But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them learn first to show piety towards their own family, and to repay their parents, for this is{TR adds "good and"} acceptable in the sight of God.
To shew piety towards their own house Almost all the commentators take the verbεὐσεβεῖν in an active sense, because it is followed by an accusative; but that is not a conclusive argument, for it is customary with the Greek authors to have a preposition understood. And this exposition agrees well with the context, that, by cultivating human piety, they should train themselves in the worship of God; lest a foolish and silly devotion should divest them of human feelings. Again, let widows learn to repay what they owe to their ancestors by educating their own offspring. 