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Tit_2:4-5. Ἵνα σωφρονίζωσι τὰς νέας κ . τ . λ .] Since σωφρονίζειν must necessarily have an object, τὰς νέας κ . τ . λ . should not, like πρεσβύτας υηφαλίους εἶναι , Tit_2:2, and πρεσβύτιδας , Tit_2:3, be joined with λάλει , Tit_2:1 (Hofmann), but with σωφρονίζουσιν , so that the exhortations given to the young women are to proceed from the older women.
σωφρονίζειν ] ( ἅπ . λεγ .) is properly “bring some one to σωφροσύνη ,” then “amend,” viz. by punishment; it also occurs in the sense of “punish, chastise;” it is synonymous with νουθετεῖν . According to Beza, it expresses opposition to the juvenilis lascivia et alia ejus aetatis ac sexus vitia.
The aim of the ΣΩΦΡΟΝΊΖΕΙΝ is given in the next words: ΦΙΛΆΝΔΡΟΥς ( ἍΠ . ΛΕΓ .) ΕἾΝΑΙ , ΦΙΛΟΤΈΚΝΟΥς ( ἍΠ . ΛΕΓ .) These two ideas are suitably placed first, as pointing to the first and most obvious circumstances of the ΝΈΑΙ .
Tit_2:5. ΣΏΦΡΟΝΑς ἉΓΝΆς ] The latter is to be taken here not in the general sense of “blameless,” but in the more special sense of “chaste” (Wiesinger).
ΟἸΚΟΥΡΟΎς (Rec.); Wahl rightly: “ex οἶκος et ΟὖΡΟς custos: custos domus, de feminis, quae domi se continent neque ΠΕΡΙΈΡΧΟΝΤΑΙ , 1Ti_5:13.” Vulgate: domus curam habentes; Luther: “domestic.” The word ΟἸΚΟΥΡΓΟΎς (read by Tischendorf, see critical remarks) does not occur elsewhere; if it be genuine, it must mean “working in the house” (Alford: “workers at home”), which, indeed, does not agree with the formation of the word. The word οἰκουργεῖν occurring in later Greek means: “make a house;” see Pape, s.v.
Chrysostom: Ἡ ΟἸΚΟΥῸς ΓΥΝῊ ΚΑῚ ΣΏΦΡΩΝ ἜΣΤΑΙ · Ἡ ΟἸΚΟΥΡῸς ΚΑῚ ΟἸΚΟΝΟΜΙΚΉ · ΟὔΤΕ ΠΕΡῚ ΤΡΥΦῊΝ , ΟὔΤΕ ΠΕΡῚ ἘΞΌΔΟΥς ἈΚΑΊΡΟΥς , ΟὔΤΕ ΠΕΡῚ ἌΛΛΩΝ ΤῶΝ ΤΟΙΟΎΤΩΝ ἈΣΧΟΛΗΘΉΣΕΤΑΙ .
ἈΓΑΘΆς ] is rightly taken by almost all as an independent epithet: “kindly.” Some expositors, however, connect it with ΟἸΚΟΥΡΟΎς (so Theophylact, Oecumenius); but this is wrong, since ΟἸΚΟΥΡΟΎς is itself an adjective. Hofmann joins it with ΟἸΚΟΥΡΓΟΎς , and translates it “good housewives” (so Buttmann, in his edition of the N., T., has no comma between the two words); but where are the grounds for explaining ΟἸΚΟΥΡΓΟΎς to mean “housewives”?
ὑποτασσομένας τοῖς ἰδίοις ἀνδράσιν ] On ΤΟῖς ἸΔΊΟΙς ἈΝΔΡ ., comp. 1Co_7:2. The thought that wives are to be subject to their husbands is often expressed in the N. T. in the same words, comp. Eph_5:22; Col_3:18; 1Pe_3:1. It is to be noted that the apostle adds this ὙΠΟΤΑΣΣΟΜΈΝΑς after using ΦΙΛΆΝΔΡΟΥς . The one thing does not put an end to the other; on the contrary, neither quality is of the right kind unless it includes the other. How much weight was laid by the apostle on the ὙΠΟΤΆΣΣΕΣΘΑΙ may be seen from the words: ἽΝΑ ΜῊ Ὁ ΛΌΓΟς ΤΟῦ ΘΕΟῦ ΒΛΑΣΦΗΜῆΤΑΙ , which are closely connected with ὙΠΟΤΑΣΣΟΜΈΝΑς Κ . Τ . Λ .; comp. Tit_2:10, where the same thought is expressed positively, and 1Ti_6:1. The apostolic preaching of freedom and equality in Christ might easily be applied in a fleshly sense for removing all natural subordination, and thus disgrace be brought on the word of God; hence the express warning. The remark of Chrysostom: ΕἸ ΣΥΜΒΑΊῌ ΓΥΝΑῖΚΑ ΠΙΣΤῊΝ ἈΠΊΣΤῼ ΣΥΝΟΙΚΟῦΣΑΝ , ΜῊ ΕἾΝΑΙ ἘΝΆΡΕΤΟΝ , Ἡ ΒΛΑΣΦΗΜΊΑ ἘΠῚ ΤῸΝ ΘΕῸΝ ΔΙΑΒΑΊΝΕΙΝ ΕἼΩΘΕΝ , is unsatisfactory, because the apostle’s words are thereby arbitrarily restricted to a relation which is quite special.