Ephesians 5:19

19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord,

Ephesians 5:19 in Other Translations

King James Version (KJV)
19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
English Standard Version (ESV)
19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,
New Living Translation (NLT)
19 singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts.
The Message Bible (MSG)
19 Sing hymns instead of drinking songs! Sing songs from your heart to Christ.
American Standard Version (ASV)
19 speaking one to another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord;
GOD'S WORD Translation (GW)
19 by reciting psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs for your own good. Sing and make music to the Lord with your hearts.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
19 speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music to the Lord in your heart,
New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
19 Speak to each other with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord.

Ephesians 5:19 Meaning and Commentary

Ephesians 5:19

Speaking to yourselves in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual
songs
By psalms are meant the Psalms of David, and others which compose the book that goes by that name, for other psalms there are none; and by "hymns" we are to understand, not such as are made by good men, without the inspiration of the Spirit of God; since they are placed between psalms and spiritual songs, made by men inspired by the Holy Ghost; and are put upon a level with them, and to be sung along with them, to the edification of churches; but these are only another name for the Book of Psalms, the running title of which may as well be the Book of Hymns, as it is rendered by Ainsworth; and the psalm which our Lord sung with his disciples after the supper, is called an hymn; and so are the psalms in general called hymns, by Philo the Jew F14; and songs and hymns by Josephus F15; and (twxbvwtw twryv) , "songs and praises", or "hymns", in the Talmud F16: and by "spiritual songs" are meant the same Psalms of David, Asaph and the titles of many of them are songs, and sometimes a psalm and song, and song and psalm, a song of degrees; together with all other Scriptural songs, written by inspired men; and which are called "spiritual", because they are indited by the Spirit of God, consist of spiritual matter, and are designed for spiritual edification; and are opposed to all profane, loose, and wanton songs: these three words answer to (Myryv Mylht) (Myrwmzm) the several titles of David's Psalms; from whence it seems to be the intention of the apostle, that these should be sting in Gospel churches; for so he explains speaking to themselves in them, in the next clause:

singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord;
singing, as it is a distinct thing from prayer, so from giving of thanks, which is mentioned in ( Ephesians 5:20 ) as another duty; it is not a mental praising of God, for it is called speaking, and teaching, and admonishing, but it is a praising of God with the modulation of the voice; and is rightly performed, when the heart and voice agree; when there is a melody in the heart, as well as in the tongue; for singing and making melody in the heart, is singing with, or from the heart, or heartily; of as elsewhere, "with grace", and which the Alexandrian copy reads here; that is, either with gratitude and thankfulness, or with grace in exercise; and the end in view should be the glory of God.


FOOTNOTES:

F14 De Mutat. Nomin. p. 1062. & alibi.
F15 Antiqu. l. 7. c. 12. sect. 3.
F16 T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 94. 1.

Ephesians 5:19 In-Context

17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.
18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit,
19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord,
20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Cross References 1

  • 1. Psalms 27:6; Psalms 95:2; Acts 16:25; 1 Corinthians 14:15,26; Colossians 3:16
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