Titus 1:11
King James Version (1769)
Other translations
| Verse | KJV | BSB | ASV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake. | who must be silenced. For the sake of dishonorable gain, they undermine entire households and teach things they should not. | whose mouths must be stopped; men who overthrow whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake. |
In context
AI-assisted, sourcedThe false teachers had to be silenced. They were turning whole households upside down by teaching what they should not, and they did it for shameful gain. Titus 1:10Titus 1:11
SpeakingPaul, who calls himself "a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ." Titus 1:1Titus overview
ToTitus, Paul's "own son after the common faith," whom Paul had left in Crete to set the churches in order. Titus 1:4Titus 1:5Titus overview
Also involvedThe false teachers in Crete, "specially they of the circumcision," and the households they were upsetting. Titus 1:10Titus 1:11
Paul gives three charges against the false teachers: they overturn whole households, they teach what they ought not, and they do it for money. Elders who can "convince the gainsayers" (1:9) are the answer. Titus 1:9Titus 1:11
Titus was in Crete, a large Mediterranean island with churches "in every city." The letter does not say where Paul was, but he planned to winter at Nicopolis. Titus overviewTitus 1:5
The eventsThis was happening in Crete while Titus was there. The verse gives no date. Titus 1:5Titus 1:11
WrittenTraditional: about AD 63-65, after Paul's release from his first Roman imprisonment. Scholarly: many hold that a follower wrote the letter in Paul's name about AD 80-100; others accept that Paul wrote it. Titus overview
HerePaul makes clear the harm is real: families were being led astray. That is why Titus must act and why elders must be blameless and "not given to filthy lucre" (1:7). Titus 1:7Titus 1:11
In the whole of ScripturePaul describes the same kind of teachers elsewhere: they "creep into houses" (2 Timothy 3:6) and suppose "that gain is godliness" (1 Timothy 6:5). The prophets of Micah's day also taught for what was put into their mouths (Micah 3:5). 2 Timothy 3:61 Timothy 6:5Micah 3:5
For readersTeaching that is driven by money harms people and homes. Believers should be wary of those who use God's word for gain. Titus 1:111 Timothy 6:5
- must be stoppedἐπιστομίζω
The word means to bridle, and so to stop the mouth, to silence. The lexicon lists this verse as its only New Testament use. Verse 9 shows how: by sound teaching that convicts the gainsayers. Strong's G1993Titus 1:9
- subvertἀνατρέπω
The word means to overturn or destroy, and figuratively to subvert. Here whole houses are subverted. Strong's G0396Titus 1:11
- housesοἶκος
The word means a house or household. The teachers were overturning whole families, not just individuals. Strong's G3624H
- filthyαἰσχρόν
The word means base or shameful. Here it describes gain made by teaching falsely. Strong's G0150
Takeaway
The false teachers were wrecking whole households for the sake of money, so their mouths had to be stopped. Sound teaching guards homes as well as churches. Titus 1:112 Timothy 3:61 Timothy 6:5
Drafted by AI from the Scripture and data shown under “Show sources,” then checked automatically and by a second AI pass. Updated 2026-10-28.
Original Greek words
