The Truth About Women's Silence in 1 Corinthians 14:33-35: Explained.

Let’s clear up the misunderstanding of 1 Corinthians 14:33-35.

1 Corinthians 14:33-35

For Elohim is not Elohim of disorder but of peace, as in all the assemblies of the set-apart ones. Let your women be silent in the assemblies, for they are not allowed to speak, but let them subject themselves, as the Torah also says. And if they wish to learn whatever, let them ask their own husbands at home, for it is improper for women to speak in an assembly.

Per Greek Scripture:

Not for He is of disorder the God, but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints, the women in the churches let them be silent. Not for it is allowed to them to speak, but to be in submission, as also the law says. If however anything to learn they desire, at home the own husbands let them ask; shameful for it is for a woman to speak in [the] church.

Not for He is of disorder the God, but of peace. (verse 33)

The Greek word for disorder is akatastasia (ak-at-as-tah-see'-ah) #181 means instability (an unstable order)

1. disturbance, upheaval, revolution, almost anarchy

2. akatastasía (from 1 /A "not," 2596 /katá, "down" and stasis, "status, standing," cf. 2476 /hístēmi) – properly, can not stand (remain steady); unsettled, unstable (in tumult); (figuratively) instability bringing on disorder (disturbance).

3. 181 /akatastasía ("commotion") generates confusion (things being "out of control"), i.e. when "up for grabs." This uncertainty and tumult inevitably generates more instability

4. Thayer’s Greek Lexicon

   1. instability, a state of disorder, disturbance, confusion

   2. disturbances, disorders

Greek word for peace is eiréné (i-ray'-nay) #1515 means one, peace, quietness, rest

1. eirḗnē (from eirō, "to join, tie together into a whole") – properly, wholeness, i.e. when all essential parts are joined together; peace (God's gift of wholeness)

2. Thayer’s Greek Lexicon

   1. Peace

   2. peace between individuals, i.e. harmony, concord

   3. good order

   4. go in peace, i. e. may happiness attend you

   5. free from danger, safe

3. Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance

   1. one, peace, quietness, rest

As in all the churches of the saints, the women in the churches let them be silent. (verse 34a)

Greek word for churches is ekklésia (ek-klay-see'-ah) #1577 means an assembly, a (religious) congregation

1. Ekklēsía (from 1537 /ek, "out from and to" and 2564 /kaléō, "to call") – properly, people called out from the world and to God, the outcome being the Church (the mystical body of Christ) – i.e. the universal (total) body of believers whom God calls out from the world and into His eternal kingdom.

2. [The English word "church" comes from the Greek word kyriakos, "belonging to the Lord" (kyrios). 1577 /ekklēsía ("church") is the root of the terms "ecclesiology" and "ecclesiastical."]

3. Thayer’s Greek Lexicon

   1. a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place; an assembly

   2. an assembly of Christians gathered for worship

   3. a company of Christians

   4. the church in one's house

Greek word for saints is hagios (hag'-ee-os) #40 means sacred, holy, set apart by (or for) God

1. hágios – properly, different (unlike), other ("otherness"), holy; for the believer, 40 (hágios) means "likeness of nature with the Lord" because "different from the world."

2. The fundamental (core) meaning of 40 (hágios) is "different" – thus a temple in the 1st century was hagios ("holy") because different from other buildings (Wm. Barclay). In the NT, 40 /hágios ("holy") has the "technical" meaning "different from the world" because "like the Lord."

3. [40 (hágios) implies something "set apart" and therefore "different (distinguished/distinct)" – i.e. "other," because special to the Lord.]

4. Thayer’s Greek Lexicon

   1. set apart for God, to be, as it were, exclusively his

   2. prepared for God with solemn rite, pure, clean

   3. pure, sinless, upright, holy

Greek word for let them be silent is sigaó (see-gah'-o) #4601 means to keep silent, to keep secret.

