Albert Barnes Commentary 1 Timothy 5:9

"Let none be enrolled as a widow under threescore years old, [having been] the wife of one man," — 1 Timothy 5:9 (ASV)

Let not a widow be taken into the number. The marginal reading, chosen, expresses the sense of the Greek more accurately, but the meaning is not materially different. Paul does not here specify into what "number" the widow is to be "taken," or for what purpose she is to be "chosen," but he speaks of this as something that was well understood.

There can be no doubt, however, what he means. In the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 6:1) we have this account: And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. "It appears that from the first formation of the Christian church, provision was made out of the public funds of the society for the indigent widows who belonged to it." See Paley's Horae Paulinae, on 1 Timothy, No. 11.

To this, as to a well-known practice, Paul here evidently refers. The manner in which he refers to it is such as to show that the custom had an existence. All that was necessary in the case was not to speak of it as if it were a new arrangement, but to mention those who ought to be regarded as proper subjects of the charity. It would also seem that it was understood that such widows, according to their ability, should exercise a proper watch over the younger females of the church. In this way, while they were supported by the church, they might render themselves useful.

Under threescore years old. This was for reasons such as those mentioned in 1 Timothy 5:11–14.

Having been the wife of one man. There has been much diversity of opinion on whether this means that she had only ever had one husband, or whether she had been the wife of only one man at a time (that is, whether she had divorced one and married another). See Whitby, in loco. The same difficulty has been felt regarding this as with the passage in 1 Timothy 3:2. See Barnes on 1 Timothy 3:2.

Doddridge, Clarke, and others, suppose that it means, "who had lived in conjugal fidelity to her husband." The reason Doddridge assigned for this opinion is that the apostle did not mean to condemn second marriages, since he expressly commends it for the younger widows in 1 Timothy 5:14. The correct interpretation probably is to refer it to one who had been married only once, and who, after her husband had died, had remained a widow. The reasons for this opinion are briefly as follows:

1. That this is the interpretation most naturally suggested by the phrase.
2. That it agrees better with the description of the one who was to be enrolled among the "number"—those who were "widows indeed"—as we would more naturally apply this term to one who had remained unmarried after the death of her husband than to one who had married again.
3. That, while it was not unlawful or improper in itself for a widow to marry a second time, there was a degree of respect and honor attached to one who did not do it, which would not be felt for one who did. (Compare to Luke 2:36-37.) We read, She was a widow of great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; and she was a widow of about fourscore and four years. The same is true now. There is a higher degree of respect felt for such a widow than for one who has married again, though she may be a widow again.
4. That among the pagans, it was regarded as especially honorable to have been married to only one man, and such widows wore the Pudicitia Coronam, or crown of chastity. (Valerius Maximus, Book 1, section 2; Compare to Livy, Book 10, section 23). See Whitby.
5. That since these persons were not only to be maintained by the church but also appear to have been entrusted with an office of guardianship over the younger females, it was important that they should have such a character that no occasion for offense would be given, even among the pagans. For that reason, Paul directed that only those should be thus enrolled who were in all respects widows and who would be regarded, on account of their age and their whole deportment, as widows indeed. I cannot doubt, therefore, that he meant to exclude from the number here referred to those who had married a second time.