Ephesians 5:18

Ephesians 5:18 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
• New International Version (NIV)Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit,
• English Standard Version (ESV)And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,
• New King James Version (NKJV)And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,

Context of Ephesians 5:18

16redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to reckless indiscretion. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your hearts to the Lord, 20always giving thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 5:18 word by word

καὶ μὴ μεθύσκεσθε οἴνῳ, ἐν ᾧ ἐστιν ἀσωτία, ἀλλὰ πληροῦσθε ἐν πνεύματιRead the interlinear

• ·καίkai · andG2532
• Do notμήmē · notG3361
• get drunkμεθύσκωmethuskō · to get drunkG3182
• on wineοἶνοςoinos · wineG3631
• ·ἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• whichὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• leads toεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• reckless indiscretionἀσωτίαasōtia · debaucheryG810
• Insteadἀλλάalla · butG235
• be filledπληρόωplēroō · to fulfillG4137
• Spiritπνεῦμαpneuma · spirit/breath: spiritG4151

Cross-references for Ephesians 5:18

• Genesis 9:21But when he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and uncovered himself inside his tent.
• Genesis 19:32Come, let us get our father drunk with wine so we can sleep with him and preserve his line.”
• Deuteronomy 21:20and say to the elders, “This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious; he does not obey us. He is a glutton and a drunkard.”
• Psalms 69:12Those who sit at the gate mock me, and I am the song of drunkards.
• Proverbs 20:1Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by them is not wise.
• Proverbs 23:20Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat.
• Isaiah 5:11Woe to those who rise early in the morning in pursuit of strong drink, who linger into the evening, to be inflamed by wine.
• Matthew 24:49And he begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards.
• Luke 12:45But suppose that servant says in his heart, ‘My master will be a long time in coming,’ and he begins to beat the menservants and maidservants, and to eat and drink and get drunk.
• Luke 21:34But watch yourselves, or your hearts will be weighed down by dissipation, drunkenness, and the worries of life—and that day will spring upon you suddenly like a snare.
• Romans 13:13Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.
• 1 Corinthians 5:11But now I am writing you not to associate with anyone who claims to be a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a verbal abuser, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.
• 1 Corinthians 6:10nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.
• 1 Corinthians 11:21For as you eat, each of you goes ahead without sharing his meal. While one remains hungry, another gets drunk.
• Galatians 5:21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
• 1 Thessalonians 5:7For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night.

Commentaries on Ephesians 5:18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess - This is a farther allusion to the Bacchanalian mysteries; in them his votaries got drunk, and ran into all manner of excesses. Plato, though he forbade drunkenness in general, yet allowed that the people should get drunk in the solemnities of that god who invented wine. And indeed this was their common custom; when they had offered their sacrifices they indulged themselves in drunkenness, and ran into all kinds…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18And be not drunk with wine - A danger to which they were exposed and a vice to which those around them were much addicted. Compare notes on Luke 21:34. It is not improbable that in this verse there is an allusion to the orgies of Bacchus, or to the festivals celebrated in honor of that pagan god. He was “the god of wine,” and during those festivals, men and women regarded it as an acceptable act of worship to become intoxicated, and with wild songs and…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-21Verses 15-21 Another remedy against sin, is care, or caution, it being impossible else to maintain purity of heart and life. Time is a talent given us by God, and it is misspent and lost when not employed according to his design. If we have lost our time heretofore, we must double our diligence for the future. Of that time which thousands on a dying bed would gladly redeem at the price of the whole world, how little do men think, and to what trifles they…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 18The Holy Spirit, not wine, should have the most influence in the lives of believers (see Proverbs 23:29–35; compare Acts 2:15–18). be filled: The grammar here suggests a repeated, ongoing process of letting the Holy Spirit guide and influence the lives of believers, not a single event.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1818. excess--worthless, ruinous, reckless prodigality. wherein--not in the wine itself when used aright (1Ti 5:23), but in the "excess" as to it. but be filled with the Spirit--The effect in inspiration was that the person was "filled" with an ecstatic exhilaration, like that caused by wine; hence the two are here connected (compare Ac 2:13-18). Hence arose the abstinence from wine of many of the prophets, for example, John the Baptist, namely, in order to…Read the comment

Topics related to Ephesians 5:18

• Commandments
• Drunkenness
• Holy Spirit
• Joy
• Wine

In the dictionaries

• Arise
• Awake
• Dear
• Drunk
• Fellowship
• Flesh
• Fruit
• Light
• Melody
• Redeem

Commentaries on Ephesians 5

• 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