Titus 2:10
King James Version (1769)
Other translations
| Verse | KJV | BSB | ASV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things. | not stealing from them, but showing all good faith, so that in every respect they will adorn the teaching about God our Savior. | not purloining, but showing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things. |
In context
AI-assisted, sourcedServants are not to steal from their masters but to show complete trustworthiness. The reason is the heart of the passage: so that in everything they adorn the teaching of God our Saviour. Titus 2:9Titus 2:10
SpeakingPaul, who calls himself "a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ." Titus overview
ToTitus, Paul's "own son after the common faith," whom Paul had left in Crete to set the churches in order. Titus overview
Also involvedBelieving servants, their masters, and all who saw how they lived. Titus 2:9Titus 2:10
Paul ends his word to servants with a purpose: that they may "adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things." Faithful service is to make the teaching attractive. Titus 2:9Titus 2:10
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 overview
The eventsTitus was to teach this in Crete. The verse gives no date. Titus overview
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
HereServants are told not to purloin but to show all good fidelity. Peter gives a similar reason for honest living: that others "may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God" (1 Peter 2:12). Titus 2:101 Peter 2:12
In the whole of ScriptureJesus said, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father" (Matthew 5:16). Paul tells Timothy that servants should honour their masters "that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed" (1 Timothy 6:1). Matthew 5:161 Timothy 6:1Luke 16:10
For readersEven ordinary honesty at work can make God's truth beautiful to others. Faithfulness in small things matters. Titus 2:10Luke 16:10Matthew 5:16
- purloiningνοσφίζω
The word means to set apart for oneself, to embezzle. The lexicon notes it is used in the Greek Old Testament at Joshua 7:1. Strong's G3557
- adornκοσμέω
The word means to order or arrange, and so to adorn or decorate. Faithful lives make the teaching attractive. Strong's G2885
- Saviourσωτήρ
The word means saviour, deliverer. Here it is God our Saviour, as in 1:3. Strong's G4990
Takeaway
Honest, faithful work adorns the doctrine of God our Saviour. The way believers do ordinary jobs can make the gospel attractive. Titus 2:10Matthew 5:16
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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. … |
| pilfering | νοσφιζομένους | nosphizomenous | G3557 | to embezzleνοσφίζω (nosphizō) νοσφίζω (νόσφι, apart, aside), [in LXX: Jos.7:1 (לָקַח), 2Ma.4:32 * ;] 1. in Hom., as depon., to turn away (from), abandon. 2. After Hom., in act., to set apart, remove. Mid., to set apart for oneself, peculate, purloin: absol., Tit.2:10 (for ex. in π., see MM, xvii); before ἀπό, Act.5:2-3.† (AS) |
