1 Timothy 5:3

‘Honour widows who are indeed widows.’

‘Honouring’ here signifies taking care of from a family point of view, both emotionally and financially, with the church acting in lieu of children who were to ‘honour’ their parents (Exodus 20:12). In the same way the church family is to ‘honour’ (show love to and provide for) widows. For providing for widows compare Acts 6:1. The Jews were very strong on providing charitable help to the needy, and especially to the old, and for that purpose the synagogues would take up regular local collections from all Jews. In that regard at least they on the whole followed the requirements of the Law (Exodus 22:22; Deuteronomy 10:18; Deuteronomy 14:29; Deuteronomy 16:11; Deuteronomy 16:14; Deuteronomy 24:17-21; Deuteronomy 26:12-13; Deuteronomy 27:19; Job 22:9; Job 24:3; Psalms 68:5; Psalms 94:6; Psalms 146:9; Isaiah 1:17; Isaiah 1:23; Isaiah 10:2; Jeremiah 7:6; Jeremiah 22:3; Ezekiel 22:7; Zechariah 7:10; Malachi 3:5).. The Christian church rightly aligned themselves with the practise, and made provision for their own in the same way. Widows with no remaining relatives and with no resources were in a parlous state in the ancient world, for they had no means of support. And so the church became their family and were to ‘honour’ them in the place of the children that they did not have. And ‘honouring’ included loving as well as providing

‘Who are indeed widows.’ That is who are widows who have no family to care for them. This may have included some who had been widowed when a polygamous husband became a Christian, although we would assume that in those cases he would still be seen as having a responsibility of care towards them.

It was incumbent on Jewish husbands to make provision for their wives in case of their deaths, regularly by means of jewellery and personal ornaments, at the time of their marriage, but in many cases such provision would necessarily be inadequate. The same pattern would continue, at least among Jewish Christians.