Titus 2

Titus · Chapter 2

Titus 2:4

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
4That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,In this way they can train the young women to love their husbands and children,that they may train the young women to love their husbands, to love their children,

In context

AI-assisted, sourced

The older women teach the young women. They train them to be sensible, to love their husbands and to love their children. Titus 2:3Titus 2:4

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 young women in the churches, taught by the older women, and their husbands and children. Titus 2:3Titus 2:4

Paul gives the content of the older women's teaching. They are to teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, and to love their children. Titus 2:3Titus 2:4Titus 2:5

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

HerePaul wants the gospel seen in ordinary households. Older women pass on that wisdom to younger ones, so that "the word of God be not blasphemed" (2:5). Titus 2:4Titus 2:5

In the whole of ScripturePaul elsewhere asks Timothy to treat "the elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity" (1 Timothy 5:2), and wants younger women to "guide the house" and give the adversary no cause to speak against them (1 Timothy 5:14). 1 Timothy 5:21 Timothy 5:14

For readersLove for one's husband and children is something to be taught and learned, not assumed. Older believers can help younger ones grow in it. Titus 2:41 Timothy 5:2

  • teachσωφρονίζω
    Greek · sōphronizō · G4994

    The word means to make someone sensible, to train. The lexicon lists this verse as its only New Testament use. Strong's G4994

  • to love their husbandsφίλανδρος
    Greek · philandros · G5362

    The word means, of a wife, loving her husband. Strong's G5362

  • to love their childrenφιλότεκνος
    Greek · philoteknos · G5388

    The word means loving one's children. Strong's G5388

Takeaway

Older women are to train younger women to be sensible and to love their husbands and children. Love in the home is learned and passed on. Titus 2:3Titus 2:4

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
so thatἵναinaG2443
in order that/to

ἵνα (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); …

they may trainσωφρονίζωσινsōphronizōsinG4994
to train

σωφρονίζω (sōphronizō) σωφρονίζω [in Aq.: Isa.38:16 * ;] to make σώφρων, recall one to his senses, control (RV, train): with accusative of person(s), Tit.2:4.† (AS)

young [women]νέαςneasG3501
new

νέος (neos) νέος, -α, -ον [in LXX for נַעַר (Gen.37:2, Exo_33:11, al.), חָדָשׁ (Lev.23:16, Num.28:26, al.), etc.; compar. -ώτερος for קָטָן, צָעִיר, etc. ;] 1. young, youthful: Tit.2:4. 2. new (prop., in respect of time; see: καινός): οἶνος (cf. οἶ. καινός, Mat.26:20), Mat.9:17, Mrk.2:22, Luk.5:37-39; φύραμα (figuratively), 1Co.5:7; διαθήκη (cf. καινὴ δ., Heb.9:15), Heb.12:24; metaphorically, ἄνθρωπος (cf. καινὸς ἀ, Eph.2:15), Col.3:10. …

lovers of [their] husbandsφιλάνδρουςphilandrousG5362
husband-loving

φίλανδρος (philandros) φίλανδρος, -ον 1. loving men (Æsch.). 2. Of a wife, loving her husband (frequently in epitaphs, see LS, see word, Deiss., BS, 255): Tit.2:4.† (AS)

to be,εἶναι,einaiG1511
to exist

εἶναι (einai) εἰμί, with various uses and significations, like the English verb to be. I. As substantive verb. 1. Of persons and things, to be, exist: Act.17:28, Jhn.1:1, 8:58, 17:5, al; ὁ ὢν καὶ ὁ ἦν (for past ptcp.), Rev.1:4, 8, 4:8, 11:17, 16:5 (see Swete, Ap., 5; M, Pr., 228); τὰ (μὴ) ὄντα, Rom.4:17, 1Co.1:28. 2. Of times, events, etc., to be, happen, take place: Mat.24:3, Mrk.14:2, 15:42, Luk.21:23, Jhn.4:6, 23, 5:10, al. …

loving [their] children,φιλοτέκνους,philoteknousG5388
child loving

φιλότεκνος (philoteknos) φιλότεκνος, -ον (φίλος, τέκνον), [in LXX: 4Ma.15:4-6 * ;] loving one's children (Hdt., Arist., Plut., al.): of women, joined with φίλανδρος, which see, Tit.2:4.† (AS)

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