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

3It is God’s will that you keep away from sexual sin as a mark of your devotion to him. 4Each of you should know that finding a husband or wife for yourself is to be done in a holy and honorable way, not in the passionate, lustful way of people who don’t know God. 6No one should take advantage of or exploit other believers that way. The Lord is the one who punishes people for all these things. We’ve already told you and warned you about this. 7God didn’t call us to be sexually immoral but to be holy.

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 1:24For this reason God allowed their lusts to control them. As a result, they dishonor their bodies by sexual perversion with each other.
• Colossians 3:5Therefore, put to death whatever is worldly in you: your sexual sin, perversion, passion, lust, and greed (which is the same thing as worshiping wealth).
• Matthew 6:32Everyone is concerned about these things, and your heavenly Father certainly knows you need all of them.
• Luke 12:30Everyone in the world is concerned about these things, but your Father knows you need them.
• Ephesians 4:17So I tell you and encourage you in the Lord’s name not to live any longer like other people in the world. Their minds are set on worthless things.
• 1 Peter 4:3You spent enough time in the past doing what unbelievers like to do. You were promiscuous, had sinful desires, got drunk, went to wild parties, and took part in the forbidden worship of false gods.
• Acts 17:23As I was going through your city and looking closely at the objects you worship, I noticed an altar with this written on it: ‘To an unknown god.’ I’m telling you about the unknown god you worship.
• Romans 1:28And because they thought it was worthless to acknowledge God, God allowed their own immoral minds to control them. So they do these indecent things.
• 1 Corinthians 1:21The world with its wisdom was unable to recognize God in terms of his own wisdom. So God decided to use the nonsense of the Good News we speak to save those who believe.
• 1 Corinthians 15:34Come back to the right point of view, and stop sinning. Some people don’t know anything about God. You should be ashamed of yourselves.
• Galatians 4:8When you didn’t know God, you were slaves to things which are really not gods at all.
• Ephesians 2:12Also, at that time you were without Christ. You were excluded from citizenship in Israel, and the pledges ⌞God made in his⌟ promise were foreign to you. You had no hope and were in the world without God.
• 2 Thessalonians 1:8He will take revenge on those who refuse to acknowledge God and on those who refuse to respond to the Good News about our Lord Jesus.

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
• Asleep
• Concupiscence
• Quiet
• Rise
• Sleep
• Trump
• Lust
• Passion, Passions
• Thessalonians, the First Epistle of Paul to the

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