Ephesians 4:17

Ephesians 4:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,
• New International Version (NIV)So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.
• New King James Version (NKJV)This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind,
• New Living Translation (NLT)With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused.

Context of Ephesians 4:17

15Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 18They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. 19They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.

Ephesians 4:17 word by word

Τοῦτο οὖν λέγω καὶ μαρτύρομαι ἐν κυρίῳ μηκέτι ὑμᾶς περιπατεῖν καθὼς καὶ τὰ ἔθνη περιπατεῖ ἐν ματαιότητι τοῦ νοὸς αὐτῶν,Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• I sayλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• thereforeοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• testifyμαρτύρομαιmarturomai · to testifyG3143
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• the Lordκύριοςkurios · lord: GodG2962
• that yeσύsu · youG4771
• henceforthμηκέτιmēketi · never againG3371
• walkπεριπατέωperipateō · to walkG4043
• asκαθώςkathōs · as/just asG2531
• otherὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• otherλοιπόςloipoi · remainingG3062
• Gentilesἔθνοςethnos · GentilesG1484
• the vanityματαιότηςmataiotēs · futilityG3153
• of theirαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• mindνοῦςnous · mindG3563

Cross-references for Ephesians 4:17

• 1 Corinthians 1:12What I mean is that each one of you says, "I follow Paul," or "I follow Apollos," or "I follow Cephas," or "I follow Christ."
• 1 Corinthians 15:50I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
• 2 Corinthians 9:6The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
• Galatians 3:17This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void.
• Colossians 2:4I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments.
• Nehemiah 9:29And you warned them in order to turn them back to your law. Yet they acted presumptuously and did not obey your commandments, but sinned against your rules, which if a person does them, he shall live by them, and they turned a stubborn shoulder and stiffened their neck and would not obey.
• Nehemiah 13:15In those days I saw in Judah people treading winepresses on the Sabbath, and bringing in heaps of grain and loading them on donkeys, and also wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of loads, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I warned them on the day when they sold food.
• Jeremiah 42:19The Lord has said to you, O remnant of Judah, 'Do not go to Egypt.' Know for a certainty that I have warned you this day
• Acts 2:40And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, "Save yourselves from this crooked generation."
• Acts 18:5When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus.
• Acts 20:21testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
• Galatians 5:3I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law.
• 1 Thessalonians 4:6that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you.
• 1 Thessalonians 4:1Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more.
• 1 Timothy 5:21In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality.
• 1 Timothy 6:13I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession,

Commentaries on Ephesians 4:17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17Walk 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, ̔· In the foolishness of their mind; want of genuine wisdom is that to which the apostle…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord - I bear witness in the name of the Lord Jesus, or ministering by his authority. The object of this is, to exhort them to walk worthy of their high calling, and to adorn the doctrine of the Saviour. With this view, he reminds them of what they were before they were converted, and of the manner in which the pagan around them lived. That ye henceforth walk not - That you do not henceforth live - the Christian…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 17-24Verses 17-24 The apostle charged the Ephesians in the name and by the authority of the Lord Jesus, that having professed the gospel, they should not be as the unconverted Gentiles, who walked in vain fancies and carnal affections. Do not men, on every side, walk in the vanity of their minds? Must not we then urge the distinction between real and nominal Christians? They were void of all saving knowledge; they sat in darkness, and loved it rather than…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17God's people are called to live in a way that is different from unbelievers in the world.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. therefore--resuming the exhortation which he had begun with, "I therefore beseech you that ye walk worthy," &c. (Ep 4:1). testify in the Lord--in whom (as our element) we do all things pertaining to the ministry (1Th 4:1 [Alford]; Ro 9:1). henceforth ... not--Greek, "no longer"; resumed from Ep 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…Read the comment

Topics related to Ephesians 4:17

• Adultery
• Amusements and Worldly Pleasures
• Conscience
• Depravity of Man
• Example
• Gentiles
• Lasciviousness
• Obedience
• Pride
• Vanity
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• In the Lord
• Bitterness
• Compact
• Dark
• Forbear
• Grieve
• Lasciviousness
• Lowliness
• Renew
• Steal

Commentaries on Ephesians 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