a race (as of the same habit) · noun — nominative plural neuter
walk
περιπατεῖperipatei
G4043
to tread all around · verb — present active indicative, 3rd person singular
in
ἐνen
G1722
"in · preposition
vanity
ματαιότητιmataiotēti
G3153
inutility · noun — dative singular feminine
their
αὐτῶν,autōn
G846
the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — genitive plural neuter
mind
νοὸςnoos
G3563
the intellect · noun — genitive singular 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
Romans 1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foo…
1 Peter 4:3-4 For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wi…
1 Thessalonians 4:1-2 Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to plea…
Colossians 3:5-8 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousnes…
Ephesians 2:1-3 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
2 Peter 2:18 For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were cle…
Colossians 2:4 And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.
Acts 14:15 And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vani…
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Ephesians 4:17–end
The apostle having gone through his exhortation to mutual love, unity, and concord, in the foregoing verses, there follows in these an exhortation to Christian purity and holiness of heart and life, and that both more general (Eph 4:17-24) and in several particular instances, Eph 4:25-32. This is solemnly introduced: "This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord; that is, seeing the matter is as above described, seeing you are members of Christ's body and partakers of such gifts, this I urge upon your consciences, and bear witness to as your duty in the Lord's name, and by virtue of the authority I have derived from him." Consider,
I. The more general exhortation to purity and holiness of h…
therefore--resuming the exhortation which he had begun with, "I therefore beseech you that ye walk worthy," &c. (Eph 4:1).
testify in the Lord--in whom (as our element) we do all things pertaining to the ministry (Th1 4:1 [ALFORD]; Rom 9:1).
henceforth . . . not--Greek, "no longer"; resumed from Eph 4:14.
other--Greek, "the rest of the Gentiles."
in the vanity, &c.--as their element: opposed to "in the Lord." "Vanity of mind" is the waste of the rational powers on worthless objects, of which idolatry is one of the more glaring instances. The root of it is departure from the knowledge of the true God (Eph 4:18-19; Rom 1:21; Th1 4:5).
Adam Clarke on Ephesians 4:17
Walk not as other Gentiles walk - Ye are called to holiness by the Gospel, the other Gentiles have no such calling; walk not as they walk. In this and the two following verses the apostle gives a most awful account of the conduct of the heathens who were without the knowledge of the true God. I shall note the particulars.
1. They walked in the vanity of their mind, εν ματαιοτητι του νοος αὑτων· In the foolishness of their mind; want of genuine wisdom is that to which the apostle refers, and it was through this that the Gentiles became addicted to every species of idolatry; and they fondly imagined that they could obtain help from gods which were the work of their own hands! Here their fooli…
Consider what Paul calls "futility of mind." This occurs when someone has a mind but does not use it for contemplation, instead surrendering it to captivity under Satan.
Branding, in fine, such as had denied themselves-Christians, to wit-on the score of having "delivered themselves up to the working of every impunity," "But ye," he says, "not so have learnt Christ.
These words are not addressed to the Ephesians only, but are now addressed also to you; and that, not from me, but from Paul; or rather, neither from me nor from Paul, but from the grace of the Spirit. And we then ought so to feel, as though that grace itself were uttering them. And now hear what it saith. "This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye no longer walk as the Gentiles also walk, in the vanity of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their heart." If then it is ignorance, if it is hardening, why blame it? if a man is ignorant, it were just, not that he should be ill-treated for it, nor be blamed, but that he should be informed of those things of which he is ignorant. But mark how at once he cuts them off from all excuse. "Who being past feeling" saith he, "gave themselves up to lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness; but ye did not so learn Christ." Here he shows us, that the cause of their hardening was their way of life, and that their life was the consequence of their own indolence and want of feeling.
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
Amusements And Pleasures, Worldly · Indulgence in: A characteristic of the wicked — Indulgence in: A characteristic of the wicked
Amusements And Worldly Pleasures · A characteristic of the wicked — A characteristic of the wicked
Blindness, Spiritual · Leads to all evil — Leads to all evil
Depravity Of Man · 7:17;12:34,35;15:19; — 7:17;12:34,35;15:19;
Example · 30:7; — 30:7;
Fall Of Man, The · Man in consequence of: Depraved in mind — Man in consequence of: Depraved in mind
Gentiles · UNCLASSIFIED SCIPTURES RELATING TO — UNCLASSIFIED SCIPTURES RELATING TO
Lasciviousness · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Pride · 4:1; — 4:1;
Vanity · The wicked: Walk in — The wicked: Walk in
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).
John Gill on Ephesians 4:17
This I say therefore and testify in the Lord,.... These words may be considered either as an assertion, and so a testimonial of the different walk and conversation of the saints at Ephesus, from the rest of the Gentiles; or as an exhortation in the name of the Lord to such a walk, the apostle here returning to what he stirs them up to in Ephesians 4:1
that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind; every natural man walks in a vain show; the mind of man is vain, and whoever walk according to the dictates of it, must walk vainly: the phrase is expressive of the emptiness of the mind; it being naturally destitute of God, of the knowledge, fear, and grace of Go…
Ephesians 4:17-19
17. This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind;
17. Hoc ergo dico et testificor in Domino, ne ambuletis amplius, quemadmodum et gentes reliquae ambulant,
18. Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
18. In vanitate mentis suae, excaecatae in intelligentia, alienatae a vita Dei propter ignorantiam, quae in illis est, propter caecitatem cordis earum;
19. Who, being past feeling, have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
19. Quae pos…
Paul gives believers specific guidelines for living a new life in Christ.
4:17 God’s people are called to a way of life that is different from that of the Gentiles (pagans, unbelievers) of the world.
