Paul wanted Timothy to honor real widows. If a widow has children or grandchildren, these children should do their religious duty by taking care of the widow in their family, because that is pleasing to God. The real solitary widow, who has no children, should set her hope in God, praying night and day. However, the widow who wants pleasure only is already dead even though she is still living. Timothy was to give these commands or instructions to the community about widows. Anyone who did not provide for the widows in their own families or relatives has already denied their faith in Jesus Christ. They are even worse than unbelievers. How do you treat widows?
widows
The great condemnation (Lk 20:47-20:47)
“The Scribes
Devour
Widows’ houses.
They say long prayers
For the sake of appearance.
They will receive
A greater condemnation.”
οἳ κατεσθίουσιν τὰς οἰκίας τῶν χηρῶν καὶ προφάσει μακρὰ προσεύχονται· οὗτοι λήμψονται περισσότερον κρίμα.
Luke indicated that Jesus continued with his condemnation of the Scribes. He said that the Scribes devour widows’ houses (οἱ κατεσθίοντες τὰς οἰκίας τῶν χηρῶν). They say long prayers for the sake of appearance (καὶ προφάσει μακρὰ προσευχόμενοι). They will receive the greater condemnation (οὗτοι λήμψονται περισσότερον κρίμα). Mark, chapter 12:40, and Matthew, chapter 23:14, are almost word for word like here in Luke. They all talked about how these Scribes took advantage of widows and pretended to be men of prayer. Mark indicated that Jesus said that these Scribes devoured widows’ houses (οἱ κατεσθίοντες τὰς οἰκίας τῶν χηρῶν), the same as Luke. What did he mean by that? They obviously took advantage of the generosity of widows. For the sake of appearances, these Scribes said long prayers (καὶ προφάσει μακρὰ προσευχόμενοι). Thus, they would receive a great severe condemnation (οὗτοι λήμψονται περισσότερον κρίμα.) for their behavior. Once again, there was no mention of any Pharisees, just the Scribes. In Matthew, this first part of the opening verse is exactly the same as the preceding verse. Woe to you (Οὐαὶ ὑμῖν)! Scribes (γραμματεῖς)! Woe to you! Pharisees (καὶ Φαρισαῖοι)! Hypocrites (ὑποκριταί)! There is no doubt that here Jesus was cursing both the Scribes and the Pharisees, who were devouring widow’s houses (ὅτι κατεσθίετε τὰς οἰκίας τῶν χηρῶν), as they were taking advantage of widows. They also made long lengthy prayers (καὶ προφάσει μακρὰ προσευχόμενοι), so that they would look better and more pious. However, they were about to receive a greater condemnation (διὰ τοῦτο λήψεσθε περισσότερον κρίμα) than they had expected. Once again, the major difference was the role of the Pharisees in Matthew, that is not in Luke or Mark. Are you a hypocrite?
The famine at the time of Elijah (Lk 4:25-4:26)
“In truth!
I say to you!
There were many widows
In Israel
At the time of Elijah.
The heavens
Were shut closed for
Three years and six months.
There came
A great famine
Over all the land.
Yet Elijah was sent
To none of them,
Except to a widow
At Zarephath,
In Sidon.”
ἐπ’ ἀληθείας δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν, πολλαὶ χῆραι ἦσαν ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις Ἡλείου ἐν τῷ Ἰσραήλ, ὅτε ἐκλείσθη ὁ οὐρανὸς ἐπὶ ἔτη τρία καὶ μῆνας ἕξ, ὡς ἐγένετο λιμὸς μέγας ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν
καὶ πρὸς οὐδεμίαν αὐτῶν ἐπέμφθη Ἡλείας εἰ μὴ εἰς Σάρεπτα τῆς Σιδωνίας πρὸς γυναῖκα χήραν.
There are no similar stories in Mark and Matthew. Luke uniquely had Jesus tell this story about Elijah as found in 1 Kings, chapter 17:1-16. John the Baptist had been compared to Elijah, a major almost romantic 9th century BCE prophet, whose name appears more than 100 times in the biblical literature. Elijah also appeared with Moses in the transfiguration of Jesus mentioned later in this work. Elijah’s influence on the evangelical authors was very important, just like here. There were a series of stories about Elijah when King Ahab (874-853 BCE) was king of Israel. Elijah, commanded by Yahweh, went to a northern town near Sidon, probably a Phoenician town. He provided a widow and her family with a never-ending jar and jug that provided meal and oil for her and her household until the drought came to an end. Luke pointed out with a solemn pronouncement (ἐπ’ ἀληθείας δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν) that there were many widows (πολλαὶ χῆραι ἦσαν) at the time of Elijah (ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις Ἡλείου), in Israel (ἐν τῷ Ἰσραήλ). The heavens were closed or shut down (ὅτε ἐκλείσθη ὁ οὐρανὸς) for 3 ½ years (ἐπὶ ἔτη τρία καὶ μῆνας ἕξ). Thus, there was a great drought across the whole land (ὡς ἐγένετο λιμὸς μέγας ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν). However, Yahweh sent Elijah to none of the Israelite widows (καὶ πρὸς οὐδεμίαν αὐτῶν ἐπέμφθη Ἡλείας). Instead Elijah was sent to a widow at Zarephath, in Sidon (εἰ μὴ εἰς Σάρεπτα τῆς Σιδωνίας πρὸς γυναῖκα χήραν).
