Titus 2:9
New International Version
Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them,

New Living Translation
Slaves must always obey their masters and do their best to please them. They must not talk back

English Standard Version
Bondservants are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative,

Berean Standard Bible
Slaves are to submit to their own masters in everything, to be well-pleasing, not argumentative,

Berean Literal Bible
Servants are to be subject to their own masters in everything, to be well-pleasing, not gainsaying,

King James Bible
Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again;

New King James Version
Exhort bondservants to be obedient to their own masters, to be well pleasing in all things, not answering back,

New American Standard Bible
Urge slaves to be subject to their own masters in everything, to be pleasing, not argumentative,

NASB 1995
Urge bondslaves to be subject to their own masters in everything, to be well-pleasing, not argumentative,

NASB 1977
Urge bondslaves to be subject to their own masters in everything, to be well-pleasing, not argumentative,

Legacy Standard Bible
Urge slaves to be subject to their own masters in everything, to be pleasing, not contradicting,

Amplified Bible
Urge bond-servants to be subject to their own masters in everything, to be pleasing and not talk back,

Christian Standard Bible
Slaves are to submit to their masters in everything, and to be well-pleasing, not talking back

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Slaves are to be submissive to their masters in everything, and to be well-pleasing, not talking back

American Standard Version
Exhort servants to be in subjection to their own masters, and to be well-pleasing to them in all things; not gainsaying;

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Let Servants be subject to their Masters in all things and be pleasing, and let them not resist;

Contemporary English Version
Tell slaves always to please their owners by obeying them in everything. Slaves must not talk back to their owners

Douay-Rheims Bible
Exhort servants to be obedient to their masters, in all things pleasing, not gainsaying:

English Revised Version
Exhort servants to be in subjection to their own masters, and to be well-pleasing to them in all things; not gainsaying;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Tell slaves who are believers to place themselves under their masters' authority in everything they do. Tell them to please their masters, not to argue with them

Good News Translation
Slaves are to submit themselves to their masters and please them in all things. They must not talk back to them

International Standard Version
Slaves are to submit to their masters in everything, aiming to please them and not argue with them

Literal Standard Version
Servants [are] to be subject to their own masters, to be well-pleasing in all things, not contradicting,

Majority Standard Bible
Slaves are to submit to their own masters in everything, to be well-pleasing, not argumentative,

New American Bible
Slaves are to be under the control of their masters in all respects, giving them satisfaction, not talking back to them

NET Bible
Slaves are to be subject to their own masters in everything, to do what is wanted and not talk back,

New Revised Standard Version
Tell slaves to be submissive to their masters and to give satisfaction in every respect; they are not to talk back,

New Heart English Bible
Exhort servants to be in subjection to their own masters, and to be well-pleasing in all things; not contradicting;

Webster's Bible Translation
Exhort servants to be obedient to their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again;

Weymouth New Testament
Exhort slaves to be always obedient to their owners, and to give them satisfaction in everything, not contradicting and not pilfering,

World English Bible
Exhort servants to be in subjection to their own masters and to be well-pleasing in all things, not contradicting,

Young's Literal Translation
Servants -- to their own masters are to be subject, in all things to be well-pleasing, not gainsaying,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Teaching Sound Doctrine
8and wholesome speech that is above reproach, so that anyone who opposes us will be ashamed, having nothing bad to say about us. 9Slaves are to submit to their own masters in everything, to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, 10not stealing from them, but showing all good faith, so that in every respect they will adorn the teaching about God our Savior.…

Cross References
Ephesians 6:5
Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear and sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.

1 Timothy 6:1
All who are under the yoke of slavery should regard their masters as fully worthy of honor, so that God's name and our teaching will not be discredited.


Treasury of Scripture

Exhort servants to be obedient to their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again;

servants.

Ephesians 6:5-8
Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; …

Colossians 3:22-25
Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: …

1 Timothy 6:1,2
Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed…

to please.

Ephesians 5:24
Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

answering again.

Jump to Previous
Always Argument Authority Bid Bondmen Bondslaves Contradicting Exhort Gainsaying Masters Obedient Owners Pilfering Please Pleasing Refractory Respect Satisfaction Servants Slaves Subject Subjection Submissive Talk Teach Try Urge Well-Pleasing
Jump to Next
Always Argument Authority Bid Bondmen Bondslaves Contradicting Exhort Gainsaying Masters Obedient Owners Pilfering Please Pleasing Refractory Respect Satisfaction Servants Slaves Subject Subjection Submissive Talk Teach Try Urge Well-Pleasing
Titus 2
1. Directions given unto Titus both for his doctrine and life.
10. Of the duty of servants, and in general of all Christians.














