God’s Word Translation
Ephesians 4:17
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.
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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)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.
- 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,
Context of Ephesians 4:17
15Instead, as we lovingly speak the truth, we will grow up completely in our relationship to Christ, who is the head. 16He makes the whole body fit together and unites it through the support of every joint. As each and every part does its job, he makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. So 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. 18They can’t understand because they are in the dark. They are excluded from the life that God approves of because of their ignorance and stubbornness. 19Since they no longer have any sense of shame, they have become promiscuous. They practice every kind of sexual perversion with a constant desire for more.
Read all of Ephesians 4Ephesians 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 1:12This is what I mean: Each of you is saying, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.”
- 1 Corinthians 15:50Brothers and sisters, this is what I mean: Flesh and blood cannot inherit God’s kingdom. What decays cannot inherit what doesn’t decay.
- 2 Corinthians 9:6Remember this: The farmer who plants a few seeds will have a very small harvest. But the farmer who plants because he has received God’s blessings will receive a harvest of God’s blessings in return.
- Galatians 3:17This is what I mean: The laws ⌞given to Moses⌟ 430 years after God had already put his promise ⌞to Abraham⌟ into effect didn’t cancel the promise ⌞to Abraham⌟.
- Colossians 2:4I say this so that no one will mislead you with arguments that merely sound good.
- Nehemiah 9:29You warned them in order to bring them back to your teachings, but they became arrogant and would not obey your commandments. They sinned by not following your regulations. If anyone follows them, he will find life in them. But they gave you the cold shoulder, became impossible to deal with, and wouldn’t listen.
- Nehemiah 13:15In those days I saw people in Judah stomping grapes in the winepresses on the day of rest—a holy day. I saw them bringing in loads of wine, grapes, figs, and every other kind of load. They piled the loads on donkeys and brought them into Jerusalem on the day of rest. I warned them about selling food on that day.
- Jeremiah 42:19“The Lord has told you people who are left in Judah not to go to Egypt. You need to know that I am warning you today.
- Acts 2:40Peter said much more to warn them. He urged, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”
- Acts 18:5But when Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul devoted all his time to teaching God’s word. He assured the Jews that Jesus is the Messiah.
- Acts 20:21I warned Jews and Greeks to change the way they think and act and to believe in our Lord Jesus.
- Galatians 5:3Again, I insist that everyone who allows himself to be circumcised must realize that he obligates himself to do everything Moses’ Teachings demand.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:6No 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.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:1Now then, brothers and sisters, because of the Lord Jesus we ask and encourage you to excel in living a God-pleasing life even more than you already do. Do this the way we taught you.
- 1 Timothy 5:21I solemnly call on you in the sight of God, Christ Jesus, and the chosen angels to be impartial when you follow what I’ve told you. Never play favorites.
- 1 Timothy 6:13In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and in the sight of Christ Jesus, who gave a good testimony in front of Pontius Pilate,
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
In the dictionaries
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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