What Does 1 Timothy 2:3 Mean?

For this is good and received before the face of God our Deliverer.

1 Timothy 2:3 · SDV

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.

This verse in the King James

King James wording

King James Version

For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;

THE KEY

The verse grounds God’s welcome in God’s nature as Deliverer: the One receiving the prayer is the One who brings people out.

THE MEANING

Prayer for all kinds of people is good and welcome in God’s sight. God is named as our Saviour, the One who delivers, so this welcome holds the whole human horizon in view.

WHAT THIS UNDOES

It undoes the belief that some people are beyond the reach of God’s concern, or that bringing them into prayer is pointless.

THE ROOT

σωτῆρος

sōtēros

GROWS FROM

σῴζω

sōzō

Deliver, bring out, rescue.

“Deliverer” in this verse is sōtēros. The Greek title belongs to the word family for deliverance: the verse names God by the work of bringing people out. The surrounding lines hold all people in view, and this title presents deliverance as God’s defining action toward them.

ALSO GROWS

sōzō: Deliver, bring out, rescue.

σῴζω

This verb names the action carried in the title “Saviour.”

sōtēria: Deliverance.

σωτηρία

The title and the noun for deliverance share a word family: God is named as the One who brings people out.

ἀποδεκτόν

apodekton

GROWS FROM

δέχομαι

dechomai

Receive, welcome.

This word carries the sense of something received and welcomed. Paired with “good,” it presents prayer for all kinds of people as something God welcomes in the sight of the Deliverer.

ALSO GROWS

apodechomai: Receive, accept, welcome.

ἀποδέχομαι

The related verb makes the sense of active reception audible in “acceptable.”

dektos: Accepted, welcome.

δεκτός

This related adjective appears in Acts 10:35 for one accepted with God, extending the same welcome across every nation.

THE PATTERN

God’s saving reach and welcome extend across national boundaries and every kind of person.

That your way may be perceived upon the earth, your deliverance among all the nations.

Psalm 67:2 · SDVThe prayer asks that God’s way and deliverance become known among every nation, echoing the wide reach of “our Saviour.”

But in every nation the one who lives in awe of him and works alignment is received by him.

Acts 10:35 · SDVThe word ⁨δεκτός⁩ (dektos, “accepted”) belongs to the same receiving word family as “acceptable” here, and the verse places that welcome in every nation.

For the favor of God that brings deliverance has shone upon all humankind.

Titus 2:11 · SDVDeliverance appearing to all people repeats the wide human horizon held in this verse.

THE THREAD

Who desires all humankind to be delivered, and to come to know the truth.

1 Timothy 2:4 · SDV

The next verse opens “God our Saviour” into God’s stated will for all people: to be delivered and come to the knowledge of truth. Its ⁨σωθῆναι⁩ (sōthēnai, “to be delivered”) comes from the same ⁨σῴζω⁩ (sōzō, “deliver”) word family as “Saviour” here.

Read the SDV Bible.

Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.

Get Selah Verse

The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.

Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us