1 Timothy 1:7

1 Timothy 1:7

Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.

a. ASV: Desiring to be teachers of the law, though they understand neither what they say, nor whereof they confidently affirm.

  

b. YLT: Willing to be teachers of law, not understanding either the things they say, nor concerning what they asseverate,

d. Amplified Bible Classic: They are ambitious to be doctors of the Law (teachers of the Mosaic ritual), but they have no understanding either of the words and terms they use or of the subjects about which they make [such] dogmatic assertions.

1. “Desiring to be teachers of the law;...”

a. Desiring [Strong: 2309 thélō, thel'-o; apparently strengthened from the alternate form of G138; to determine (as an active option from subjective impulse; whereas G1014 properly denotes rather a passive acquiescence in objective considerations), i.e. choose or prefer (literally or figuratively); by implication, to wish, i.e. be inclined to (sometimes adverbially, gladly); impersonally for the future tense, to be about to; by Hebraism, to delight in:—desire, be disposed (forward), intend, list, love, mean, please, have rather, (be) will (have, -ling, - ling(-ly)).]

b. to be [Strong: 1511  eînai, i'-nahee; present infinitive from G1510; to exist:—am, was. come, is, ×lust after, × please well, there is, to be, was.]

c. teachers of the law [Strong: 3547 nomodidáskalos, nom-od-id-as'-kal-os; from G3551 and G1320; an expounder of the (Jewish) law, i.e. a Rabbi:—doctor (teacher) of the law.]

2.  “...understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.”

a. [Strong: 3361 mḗ, may; a primary particle of qualified negation (whereas G3756 expresses an absolute denial); (adverb) not, (conjunction) lest; also (as an interrogative implying a negative answer (whereas G3756 expects an affirmative one)) whether:—any but (that), × forbear, + God forbid, + lack, lest, neither, never, no (X wise in), none, nor, (can-)not, nothing, that not, un(-taken), without. Often used in compounds in substantially the same relations.]

b. understanding  [Strong: 3539 noiéō, noy-eh'-o; from G3563; to exercise the mind (observe), i.e. (figuratively) to comprehend, heed:—consider, perceive, think, understand.]

c. neither [Strong: 3383  mḗte, may'-teh; from G3361 and G5037; not too, i.e. (in continued negation) neither or nor; also, not even:—neither, (n-)or, so as much.]

d. what [Strong: 3739 hós, hos; probably a primary word (or perhaps a form of the article G3588); the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun, who, which, what, that:—one, (an-, the) other, some, that, what, which, who(-m, -se), etc.]

e. [they] say [Strong: 3004 légō, leg'-o; a primary verb; properly, to "lay" forth, i.e. (figuratively) relate (in words (usually of systematic or set discourse; whereas G2036 and G5346 generally refer to an individual expression or speech respectively; while G4483 is properly to break silence merely, and G2980 means an extended or random harangue)); by implication, to mean:—ask, bid, boast, call, describe, give out, name, put forth, say(-ing, on), shew, speak, tell, utter.]

g. nor [Strong: 3383  mḗte, may'-teh; from G3361 and G5037; not too, i.e. (in continued negation) neither or nor; also, not even:—neither, (n-)or, so as much.]

h. whereof [Strong: 4012 perí, per-ee'; from the base of G4008; properly, through (all over), i.e. around; figuratively with respect to; used in various applications, of place, cause or time (with the genitive case denoting the subject or occasion or superlative point; with the accusative case the locality, circuit, matter, circumstance or general period):—(there-)about, above, against, at, on behalf of, × and his company, which concern, (as) concerning, for, × how it will go with, ((there-, where-)) of, on, over, pertaining (to), for sake, × (e-)state, (as) touching, (where-)by (in), with. In comparative, it retains substantially the same meaning of circuit (around), excess (beyond), or completeness (through).]

i. [Strong: 5101 tís, tis; probably emphatic of G5100; an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what (in direct or indirect questions):—every man, how (much), + no(-ne, thing), what (manner, thing), where (-by, -fore, -of, -unto, - with, -withal), whether, which, who(-m, -se), why.]

j. [they] affirm [Strong: 1226 diabebaióomai, dee-ab-eb-ahee-o'-om-ahee; middle voice of a compound of G1223 and G950; to confirm thoroughly (by words), i.e. asseverate:—affirm constantly.]