Titus 2:3
The aged women, in like manner, in holy attire, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teaching well:
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- Vulgate (Clementine)
- anus similiter in habitu sancto, non criminatrices, non multo vino servientes, bene docentes :
- Greek New Testament (SBLGNT)
- Πρεσβύτιδας ὡσαύτως ἐν καταστήματι ἱεροπρεπεῖς, μὴ διαβόλους μηδὲ οἴνῳ πολλῷ δεδουλωμένας, καλοδιδασκάλους,
Haydock's commentary
In holy attire.1 See 1 Timothy ii. 9. The Greek word is sometimes used to signify the whole constitution, or state of a man's health in all the parts of his body: here it is taken for a woman's whole exterior carriage, her gait, gesture, looks, discourse, dress, that nothing appear but what is edifying. (Witham)
1 In habitu sancto, in katastemati ieroprepeis. Scapula, out of Dioscorus, says katastema is constitutio naturalis corporis. See St. Jerome p. 426.
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
Clement of Alexandria The Stromata, or Miscellanies, Chapter XX. A Good Wife
For with perfect propriety Scripture has said that woman is given by God as “an help” to man. It is evident, then, in my opinion, that she will charge herself with remedying, by good sense and persuasion, each of the annoyances that originate with her husband in domestic economy. And if he do not yield, then she will endeavour, as far as possible for human nature, to lead a sinless life; whether it be necessary to die, in accordance with reason, or to live; considering that God is her helper and associate in such a course of conduct, her true defender and Saviour both for the present and for the future; making Him the leader and guide of all her actions, reckoning sobriety and righteousness her work, and making the favour of God her end. …
St John Chrysostom The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom, Matthew V. 27, 28
But if thou desirest to hear also His rebuke for them in particular, listen to Isaiah,in many words inveighing against them, and deriding their habit, their aspect, their gait, their trailing garments, their tripping feet, their drooping necks. Hear with him the blessed Paulalso, setting many laws for them; and both about garments, and ornaments of gold, and plaiting of hair, and luxuriousliving, and all other such things, vehemently rebuking this sex. And Christ too, by what follows next, obscurely intimated this very same; for when He saith, “pluck out and cut off the eye that offendeth thee,” He speaks as indicating His anger against them.
St John Chrysostom The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Timothy, Titus, and Philemon, Titus 2:2-5
Titus ii. 2-5 “That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. The aged women likewise, that they be in behavior as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.” There are some failings which age has, that youth has not. Some indeed it has in common with youth, but in addition it has a slowness, a timidity, a forgetfulness, an insensibility, and an irritability. …
St John Chrysostom The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Timothy, Titus, and Philemon, Titus 2:2-5
Ver. 3 . “The aged women likewise, that they be in behavior as becometh holiness.” That is, that in their very dress and carriage they exhibit modesty. “Not false accusers, not given to much wine.” For this was particularly the vice of women and of old age. For from their natural coldness at that period of life arises the desire of wine, therefore he directs his exhortation to that point, to cut off all occasion of drunkenness, wishing them to be far removed from that vice, and to escape the ridicule that attends it. For the fumes mount more easily from beneath, and the membranes (of the brain) receive the mischief from their being impaired by age, and this especially causes intoxication. Yet wine is necessary at this age, because of its weakness, but much is not required. Nor do young women require much, though for a different reason, because it kindles the flame of lust. …