1. I am silent, keep silence; trans: I keep secret; pass: I am kept secret

   1. Thayer’s Greek Lexicon

      1. to keep silence, hold one's peace

      2. to be kept in silence

   2. NAS Exhaustive Concordance

      1. from sigé means to keep silent, to keep secret

      2. Sigé (see-gay')#4602 means silence

Not for it is allowed to them to speak, but to be in submission, as also the law says. (verse 34b)

Greek word for it is allowed is epitrepó (ep-ee-trep'-o) #2010 means to turn to, entrust, to permit

1. Thayer's Greek Lexicon

   1. to turn to, transfer, commit, intrust

   2. to permit, allow, give leave

   3. Procurator (a person authorized to act for another)

Greek word for to speak is laleó (lal-eh'-o) #2980 means to talk

1. chatter in classical Greek

2. NAS Exhaustive Concordance

   1. from lalos (talkative)

   2. to talk

3. Thayer’s Greek Lexicon

   1. to utter a sound

   2. to emit a voice make oneself heard

   3. to utter or form words with the mouth, to speak

   4. chatting and prattling

   5. to utter oneself

   6. to speak, i.e. to use the tongue or the faculty of speech; to utter articulate sounds

   7. to use words in order to declare one's mind and disclose one's thoughts; to speak

   8. Promulgating (to state or announce) a thing to one

   9. to speak unto one

   10. to speak, converse, with one (concerning a person or thing)

Greek word for to be in submission is hupotassó (hoop-ot-as'-so) #5293 means to place or rank under, to subject, mid. to obey

1. hypotássō (from 5259 /hypó, "under" and 5021 /tássō, "arrange") – properly, "under God's arrangement," i.e. submitting to the Lord (His plan)

2. Thayer’s Greek Lexicon

   1. to arrange under, to subordinate; to subject, put in subjection

   2. to subject oneself, to obey

Greek word for law is nomos (nom'-os) #3551 means that which is assigned, usage, law

1. nómos – law. 3551 (nómos) is used of: a) the Law (Scripture), with emphasis on the first five books of Scripture; or b) any system of religious thinking (theology), especially when nomos occurs without the Greek definite article.

2. 3551 /nómos ("law") then can refer to "the Law," or "law" as a general principle (or both simultaneously). The particular sense(s) of 3551 (nómos) is determined by the context.

3. Thayer’s Greek Lexicon

   1. anything established, anything received by usage, a custom, usage, law

   2. a command, law

   3. of the Mosaic law

   4. the entire collection of the sacred books of the O. T.

Greek word for says is legó (leg'-o) #3004 means to say

1. légō (originally, "lay down to sleep," used later of "laying an argument to rest," i.e. bringing a message to closure; see Curtius, Thayer) – properly, to say (speak), moving to a conclusion (bringing it to closure, "laying it to rest")

2. Thayer’s Greek Lexicon

   1. to speak, say, whether orally or by letter

If however anything to learn they desire, at home the own husbands let them ask; shameful for it is for a woman to speak in [the] church. (verse 35)

The Greek word for to learn is manthanó (man-than'-o) #3129 means to learn

1. manthánō (akin to 3101 /mathētḗs, "a disciple") – properly, learning key facts; gaining "fact-knowledge as someone learns from experience, often with the implication of reflection – 'come to realize' " (L & N, 1, 27.15)

2. #3101 mathétés (math-ay-tes') means a disciple, a learner

   1. mathētḗs (from math-, the "mental effort needed to think something through") – properly, a learner; a disciple, a follower of Christ who learns the doctrines of Scripture and the lifestyle they require; someone catechized with proper instruction from the Bible with its necessary follow-through (life-applications)

Greek word for they desire is theló (eth-el'-o) #2309 means to will, wish

1. thélō (a primitive verb, NAS dictionary) – to desire (wish, will), wanting what is best (optimal) because someone is ready and willing to act.

2. 2309 /thélō ("to desire, wish") is commonly used of the Lord extending His "best-offer" to the believer – wanting (desiring) to birth His persuasion (faith) in them which also empowers, manifests His presence etc. See 2307 (thelēma).

3. [Note the close connection between faith (4102 /pístis, "God's inbirthed persuasion") and this root (thel-, 2307 /thélēma); cf. 2 Cor 8:5-7 and Heb 10:36-39).]

   1. #2307 theléma (thel'-ay-mah) means will

      1. an act of will, will; plur: wishes, desires

   2. thélēma (from 2309 /thélō, "to desire, wish") – properly, a desire (wish), often referring to God's "preferred-will," i.e. His "best-offer" to people which can be accepted or rejected.

