John Calvin Commentary 1 Timothy 5:13

"And withal they learn also [to be] idle, going about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not." — 1 Timothy 5:13 (ASV)

And not only so, but they grow idle. Nothing is more fitting for women than keeping the house; and for this reason, among the ancients, a tortoise was the image of a good and respectable mother of a family. But there are many who are afflicted with the opposite vice. Nothing delights them more than the freedom of running from one place to another, especially when, being freed from the burden of a family, they have nothing to do at home.

Tattlers and busybodies. Besides, those widows, under the pretext of the respect due to the public character they held, had easier access to many people. They abused this opportunity, obtained through the kindness of the Church, for purposes of “idleness.” Then, as usually happens, from slothfulness sprang curiosity, which is also the mother of talkativeness.

Most true is the saying of Horace: “Shun an inquisitive person, for he is always a tattler.” “No trust should be placed,” as Plutarch says, “in inquisitive persons, for as soon as they have heard anything, they are never at rest until they have blabbed it out.”

This is especially the case with women, who by nature are prone to talkativeness and cannot keep a secret. With good reason, therefore, has Paul joined together these three things: sloth, inquisitiveness, and tattling.