G2271 hēsychia (hay-soo-KHEE-ah) — quietness, calm, a settled spirit. Not the word for silence.
Word: ἡσυχία (noun, G2271) · ἡσύχιος (adjective, G2272)
In brief
Hēsychia means quietness in the sense of calm, peaceable, settled behavior. It is a different word from sigaō, "to be silent." In 1 Timothy 2:11–12, Paul uses it for women. Nine verses earlier, he uses the same word for the quiet, peaceful life he wants all believers to live. When it is translated "silence" for women, it sounds like a gag order instead of the calm, teachable spirit Paul asks of everyone.
Where it appears
- 1 Timothy 2:2 — pray for leaders "so that we may lead a peaceful and hēsychion life." This applies to all believers.
- 1 Timothy 2:11 — "Let a woman learn in hēsychia." The verb "let her learn" is a command: women are to be taught.
- 1 Timothy 2:12 — "…but to be in hēsychia."
- 2 Thessalonians 3:12 — believers should work "with hēsychia" and earn their own living.
- Acts 22:2 — when Paul speaks in Aramaic, the crowd becomes more quiet, settled enough to listen.
- 1 Peter 3:4 — a gentle and hēsychiou spirit.
What the lexicons say
Lexicons give two senses: a state of rest or calm, and the absence of speaking. Elsewhere in the New Testament, the calm, peaceable sense dominates.
How translations render it
| Translation | 1 Timothy 2:11 | 1 Timothy 2:12 |
|---|---|---|
| KJV | "in silence" | "to be in silence" |
| ESV | "quietly" | "to remain quiet" |
| NIV (2011) | "in quietness" | "she must be quiet" |
| NRSV | "in silence" | "to keep silent" |
| CEB | "learn quietly" | "be a quiet listener" |
The KJV and NRSV choose "silence" for women in 2:11–12 but "quiet" for everyone in 2:2.
See for yourself
- Read 1 Timothy 2:1–2 and 2:11–12 together. Does Paul ask something of women that he does not ask of everyone?
- In 2:11, what does Paul command for women before he says anything about quietness?
Related words
sigaō (G4601, be silent) · authenteō (G831) · gynē (G1135)