| English | Greek | Say it | Strong's | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| whom | οὓς | hous | G3739 | whichὅς (hos, hē) ὅς, ἥ, ὅ, the postpositive article (ἄρθρον ὑποτακτικόν). I. As demonstr. pron. = οὗτος, ὅδε, this, that, also for αὐτός, chiefly in nom.: ὅς δέ, but he (cf. ἦ δὲ ὅς, frequently in Plat.), Mrk.15:23, Jhn.5:11; ὃς μὲν . . . ὃς δέ, the one . . . the other, Mat.21:35, 22:5, 25:15, Luk.23:33, Act.27:14, Rom.14:5, 1Co.11:21, 2Co.2:18, Ju 22; neut., ὃ μὲν . . . ὃ δέ, the one . . . the other, some . . . some, Mat.13:8, 23, Rom.9:21; ὃς (ὃ) μὲν . . . (ἄλλος (ἄλλο)) . . . ἕτερος, Mrk.4:4, Luk.8:5, 1Co.12:8-10; οὓς μέν, absol., 1Co.12:28; ὃς μὲν . . . ὁ δέ, Rom.14:2. … |
| it is necessary | δεῖ | dei | G1163 | be necessaryδεῖ (dei) δεῖ impersonal (δέω), [in LXX chiefly for infin. with לְ ;] one must, it is necessary: with inf., Mat.26:54, Mrk.13:7, Act.5:29, al.; with accusative and inf., Mat.16:21, Mrk.8:31, Jhn.3:7, Act.25:10, al.; with ellipse of accusative, Mat.23:23; of accusative, and inf., Mrk.13:14, Rom.1:27 8:26; οὐ (μὴ) δεῖ (non licet), ought not, must not: Act.25:24, 2Ti.2:24; impf., ἔδει, of necessity or obligation in past time regarding a past event (Bl., § 63, 4), Mat.18:33, Luk.15:32, Jhn.4:4, Act.27:21, al.; periphr., δέον ἐστίν (as in Attic, χρεών ἐστι = χρή, see: δέον), Act.19:36; id., with ellipse of … |
| to silence; | ἐπιστομίζειν· | epistomizein | G1993 | to silenceἐπιστομίζω (epistomizō) ἐπι-στομίζω (στόμα), to bridle; metaphorically, to stop the mouth, to silence: Tit.1:11.† (AS) |
| who | οἵτινες | oitines | G3748 | who/whichὅστις (hostis, hētis) ὅστις, ἥτις, ὅ τι (also written ὅ, τι and ὅτι; see LS, see word; WH, §411; Tdf., Pr., 111), in NT scarcely ever except in nom. (M, Pr., 91), the only instance of the oblique cases being found in ἕως ὅτου (see: ἕως), relative of indef. reference (related to simple ὅς as Lat. quisquis to qui), whoever, anyone who; (a) of an indef. person or thing: in general statements, Mat.5:39, 41 13:12, and freq., Luk.14:27, Gal.5:4, al.; in relative sentences, Mat.7:26, Luk.15:7, Php.3:7, al.; πᾶς, with indic., Mat.7:24 10:32; ὅ ἄν (ἐάν), with subjc., Mat.12:50 13:12, Jhn.14:13, 1Co.16:2, Gal.5:10, al.; … |
| whole | ὅλους | holous | G3650 | allὅλος (holos) ὅλος, -η, -ον, [in LXX chiefly for כֹּל ;] of persons and things, whole, entire, complete; 1. of indefinite ideas, with subst. anarth.: Luk.5:5, Act.11:26 28:30, Tit.1:11; ὅλον ἄνθρωπον (an entire man; see Field, Notes, 93), Jhn.7:23; ὅλη Ἰερουσαλήμ (= πᾶσα Ἰ, Mat.2:3; see Bl., §47, 9), Act.21:31. 2. Definite, with art.; (a) preceding subst.: Mat.4:23, 24 Luk.8:39, 1Co.12:17, al.; (b) following subst.: Mrk.1:33, Luk.9:25, Jhn.4:53, Act.21:30, al.; (with) between art. and subst., where subst. is an abstract noun (Plat., al.). … |
| households | οἴκους | oikous | G3624H | house: homeοἶκος (oikos) οἶκος, -οῦ, ὁ, [in LXX chiefly for בַּיִת, also for אֹהֶל ,הֵכָל, etc. ;] 1. prop., a house, dwelling: Act.2:2 19:16; with genitive poss., Mat.9:6, 7 Mrk.2:11, Luk.1:23, al.; with genitive attrib., ἐμπορίου, Jhn.2:16; προσευχῆς, Mat.21:13, al.; of a sanctuary (Hdt., Eur.): οἶ. τ. θεοῦ, of the tabernacle, Mat.12:4, al.; the temple, Mat.21:13, al.; metaphorically of a city: Mat.23:38, Luk.13:35; of the body, Mat.12:44, Luk.11:24; of Christians, 1Pe.2:5; ἐν οἴ (M, Pr., 81f.), at home, Mrk.2:1, 1Co.11:34 14:35; so κατ ̓ οἶκον, Act.2:46 5:42; οἱ εἰς (= οἱ ἐν; see: εἰς) τ. οἶ., Luk.7:10 15:6; κατ … |