   3. [Note the -ma suffix, focusing on the result hoped for with the particular desire (wish). 2307 (thélēma) is nearly always used of God, referring to His preferred-will. Occasionally it is used of man (cf. Lk 23:25; Jn 1:13.]

   4. Thayer’s Greek Lexicon

      1. will, i.e. what one wishes or has determined shall be done

Greek word for home is oikos(oy'-kos) #3624 means a house, a dwelling

1. Thayer’s Greek Lexicon

   1. a house

   2. (his or their) house, home

   3. in private at home

Greek word for let them ask is eperótaó (ep-er-o-tah'-o) #1905 means to inquire of

1. perōtáō (from epi, "on, fitting" intensifying 2065 /erōtáō, "inquire, ask") – properly, ask appropriately (aptly), done by someone on "preferred footing" who makes a request from a "preferred position." 2065 /erōtáō ("ask pointedly") is the regular word Jesus used for making requests to the Father (Jn 14:16, 16:26, 17:9,15,20)

2. Thayer's Greek Lexicon

   1. to accost one with an inquiry, put a question to, inquire of, ask, interrogate

3. #2065 erótaó (er-o-tah'-o) means to ask, question

   1. erōtáō (from eromai, "ask") – make an earnest request, especially by someone on "special footing," i.e. in "preferred position."

   2. 2065 /erōtáō ("to ask on special footing, intimacy") requests from a "preferred position" (E. Abbot, Johannine Grammar, 467,8). Such requesting receives special consideration because of the special relationship involved.

Greek word for to speak is laleó (lal-eh'-o) #2980 means to talk

1. chatter in classical Greek

2. NAS Exhaustive Concordance

   1. from lalos (talkative)

   2. to talk

3. Thayer’s Greek Lexicon

   1. to utter a sound

   2. to emit a voice make oneself heard

   3. to utter or form words with the mouth, to speak

   4. chatting and prattling

   5. to utter oneself

   6. to speak, i.e. to use the tongue or the faculty of speech; to utter articulate sounds

   7. to use words in order to declare one's mind and disclose one's thoughts; to speak

   8. Promulgating (to state or announce) a thing to one

   9. to speak unto one

   10. to speak, converse, with one (concerning a person or thing)

Greek word for churches is ekklésia (ek-klay-see'-ah) #1577 means an assembly, a (religious) congregation

1. ekklēsía(from 1537 /ek, "out from and to" and 2564 /kaléō, "to call") – properly, people called out from the world and to God, the outcome being the Church (the mystical body of Christ) – i.e. the universal (total) body of believers whom God calls out from the world and into His eternal kingdom.

2. [The English word "church" comes from the Greek word kyriakos, "belonging to the Lord" (kyrios). 1577 /ekklēsía ("church") is the root of the terms "ecclesiology" and "ecclesiastical."]

3. Thayer’s Greek Lexicon

   1. a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place; an assembly

   2. an assembly of Christians gathered for worship

   3. a company of Christians

   4. the church in one's house

Many are saying that the women could not teach, preach, or speak at all at the church, which is false and stem from confusion between 1 Timothy 2:11-15 and 1 Corinthians 33-35. Those two scriptures are not speaking the same thing.

Emissary Paul was not expressing condemnation towards the women on teaching or speaking, but rather, that some unlearned women were exhibiting inappropriate behavior during the congregation service, which is unacceptable. They were disrupting the service with their questions, whispering, and chatting among one another. That was forbidden by the Yah’s law concerning the order of worship service in the assembly. Paul was discussing how the order of the service was to be conducted before he wrote about the shameful women in that chapter. The unlearned women were to behave and learn quietly, and if they have questions, they can ask their husbands or anyone privately at home. Only the fully matured women of Yah that were a part of the service can speak, but others must remain quiet throughout the whole worship service. At the last verse 40, Paul stated, “Let all be done decently and in order.”

We need to be mindful that this was during the era when Paul was correcting the behaviors in the congregation at Corinth. Women, back at those days, did not know the Word of Yah or not mature enough in His Word. They were the newly converts. This does not apply only to the unlearned women, but also to the unlearned men. Anyone who is new to the teachings of Yah, needs to learn silently during the worship service. If they should have any questions, they can ask outside of worship service or bible study to those who are matured in the Word of Yah.

All scriptures are from ISR (Institute for Scripture Research) and Greek Interlinear.