| but | ἀλλὰ | alla | G0235 | butἀλλά (alla) ἀλλά (ἀλλ᾽ usually bef. α and υ, often bef. ε and η, rarely bef. ο and ω, never bef. ι; Tdf., Pr., 93 f.; WH, App., 146), adversative particle, stronger than δέ; prop. neuter pl. of ἄλλος, used adverbially, with changed accent; hence prop. otherwise, on the other hand (cf. Rom.3:31); … |
| all | πᾶσαν | pasan | G3956 | allπᾶς (pas) πᾶς, πᾶσα, πᾶν, genitive, παντός, πάσης, παντός, [in LXX chiefly for כֹּל ;] all, every. I. As adj., 1. with subst. anarth., all, every, of every kind: Mat.3:10 4:23, Mrk.9:49, Luk.4:37, Jhn.2:1o, Act.27:20, Rom.7:8, Rev.18:17, al. mult.; pl., all, Act.22:15, Rom.5:12, Heb.1:6, al.; of the highest degree, π. ἐξουσία (προθυμία, χαρά), Mat.28:18, Act.17:11, Phi 2:29, al.; also the whole (though in this sense more frequently with art.), Mat.2:3, Act.2:36, Rom.11:26. … |
| fidelity | πίστιν | pistin | G4102G | faithπίστις (pistis) πίστις, -εως, ἡ (πείθω), [in LXX chiefly for אֱמוּנָה ;] 1. in active sense, faith, belief, trust, confidence, in NT always of religious faith in God or Christ or spiritual things: Mat.8:10, Luk.5:20, Act.14:9, Rom.1:8, 1Co.2:5, 2Co.1:24, 1Ti.1:5, al.; with genitive obj., Mrk.11:22, Act.3:16, Rom.3:22, Gal.2:16, Eph.3:12, Jas.2:1, al.; with prep., ἐν, Rom.3:25, Gal.3:26, Eph.1:15, Col.1:24, 1Ti.1:14 3:13, 2Ti.1:13 3:15, 2Pe.1:1; εἰς, Act.20:21 24:24 26:18, Col.2:5, 1Pe.1:21; πρός, 1Th.1:8, Phm 5; ἐπί, with accusative Heb.6:1; ἐν τῇ π. στήκειν (εἶναι, μένειν), 1Co.16:13, 1Co.13:5, 1Ti.2:15; ὑ … |
| showing | ἐνδεικνυμένους | endeiknumenous | G1731 | to showἐνδείκνυμι (endeiknumi) ἐν-δείκνυμι [in LXX for לָכַד, גָּמַל, רָאָה hi. ;] to mark, point out. Mid„ 1. to show forth, prove: with accusative of thing(s), Rom.2:15 9:22, Eph.2:7, Tit.2:10 3:2, Heb.6:11; before ἐν, with dative of person(s), Rom.9:17 (LXX), 1Ti.1:16; before εἰς, Heb.6:10 (with cogn. accusative), 2Co.8:24. 2. to manifest (by act): with accusative of thing(s) and dative of person(s), 2Ti.4:14 (cf. Gen.50:15, 17, and see MM, Exp., xiii).† (AS) |
| good, | ἀγαθήν, | agathēn | G0018 | goodἀγαθός (agathos) ἀγαθός, -ή, -όν, [in LXX chiefly for טוֹב ;] in general, good, in physical and in moral sense, used of persons, things, acts, conditions, etc., applied to that which is regarded as "perfect in its kind, so as to produce pleasure and satisfaction, . . . that which, in itself good, is also at once for the good and the advantage of him who comes in contact with it" (Cremer, 3): γῆ, Luk.8:8; δένδρον, Mat.7:18; καρδία, Luk.8:15; δόσις, Jas.1:17; μέρις, Luk.10:42; ἔργον (frequently in Pl.), Php.1:6; ἐλπίς, 2Th.2:16; θησαυρός, Mat.12:35; μνεία, 1Th.3:6 (cf. 2Ma.7:20); as subst., τὸ ἀ, that which is … |
| so that | ἵνα | ina | G2443 | in order that/toἵνα (hina) ἵνα, I. adverb (poët., Hom., al.), 1. of place, where, whither. 2. of circumstance, when. II. Conjunction, 1. prop., final, denoting purpose or end (cl.), that, in order that, usually the first word in the clause, but sometimes (cl. also) preceded by an emphatic word (Act.19:4, Rom.11:31 (?), Gal.2:10, al.); (a) with optative (so in cl. after historic tenses): after a pres., Eph.1:17 (but WH, mg., subjc.; see Burton, §225, Rem., 2); … |
