Ephesians 4 · Verse 19

Ephesians 4:19

Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

Ephesians 4:19, King James Version

Ephesians 4:19 in other translations

BSB	Having lost all sense of shame, they have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity, with a craving for more.
WEB	They, having become callous, gave themselves up to lust, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
ASV	who being past feeling gave themselves up to lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
YLT	who, having ceased to feel, themselves did give up to the lasciviousness, for the working of all uncleanness in greediness;
DARBY	who having cast off all feeling, have given themselves up to lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greedy unsatisfied lust.
BBE	Who having no more power of feeling, have given themselves up to evil passions, to do all unclean things with overmuch desire.
Webster	Who being past feeling have given themselves over to lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

What does Ephesians 4:19 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

19. past feeling--senseless, shameless, hopeless; the ultimate result of a long process of "hardening," or habit of sin (Ep 4:18). "Being past hope," or despairing, is the reading of the Vulgate; though not so well supported as English Version reading, "past feeling," which includes the absence of hope (Jr 2:25; 18:12). given themselves over--In Ro 1:24 it is, "God gave them up to uncleanness." Their giving themselves to it was punished in kind, God giving them up to it by withdrawing His preventing grace; their sin thus was made their punishment. They gave themselves up of their own accord to the slavery of their lust, to do all its pleasure, as captives who have ceased to strive with the foe. God gave them up to it, but not against their will; for they give themselves up to it [Zanchius]. lasciviousness--"wantonness" [Alford]. So it is translated in Ro 13:13; 2Pe 2:18. It does not necessarily include lasciviousness; but it means intemperate, reckless readiness for it, and for every self-indulgence. "The first beginnings of unchastity" [Grotius]. "Lawless insolence, and wanton caprice" [Trench]. to work all uncleanness--The Greek implies, "with a deliberate view to the working (as if it were their work or business, not a mere accidental fall into sin) of uncleanness of every kind." with greediness--Greek, "in greediness." Uncleanness and greediness of gain often go hand in hand (Ep 5:3, 5; Col 3:5); though "greediness" here includes all kinds of self-seeking.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes

Verse 19. Who being past feeling. Wholly hardened in sin. There is a total want of all emotion on moral subjects. This is an accurate description of the state of a sinner. He has no feeling, no emotion. He often gives an intellectual assent to the truth, but it is without emotion of any kind: the heart is insensible as the hard rock.

Have given themselves over. They have done it voluntarily. In Rom 1:24, it is said that "God gave them up." There is no inconsistency. Whatever was the agency of God in it, they preferred it. Rom 1:21.

Unto lasciviousness. Rom 1:24, Rom 1:25-26.

(b) "given themselves" Rom 1:24,25

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 19 5. Who being past feeling - Οιτινες απηλγηκοτες. The verb απαλγειν signifies, 1. To throw off all sense of shame, and to be utterly devoid of pain, for committing unrighteous acts. 2. To be desperate, having neither hope nor desire of reformation; in a word, to be without remorse, and to be utterly regardless of conduct, character, or final blessedness. Instead of απηλγηκοτες, several excellent MSS. and versions have απηλπικοτες, being without hope; that is, persons who, from their manner of life in this world, could not possibly hope for blessedness in the world to come, and who might feel it their interest to deny the resurrection of the body, and even the immortality of the soul. 6. Have given themselves over unto lasciviousness - Lasciviousness, ασελγεια, is here personified; and the Gentiles in question are represented as having delivered themselves over to her jurisdiction. This is a trite picture of the Gentile world: uncleanness, lechery, and debauchery of every kind, flourished among them without limit or restraint. Almost all their gods and goddesses were of this character. 7. To work all uncleanness with greediness - This is a complete finish of the most abandoned character; to do an unclean act is bad, to labor in it is worse, to labor in all uncleanness is worse still; but to do all this in every case to the utmost extent, εν πλεονεξια, with a desire exceeding time, place, opportunity, and strength, is worst of all, and leaves nothing more profligate or more abandoned to be described or imagined; just as Ovid paints the drunken Silenus, whose wantonness survives his strength and keeps alive his desires, though old age has destroyed the power of gratification: - Te quoque, inextinctae Silene libidinis, urunt: Nequitia est, quae te non sinit esse senem. Fast., lib. i. v. 413. Thee also, O Silenus, of inextinguishable lust, they inflame; Thou art old in every thing except in lust. Such was the state of the Gentiles before they were blessed with the light of the Gospel; and such is the state of those nations who have not yet received the Gospel; and such is the state of multitudes of those in Christian countries who refuse to receive the Gospel, endeavor to decry it, and to take refuge in the falsities of infidelity against the testimony of eternal truth.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Ephesians 4:17-24

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…

Read the full comment on Ephesians 4:17-24 →

Ephesians 4:19 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

οἵτινεςoitineswhoG3748

ἀπηλγηκότεςapēlgēkoteshaving cast off all feelingG524

ἑαυτοὺςhe'autousthemselvesG1438

παρέδωκανparedōkanthey gave upG3860

τῇtēa<the>G3588

ἀσελγείᾳaselgeiato sensualityG766

εἰςeisforG1519

ἐργασίανergasian[the] workingG2039

ἀκαθαρσίαςakatharsiasof impurityG167

πάσηςpasēsallG3956

ἐνenwithG1722

πλεονεξίᾳ.¶pleonexiagreediness.G4124

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Ephesians 4:19

Colossians 3:5
Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
Romans 1:24-26
Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
1 Timothy 4:2
Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
Jude 1:11
Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.
2 Peter 2:12-14
But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption; And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you; Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:
1 Peter 4:3
For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:
Revelation 18:3
For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
2 Peter 2:22
But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
Isaiah 56:11
Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.
Ephesians 4:17
This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,
Job 15:16
How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?
Revelation 17:1-6
And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: …

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

past.
1Ti 4:2
given.
17; Ro 1:24-26; 1Pe 4:3
with.
Job 15:16; Isa 56:11; 2Pe 2:12-14,22; Jude 1:11; Re 17:1-6; 18:3

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Ephesians 4:18
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:
Ephesians 4:19
Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
Ephesians 4:20
But ye have not so learned Christ;

Read all of Ephesians 4

Ephesians 4:19 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Los cuales después que perdieron el sentido de la conciencia, se entregaron á la desvergüenza para cometer con avidez toda suerte de impureza.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	et qui, ayant perdu tout sentiment moral, se sont livrés à la débauche, pour pratiquer avidement toute impureté.
German Elberfelder 1871	welche, da sie alle Empfindlichkeit verloren, sich selbst der Ausschweifung hingegeben haben, alle Unreinigkeit mit Gier auszuüben.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	qui desperantes, semetipsos tradiderunt impudicitiæ, in operationem immunditiæ omnis in avaritiam.