Ephesians 5:16

Ephesians 5:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
• New International Version (NIV)making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
• English Standard Version (ESV)making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.
• New King James Version (NKJV)redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Context of Ephesians 5:16

14Everything that becomes clear to see is in the light. That is why it says: ‘Wake up, you people who are asleep! Rise up from among the dead people! Then Christ will shine his light on you.’ 15So you must be very careful how you live. Live like people who are wise. Do not live like fools. Many bad things are happening in these days. So, whenever you have a chance to do something good, do as much as you can. 17Do not live like fools. But instead, understand what the Lord wants you to do. 18Do not drink too much wine so that you become drunk. That will destroy your life. Instead, let God's Spirit fill you.

Ephesians 5:16 word by word

ἐξαγοραζόμενοι τὸν καιρόν, ὅτι αἱ ἡμέραι πονηραί εἰσιν.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Redeemingἐξαγοράζωexagorazō · to redeemG1805
• the timeὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the timeκαιρόςkairos · time/right timeG2540
• becauseὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
• the daysἡμέραhēmera · dayG2250
• areεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• evilπονηρόςponēros · evil/badG4190

Cross-references for Ephesians 5:16

• Ecclesiastes 9:10Use all your strength to do the work that you are doing. One day you will die and you will go into your grave. Then you will not have any work, or ideas, or knowledge or wisdom. So do your work well while you are alive.
• Romans 13:11Live in that way, because you know what is happening in this time now. It is time that you should stop sleeping. It is now time to wake up. The time when God will save us completely is near. That time is nearer now than when we first believed in him.
• Galatians 6:10Because of all that, we must help everyone when we have the chance. Certainly we must do good things to help our friends who believe in Christ, as we do.
• Colossians 4:5When you are with people who do not believe in Christ, be careful how you live. Use every chance to do good things.
• Ephesians 6:13Because of that, take all the help that God gives, like it is your armour. Then, when the bad time comes, you will be able to stand strongly. You will not fall. After you have finished everything, you will still be standing strongly in your place.
• Psalms 37:19When times of trouble come, they will still be safe. In a time of famine, they will have enough to eat.
• Ecclesiastes 11:2Share your things with several other people. You do not know when trouble will come. Then those people can help you.
• Ecclesiastes 12:1Remember to serve God while you are young. He is the one who made you. Your life will have many troubles in the future. During those years, you will say, ‘I do not enjoy my life any more.’
• Amos 5:13This is such an evil time that clever people say nothing. That is how they keep themselves safe.’
• John 12:35Jesus answered, ‘The light will be with you for only a short time longer. So continue to walk while you still have the light. Do that, so that the dark will not come over you. Anyone who walks in the dark does not know where they are going.
• Acts 11:28One of these men was called Agabus. The Holy Spirit gave him a message from God. He stood up and he said to the people there, ‘Soon people will be very hungry all over the world because there will be no food.’ (That happened when Claudius ruled the Roman world.)
• 1 Corinthians 7:26This is what I think: There are many troubles in the world today. So it is better for everybody to continue as they are.

Commentaries on Ephesians 5:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16Redeeming the time - · Buying up those moments which others seem to throw away; steadily improving every present moment, that ye may, in some measure, regain the time ye have lost. Let time be your chief commodity; deal in that alone; buy it all up, and use every portion of it yourselves. Time is that on which eternity depends; in time ye are to get a preparation for the kingdom of God; if you get not this in time, your ruin is inevitable; therefore, buy…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16Redeeming the time - The word rendered here as “redeeming,” means “to purchase; to buy up” from the possession or power of anyone; and then to redeem, to set free - as from service or bondage; notes, Galatians 3:13. Here it means, to rescue or recover our time from waste; to improve it for great and important purposes. Because the days are evil - Because the times in which you live are evil. There are many allurements and temptations that would lead you…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. 16redeeming the time: See also Colossians 4:5. the days are evil: see Matthew 24:6–12, 15–22; 2 Thessalonians 2:3–10.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. Redeeming the time--(Col 4:5). Greek, "Buying up for yourselves the seasonable time" (whenever it occurs) of good to yourselves and to others. Buying off from the vanities of "them that are without" (Col 4:5), and of the "unwise" (here in Ephesians), the opportune time afforded to you for the work of God. In a narrower sense, special favorable seasons for good, occasionally presenting themselves, are referred to, of which believers ought diligently to…Read the comment

Topics related to Ephesians 5:16

• Wisdom
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• Arise
• Awake
• Dear
• Ephesians, Epistle to
• 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