New English Translation
Ephesians 4:18
18They are darkened in their understanding, being alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts.
Ephesians 4:18 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
- New International Version (NIV)They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.
- English Standard Version (ESV)They 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.
- New King James Version (NKJV)having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart;
Context of Ephesians 4:18
16From him the whole body grows, fitted and held together through every supporting ligament. As each one does its part, the body grows in love. 17So I say this, and insist in the Lord, that you no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding, being alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts. 19Because they are callous, they have given themselves over to indecency for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. 20But you did not learn about Christ like this,
Read all of Ephesians 4Ephesians 4:18 word by word
ἐσκοτωμένοι τῇ διανοίᾳ ὄντες, ἀπηλλοτριωμένοι τῆς ζωῆς τοῦ θεοῦ διὰ τὴν ἄγνοιαν τὴν οὖσαν ἐν αὐτοῖς, διὰ τὴν πώρωσιν τῆς καρδίας αὐτῶν·Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Havingσκοτίζωskotizō · to darkenG4654
- the understandingδιάνοιαdianoia · mindG1271
- beingεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- alienated fromἀπαλλοτριόωapallotrioō · to alienateG526
- the lifeζωήzōē · lifeG2222
- of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- throughδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
- the ignoranceἄγνοιαagnoia · ignoranceG52
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- of the blindnessπώρωσιςpōrōsis · hardeningG4457
- heartκαρδίαkardia · heartG2588
Cross-references for Ephesians 4:18
- Psalms 74:20Remember your covenant promises, for the dark regions of the earth are full of places where violence rules.
- Psalms 115:4Their idols are made of silver and gold – they are man-made.
- Isaiah 44:18They do not comprehend or understand, for their eyes are blind and cannot see; their minds do not discern.
- Isaiah 46:5To whom can you compare and liken me? Tell me whom you think I resemble, so we can be compared!
- Acts 17:30Therefore, although God has overlooked such times of ignorance, he now commands all people everywhere to repent,
- Acts 26:17I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you
- Romans 1:21For although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or give him thanks, but they became futile in their thoughts and their senseless hearts were darkened.
- 1 Corinthians 1:21For since in the wisdom of God the world by its wisdom did not know God, God was pleased to save those who believe by the foolishness of preaching.
- 2 Corinthians 4:4among whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of those who do not believe so they would not see the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God.
- Galatians 4:8Formerly when you did not know God, you were enslaved to beings that by nature are not gods at all.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:5not in lustful passion like the Gentiles who do not know God.
- Ephesians 2:12that you were at that time without the Messiah, alienated from the citizenship of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
- Romans 8:7because the outlook of the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to the law of God, nor is it able to do so.
- Colossians 1:21And you were at one time strangers and enemies in your minds as expressed through your evil deeds,
- James 4:4Adulterers, do you not know that friendship with the world means hostility toward God? So whoever decides to be the world’s friend makes himself God’s enemy.
- Romans 2:19and if you are convinced that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness,
Commentaries on Ephesians 4:18
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 182. Having the understanding darkened - This is the second instance alleged by the apostle of the degradation of the Gentiles. Having no means of knowledge, the heart, naturally dark, became more and more so by means of habitual transgression; every thing in the Gentile system having an immediate tendency to blind the eyes and darken the whole soul. 3. Being alienated from the life of God - The original design of God was to live in man; and the life of God…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18Having the understanding darkened - That is, because they were alienated from the true God, and particularly because of “the blindness of their hearts.” The apostle does not say that this was a “judicial” darkening of the understanding; or that they might not have perceived the truth; or that they had no ability to understand it. He speaks of a simple and well-known fact - a fact that is seen now as well as then that the understanding becomes darkened by…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. 18Their minds are full of darkness because their minds are closed and hearts are hard (see 2 Corinthians 4:4). This means they cannot understand spiritual truths clearly. Their minds are "closed," which means they are unwilling or unable to accept God's truth. Their hearts are "hard," which means they have become insensitive to God's guidance.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1818. More literally, "Being darkened in their understanding," that is, their intelligence, or perceptions (compare Ep 5:8; Ac 26:18; 1Th 5:4, 5). alienated--This and "darkened," imply that before the fall they (in the person of their first father) had been partakers of life and light: and that they had revolted from the primitive revelation (compare Ep 2:12). life of God--that life whereby God lives in His own people: as He was the life and light in Adam…Read the comment
Topics related to Ephesians 4:18
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
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