Titus 3:2
in Titus 3to malign no one, and to be peaceable and gentle, showing full consideration to everyone.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
to speak evil of no man, not to be contentious, to be gentle, showing all meekness toward all men.
KJV
To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.
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This verse in Titus 3
Commentary
11 notes on this verseA commentator
CyprianTreatise XII. Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews. · Written before 258.
That we must not use detraction. In Solomon, in the Proverbs: "Love not to detract, lest thou be taken away." Also in the forty-ninth Psalm: "Thou sattest, and spakest against thy brother; and against the son of thy mother thou placedst a stumbling-block." Also in the Epistle of Paul to the Colossians: "To speak ill of no man, nor to be litigious."
This site's exposition
Remind the believers to submit
on Titus 3:1-2
Remind the believers to submit to rulers and authorities names civil rulers, with the same pair of words Ephesians 6:12 uses for unseen powers. Being ready for every good work pairs obedience with active good.
This site's exposition
to malign no one
The Greek word behind malign is the word for blasphemy, as Barnes and Clarke note, here used of speech against people. Believers are to be peaceable and gentle toward everyone, outsiders included. Clarke adds patience under insult.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
Remind them to be subject to the rulers and authorities, to obey; to be prepared for every good work; not to blaspheme anyone, not to be quarrelsome; to be modest, showing all meekness to all people. Such a thing is also written to the Romans: Let every soul be subject to the higher powers. For there is no power but from God (Romans 13:1).
Chap. iii. 1. "Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work, to speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers." What then? even when men do evil, may we nor revile them? nay, but "to be ready to every good work, to speak evil of no man." Hear the exhortation, "To speak evil of no man." Our lips should be pure from reviling. For if our reproaches are true, it is not for us to utter them, but for the Judge to enquire into the matter. "For why," he says, "dost thou judge thy brother?" (Rom. xiv. 10.) But if they are not true, how great the fire. Hear what the thief says to his fellow-thief. "For we are also in the same condemnation." (Luke xxiii. 40.) We are running the same hazard. If thou revilest others, thou wilt soon fall into the same sins. Therefore the blessed Paul admonishes us: "Let him that standeth, take heed lest he fall." (1 Cor. x. 12.) "To be no brawlers, but gentle, showing all meekness unto all men." Unto Greeks and Jews, to the wicked and the evil. For when he says, "Let him that standeth take heed lest he fall," he wakens their fears from the future; but here, on the contrary, he exhorts them from the consideration of the past...
to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all people. to speak evil of no one. Even if he acts badly, even if he makes a mistake in something. For our mouth must generally be free from insult. "For …
The Medieval Church2 voices
Then when he says, speak evil of no man, he shows how Titus should act toward his equals: first, in regard to avoiding evil; second, in regard to doing good, at but gentle. He warns them particularly about words, because in the early Church few …
Do not speak evil of anyone, even if someone acts badly — that is, do not reproach. Our mouths should be clean from reproach. Whether justly or falsely — it is not for us to judge. Consider what danger there may be. To show all …
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
To speak evil of no man,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
To speak evil of no man - Μηδενα βλασφημειν· To blaspheme no person, to reproach none, to speak nothing to any man’s injury; but, on the contrary, bearing reproach and contumely with patience and meekness.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
To speak evil of no man - Greek, “to blaspheme (βλασφημεῖν blasphēmein, compare the notes at Mat 9:3) no one.” Doddridge renders it, “calumniate no one.” The idea is, that we are not to slander, revile, or defame anyone. We are not to say anything to anyone, or of anyone, which will do him injury. We are never to utter anything which we know to be false about him or to give such a coloring to his words or conduct as to do him wrong in any way. We should always so speak to him and of him in such a way that he will have no reason to complain that he is an injured man. It may be necessary, when we are called to state what we know of his character, to say things which are not at all in his favor, or things which he has said or done that were wrong; but, (1) We should never do this for the purpose of doing him injury, or so as to find a pleasure in it; and, (2) Where it is necessary to make the statement, it should be so as to do him no injustice. We should give no improper coloring. We should exaggerate no circumstances. We should never attempt to express ourselves about his motives, or charge on him bad motives - for we know not what his motives were. We should state every palliating circumstance of which we have knowledge, and do entire justice to it. We should not make the bad traits of his character prominent, and pass over all that is good. In a word, we should show that we would rather find him to be a good man than a bad man - even if the result should be that we had been mistaken in our opinions. It is better that we should have been mistaken, than that he should be a bad man. To be no brawlers - See the notes at 1Ti 3:3. The same Greek word occurs in both places. […]
The words behind it
11 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| μηδένα | medena | no one | G3367 → | 90 times |
| βλασφημεῖν, | blasphemein | to denigrate, | G987 → | |
| ἀμάχους | amachous | peaceable | G269 → | |
| εἶναι, | einai | to be, | G1511 → | 123 times |
| ἐπιεικεῖς, | epieikeis | gentle, | G1933 → | |
| πᾶσαν | pasan | all | G3956 → | 1235 times |
| ἐνδεικνυμένους | endeiknumenous | showing | G1731 → | |
| πραΰτητα | prauteta | humility | G4236 → | |
| πρὸς | pros | toward | G4314 → | 700 times |
| πάντας | pantas | all | G3956 → | 1235 times |
| ἀνθρώπους. | anthropous | men. | G444 → | 549 times |
μηδέναno one
medenaG3367 →90 times
βλασφημεῖν,to denigrate,
blasphemeinG987 →
ἀμάχουςpeaceable
amachousG269 →
εἶναι,to be,
einaiG1511 →123 times
ἐπιεικεῖς,gentle,
epieikeisG1933 →
πᾶσανall
pasanG3956 →1235 times
ἐνδεικνυμένουςshowing
endeiknumenousG1731 →
πραΰτηταhumility
prautetaG4236 →
πρὸςtoward
prosG4314 →700 times
πάνταςall
pantasG3956 →1235 times
ἀνθρώπους.men.
anthropousG444 →549 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Ephesians 4:2with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
it leads to
- Colossians 3:12–13
Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with hearts of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
- 1 Corinthians 13:7
It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
- 1 Corinthians 13:4–5
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
- Matthew 11:29
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
- Romans 15:1
We who are strong ought to bear with the shortcomings of the weak and not to please ourselves.
- Colossians 3:12–13
Through
Ephesians 4:31Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, outcry and slander, along with every form of malice.
it leads to
- Colossians 3:8
But now you must put aside all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.
- Ecclesiastes 7:9
Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger settles in the lap of a fool.
- Titus 3:2–3
to malign no one, and to be peaceable and gentle, showing full consideration to everyone.
- Colossians 3:8
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies11
About Titus
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Cyprian, Treatise XII. Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews.; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Titus; John Chrysostom, Homily on Titus 5; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, COMMENTARY ON TITUS; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Titus and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Titus.