Watch what the Scribes do (Mk 12:40-12:40)
“The Scribes devour
Widows’ houses.
For the sake of appearance,
They say long prayers.
They will receive
The greater condemnation.”
οἱ κατεσθίοντες τὰς οἰκίας τῶν χηρῶν καὶ προφάσει μακρὰ προσευχόμενοι, οὗτοι λήμψονται περισσότερον κρίμα.
Next Mark talked about how these Scribes took advantage of widows and pretended to be men of prayer. Something similar can be found in Luke, chapter 20:47, but not in Matthew. Mark indicated that Jesus said that these Scribes devoured widows’ houses. What did he mean by that? They obviously took advantage of the generosity of widows. For the sake of appearances, these Scribes said long prayers. Thus, they would receive a great severe condemnation for their behavior. Once again, there was no mention of any Pharisees, just the Scribes.
The wider meaning of prophet
The term prophet had a wide meaning among the Israelites, since it also included people like Abraham, Moses, and Miriam. That is why some so-called historical books are often called the early prophets. Jewish traditions hold that there were 48 male prophets, and seven female prophets, Sarah, Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, Abigail, Huldah, and Esther. Others have recognized Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah as female prophets also. Thus, there is a wide range of written prophetic books in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament. The Hebrew prophetic dominant message was a return to Yahweh and his laws. They were to protect the poor, the orphans, and the widows. Justice and righteousness dominate in their messages. Yahweh would judge them. Although some Israelites were sinners, they would have a bright future if they turned from their evil ways to Yahweh.
The proud prince of Tyre as a wise trader (Ezek 28:3-28:5)
“You are indeed wiser
Than Daniel.
No secret
Is hidden
From you.
By your wisdom,
By your understanding,
You have amassed wealth
For yourself.
You have gathered
Gold,
With silver,
Into your treasuries.
By your great wisdom
In trade,
You have increased
Your wealth.
Your heart
Has become proud
In your wealth.”
Ezekiel’s reference to Daniel may be a Canaanite judge named Daniel who gave out wise decisions for orphans and widows, not the prophet Daniel. Thus, the prince of Tyre was wiser than this Daniel, since he knew all kinds of secrets. With his great wisdom and understanding, he had amassed great wealth for himself and his treasury full of gold and silver. This Tyre prince or leader was a very wise trader. His wealth, however, made his heart very proud.
The wicked princes (Ezek 22:25-22:25)
“The Jerusalem princes
Are within it
Like a roaring lion
Tearing its prey.
They have devoured
Human lives.
They have taken
Treasures.
They have taken
Precious things.
They have made
Many widows
Within it.”
The princes within the city of Jerusalem were like roaring lions tearing into their prey. They devoured human lives. They stole treasure and precious things. They killed people, so that there many more widows in Jerusalem.
Israel and Judah have not been forgotten (Jer 51:5-51:6)
“Israel
Has not been forsaken!
Judah
Has not been forsaken
By their God,
Yahweh of hosts!
Even though their land
Is full of guilt
Against the Holy One
Of Israel,
Flee!
From the midst
Of Babylon!
Save your lives!
Each one of you!
Do not perish!
Because of her guilt!
This is the time
Of Yahweh’s vengeance.
He is repaying her
What is due.”
Yahweh declares, via Jeremiah, that the Israelites and Judeans should not worry. They have not been forsaken, left behind like widows, even though the land is full of guilty ones, who have sinned against the Holy One of Israel. They should flee Babylon. They should save their lives. They will not perish because of the guilt of Babylon. Yahweh would be bringing vengeance and repaying Babylon for what she had done.
The destruction of Edom (Jer 49:10-49:11)
“But as for me,
I have stripped
Esau bare.
I have uncovered
His hiding places.
He is not able
To conceal himself.
His offspring are destroyed.
His kinsfolk are no more.
His neighbors are no more.
He is no more.
Leave your orphans!
I will keep them alive.
Let your widows trust
In me.”
Yahweh clearly says that he has destroyed Edom, the home of Esau, Jacob’s brother. He has stripped them bare, since they no longer have any hiding places. The men, their offspring, their families, and their neighbors have all been wiped out. They are no longer living anymore. However, Yahweh has a word of consolation for the Edomites. He was going to take care of their orphans and widows. Somehow, the orphans and widows were the privileged protected ones, whether in Israel or not.
The commands of Yahweh (Jer 22:3-22:3)
“Thus says Yahweh.
‘Act with justice!
Act with righteousness!
Deliver from the hand of the oppressor
Anyone who has been robbed!
Do no wrong!
Do no violence to the alien!
Do no wrong to the orphan!
Do no violence to the widow!
Do not shed innocent blood in this place!’”
Yahweh, via Jeremiah, lays out his demands to the king as in the preceding chapter. The king had to act with justice and righteousness. He was to help those who had been robbed from those oppressive robbers. He was to do no wrong or violence to the aliens, orphans, and widows. He was not to shed blood in his kingdom.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 