Ephesians 5:11-14 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ephesians 5:3-20

These verses contain a caution against all manner of uncleanness, with proper remedies and arguments proposed: some further cautions are added, and other duties recommended. Filthy lusts must be suppressed, in order to the supporting of holy love. Walk in love, and shun fornication and all uncleanness. Fornication is folly committed between unmarried persons. All uncleanness includes all other sorts of filthy lusts, which were too common among the Gentiles. Or covetousness, which being thus... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Ephesians 5:9-14

5:9-14 For once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. You must behave as children of the light, for the fruit of light consists in all benevolence and righteousness and truth. You must decide what is well-pleasing to the Lord. You must take no share in the barren works of the dark. Rather you must expose them, for it is a shameful thing even to speak about the hidden things which are done in secret by such men. Whatever is exposed to the light is illuminated. And everything... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ephesians 5:11

And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness ,.... It is not said with the workers of darkness, or with the men of the world, who are in darkness, and are darkness itself; to have fellowship with them in a civil way, or to dwell among them, is not prohibited; it is allowed of, and countenanced by the greatest examples; and especially it is lawful and right, when there is any prospect of doing good to the souls of men; and even when natural right, relation, and necessity... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ephesians 5:12

For it is a shame even to speak of those things ,.... This is a reason, why persons should walk as children of light; why they should prove what is acceptable to God; why they should have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness; why the apostle exhorts to reprove them, and yet does not express what they are; and why they should be reproved rather by deeds than by words: and he tacitly intimates, that if it is a shame to speak of those sins which are done of them in secret ,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ephesians 5:13

But all things that are reproved ,.... As all sins should be, by the ministers of the Gospel, and by other saints, and will be by God; either by his Spirit convincing of them, or by his judgments, and the letting out of his wrath and fury, either here or hereafter, for the punishment of them: are made manifest by the light : either by the saints, who are made light in the Lord, and detect and reprove the sins of others; or by the word of the Lord, which discovers the heinousness of sins;... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ephesians 5:14

Wherefore he saith ,.... Either the man that is light in the Lord, who reproves the unfruitful works of darkness; or else the Holy Ghost by Paul, who here speaks after the manner of the prophets; or God, or the Spirit, or the Scripture; see James 4:6 ; but where is it said? some think the apostle refers to Isaiah 9:2 ; others to Isaiah 26:19 ; others to Isaiah 60:1 ; some are of opinion the words are cited out of an apocryphal book of Jeremy, or from some writing now lost; and some... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ephesians 5:11

Have no fellowship - Have no religious connection whatever with heathens or their worship. Unfruitful works of darkness - Probably alluding to the mysteries among the heathens, and the different lustrations and rites through which the initiated went in the caves and dark recesses where these mysteries were celebrated; all which he denominates works of darkness, because they were destitute of true wisdom; and unfruitful works, because they were of no use to mankind; the initiated being... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ephesians 5:12

For it is a shame even to speak - This no doubt refers to the Eleusinian and Bacchanalian mysteries, which were performed in the night and darkness, and were known to be so impure and abominable, especially the latter, that the Roman senate banished them both from Rome and Italy. How the discovery of these depths of Satan was made, and the whole proceedings in that case, may be seen in Livy, Hist. lib. xxxix. cap. 8-19, where the reader will see the force of what the apostle says here: It is... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ephesians 5:13

But all things that are reproved - Dr. Macknight paraphrases this verse as follows: "Now all these reprovable actions, ελεγχομενα , which are practised in celebrating these mysteries, are made manifest as sinful by the Gospel; and, seeing every thing which discovers the true nature of actions is light, the Gospel, which discovers the evil nature of the actions performed in these mysteries, is light." The apostle speaks against these mysteries as he speaks against fornication,... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ephesians 5:14

Wherefore he saith - It is a matter of doubt and controversy whence this saying is derived. Some think it taken from Isaiah 26:19 ; : Thy dead men shall live; with my dead body shall they arise; Awake and sing, ye that dwell in the dust, etc. Others think that it is taken from Isaiah 60:1-3 ; : Arise, shine; for thy light is come, etc. But these passages neither give the words nor the meaning of the apostle. Epiphanius supposed them to be taken from an ancient prophecy of Elijah, long... read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ephesians 5:3-20

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Ephesians 5:9-14

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ephesians 5:11

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ephesians 5:12

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ephesians 5:13

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ephesians 5:14

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ephesians 5:11

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ephesians 5:12

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ephesians 5:13

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ephesians 5:14

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