(9) Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters.--The accurate translation here is bond servants. The words in this and the following verse, it must be remembered, are addressed to "slaves." With some special reference to the peculiar circumstances of the Church in Crete, St. Paul had been giving general directions to his representative (Titus 2:1-8) respecting instruction and advice he considered it expedient should be given to the varied orders and ages of professing Christians in the island. These directions were arranged with respect to "age" and "sex." He now turns to the question of the instruction of another large class, among whom were to be found many Christians--"the slaves." These he masses together under one head. Not improbably these "words" to be addressed particularly to slaves were called out by some particular instances of insubordination and of impatience under their unhappy condition among the Cretan slaves. Indeed, the repeated warnings to this unfortunate and oppressed class (see Ephesians 6:5; Colossians 3:22; 1Timothy 6:1) tell us that among the difficulties which Christianity had to surmount in its early years was the hard task of persuading "the slave" that the divine Master who promised him a home, if he were faithful and true, among the many mansions of His Father, meant not that the existing relations of society should be then changed, or its complex framework disturbed. St. Paul knew it was a hard matter to persuade the bondman, fellow-heir of heaven with the freeman, to acquiesce patiently in his present condition of misery and servitude. Hence these repeated charges to this class. These poor sufferers were to obey cheerfully, readily, as the next clause told them.

And to please them well in all things; not answering again.--The last words are better translated not gainsaying; the Vulgate has contradicentes. It signifies that they should obey cheerfully, willingly, without sullenness; not thwarting or setting themselves against their masters' plans or desires or orders; and the Apostle, in Titus 2:10, gives them a noble inducement for this brave, sweet patience he would have so earnestly pressed upon them. Such conduct on their part, he tells them, would serve greatly to help the Master's cause; it would prepossess many hostile minds in favour of a religion which could so powerfully influence even the slave. Chrysostom comments thus: "Greeks form their estimate of doctrines not from the doctrine itself, but from the actions and the life" (of those who profess the doctrine). . . .

Verse 9. - In subjection to for obedient unto, A.V.; be well-pleasing to them for please them well, A.V.; gainsaying for answering gain, A.V. Servants; i.e. dares (δούλους), the correlative to which is δεσπόταις, masters, who had absolute power over their slaves, and property in them (comp. 1 Peter 2:18, where they are called by the name of οἰκέται, house-slaves). The construction is carried on from the "exhort" of ver. 6. Well-pleasing (εὐαρέστους); elsewhere spoken with reference to God (Romans 12:1; 2 Corinthians 5:9; Ephesians 5:10, etc.). In all things (ἐν πᾶσιν); nearly the same as περὶ πάντα in ver. 7; to be taken with εὐαρέστους. Some, however, connect the words with ὑποτάσσεσθαι, "to be obedient in all things." Gainsaying (ἐντιλέγοντας); as in Titus 1:9 (see note). Here, however, the" answering again" of the A.V. is a better rendering. It implies, of course, a resistance to the will of their master, and impatience of any rebuke (comp. 1 Peter 2:18-20).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Slaves
Δούλους (Doulous)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 1401: (a) (as adj.) enslaved, (b) (as noun) a (male) slave. From deo; a slave.

are to submit
ὑποτάσσεσθαι (hypotassesthai)
Verb - Present Infinitive Passive
Strong's 5293: From hupo and tasso; to subordinate; reflexively, to obey.

to their own
ἰδίοις (idiois)
Adjective - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 2398: Pertaining to self, i.e. One's own; by implication, private or separate.

masters
δεσπόταις (despotais)
Noun - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 1203: A lord, master, or prince. Perhaps from deo and posis; an absolute ruler.

in
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

everything,
πᾶσιν (pasin)
Adjective - Dative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3956: All, the whole, every kind of. Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole.

to be
εἶναι (einai)
Verb - Present Infinitive Active
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

well-pleasing,
εὐαρέστους (euarestous)
Adjective - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 2101: Acceptable, well-pleasing (especially to God), grateful. From eu and arestos; fully agreeable.

not
μὴ (mē)
Adverb
Strong's 3361: Not, lest. A primary particle of qualified negation; not, lest; also (whereas ou expects an affirmative one) whether.

argumentative,
ἀντιλέγοντας (antilegontas)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 483: To speak or say in opposition, contradict (oppose, resist). From anti and lego; to dispute, refuse.


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NT Letters: Titus 2:9 Exhort servants to be in subjection (Ti. Tt.)
Titus 2:8
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