Ephesians 4:19

19 Which despairing betook themselves to unchastity, into the working of all uncleanness in covetousness.

Ephesians 4:19 Meaning and Commentary

Ephesians 4:19

Who being past feeling
Their consciences being cauterized or seared as with a red hot iron, which is the consequence of judicial hardness; so that they have lost all sense of sin, and do not feel the load of its guilt upon them, and are without any concern about it; but on the contrary commit it with pleasure, boast of it and glory in it, plead for it and defend it publicly, and openly declare it, and stand in no fear of a future judgment, which they ridicule and despise: the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Arabic versions, and the Claromontane exemplar read, who "despairing": of mercy and salvation, saying there is no hope, and therefore grow hardened and desperate in sin;

have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all
uncleanness with greediness;
by "lasciviousness" is meant all manner of lusts, and a wanton and unbridled course of sinning; and their giving themselves over unto it denotes their voluntariness in sinning, the power of sin over them, they being willing slaves unto it, and their continuance in it; and this they do in order

to work all uncleanness;
to commit every unclean lust, to live in a continued commission of uncleanness of every sort; and that

with greediness;
being like a covetous man, never satisfied with sinning, but always craving more sinful lusts and pleasures.

Ephesians 4:19 In-Context

17 Therefore I say and witness this thing in the Lord [Therefore this thing I say, and witness in the Lord], that ye walk not now, as heathen men walk, in the vanity of their wit;
18 that have understanding darkened with darknesses [having their understanding darkened], and be aliened from the life of God, by ignorance that is in them, for the blindness of their heart.
19 Which despairing betook themselves to unchastity, into the working of all uncleanness in covetousness.
20 But ye have not so learned Christ,
21 if nevertheless ye heard him, and be taught in him, as is truth in Jesus.
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.