| overthrow | ἀνατρέπουσιν | anatrepousin | G0396 | to overturnἀνατρέπω (anatrepō) ἀνα-τρέπω [in LXX for דָּחָה, הָדַף, etc. ;] to overturn, destroy: Jhn.2:15 WH, txt.; metaphorically, to subvert (MM, VGT, see word): 2Ti.2:18, Tit.1:11.† (AS) |
| teaching | διδάσκοντες | didaskontes | G1321 | to teachδιδάσκω (didaskō) διδάσκω [in LXX chiefly for למד pl., also for ידע hi., ירה hi., etc. ;] to teach (i.e. instruct) a person, teach a thing; 1. trans.: with accusative of person(s), Mat.5:2, Mrk.1:22, al.; before ὅτι, Mrk.8:31; περί, 1Jn.2:27; with inf., Luk.11:1; with accusative of thing(s), Mrk.6:30 12:14; with cogn. accusative, Mat.15:9 (LXX); with dupl. accusative, Mrk.4:2, Jhn.14:26; pass., Gal.1:12, 2Th.2:15; with dative of person(s) (like Heb., cf. Job.21:23, but prob. a vernac. usage, see Swete, in l.), Rev.2:14. … |
| things that [they] | ἃ | ha | G3739 | whichὅς (hos, hē) ὅς, ἥ, ὅ, the postpositive article (ἄρθρον ὑποτακτικόν). I. As demonstr. pron. = οὗτος, ὅδε, this, that, also for αὐτός, chiefly in nom.: ὅς δέ, but he (cf. ἦ δὲ ὅς, frequently in Plat.), Mrk.15:23, Jhn.5:11; ὃς μὲν . . . ὃς δέ, the one . . . the other, Mat.21:35, 22:5, 25:15, Luk.23:33, Act.27:14, Rom.14:5, 1Co.11:21, 2Co.2:18, Ju 22; neut., ὃ μὲν . . . ὃ δέ, the one . . . the other, some . . . some, Mat.13:8, 23, Rom.9:21; ὃς (ὃ) μὲν . . . (ἄλλος (ἄλλο)) . . . ἕτερος, Mrk.4:4, Luk.8:5, 1Co.12:8-10; οὓς μέν, absol., 1Co.12:28; ὃς μὲν . . . ὁ δέ, Rom.14:2. … |
| not | μὴ | mē | G3361 | notμή (mē) μή, subjective negative particle, used where the negation depends on a condition or hypothesis, expressed or understood, as distinct from οὐ, which denies absolutely. μή is used where one thinks a thing is not, as distinct from an absolute negation. As a general rule, οὐ negatives the indic, μή the other moods, incl, ptcp. [In LXX for אֵין ,אַיִן ,אַל ] I. As a neg. adv., not; 1. with ref. to thought or opinion: Jhn.3:18, Tit.1:11, 2Pe.1:9. 2. In delib. questions, with subjc. (M, Pr., 185): Mrk.12:14, Rom.3:8. … |
| ought | δεῖ | dei | G1163 | be necessaryδεῖ (dei) δεῖ impersonal (δέω), [in LXX chiefly for infin. with לְ ;] one must, it is necessary: with inf., Mat.26:54, Mrk.13:7, Act.5:29, al.; with accusative and inf., Mat.16:21, Mrk.8:31, Jhn.3:7, Act.25:10, al.; with ellipse of accusative, Mat.23:23; of accusative, and inf., Mrk.13:14, Rom.1:27 8:26; οὐ (μὴ) δεῖ (non licet), ought not, must not: Act.25:24, 2Ti.2:24; impf., ἔδει, of necessity or obligation in past time regarding a past event (Bl., § 63, 4), Mat.18:33, Luk.15:32, Jhn.4:4, Act.27:21, al.; periphr., δέον ἐστίν (as in Attic, χρεών ἐστι = χρή, see: δέον), Act.19:36; id., with ellipse of … |
| of shameful | αἰσχροῦ | aischrou | G0150 | shamefulαἰσχρόν (aischron) αἰσχρός, -ά, όν (αἶσχος, shame, disgrace), [in LXX: Gen.41:3 ff. (רַע, רֹעַ), Jdth.12:12, al. ;] base, shameful: 1Co.11:6 14:35, Eph.5:12, Tit.1:11 (MM, VGT, see word).† (AS) |
| gain | κέρδους | kerdous | G2771 | gainκέρδος (kerdos) κέρδος, -εος (-ους), τό [in Aq.: Eze.27:24; Sm.: Psa.30:10, al. ;] gain: Php.1:21 3:7, Tit.1:11.† (AS) |
| because. | χάριν. | charin | G5484 | because ofχάριν (charin) therefore, because of this, for this reason the acc. sg form of the noun χάριν which can be used as an improper preposition, on account of, because of, for this reason Lk. 7:47; Eph. 3:1, 14; 1Jn. 3:12; for the sake of, in order to, Gal. 3:19; Tit. 1:5, 11; Jude 16; on the score of, 1Tim. 5:14* |
Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.