1 Timothy 5:15 (KJV)

What does 1 Timothy 5:15 mean?

1 Timothy 5:15 says that some younger widows had already left the path of faith and were following Satan. The sentence gives a reason for the concern expressed just before it about the conduct of younger widows.

“Turned aside after Satan” pictures a change of direction: instead of continuing on their former path, some had begun to follow a harmful one. The word “already” makes the concern immediate for Timothy, the person receiving the letter.

The Greek behind 1 Timothy 5:15

• “turned aside” — ἐκτρέπω (ektrepō): The word carries the sense of turning away from a course. Here it gives the sentence its picture of a person leaving one path for another.
• “after” — ὀπίσω (opisō): The word can mean “behind” or “after.” With “Satan,” it suggests following someone as a leader.

Why 1 Timothy 5:15 matters

• The concern is based on something the writer says has happened, not only on a future possibility. The phrase “some are already” points to people known to have turned aside.
• The statement concerns some younger widows, not all of them. The word “some” follows the discussion of younger widows in verses 11–14.