1 Timothy 6:16 (DBY)

Passage

who only has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light; whom no man has seen, nor is able to see; to whom [be] honour and eternal might. Amen.

Nearby Context

1 Timothy 6:14 that thou keep the commandment spotless, irreproachable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ;

1 Timothy 6:15 which in its own time the blessed and only Ruler shall shew, the King of those that reign, and Lord of those that exercise lordship;

1 Timothy 6:16 who only has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light; whom no man has seen, nor is able to see; to whom [be] honour and eternal might. Amen.

1 Timothy 6:17 Enjoin on those rich in the present age not to be high-minded, nor to trust on the uncertainty of riches; but in the God who affords us all things richly for [our] enjoyment;

1 Timothy 6:18 to do good, to be rich in good works, to be liberal in distributing, disposed to communicate [of their substance],

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "light", "only", "immortality", "dwelling", "unapproachable", "seen", and "honour". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "light" and "only", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "which in its own time the blessed..." into verse 17's "Enjoin on those rich in the present...", so "light" and "only" belong inside that flow. In 1 Timothy context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "light" and "only" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.