMOTHY

What is meant by good management, in the case of the children, is that the father is to guide them with wise counsel, such that, if they end up as nonbelievers, it is not his fault.
— Theodore of Mopsuestia, COMMENTARY ON 1 TIMOTHY

one who manages his own household well, with children in submission with all reverence. one who manages his own household well. For he who does not know how to rule a single household, or who could not properly govern two or three children by nature, how will he be able to suitably preside over the Church and so great a people? For he must bear examples from his own household.
— Oecumenius, COMMENTARY ON 1 TIMOTHY

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

Bishop — An overseer. In apostolic times, it is quite manifest that there was no difference as to order between bishops and elders or presbyters (Acts 20:17-28; 1 Pet. 5:1, 2; Phil. 1:1; 1 Tim. 3). The term…
Deacon — Anglicized form of the Greek word diaconos, meaning a “runner,” “messenger,” “servant.” For a long period a feeling of mutual jealousy had existed between the “Hebrews,” or Jews proper, who spoke the…
Bishop · (An overseer, a supervi — (An overseer, a supervi
Commandments · PRECEPTS OF PAUL. EXPLICITLY STATED OR IMPLIED IN DIDACTIC EPISTLES — PRECEPTS OF PAUL. EXPLICITLY STATED OR IMPLIED IN DIDACTIC EPISTLES
Families · Should: Be duly regulated — Should: Be duly regulated
Family · .Be duly regulated — .Be duly regulated
Ministers · Should be: Strict in ruling their own families — Should be: Strict in ruling their own families
Parents · Their duty to their children is: To rule them — Their duty to their children is: To rule them

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

1 Timothy 3:4

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Timothy 3:1-7

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Timothy 3:4

Adam Clarke on 1 Timothy 3:4

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

1 Timothy 3:4

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Timothy 3:1-7

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Timothy 3:4

Adam Clarke on 1 Timothy 3:4

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Gill on 1 Timothy 3:4

John Calvin on 1 Timothy 3:1-7

Tyndale Open Study Notes on 1 Timothy 3:4-5