What Does 1 Timothy 1:10 Mean?
for fornicators, for those who lie in bed with men, for those who make men captives, for those who speak falsely, for oath-breakers, and if anything else lies against the healthy teaching;
Key words are shown with the Hebrew or Greek and what each word meant.
Selah Decoded Version The Selah Decoded Version renders what the Hebrew and Greek words meant to the people who first heard them.
King James wording
King James Version
For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;THE KEY
The verse frames teaching as health: exploitation and false testimony stand against what is sound.
THE MEANING
This verse names sexual wrongdoing, men who bed males, enslavers of people, liars, perjurers, and anything else that stands against sound teaching. It speaks now wherever another person is used, captured, or deceived: those acts oppose teaching described as healthy.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The belief that doctrine can be judged apart from what it permits in human conduct; this verse calls exploitation and deceit contrary to healthy teaching.
THE ROOT
ὑγιαινούσῃ
hygiainousē
GROWS FROM
ὑγιαιν-
hygiain-
Be healthy; be sound.
“healthy teaching” in this verse is hygiainousē. The word translated “sound” belongs to the language of health. The list names exploitation and deceit as the opposite of teaching described as healthy.
ALSO GROWS
hygiainō: Be healthy; be sound.
ὑγιαίνω
This is the verb family behind “sound,” making the verse’s health image explicit.
hygiēs: Healthy; sound.
ὑγιής
This related word keeps the link between sound teaching and health visible.
hygieia: Health.
ὑγίεια
The same word family names health itself, deepening the image behind “sound doctrine.”
ἀνδραποδισταῖς
andrapodistais
GROWS FROM
ἀνδραποδ-
andrapod-
Enslaving or reducing a person to slavery.
“those who make men captives” in this verse is andrapodistais. The Greek word names people who enslave others, making the human being at the center of the offense. What is seized is a person reduced to enslavement.
ALSO GROWS
andrapodon: An enslaved person; a slave.
ἀνδράποδον
This related word names the person made the object of enslavement.
andrapodizō: Enslave; reduce to slavery.
ἀνδραποδίζω
This verb names the act behind the enslaver named in the verse.
ἐπιόρκοις
epiórkois
GROWS FROM
ὅρκ-
hork-
Oath.
“perjured persons” in this verse is epiórkois. The verse distinguishes liars from those who break an oath, naming both ordinary falsehood and betrayal of pledged trust. Perjury is not only false speech; it corrupts the trust carried by an oath.
ALSO GROWS
horkos: Oath.
ὅρκος
This is the pledge at the center of perjury.
epiorkeō: Swear falsely; commit perjury.
ἐπιορκέω
This related verb names the act of violating an oath.
THE PATTERN
Across law, wisdom, and communal teaching, seizure and falsehood are named as incompatible with life together.
And he who steals a man and sells him, or if he is found in his hand, is surely put to death.A false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sends out strife among brothers.Therefore, taking off lying, speak truth, each one with his neighbor, for we are limbs of one another.THE THREAD
If anyone teaches otherwise, and does not draw near to healthy words, even the words of our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, and to the teaching that is according to godliness;The Greek word translated “wholesome” belongs to the same health-family as “sound” here. The repeated image describes teaching through health: the words of Jesus and instruction aligned with godliness are called wholesome, while this verse names conduct that stands against that health.
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