1 Timothy 2:12

In the Bible, 1 Timothy 2:12 is the twelfth verse of the second chapter of the First Epistle to Timothy. It is often quoted using the King James Version translation:

But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.

— 1 Timothy 2:12, KJV

And from the English Standard Version:

I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.

— 1 Timothy 2:12, ESV

The verse is widely used to oppose ordination of women as clergy, and to oppose certain other positions of ministry and leadership for women in large segments of Christianity. Many such groups that do not permit women to become clergy also cite 1 Corinthians 14:32–35 and 1 Timothy 3:1–7. Historically, the verse was used to justify legal inequality for women and to exclude women from secular leadership roles as well.

For most of the history of Christian theology the verse has been interpreted to require some degree of subordination of women to men. Some theologians, like Ambrosiaster in the 4th century and John Knox in the 16th century, wrote that it requires very strict domination of women in every sphere of life. Others, like John Chrysostom and Martin Luther, write that it excludes women from teaching, praying, or speaking in public but grants some freedom to women in the home.