1 Timothy 1 · Verse 10

1 Timothy 1:10

For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;
1 Timothy 1:10, King James Version

1 Timothy 1:10 in other translations

BSBfor the sexually immoral, for homosexuals, for slave traders and liars and perjurers, and for anyone else who is averse to sound teaching
WEBfor the sexually immoral, for homosexuals, for slave-traders, for liars, for perjurers, and for any other thing contrary to the sound doctrine,
ASVfor fornicators, for abusers of themselves with men, for menstealers, for liars, for false swearers, and if there be any other thing contrary to the sound doctrine;
YLTwhoremongers, sodomites, men-stealers, liars, perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that to sound doctrine is adverse,
DARBYfornicators, sodomites, kidnappers, liars, perjurers; and if any other thing is opposed to sound teaching,
BBEFor those who go after loose women, for those with unnatural desires, for those who take men prisoners, who make false statements and false oaths, and those who do any other things against the right teaching,
WebsterFor lewd persons, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for men-stealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine,

What does 1 Timothy 1:10 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
10. whoremongers, &c.--sinners against the seventh commandment. men-stealers--that is, slave dealers. The most heinous offense against the eighth commandment. No stealing of a man's goods can equal in atrocity the stealing of a man's liberty. Slavery is not directly assailed in the New Testament; to have done so would have been to revolutionize violently the existing order of things. But Christianity teaches principles sure to undermine, and at last overthrow it, wherever Christianity has had its natural development (Mt 7:12). liars ... perjured--offenders against the ninth commandment. if there be any other thing--answering to the tenth commandment in its widest aspect. He does not particularly specify it because his object is to bring out the grosser forms of transgression; whereas the tenth is deeply spiritual, so much so indeed, that it was by it that the sense of sin, in its subtlest form of "lust," Paul tells us (Ro 7:7), was brought home to his own conscience. Thus, Paul argues, these would-be teachers of the law, while boasting of a higher perfection through it, really bring themselves down from the Gospel elevation to the level of the grossly "lawless," for whom, not for Gospel believers, the law was designed. And in actual practice the greatest sticklers for the law as the means of moral perfection, as in this case, are those ultimately liable to fall utterly from the morality of the law. Gospel grace is the only true means of sanctification as well as of justification. sound--healthy, spiritually wholesome (1Ti 6:3; 2Ti 1:13; Tit 1:13; 2:2), as opposed to sickly, morbid (as the Greek of "doting" means, 1Ti 6:4), and "canker" (2Ti 2:17). "The doctrine," or "teaching, which is according to godliness" (1Ti 6:3).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 10. For whoremongers. Lev 19:29, 20:5.

For them that defile themselves with mankind. Sodomites. See the evidence that this crime abounded in ancient times, Rom 1:27. It was forbidden by the law of Moses, and was punishable with death. Lev 20:13.

For menstealers. The word here used ανδραποδιστης occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It properly means one who steals another for the purpose of making him a slave--a kidnapper. This is the common way in which men are made slaves. Some, indeed, are taken in war and sold as slaves, but the mass of those who have been reduced to servitude have become slaves by being kidnapped. Children are stolen from their parents, or wives from their husbands, or husbands from their wives, or parents from their children, or whole families are stolen together. None become slaves voluntarily, and consequently the whole process of making slaves partakes of the nature of theft of the worst kind. What theft is like that of stealing a man's children, or his wife, or his father or mother! The guilt of manstealing is incurred essentially by those who purchase those who are thus stolen--as the purchaser of a stolen horse, knowing it to be so, participates in the crime. A measure of that criminality also adheres to all who own slaves, and who thus maintain the system-for it is a system known to have been originated by theft. This crime was expressly forbidden by the law of God, and was made punishable with death, Ex 21:16, De 24:7.

For liars. Lev 6:2-4, 19:11.

For perjured persons. Those who swear falsely. Lev 19:12, 6:3; Ex 20:7.

And if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine. To sound or correct teaching--for so the word doctrine means. The meaning is, if there is anything else that is opposed to the instruction which the law of God gives.