| doctrine | διδασκαλίαν | didaskalian | G1319 | teachingδιδασκαλία (didaskalia) διδασκαλία, -ας, ἡ (διδάσκω), [in LXX: Pro.2:17 (אַלּוּף), Isa.29:13 (לָמַד), Sir.24:33 39:8 * ;] teaching, instruction, in both active and objective senses, most frequently the latter: Rom.12:7 15:4, Eph.4:14, 1Ti.4:6, 13, 16 5:17 6:1, 3, 2Ti.3:10 3:16, Tit.2:7, 10; ὑγιαινοῦσα δ., 1Ti.1:10, 2Ti.4:3, Tit.1:9 2:1; pl., δ. τ. ἀνθρώπων, Col.2:22; δ. δαιμονίων, 1Ti.4:1, δ. διδάσκειν, Mat.15:9, Mrk.7:7" (LXX) (Cremer, 182).† SYN.: διδαχή (AS) |
| Savior | σωτῆρος | sōtēros | G4990 | saviorσωτήρ (sōtēr) σωτήρ, -ῆρος, ὁ (σώζω), [in LXX for יָשַׁע and cognate forms ;] saviour, deliverer, preserver, a frequently epithet of kings in the Ptolemaic and Rom. periods (Deiss., BS, 83; LAE, 368 f.; MM, xxiv), in NT, (a) of God (as LXX: Psa.24:5, Isa.12:2, al.): Luk.1:47, 1Ti.1:1 2:3 4:10, Tit.1:3 2:10 3:4, Ju 25; … |
| of us | ἡμῶν | hēmōn | G3165 | meμέ (me) 1. apostrophe for με. 2. rarely for μοι, (Homer) (ML) |
| God | θεοῦ | theou | G2316 | Godθεός (theos) θεός, -οῦ, ὁ, ἡ (Act.19:37 only; see M, Pr., 60, 244), late voc., θεέ (Mat.27:46; cf. Deu.3:24, al.), [in LXX chiefly for אֱלֹהִים, also for אֵל and other cognate forms, יהוה, etc. ;] a god or deity, God. 1. In polytheistic sense, a god or deity: Act.28:6, 1Co.8:4, 2Th.2:4, al.; pl., Ac. 14:11 19:26, Gal.4:8, al. 2. Of the one true God; … |
| they may adorn | κοσμῶσιν | kosmōsin | G2885 | to arrangeκοσμέω (kosmeō) κοσμέω, -ῶ (κόσμος), [in LXX for עָדָה, תָּקַן, etc. ;] 1. to order, arrange, prepare (in Hom. esp. of marshalling armies): Mat.25:7 (cf. Sir.50:9, al.). 2. to adorn, furnish: οἶκον, pass., Mat.12:44, Luk.11:25; μνημεῖα, Mat.23:29; τὸ ἱερόν, pass., Luk.21:5; θεμέλιοι, Rev.21:19; νύμφην, pass., Rev.21:2; ἐαυτάς, before ἐν, 1Ti.2:9. Metaphorical, with accusative of person(s), 1Pe.3:5; with accusative of thing(s), Tit.2:10.† (AS) |
| in | ἐν | en | G1722 | in/on/amongἐν (en) ἐν, prep, (the most frequently of all in NT), with dative (= Heb. בְּ, Lat. in, with abl.). I. Of place, with dative of thing(s), of person(s), in, within, on, at, by, among: ἐν τ. πόλει, Luk.7:37; τ. οφθαλμῷ, Mat.7:3; τ. κοιλίᾳ, Mat.12:40; τ. ὄρει, 2Pe.1:18; τ. θρόνῳ, Rev.3:21; τ. δεξιᾷ τ. θεοῦ, Rom.8:34; ἐν ἡμῖν Abbott-Smith has ὑμῖν., Luk.1:1; of books, ἐν τ. βιβλίῳ, Gal.3:10; τ. νόμῳ, Mat.12:5, al.; ἐν τοῖς τ. Πατρός, in my Father's house (RV; cf. M, Pr., 103), Luk.2:49; trop., of the region of thought or feeling, ἐν τ. καρδίᾳ (-αις), Mat.5:28, 2Co.4:6, al.; τ. συνειδήσεσιν, 2Co.5:11; af … |
| all things. | πᾶσιν.¶ | pasin | G3956 | allπᾶς (pas) πᾶς, πᾶσα, πᾶν, genitive, παντός, πάσης, παντός, [in LXX chiefly for כֹּל ;] all, every. I. As adj., 1. with subst. anarth., all, every, of every kind: Mat.3:10 4:23, Mrk.9:49, Luk.4:37, Jhn.2:1o, Act.27:20, Rom.7:8, Rev.18:17, al. mult.; pl., all, Act.22:15, Rom.5:12, Heb.1:6, al.; of the highest degree, π. ἐξουσία (προθυμία, χαρά), Mat.28:18, Act.17:11, Phi 2:29, al.; also the whole (though in this sense more frequently with art.), Mat.2:3, Act.2:36, Rom.11:26. … |
Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.