Piety

Lat. pietas, properly honour and respect toward parents ( 1 Timothy 5:4 ). In Acts 17:23 the Greek verb is rendered "ye worship," as applicable to God.

Godliness.

Honour widows that are widows indeed. But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to show PIETY at home, and to requite their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God. ( 1 Timothy 1:1 Psalm 5:3-4 )

This word occurs but once in the Authorized Version: "Let them learn first to show piety at home," better "toward their own household" or family. ( 1 Timothy 5:4 ) The choice of this word here instead of the more usual equivalents -of "godliness," "reverence," and the like, was probably determined by the special sense of pietas , as "erga parentes," i.e. toward parents.

PIETY

pi'-e-ti:

Only in 1 Timothy 5:4: "Let them learn first to show piety toward their own family," where "let them show piety" represents a single Greek verb (eusebeo), in its only other occurrence (Acts 17:23) being rendered "worship." In Elizabethan English "piety" (like the Latin pietas) could be used of devotion to one's parents (as still in the phrase "filial piety"), as well as of devotion to God. Hence, there is no explicit statement here that filial devotion is one form of divine worship.