Ephesians 2:3

Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
Among	ἐν en	G1722	"in · preposition
whom	οἷς hois	G3739	the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun · relative pronoun — dative plural masculine
also	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
we	ἡμεῖς hēmeîs	G2249	we (only used when emphatic)
all	πάντες pantes	G3956	all · adjective — nominative plural masculine
conversation	ἀνεστράφημέν anestraphēmen	G390	to overturn · verb — second aorist passive indicative, 1st person plural
past	ποτε pote	G4218	indefinite adverb · particle
in	ἐν en	G1722	"in · preposition
lusts	ἐπιθυμίαις epithumiais	G1939	a longing (especially for what is forbidden) · noun — dative plural feminine
our	ἡμῶν hēmōn	G2257	of (or from) us
flesh	σαρκὸς sarkos	G4561	flesh (as stripped of the skin) · noun — genitive singular feminine
fulfilling	ποιοῦντες poiountes	G4160	to make or do (in a very wide application · verb — present active participle, nominative plural masculine
desires	θελήματα thelēmata	G2307	a determination (properly · noun — accusative plural neuter
flesh	σαρκὸς sarkos	G4561	flesh (as stripped of the skin) · noun — genitive singular feminine
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
mind	διανοιῶν dianoiōn	G1271	deep thought · noun — genitive plural feminine
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
were	ἤμεθα ēmetha	G1510	I exist (used only when emphatic) · verb — imperfect middle indicative, 1st person plural
nature	φύσει phusei	G5449	growth (by germination or expansion) · noun — dative singular feminine
children	τέκνα tekna	G5043	a child (as produced) · noun — nominative plural neuter
wrath	ὀργῆς orgēs	G3709	properly · noun — genitive singular feminine
even	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
as	ὡς hōs	G5613	which how · particle
others	λοιποί.¶ loipoi	G3062	remaining ones · adjective — nominative plural masculine

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Titus 3:3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful,…
Galatians 5:16-24 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
Ephesians 4:22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
1 Peter 1:14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:
Romans 13:14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
Psalms 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
Romans 6:12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers,…

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Ephesians 2:1-3

The miserable condition of the Ephesians by nature is here in part described. Observed, 1. Unregenerate souls are dead in trespasses and sins. All those who are in their sins, are dead in sins; yea, in trespasses and sins, which may signify all sorts of sins, habitual and actual, sins of heart and of life. Sin is the death of the soul. Wherever that prevails there is a privation of all spiritual life. Sinners are dead in state, being destitute of the principles, and powers of spiritual life; and cut off from God, the fountain of life: and they are dead in law, as a condemned malefactor is said to be a dead man. 2. A state of sin is a state of conformity to this world, Eph 2:2. In the first v…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Ephesians 2:3

also we--that is, we also. Paul here joins himself in the same category with them, passing from the second person (Eph 2:1-2) to the first person here. all--Jews and Gentiles. our conversation--"our way of life" (Co2 1:12; Pe1 1:18). This expression implies an outwardly more decorous course, than the open "walk" in gross sins on the part of the majority of Ephesians in times past, the Gentile portion of whom may be specially referred to in Eph 2:2. Paul and his Jewish countrymen, though outwardly more seemly than the Gentiles (Act 26:4-5, Act 26:18), had been essentially like them in living to the unrenewed flesh, without the Spirit of God. fulfilling--Greek, doing. mind--Greek, "our…

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Adam Clarke on Ephesians 2:3

Among whom also we all had our conversation - We Jews, as well as you Gentiles, have lived in transgressions and sins; ανεστραφημεν, this was the course of our life; we lived in sin, walked in sin, it was woven through our whole constitution, it tinged every temper, polluted every faculty, and perverted every transaction of life. The lusts - the evil, irregular, and corrupt affections of the heart, showed themselves in the perversion of the mind as well as in our general conduct. The mind was darkened by the lusts of the flesh, and both conjoined to produce acts of unrighteousness. It was not the will of God that was done by us, but the will of the flesh and of the mind. And were by nature t…

The Church Fathers

Undoubtedly the will passes for nature—for it is from their will, not their nature, that people are judged. Similarly all the martyrs and the justified are upright not because they were born faithful but because they were reborn so.
— Pseudo-Augustine, QUESTIONS ON THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS 115.11

So that he would not appear to have exempted himself through pride when he said "your sins in which you walked," he now adds "in which we also lived." However, the one who says he has lived confesses past, not present, transgressions.
— Jerome, Commentary on Ephesians 2:1-5

There is a difference between sin of the flesh and sin of the mind. The sin of the flesh is indecency and profligacy and whatever might act as instrument to its lusts. The transgression of the mind pertains to doctrine contrary to truth and to the baseness of heretics.
— Jerome, Commentary on Ephesians 2:1-5

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Conversation — Generally the goings out and in of social intercourse (Eph. 2:3; 4:22; R.V., “manner of life”); one’s deportment or course of life. This word is never used in Scripture in the sense of verbal…
Death — May be simply defined as the termination of life. It is represented under a variety of aspects in Scripture: (1.) “The dust shall return to the earth as it was” (Eccl. 12:7). (2.) “Thou takest away…
Depravity Of Man · 7:17;12:34,35;15:19; — 7:17;12:34,35;15:19;
Fall Of Man, The · Man in consequence of: A child of wrath — Man in consequence of: A child of wrath
Heredity · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Selfishness · All men addicted to — All men addicted to
Titles And Names Of The Wicked · Children of wrath — Children of wrath

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Ephesians 2:3

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Ephesians 2:1-3

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Ephesians 2:3

Adam Clarke on Ephesians 2:3

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Ephesians 2:3

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Ephesians 2:1-3

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Ephesians 2:3

Adam Clarke on Ephesians 2:3

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Gill on Ephesians 2:3

John Calvin on Ephesians 2:1-3

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Ephesians 2:3