1 Thessalonians 4:5

1 Thessalonians 4:5 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:
• New International Version (NIV)not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God;
• English Standard Version (ESV)not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God;
• New King James Version (NKJV)not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God;

Context of 1 Thessalonians 4:5

3For this is the will of God, that you be sanctified [separated and set apart from sin]: that you abstain and back away from sexual immorality; 4that each of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor [being available for God’s purpose and separated from things profane], not [to be used] in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God and are ignorant of His will; 6and that [in this matter of sexual misconduct] no man shall transgress and defraud his brother because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we have told you before and solemnly warned you. 7For God has not called us to impurity, but to holiness [to be dedicated, and set apart by behavior that pleases Him, whether in public or in private].

1 Thessalonians 4:5 word by word

μὴ ἐν πάθει ἐπιθυμίας καθάπερ καὶ τὰ ἔθνη τὰ μὴ εἰδότα τὸν θεόν·Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Notμήmē · notG3361
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• the lustπάθοςpathos · passionG3806
• of concupiscenceἐπιθυμίαepithumia · desireG1939
• evenκαίkai · andG2532
• asκαθάπερkathaper · just asG2509
• the Gentilesὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the Gentilesἔθνοςethnos · GentilesG1484
• knowεἴδωeidō · to perceive: understandG1492
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316

Cross-references for 1 Thessalonians 4:5

• Romans 1:24Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their own hearts to [sexual] impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them [abandoning them to the degrading power of sin],
• Colossians 3:5So put to death and deprive of power the evil longings of your earthly body [with its sensual, self-centered instincts] immorality, impurity, sinful passion, evil desire, and greed, which is [a kind of] idolatry [because it replaces your devotion to God].
• Matthew 6:32For the [pagan] Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; [but do not worry,] for your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
• Luke 12:30For all the [pagan] nations of the world greedily seek these things; and your [heavenly] Father [already] knows that you need them.
• Ephesians 4:17So this I say, and solemnly affirm together with the Lord [as in His presence], that you must no longer live as the [unbelieving] Gentiles live, in the futility of their minds [and in the foolishness and emptiness of their souls],
• 1 Peter 4:3For the time already past is [more than] enough for doing what the [unsaved] Gentiles like to do—living [unrestrained as you have done] in a course of [shameless] sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties, and wanton idolatries.
• Acts 17:23Now as I was going along and carefully looking at your objects of worship, I came to an altar with this inscription: ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ Therefore what you already worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.
• Romans 1:28And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God or consider Him worth knowing [as their Creator], God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do things which are improper and repulsive,
• 1 Corinthians 1:21For since the world through all its [earthly] wisdom failed to recognize God, God in His wisdom was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached [regarding salvation] to save those who believe [in Christ and welcome Him as Savior].
• 1 Corinthians 15:34Be sober-minded [be sensible, wake up from your spiritual stupor] as you ought, and stop sinning; for some [of you] have no knowledge of God [you are disgracefully ignorant of Him, and ignore His truths]. I say this to your shame.
• Galatians 4:8But at that time, when you did not know [the true] God and were unacquainted with Him, you [Gentiles] were slaves to those [pagan] things which by [their very] nature were not and could not be gods at all.
• Ephesians 2:12remember that at that time you were separated from Christ [excluded from any relationship with Him], alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise [with no share in the sacred Messianic promise and without knowledge of God’s agreements], having no hope [in His promise] and [living] in the world without God.
• 2 Thessalonians 1:8dealing out [full and complete] vengeance to those who do not [seek to] know God and to those who ignore and refuse to obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus [by choosing not to respond to Him].

Commentaries on 1 Thessalonians 4:5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5Not in the lust of concupiscence - Having no rational object, aim, nor end. Some say, "not like beasts;" but this does not apply as they who use it wish, for the males and females of the brute creation are regular and consistent in their intercourse, and scarcely ever exceed such bounds as reason itself would prescribe to those most capable of observing and obeying its dictates. The Gentiles which know not God - These are the beasts; their own brutes are…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5Not in the lust of concupiscence - In gross gratifications. Even as the Gentiles - This was, and is, a common vice among the pagan; see the Acts 15:20 note; Romans 1:29 note; Ephesians 4:17-18 notes, and the reports of missionaries everywhere. Which know not God - See the Romans 1:21, Romans 1:28 notes; Ephesians 2:12 note.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5Ignoring God and his teachings leads to moral corruption (Romans 1:18–32; Ephesians 4:17–18). lustful passion: In the ancient Mediterranean world, people often tolerated sexual immorality. Prostitution was legal, but having sexual relations with another man's wife was not. Roman marriage customs permitted men, but not women, to have sexual affairs. In contrast to Roman customs, Jewish and Christian writers forbade all sexual activity outside of marriage…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. in the lust--Greek, "passion"; which implies that such a one is unconsciously the passive slave of lust. which know not God--and so know no better. Ignorance of true religion is the parent of unchastity (Ep 4:18, 19). A people's morals are like the objects of their worship (De 7:26; Psa 115:8; Ro 1:23, 24).Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Thessalonians 4:5

• Adultery
• Affections
• Blindness
• Commandments
• Lasciviousness

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Asleep
• Concupiscence
• Quiet
• Rise
• Sleep
• Trump
• Lust
• Passion, Passions

Commentaries on 1 Thessalonians 4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings