1 Timothy 4:7

But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
But	δὲ de	G1161	but · conjunction
refuse	παραιτοῦ· paraitou	G3868	to beg off · verb — present middle or passive deponent imperative, 2nd person singular
profane	βεβήλους bebēlous	G952	accessible (as by crossing the door-way) · adjective — accusative plural masculine
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
wives’	γραώδεις graōdeis	G1126	crone-like · adjective — accusative plural masculine
fables	μύθους muthous	G3454	a tale · noun — accusative plural masculine
and	δὲ de	G1161	but · conjunction
exercise	γύμναζε gumnaze	G1128	to practise naked (in the games) · verb — present active imperative, 2nd person singular
thyself	σεαυτοῦ seautoû	G4572	of (with
unto	πρὸς pros	G4314	a preposition of direction · preposition
godliness	εὐσέβειαν. eusebeian	G2150	piety · noun — accusative 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

2 Timothy 2:16 But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.
Titus 2:12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
1 Timothy 1:4 Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.
2 Peter 1:5-8 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
Titus 3:9 But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.
Hebrews 5:14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and…
1 Timothy 6:11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
2 Timothy 2:23 But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes.

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

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Timothy 4:6–end

The apostle would have Timothy to instil into the minds of Christians such sentiments as might prevent their being seduced by the judaizing teachers. Observe, Those are good ministers of Jesus Christ who are diligent in their work; not that study to advance new notions, but that put the brethren in remembrance of those things which they have received and heard. Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though you knew them, Pe2 1:12. And elsewhere, I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance, Pe2 3:1. And, says the apostle Jude, I will therefore put you in remembrance, Jde 1:5. You see that the apostles and apostolical men reckoned it a main part…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Timothy 4:7

refuse--reject, avoid, have nothing to do with (Ti2 2:23; Tit 3:10). old wives' fables--anile myths (Ti1 1:4, Ti1 1:9; Tit 1:14). They are "profane," because leading away from "godliness" or "piety" (Ti1 1:4-7; Ti1 6:20; Ti2 2:16; Tit 1:1-2). exercise thyself--literally, "exercise thyself" as one undergoing training in a gymnasium. Let thy self-discipline be not in ascetical exercises as the false teachers (Ti1 4:3, Ti1 4:8; compare Ti2 2:22-23; Heb 5:14; Heb 12:11), but with a view to godliness or "piety" (Ti1 6:11-12).

Adam Clarke on 1 Timothy 4:7

But refuse profane and old wives' fables - This seems to refer particularly to the Jews, whose Talmudical writings are stuffed with the most ridiculous and profane fables that ever disgraced the human intellect. It may with equal propriety be applied to the legends of the Romish Church. Let any man read the Aurea Legenda, and he will find of profane and old wives' fables what may stand, with considerable propriety, column for column with the Talmud. See Joseline's Life of St. Patrick for miracles, without rhyme or reason, abundantly more numerous and more stupendous than all the necessary ones wrought by Jesus Christ and his apostles. This is enough to persuade a man that the Spirit of God h…

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The Church Fathers

"Godless wives tales" are Jewish speculations in the form of false interpretations of the law and its proper observance.
— Theodoret of Cyrus, INTERPRETATION OF THE FIRST LETTER TO TIMOTHY

Paul is here rejecting apocryphal books that profess to contain his teaching or that of other apostles but that are really misrepresentations of that teaching.
— Theodore of Mopsuestia, COMMENTARY ON 1 TIMOTHY

Let the Church of God, therefore, so understand its births, so receive its generations, so uphold the deeds of the fathers with a fitting and honorable interpretation, so not disfigure the words of the Holy Spirit with foolish and Jewish fables, but assign them full of honor, full of virtue and usefulness.
— Origen of Alexandria, HOMILIES ON GENESIS 6.3

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

Fable — Applied in the New Testament to the traditions and speculations, “cunningly devised fables”, of the Jews on religious questions (1 Tim. 1:4; 4:7; 2 Tim. 4:4; Titus 1:14; 2 Pet. 1:16). In such…
Commandments · PRECEPTS OF PAUL. EXPLICITLY STATED OR IMPLIED IN DIDACTIC EPISTLES — PRECEPTS OF PAUL. EXPLICITLY STATED OR IMPLIED IN DIDACTIC EPISTLES
Doctrines · FALSE — FALSE
Fable · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Sarcasm · .Paul — .Paul
Tradition · Not authoritative — Not authoritative

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 4:7

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Timothy 4:6–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Timothy 4:7

Adam Clarke on 1 Timothy 4:7

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

1 Timothy 4:7

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Timothy 4:6–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Timothy 4:7

Adam Clarke on 1 Timothy 4:7

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Gill on 1 Timothy 4:7

John Calvin on 1 Timothy 4:6-10

Tyndale Open Study Notes on 1 Timothy 4:6-16