Titus 2

Titus · Chapter 2

Titus 2:3

1But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:2That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.3The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;4That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,5To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.6Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.7In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,8Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.9Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again;10Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.11For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,12Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;13Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;14Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.15These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
3The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;Older women, likewise, are to be reverent in their behavior, not slanderers or addicted to much wine, but teachers of good.that aged women likewise be reverent in demeanor, not slanderers nor enslaved to much wine, teachers of that which is good;

In context

AI-assisted, sourced

Older women, in the same way, are to live as fits holiness. They must not be slanderers or enslaved to much wine. They are to be teachers of what is good. Titus 2:2Titus 2:3

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 involvedThe older women in the churches, and the younger women they teach (2:4). Titus 2:3Titus 2:4

Paul gives the older women their own calling. Their conduct is to be reverent, and they have a teaching role: they are "teachers of good things" so that they may teach the young women (2:4). Titus 2:3Titus 2:4

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

HereGodly older women pass on sound living to the next generation. Their example and teaching guard the church's homes. Titus 2:3Titus 2:4

In the whole of Scripture1 Timothy 3:11 gives a similar standard: "grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things." Women "professing godliness" are to be marked by good works (1 Timothy 2:10). 1 Timothy 3:111 Timothy 2:10

For readersOlder women have a real teaching ministry in the church. Their words and habits teach younger women what godliness looks like. Titus 2:3Titus 2:4

  • as becometh holinessἱεροπρεπής
    Greek · hieroprepēs · G2412

    The word means suited to a sacred character, reverent. The lexicon lists this verse as its only New Testament use. Strong's G2412

  • false accusersδιάβολος
    Greek · diabolos · G1228

    The word means slanderous, accusing falsely. As a noun it is the word for the devil, the accuser. Strong's G1228

  • given toδουλόω
    Greek · douloō · G1402

    The word means to enslave or bring into bondage. Paul warns against being enslaved to much wine. Strong's G1402

  • teachers of good thingsκαλοδιδάσκαλος
    Greek · kalodidaskalos · G2567

    The word means a teacher of that which is good. The lexicon lists this verse as its only New Testament use. Strong's G2567

Takeaway

Older women are to live reverently, avoid slander and drunkenness, and teach what is good. Their example shapes the next generation. Titus 2:3Titus 2:41 Timothy 3:11

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

EnglishGreekSay itStrong'sMeaning
[the] aged [women]ΠρεσβύτιδαςPresbutidasG4247
old woman

πρεσβῦτις (presbutis) πρεσβῦτις, -ιδος, ἡ fem, of πρεσβύτης, [in LXX: 4Ma.16:14 * ;] an aged woman: Tit.2:3.† (AS)

likewiseὡσαύτωςhōsautōsG5615
likewise

ὡσαύτως (hōsautōs) ὡσαύτως adv., strengthened for ὡς (in Hom, at the beginning of a clause, in the form ὣς δ᾽ αὔτως, later in one word), in like manner, just so, likewise: Mat.20:5 21:30, 36 25:17, Mrk.14:31, Luk.13:5 20:31, Rom.8:26, 1Ti.5:25, Tit.2:6; with verb to be supplied from context, Mrk.12:21, Luk.22:20, 1Co.11:25, 1Ti.2:9 3:8 3:11, Tit.2:3.† (AS)

inἐνenG1722
in/on/among

ἐν (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 …

behaviorκαταστήματιkatastēmatiG2688
behavior

κατάστημα (katastēma) κατά-στημα, -τος, τό (καθίστημι), in LXX: 3Ma.5:45 (-εμα, A) * ;] 1. condition, of health, etc. 2. demeanour: Tit.2:3 (for exx. see Field, Notes, 220).† (AS)

reverent,ἱεροπρεπεῖς,hi'eroprepeisG2412
reverent

ἱεροπρεπής (hieroprepēs) ἱεροπρεπής, -ές (ἱερός, πρέπει) [in LXX: 4Ma.9:25 4Mac 11:20 * ;] suited to a sacred character, reverend (RV, reverent): Tit.2:3 (cf. Tr., Syn., § xcii).† (AS)

notμὴmēG3361
not

μή (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. …

slanderers,διαβόλους,diabolousG1228
devilish/the Devil

διάβολος (diabolos) διάβολος, -ον (διαβάλλω, which see) [in LXX for שָׂטָן (as Job.1:6), exc. Est.7:4 8:1 (צַר, צָרַר) ;] slanderous, accusing falsely. As subst., ὁ, ἡ, δ.; (a) generally (of. Es, ll. with), a slanderer, false accuser: 1Ti.3:6, 7 (CGT, in l., but see infr.) 3:11, 2Ti.3:3, Tit.2:3; …

notμὴmēG3361
not

μή (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. …

to wineοἴνῳoinōG3631
wine

οἶνος (oinos) οἶνος, -ου, ὁ [in LXX chiefly for יַיִן also for תִּירוֹשׁ, etc. ;] wine; Mat.9:17, Luk.1:15, Jhn.2:3, al.; οἴνῳ προσέχειν, 1Ti.3:8; δουλοῦσθαι, Tit.2:3. Metaphorical, Rev.14:8, 10 16:19 17:2 18:3 19:15. By meton. for ἄμπελος, Rev.6:6 (AS)

muchπολλῷpollōG4183
much

πολύς (polus) πολύς, πολλή, πολύ, [in LXX chiefly for רַב and cognate forms ;] 1. as adj., much, many, great, of number, space, degree, value, time, etc.: ἀριθμός, Act.11:21; ὄχλος, Mrk.5:24; θερισμός, Mat.9:37; χόρτος, Jhn.6:10; χρόνος, Mat.25:19; γογγυσμός, Jhn.7:12; πόνος, Col.4:13; δόξα, Mat.24:30; σιγή, Act.21:40; pl., προφῆται, Mat.13:17; ὄχλοι, Mat.4:25; δαιμόνια, Mrk.1:34; δυνάμεις, Mat.7:22, …

enslaved,δεδουλωμένας,dedoulōmenasG1402
to enslave

δουλόω (douloō) δουλόω, -ῶ (δοῦλος), [in LXX for עָבַד ;] to enslave, bring into bondage: Act.7:6 (LXX), 2Pe.2:19; metaphorically, 1Co.9:19; pass., before ἐν, 1Co.7:15; τ. θεῷ, Rom.6:22; τ. δικαιοσύνῃ, Rom.6:18; οἴνῳ, Tit.2:3; ὑπὸ τὰ στοιχεῖα τ. κόσμου, Gal.4:3 (Cremer, 217).† (AS)

teachers of what is good,καλοδιδασκάλους,kalodidaskalousG2567
teaching good

καλοδιδάσκαλος (kalodidaskalos) καλο-διδάσκαλος, -ου, ὁ a teacher of that which is good: Tit.2:3.† (AS)

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.