Ἐν ἔργοις καλοῖς μαρτυρουμένη, εἰ ἐτεκνοτρόφησεν, εἰ ἐξενοδόχησεν, εἰ ἁγίων πόδας ἔνιψεν, εἰ θλιβομένοις ἐπήρκεσεν, εἰ παντὶ ἔργῳ ἀγαθῷ ἐπηκολούθησε. (1 Timothy 5:10)
Well attested for good works: if she brought up children, if she showed hospitality, if she washed the feet of saints, if she helped the afflicted, if she followed every good work.
Grammar in Service of Ethical Vision
In 1 Timothy 5:10, Paul outlines the qualifications for widows who might be enrolled for church support. The verse provides a striking example of how grammar shapes ethical instruction. With a string of conditional clauses beginning with εἰ (“if”), Paul creates a checklist of virtues that identify a life well-lived: raising children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the saints, helping the afflicted, and devoting oneself to every good work. The grammar is cumulative, painting not just one act but a pattern of righteous service. The text reveals how early Christian communities measured character, not by wealth or social standing, but by deeds of faithfulness and mercy.
Breaking Down the Grammar
- μαρτυρουμένη — “being well spoken of”: present middle/passive participle of μαρτυρέω. Describes an ongoing reputation.
- ἐτεκνοτρόφησεν — “she brought up children”: aorist active indicative of τεκνοτροφέω. Describes a completed past action.
- ἐξενοδόχησεν — “she showed hospitality”: aorist active indicative of ξενοδοχέω, referring to welcoming strangers.
- ἔνιψεν — “she washed”: aorist active indicative of νίπτω, here used metaphorically of humble service.
- ἐπήρκεσεν — “she relieved/helped”: aorist active indicative of ἐπαρκέω, meaning to provide aid.
- ἐπηκολούθησε — “she followed after”: aorist active indicative of ἐπακολουθέω, implying devotion or consistent pursuit.
Parsing Table
| Greek Form | Parsing | Aspect | Function | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| μαρτυρουμένη | Pres. mid./pass. part., nom. fem. sg. | Imperfective | Ongoing reputation | “being well spoken of” |
| ἐτεκνοτρόφησεν | Aor. act. ind., 3rd sg. | Perfective | Completed raising of children | “she brought up children” |
| ἐξενοδόχησεν | Aor. act. ind., 3rd sg. | Perfective | Hospitality toward strangers | “she showed hospitality” |
| ἔνιψεν | Aor. act. ind., 3rd sg. | Perfective | Service to saints | “she washed (the feet of the saints)” |
| ἐπήρκεσεν | Aor. act. ind., 3rd sg. | Perfective | Help to afflicted | “she aided the afflicted” |
| ἐπηκολούθησε | Aor. act. ind., 3rd sg. | Perfective | Life devoted to good works | “she devoted herself to every good work” |
The Conditional εἰ: A Rhetorical Device
The repeated use of εἰ (“if”) is not expressing doubt but rhetorical emphasis. Paul is not unsure whether such deeds were performed; instead, he uses the conditional to structure his qualifications. It functions almost like a checklist: if these actions are evident, then the widow qualifies. This grammatical device underscores that Christian identity is demonstrated through lived acts of service, not merely through profession of belief.
μαρτυρουμένη: Reputation and Witness
The participle μαρτυρουμένη emphasizes an ongoing reputation, “being testified of in good works.” Unlike the finite verbs that follow, this participle underscores that character is not confined to one-time deeds but to a sustained witness. Reputation in the community mattered because it reflected the reality of Christian transformation. Grammar here serves ethics: a passive participle conveys the testimony of others, affirming that virtue is observable.
The Aorist Verbs: Completed Patterns of Action
Each of the subsequent verbs is in the aorist: ἐτεκνοτρόφησεν, ἐξενοδόχησεν, ἔνιψεν, ἐπήρκεσεν, ἐπηκολούθησε. The aorist aspect highlights completeness, painting a life already characterized by these deeds. For widows in consideration for church support, their past actions demonstrated faithfulness. These were not ongoing tasks but completed patterns of life that validated their piety. The aorist acts like a camera capturing the entirety of one’s life of faithfulness.
Lexical Depth of Each Virtue
- τεκνοτροφέω — “to bring up children,” not only biological but could include raising orphans or mentoring young believers.
- ξενοδοχέω — “to show hospitality to strangers,” echoing biblical commands to welcome the foreigner and needy.
- νίπτω — “to wash,” used literally for washing feet but symbolically for humility and service, recalling Jesus washing his disciples’ feet.
- ἐπαρκέω — “to help, to give aid,” often used for providing material or practical support to those in distress.
- ἐπακολουθέω — “to follow closely, to devote oneself,” implying not just occasional good works but a consistent pursuit of righteousness.
Theological Resonances
The verse encapsulates the early church’s ethos of practical love. Grammar serves theology: participles and aorists delineate the shape of a faithful life. The actions listed echo central Christian themes: nurturing life, extending hospitality, embodying humble service, aiding the afflicted, and persevering in good works. Each verb ties the widow’s worthiness not to abstract belief but to embodied deeds. Faith and grammar here intertwine — one cannot define Christian virtue without the aspectual force of the verbs that describe it.
Syntax as Moral Formation
Paul’s list is not accidental. The sequence moves from household care (ἐτεκνοτρόφησεν) to hospitality (ἐξενοδόχησεν), to humble service within the community (ἔνιψεν), to compassion for the suffering (ἐπήρκεσεν), and finally to a lifetime of good works (ἐπηκολούθησε). The grammar produces a crescendo: from individual acts to an overarching life pattern. Syntax becomes pedagogy, teaching readers that holiness is cumulative and communal.
Grammar as Biography of Faith
1 Timothy 5:10 shows how grammar tells a life story. The participle μαρτυρουμένη establishes a present reputation, while the aorist verbs narrate a completed record of faithful deeds. Each εἰ-clause contributes to a mosaic of Christian virtue. In the end, grammar and ethics converge: faithfulness is recognized in community witness, narrated in past actions, and summed up in lifelong devotion to good works. This verse reminds us that for Paul, theology is never abstract — it is lived out in the grammar of life.
