What Does 1 Timothy 5:24 Mean in the King James?
Some men’s sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The verse treats visibility and timing as differences in when wrongdoing appears, not whether it is answerable to judgment.
THE MEANING
Some wrongs are plain in the present, while others remain hidden and surface later; the verse holds both within judgment. Being unseen now does not make a wrong absent from what will be brought to discernment.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
This undoes the belief that a wrong is safe from judgment simply because it has not surfaced yet.
THE ROOT
ἁμαρτίαι
hamartiai
GROWS FROM
ἁμαρτ-
hamart-
The Greek word family means to miss, err, or fail to attain.
“sins” in this verse is hamartiai. The Greek names wrongdoing through the family of missing or erring, so the verse holds visible and not-yet-visible wrongs together as forms of missing. Exposure changes when the missing is seen; it does not make it disappear.
ALSO GROWS
hamartanō: To miss, err, or do wrong.
ἁμαρτάνω
The verb keeps “sins” connected to acts of missing, not only to a fixed label.
hamartōlos: A sinner; one who does wrong.
ἁμαρτωλός
This related word carries the same family into a description of a person, linking the act of missing with the one whose life bears it.
πρόδηλοι
prodēloi
GROWS FROM
δῆλος (dēlos), with πρό (pro, “before”)
Clear, evident, or visible; with πρό, clear beforehand.
“open beforehand” in this verse is prodēloi. The Greek word is structured around clarity in advance: πρό means “before,” and δῆλος means “clear.” The first group’s wrongs already stand in view, while the next clause allows for wrongs whose visibility comes later.
ALSO GROWS
dēlos: Clear or evident.
δῆλος
This is the root of the verse’s “open” imagery: some wrongs already stand plainly in view.
dēloō: To make clear, show, or disclose.
δηλόω
This related verb names the movement into clarity, illuminating how what is hidden can become visible.
κρίσιν
krisin
GROWS FROM
κρίνω (krinō), stem κριν- (krin-)
To distinguish, discern, decide, or judge.
“judgment” in this verse is krisin. κρίσις belongs to the family of κρίνω, which carries the sense of distinguishing and deciding. The verse places both already-visible wrong and wrong that follows later within that discernment.
ALSO GROWS
krinō: To distinguish, discern, decide, or judge.
κρίνω
The verb shows judgment as an act of discernment that applies whether the wrong is already visible or not.
kritēs: A judge; one who decides.
κριτής
This related noun names the one who makes the distinction, keeping judgment connected to decision and discernment.
THE PATTERN
What is hidden does not remain beyond discernment; what is visible and what is concealed both come into view.
For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.THE THREAD
Likewise also the good works of some are manifest beforehand; and they that are otherwise can not be hid.The next verse mirrors this one: some good works are already manifest, and the rest cannot be hidden. Together, the verses place hidden wrongdoing and hidden goodness under the same eventual visibility.
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