1 Timothy 2:14

2:8-15 Under the gospel, prayer is not to be confined to any one particular house of prayer, but men must pray every where. We must pray in our closets, pray in our families, pray at our meals, pray when we are on journeys, and pray in the solemn assemblies, whether more public or private. We must pray in charity; without wrath, or malice, or anger at any person. We must pray in faith, without doubting, and without disputing. Women who profess the Christian religion, must be modest in apparel, not affecting gaudiness, gaiety, or costliness. Good works are the best ornament; these are, in the sight of God, of great price. Modesty and neatness are more to be consulted in garments than elegance and fashion. And it would be well if the professors of serious godliness were wholly free from vanity in dress. They should spend more time and money in relieving the sick and distressed, than in decorating themselves and their children. To do this in a manner unsuitable to their rank in life, and their profession of godliness, is sinful. These are not trifles, but Divine commands. The best ornaments for professors of godliness, are good works. According to St. Paul, women are not allowed to be public teachers in the church; for teaching is an office of authority. But good women may and ought to teach their children at home the principles of true religion. Also, women must not think themselves excused from learning what is necessary to salvation, though they must not usurp authority.

As woman was last in the creation, which is one reason for her subjection, so she was first in the transgression. But there is a word of comfort; that those who continue in sobriety, shall be saved in child-bearing, or with child-bearing, by the Messiah, who was born of a woman. And the especial sorrow to which the female sex is subject, should cause men to exercise their authority with much gentleness, tenderness, and affection.

{10} And Adam was not {g} deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. (10) Then, because after sin, God gave the woman this punishment, because the man was deceived by her. (g) Adam was deceived, but through his wife's means, and therefore she is worthily for this reason subject to her husband, and ought to be.

Besides, Adam was not first deceived, nor indeed at all deceived immediately by the serpent, but only enticed, and deceived by the woman, who was the tempter’s agent; so as that she was both first in the transgression in order of time, and also principal in it, contributing to the seduction or transgression of the man; which ought to be a consideration to keep the woman humble, in a low opinion of herself, and that lower order wherein God hath fixed her.

1 Timothy 2:14 . Οὐκ ἠπατήθη , was not deceived ) The Serpent deceived the woman; the woman did not deceive the man, but persuaded him: Genesis 3:17 , thou hast hearkened to the voice of thy wife . In the preceding verse, we are taught why the woman ought not to exercise authority , now, why she ought not to teach; more easily deceived, she more easily deceives; comp. Ecclesiastes 7:29 . Deceiving indicates less strength in the understanding; and this is the strong ground on which a woman is not allowed to teach.— ἀπατηθεῖσα ἐν παραβάσει γέγονε , being deceived, fell into [18] the transgression ) i.e. was guilty of falling into the deception ( Genesis 3:13 , ὁ ὄφις ἠπάτησέ με ), and so she began to be in the transgression. It is not said, ἘΝ ΠΑΡΑΒΆΣΕΙ ΓΕΓΟΝῦΙΑ ἨΠΑΤΉΘΗ , having come to be in the transgression, she was deceived . Therefore γέγονε does not apply to the very origin of the woman; for the deception followed not until after that; but γέγονε closely agrees with ἘΝ ΠΑΡΑΒΆΣΕΙ , which has the meaning of a noun; see Acts 22:17 [ ἘΝ ἘΚΣΤΆΣΕΙ , in a state of trance ]; and comp. note on John 1:15 . The state of transgression which quickly followed the deception , once for all admitted, is here intended. A phrase very like this is found at Numbers 26:10 , ἐγενήθησαν ἐν σημείῳ . [18] “Was in,” Engl. Vers.; rather, “ Came to be in .” For it is γέγονε , not ἦν .—ED.

Was not deceived (οὐκ ἠπατήθη) Once in Paul, Ephesians 5:6. Comp. 2 Corinthians 11:3. Rev. beguiled. As it is evident that Adam was beguiled, the interpreters have tried many ways of explaining the expression, either by supplying πρῶτος first, or by saying (as Bengel) that the woman did not deceive the man, but persuaded him; or by supplying by the serpent, or so long as he was alone; or by saying that Eve was directly and Adam indirectly deceived. Being deceived (ἐξαπατηθεῖσα) Completely or thoroughly beguiled. Was in the transgression (ἐν παραβάσει γέγονεν) A.V. misses the force of γέγονεν. Γίνεσθαι ἐν often signifies the coming or falling into a condition, as Acts 12:11; Acts 22:17; Revelation 1:10; 1 Corinthians 2:3; 2 Corinthians 3:7; 1 Thessalonians 2:5. Rend. hath fallen into transgression.

14. Adam was not deceived—as Eve was deceived by the serpent; but was persuaded by his wife. Ge 3:17, "hearkened unto … voice of … wife." But in Ge 3:13, Eve says, "The serpent beguiled me." Being more easily deceived, she more easily deceives [Bengel], (2Co 11:3). Last in being, she was first in sin—indeed, she alone was deceived. The subtle serpent knew that she was "the weaker vessel" (1Pe 3:7). He therefore tempted her, not Adam. She yielded to the temptations of sense and the deceits of Satan; he, to conjugal love. Hence, in the order of God's judicial sentence, the serpent, the prime offender, stands first; the woman, who was deceived, next; and the man, persuaded by his wife, last (Ge 3:14-19). In Ro 5:12, Adam is represented as the first transgressor; but there no reference is made to Eve, and Adam is regarded as the head of the sinning race. Hence, as here, 1Ti 2:11, in Ge 3:16, woman's "subjection" is represented as the consequence of her being deceived. being deceived—The oldest manuscripts read the compound Greek verb for the simple, "Having been seduced by deceit": implying how completely Satan succeeded in deceiving her. was in the transgression—Greek, "came to be in the transgression": became involved in the existing state of transgression, literally, "the going beyond a command"; breach of a positive precept (Ro 4:15).

