III. Encouragement for Timothy to remain faithful (1:6–2:13)

A. God gave, not a spirit of cowardice, but of power and love; also salvation an expression of his undeserved kindness (1:6-11)

B. Example of Paul in suffering; those turning away from Paul contrasted with Onesiphorus who assisted the apostle (1:12-18)

C. Admonition to commit things learned to faithful men who would be adequately qualified to teach others; exhortation to take part in suffering evil as fine soldier of Christ Jesus (2:1-7)

D. Reason for Paul’s being able to endure (2:8-13)

IV. Action to be taken regarding false teachings (2:14–4:5)

A. Not to fight about words; handle word of truth aright; shun empty speeches in opposition to truth (2:14-18)

B. False teachers will have no success, as solid foundation of God stays standing; keep clear of unclean vessels, evidently meaning persons like false teachers (2:19-21)

C. Timothy to flee from desires incidental to youth, pursuing righteousness, faith, love and peace; not to fight with those not favorably disposed but instruct with mildness so that they might repent (2:22-26)

D. Description of conditions in “last days,” with admonition for Timothy to continue faithful (adhering to inspired Scriptures and preaching the word) (3:1–4:5)

V. Paul’s personal circumstances as a prisoner; his desire for Timothy to come; final greetings and pronouncement of blessing (4:6-22)

See the book “All Scripture Is Inspired of God and Beneficial,” pp. 232-237.

TIN

The original Hebrew word b^edhilʹ means that which is separated or removed from precious metals by smelting. The word is used at Isaiah 1:25: “I shall smelt away your scummy dross as with lye, and I will remove all your waste products [b^edhilʹ].” The first reference to tin, soon after the Exodus, includes it among the valuable spoils of war taken from the Midianites. (Num. 31:2, 22) There were no tin mines in Palestine; the heavy dark oxide of tin called “cassiterite” came from river sands in Tarshish and England. (Ezek. 27:12) Of the six products of the ancient metallurgist’s furnace, tin had the lowest melting point of all, only 449° F. (232° C.). (Ezek. 22:18, 20) Tin, it appears, was used to make plummets, for at Zechariah 4:10 (which speaks of the “plummet”) the Masoretic text reads “the stone [or, weight], the tin.” In Amos 7:7, 8 the Hebrew word translated “plummet” may mean tin or lead. Tin’s greatest usefulness, however, was as a hardening agent; 2 to 18 percent tin alloyed with copper has been found in ancient specimens of bronze.

TIPHSAH

(Tiphʹsah) [passage, ford].

1. A place at the extreme N of Solomon’s kingdom. (1 Ki. 4:24) Scholars generally identify it with Dibseh on the Euphrates River, some sixty miles (c. 97 kilometers) E-SE of Aleppo and almost that same distance from the confluence of the Euphrates and Balikh Rivers.

2. A place, apparently in the vicinity of Tirzah, that was struck down by Israel’s King Menahem (c. 791-780 B.C.E.). (2 Ki. 15:16) Its exact situation is not known. Khirbet Tafsah, about seven miles (c. 11 kilometers) SW of ancient Shechem, bears a similar name, but appears to be too far from the assumed site of Tirzah to be the location of this Tiphsah.

TIRAS

(Tiʹras).

One of the seven sons of Japheth. (Gen. 10:2; 1 Chron. 1:5) The people descended from Japheth’s sons were later “spread about in their lands, each according to its tongue.”—Gen. 10:5.

Generally, authorities of the present day consider Tiras to be identified with the Tyr·se·noiʹ of classical Greek writers, also called Tyr·hre·noiʹ. The Tyr·se·noiʹ were a seafaring people of the islands and coastlands of the Aegean Sea.

TIRATHITES

(Tiʹrath·ites).

A Kenite family of scribes living at Jabez.—1 Chron. 2:55.

TIRHAKAH

(Tir·haʹkah).

Thought to be Pharaoh Taharka, the third of the Ethiopian rulers in Egypt’s “Twenty-fifth Dynasty.” The dates generally assigned by modern historians to Taharka’s rule, however, do not fit Biblical chronology. (Evidence favoring Biblical chronology over secular chronology is presented on pages 323 to 326.) During Hezekiah’s reign, while Assyrian King Sennacherib was fighting against Libnah, news came that Tirhakah was on his way to fight the Assyrians. (2 Ki. 19:8, 9; Isa. 37:8, 9) An Assyrian inscription, though not mentioning Tirhakah, indicates that Sennacherib defeated the forces that came from Egypt and captured “the charioteers of the king of Ethiopia.” The next Assyrian king, Esar-haddon, boasted about his conquest of Egypt, saying: “Its king, Tirhakah, I wounded five times with arrowshots and ruled over his entire country.” During the reign of Esar-haddon’s son and successor Ashurbanipal, Tirhakah revolted against submission to Assyria. But, according to Ashurbanipal, “the terror of the (sacred) weapon of Ashur, my lord, overcame Tirhakah where he had taken refuge and he was never heard of again.”

TIRHANAH

(Tirʹha·nah).

Child of Caleb by his concubine Maacah; of the tribe of Judah.—1 Chron. 2:3, 48.

TIRIA

(Tirʹi·a)

A ‘son’ of Jehallelel in the genealogies of Judah.—1 Chron. 4:1, 16.

TIRSHATHA

(Tir·shaʹtha).

The Persian title for the governor of a jurisdictional district. In the five times it is used, it is preceded by the Hebrew definite article ha, making it in English “the Tirshatha.”

The officials mentioned in the Bible by the title Tirshatha ruled over Judah, one of the Persian provinces. Zerubbabel was evidently the Tirshatha mentioned in Ezra 2:63 and Nehemiah 7:65, 70. Later when Nehemiah became governor he was the Tirshatha, and is referred to as such at Nehemiah 8:9 and 10:1.

TIRZAH

(Tirʹzah) [pleasantness, delightfulness].

1. One of the five daughters of the Manassite Zelophehad; a contemporary of Moses and Joshua.—Num. 26:29, 33; 27:1-7; 36:11, 12; Josh. 17:3, 4.

2. A city in Samaria, the exact location of which is uncertain. Archaeological evidence seems to favor Tell el-Farʽah, about seven miles (11 kilometers) NE of Nablus (linked with ancient Shechem).

Under the command of Joshua, the Israelites defeated the king of Tirzah. (Josh. 12:7, 24) Centuries later, Jeroboam, the first king of the northern kingdom, transferred his residence to Tirzah. (Compare 1 Kings 12:25; 14:17.) Tirzah evidently continued to be the capital of the northern kingdom during the reigns of Jeroboam’s son Nadab (1 Ki. 15:25-28) and his successors Baasha, Elah and Zimri. (1 Ki. 15:33; 16:5, 6, 8, 15) The last of these kings, Zimri, committed suicide at Tirzah when Omri captured the city. (1 Ki. 16:17-20) After reigning in Tirzah for six years, Omri built Samaria and made that city his capital. (1 Ki. 16:23, 24, 29) More than one hundred and fifty years later, Menahem, a resident of Tirzah, killed Shallum and became king in Samaria.—2 Ki. 15:14, 17.