G1993 ἐπιστομίζω (epistomízō)

Be silenced (1993) (epistomizo from epà = upon, + stoma = mouth) originally meant to put something upon the mouth so as to stop it or reduce it to silence. It was used to describe placing a bit into the horse’s mouth. The idea is to close the mouth by means of applying a muzzle or a gag and is used figuratively to refer to preventing someone from talking. Epistomizo was used to describe the putting on the mouth-piece of a flute. These individuals should have a bit and a bridle so to speak. The noun form is used of the “stop” of a water pipe. The verb used metaphorically means to reduce to silence. Vincent translates it as “whom it is necessary to silence.” These men must be silenced but this rendering could be misleading, as this expression is used to refer to killing someone, which is not Paul’s intention. “You must stop them from talking” is really the idea. Titus must continually (present tense) place something over their mouth, stopping their mouth so that they are "muzzled, bridled or gagged". How? The best way to counter false teaching is to offer true teaching, and the only truly unanswerable teaching is the teaching of a Christ-glorifying, Word-ordered, Spirit-controlled life. Today in the Word - The old cliché says that silence is golden. The truth of this statement, however, depends upon the nature of that silence. When false doctrine is being taught, the silence of those who know the truth leads to immeasurable damage. That’s why Paul says that it’s the false teachers who “must be silenced.” In our age of religious pluralism and ethical relativism, Christians may find it hard to confront those who disagree with the basic truths of the Christian faith. Yet if we ignore false teaching, Paul warns that it will spread from individuals to families to entire churches. We can’t afford to be silent. BECAUSE THEY ARE UPSETTING WHOLE FAMILIES: hoitines holous oikous anatrepousin: (Mt 23:14; 2Ti 3:6) they are ruining whole families (GWT) They are destroying whole families (ICB) who are of such a character as to disrupt whole families, (Wuest) they upset the faith of whole households (Phillips) who subvert whole houses (KJV), who whole households do overturn (YLT), they have already turned whole families away from the truth (NLT) bc by it whole families are turned away from the grace of God (TLB) Paul explains why it is absolutely necessary to stop these men from talking...it has to do with the effects of their words on entire families.