Verse 14. - Beguiled (twice) for deceived , A.V.; hath fallen into for was in the , A.V. Beguiled ( ἠπατήθη ). The same word as is used in Genesis 3:13 , "The serpent beguiled me;" ἠπάτησέ με , LXX. (comp. 2 Corinthians 11:3 , where the verb used is ἐξηπάτησεν ). Hath fallen into transgression. Fell (not hath fallen ) is the right tense to use here in English, though the Greek perfect, it is true, contains the further idea of continuance in the fall, as in 1 Corinthians 9:22 ; 1 Corinthians 13:11 ; 1 Thessalonians 2:1 ; 2 Peter 2:20 . So also Matthew 1:22 ; Matthew 19:8 ; Matthew 21:4 ; Matthew 25:6 ; Mark 5:33 ; John 1:3 ; 2 Corinthians 1:19 ; and elsewhere, γέγονε is best rendered by the past (not the perfect) tense. It has frequently the notion of transition into a certain condition (see Romans 6:5 ; Romans 7:13 ; 1 Corinthians 9:22 ; 1 Corinthians 13:11 ; 2 Corinthians 5:17 ; 2 Corinthians 12:11 ; Galatians 4:16 , etc.).

Bishop Ellicott gives the passages in which γίγνομαι ισ followed, as here, by ἐν ( Luke 22:44 ; Acts 22:17 ; 2 Corinthians 3:7 ; 1 Thessalonians 2:5 ), "denoting entrance into, and continuance in, any given state." As regards the apostle's statement, Adam was not beguiled , we must understand it as based merely upon the text in Genesis to which he refers, in which Eve (not Adam) says, Ὁ ὄφις ἠπάτησε με , "The serpent beguiled me." Just as in Galatians 3:16 he reasons from σπέρματι being in the singular number, and as the writer to the Hebrews 7:3 reasons from the silence of Genesis 14 . regarding the parentage of Melchizedek. Huther ( in lee .) says that this mode of reasoning is peculiar to allegorical interpretation. 1 Timothy 2:14

14 . the woman being deceived was in the transgression ] The compound verb should be read as in 2 Corinthians 11:3 , ‘as the serpent beguiled Eve’; ‘Adam was not beguiled,’ a general negative, limited by the compound verb following, ‘you may say he was not beguiled in comparison with the complete direct beguiling of Eve’; the woman being beguiled is found in transgression . ‘Was’ does not represent properly the perfect, lit. ‘is become,’ used, according to Greek idiom, because the past event is viewed as having a present influence, and continuing in its effects. Here it helps the transition from the particular case of Eve in the past to the general case of women now. This is also aided by the further change to the future in ‘shall be saved.’

1 Timothy 2:14 . ἡ δὲ γυνή : St. Paul says ἡ γυνή rather than Εὕα , emphasing the sex rather than the individual, because he desires to gives the incident its general application, especially in view of what follows. So Chrys. ἐξαπατηθεῖσα : It is doubtful if we are entitled to render this, as Ell. does, being completely deceived . In 2 Corinthians 11:3 St. Paul says ὁ ὄφις ἐξηπάτησεν Εὕαν , where there is no reason why he should not have used the simple verb. St. Paul uses the compound verb in five other places, the simple verb only once (see reff.). So that the simplest account that we can give of his variation here, and in 2 Corinthians 11:3 , from the ὁ ὄφις ἠπάτησέν με of Genesis 3:13 , is that the compound verb came naturally to his mind. ἐν παραβάσει γέγονεν : Inasmuch as παράβασις is used of Adam’s transgression in Romans 5:14 , it may be asked, What is the force of St. Paul’s apparent restriction here of the phrase to Eve? Might it not be said of Adam as well, that he ἐν παραβ . γέγονεν ? To which St. Paul would perhaps have replied that he meant that it was woman who first transgressed, in consequence of having been deceived. ἀπὸ γυναικὸς ἀρχὴ ἁμαρτίας , καὶ διʼ αὐτὴν ἀποθνήσκομεν πάντες . Sir 25:24 . This notion of coming into a state of sin at a definite point of time is well expressed by γέγονεν . For γίνεσθαι ἐν cf. ἡ διακονία … ἐγενήθη ἐν δόξῃ ( 2 Corinthians 3:7 ); ἐν λόγῳ κολακίας ἐγενήθημεν ( 1 Thessalonians 2:5 ).

(14) And Adam was not deceived. —Priority in creation was the ground alleged by St. Paul as the reason why the woman was never to exercise authority over man, the eldest born of God. “Adam was not deceived;” the Apostle now refers to the general basis of his direction respecting the exclusion of women from all public praying and teaching contained in 1Timothy 2:9-12 . The argument here is a singular one—Adam and Eve both sinned, but Adam was not deceived. He sinned, quite aware all the while of the magnitude of the sin he was voluntarily committing. Eve, on the other hand, was completely, thoroughly deceived (the preposition with which the Greek verb is compounded here conveying the idea of thoroughness)—she succumbed to the serpent’s deceit. Both were involved in the sin, but only one (Eve) allowed herself to be deluded. So Bengel, “ Deceptio indicat minus robur in intellectu, atque hic nervus est cur mulieri non liceat docere.” Prof. Reynolds thus comments on the argument of the Apostle:—“This may sound to our ears a far-fetched argument, when used to discountenance female usurpation of intellectual supremacy. It was, however, a method current at the time to look for and find in the Scriptures the concrete expressions of almost all philosophical judgments. At the present day we could hardly find a more vivid illustration of the essential difference between the masculine and feminine nature.