1st Timothy Chapter 5 verse 19 Holy Bible
Against an elder receive not an accusation, except at `the mouth of' two or three witnesses.
read chapter 5 in ASV
Do not take as true any statement made against one in authority, but only if two or three give witness to it.
read chapter 5 in BBE
Against an elder receive not an accusation unless where there are two or three witnesses.
read chapter 5 in DARBY
Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses.
read chapter 5 in KJV
read chapter 5 in WBT
Don't receive an accusation against an elder, except at the word of two or three witnesses.
read chapter 5 in WEB
Against an elder an accusation receive not, except upon two or three witnesses.
read chapter 5 in YLT
Pulpit Commentary
Pulpit CommentaryVerse 19. - Except at the mouth of for but before, A.V. An elder; here clearly a presbyter, as the context proves. Receive (παραδέχου); give ear to, entertain; as in Acts 22:18, "They will not receive thy testimony." At the mouth of, etc. There is a reference to the law in Numbers 35:30; Deuteronomy 19:15, and elsewhere (to which our Lord also refers, John 8:17), and St. Paul applies the principle of the law to Timothy's dealings with presbyters who might be accused of not "ruling well." He was not to encourage delatores, secret accusers and defamers, but if any one had a charge to make against a ruler, it was to be done in the presence of witnesses (ἐπί with a genitive). A doubt arises whether" the witnesses" here spoken of were to be witnesses able to support the accusation, or merely witnesses in whose presence the accusation must be made. The juxtaposition of the legal terms κατηγορία and ἐπὶ μαρτύρων favors the strict meaning of μαρτύρων, witnesses able to support the κατηγορία. And, therefore, the direction to Timothy is, "Suffer no man to accuse a presbyter unless he is accompanied by two or three witnesses who are ready to back up the accusation." The italic the mouth of, in the R.V., is not necessary or indeed justified. There is no ellipsis of στόματος. Ἐτὶ δύο ῃ} τριῶν῞ μαρτύρων, "before two or three witnesses," is good classical Greek.
Ellicott's Commentary
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(19) Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses.--By the "elder" here we must understand a presbyter--the ordained minister of the Church. St. Paul has been directing his son in the faith, and successor in the government of the chief Asian Church, carefully to watch for, and to reward by dignity and honour, the services of the more zealous and distinguished presbyters. He now tells him that the other matters, besides zeal and successful service among the Church's professed officers, will come before him when he stands at the helm of the Church. Charges--owing, possibly, to jealousy, party feeling, suspected doctrinal error--will not unfrequently be brought against a presbyter. Such an accusation is only to be received by Timothy when the evidence is perfectly clear. Every possible precaution against simply vexatious charges brought against one occupying the hard and difficult position of a presbyter, must be taken by the presiding minister. The reference is to Deuteronomy 17:6.