(a) "doctrine" 2Ti 4:3, Tit 1:9

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 10 For whoremongers - Πορνοις· Adulterers, fornicators, and prostitutes of all sorts. Them that defile themselves with mankind - Αρσενοκοιταις· From αρσην, a male, and κοιτη, a bed; a word too bad to be explained. A sodomite. Men-stealers - Ανδραποδισταις· Slave-dealers; whether those who carry on the traffic in human flesh and blood; or those who steal a person in order to sell him into bondage; or those who buy such stolen men or women, no matter of what color or what country; or those who sow dissensions among barbarous tribes in order that they who are taken in war may be sold into slavery; or the nations who legalize or connive at such traffic: all these are men-stealers, and God classes them with the most flagitious of mortals. For liars - Ψευσταις· They who speak for truth what they know to be false; and even they who tell the truth in such a way as to lead others to draw a contrary meaning from it. For perjured persons - Επιορκοις· From επι, against, and ὁρκος, an oath; such as do or leave undone any thing contrary to an oath or moral engagement, whether that engagement be made by what is called swearing, or by an affirmation or promise of any kind. And if there be any other thing - Every species of vice and immorality, all must be necessarily included, that is contrary to sound doctrine - to the immutable moral law of God, as well as to the pure precepts of Christianity where that law is incorporated, explained, and rendered, if possible, more and more binding.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Timothy 1:5-11

Whatever tends to weaken love to God, or love to the brethren, tends to defeat the end of the commandment. The design of the gospel is answered, when sinners, through repentance towards God and faith in Jesus Christ, are brought to exercise Christian love. And as believers were righteous persons in God's appointed way, the law was not against them. But unless we are made righteous by faith in Christ, really…

Read the full comment on 1 Timothy 1:5-11 →

1 Timothy 1:10 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

πόρνοις,pornoisfor the sexually immoral,G4205
ἀρσενοκοίταις,arsenokoitaisfor homosexuals,G733
ἀνδραποδισταῖς,andrapodistaisfor enslavers,G405
ψεύσταις,pseustaisfor liars,G5583
ἐπιόρκοις,epiorkoisfor perjurers,G1965
καὶkaiandG2532
εἴeiifG1487
τιtianythingG5100
ἕτερονheteronotherG2087
τῇtēawhichG3588
ὑγιαινούσῃhugiainousēto soundG5198
διδασκαλίᾳdidaskaliateachingG1319
ἀντίκειταιantikeitaiis opposedG480

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 1 Timothy 1:10

  • 1 Corinthians 6:9-10

    Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

  • Leviticus 18:22

    Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.

  • 2 Timothy 4:3

    For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

  • Romans 1:26

    For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

  • Galatians 5:19-21

    Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

  • Revelation 21:27

    And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

  • Jude 1:7

    Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

  • 1 Timothy 6:3

    If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness;

  • Revelation 21:8

    But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

  • Titus 1:9

    Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.

  • Mark 7:21-22

    For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:

  • Hebrews 13:4

    Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
whoremongers.
Mr 7:21,22; 1Co 6:9,10; Ga 5:19-21; Eph 5:3-6; Heb 13:4
defile.
Ge 19:5; Le 18:22; 20:13; Ro 1:26; Jude 1:7
men-stealers.
Ge 37:27; 40:15; Ex 21:16; De 24:7; Re 18:13
for liars.
Joh 8:44; Re 21:8,27; 22:15
perjured.
Ex 20:7; Eze 17:16-19; Ho 4:1,2; 10:4; Zec 5:4; 8:17; Mal 3:5
Mt 5:33-37
contrary.
6:3; 2Ti 1:13; 4:3; Tit 1:9; 2:1

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 1 Timothy 1:9

    Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,

  • 1 Timothy 1:10

    For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;

  • 1 Timothy 1:11

    According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.

Read all of 1 Timothy 1

1 Timothy 1:10 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Para los fornicarios, para los sodomitas, para los ladrones de hombres, para los mentirosos y perjuros, y si hay alguna otra cosa contraria á la sana doctrina;
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		pour les fornicateurs, pour ceux qui abusent d’eux-mêmes avec des hommes, pour les voleurs d’hommes, les menteurs, les parjures, et s’il y a quelque autre chose qui soit opposée à la saine doctrine,
German
Elberfelder 1871		Hurer, Knabenschänder, Menschenräuber, Lügner, Meineidige, und wenn etwas anderes der gesunden Lehre zuwider ist,
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		fornicariis, masculorum concubitoribus, plagiariis, mendacibus, et perjuris, et si quid aliud sanæ doctrinæ adversatur,