Ephesians 4 31

Ephesians 4:31 kjv

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

Ephesians 4:31 nkjv

Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.

Ephesians 4:31 niv

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.

Ephesians 4:31 esv

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.

Ephesians 4:31 nlt

Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.

Ephesians 4 verses

Ephesians 4 31 Meaning

This verse instructs believers to let go of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, and to be kind and compassionate toward one another, forgiving each other as God in Christ has forgiven them. It emphasizes the removal of negative emotions and behaviors that damage relationships and the cultivation of positive, Christ-like attributes.

Ephesians 4 31 Context

Ephesians chapter 4 discusses Christian unity and the transformation required to live out this unity. Paul urges believers to walk in a manner worthy of their calling, emphasizing the importance of humility, gentleness, patience, and bearing with one another in love (Eph 4:1-3). He explains that there is "one body and one Spirit," underscoring the oneness of believers in Christ. This oneness necessitates putting off the "old self" and putting on the "new self" created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness (Eph 4:22-24). The previous verse (4:30) talks about not grieving the Holy Spirit, who seals believers for the day of redemption. Therefore, verse 31 serves as a practical outflow of not grieving the Spirit by expelling harmful attitudes and actions and embracing virtues that build up the body of Christ. The historical context is a letter to the church at Ephesus, a diverse group of believers called to live out their new identity in Christ amidst a Gentile world with its own complex social and philosophical ideas.

Ephesians 4 31 Word Analysis

• ἀπόθεσθε (apostesthe)

  • Transliteration: apostesthe
  • Meaning: Put away, strip off, discard. It's aorist imperative, active voice, second person plural. This indicates a command to take decisive action, to completely remove these negative elements from one's life.

• πᾶσαν (pasan)

  • Transliteration: pas.an
  • Meaning: All, every. Emphasizes the comprehensive nature of the command – none of these negative traits are to be retained.

• πικρίαν (pikrian)

  • Transliteration: pikri.an
  • Meaning: Bitterness, rancor, malice, resentment. Refers to a deep-seated, settled hostility or ill-will, often stemming from a perceived wrong.

• καὶ (kai)

  • Transliteration: kai
  • Meaning: And. Connects the list of negative emotions and actions.

• θύμον (thymon)

  • Transliteration: thy.mon
  • Meaning: Wrath, anger, rage, passion. Describes an outburst of anger, a heated temper. While pikria is a disposition, thymos is more the ensuing emotional reaction.

• ὀργὴν (orgēn)

  • Transliteration: orghn
  • Meaning: Anger, indignation, wrath. Often used for a deeper, more settled anger or a just anger, distinct from the immediate passion of thymos.

• κραυγὴν (kraugēn)

  • Transliteration: kraughn
  • Meaning: Outcry, clamor, shouting. Refers to loud, disruptive, and potentially abusive speech born out of anger.

• βλασφημίαν (blasphemian)

  • Transliteration: blasphemi.an
  • Meaning: Slander, abusive speech, reviling, blasphemy. Includes speaking evil of others in a malicious way, or speaking profanely against God.

• μετὰ (meta)

  • Transliteration: meta
  • Meaning: With. Preposition.

• πάσης (pasēs)

  • Transliteration: pash.s
  • Meaning: All. Reinforces the encompassing nature of the accompanying negative traits.

• κακίας (kakias)

  • Transliteration: kakia.s
  • Meaning: Malice, wickedness, depravity, ill-will. A general term for badness or evil intent, underlying the specific expressions of anger and slander.

• γίνεσθε (ginesthe)

  • Transliteration: ginesthe
  • Meaning: Be, become. Present imperative, passive voice, second person plural. It's a continuous call to "become" or "be" in character and conduct, not a single act but a way of life.

• δὲ (de)

  • Transliteration: de
  • Meaning: But, and. A particle used for contrast or transition.

• εἰς (eis)

  • Transliteration: eis
  • Meaning: Unto, towards.

• ἀλλήλους (allēlous)

  • Transliteration: allhlous
  • Meaning: One another. Refers to mutual interaction within the community.

• χρηστοί (chrēstoi)

  • Transliteration: chrs.toi
  • Meaning: Kind, good, gracious, benevolent. Refers to genuine kindness and helpfulness in disposition and action.

• εὐσπλαχνοι (eusplachnoi)

  • Transliteration: eusplachnoi
  • Meaning: Tenderhearted, compassionate, merciful. Literally, "good-bowels" (from eu good + splagchnon intestines, the seat of emotions in ancient thought). This describes a deep, gut-level empathy and mercy.

• συγχωροῦντες (synchorountes)

  • Transliteration: synch.rountes
  • Meaning: Forgiving. Present participle, active voice, nominative plural. Denotes an ongoing act of forgiving.

• ἑαυτοὺς (heautous)

  • Transliteration: heautous
  • Meaning: Yourselves, one another.

• τὸν (ton)

  • Transliteration: ton
  • Meaning: The.

• ὣς (hōs)

  • Transliteration: h.s
  • Meaning: As, in the same way that. A comparative conjunction.

• καὶ (kai)

  • Transliteration: kai
  • Meaning: And.

• ὁ (ho)

  • Transliteration: ho
  • Meaning: The.

• θεὸς (theos)

  • Transliteration: theos
  • Meaning: God.

• ἐν (en)

  • Transliteration: en
  • Meaning: In.

• Χριστῷ (Christō)

  • Transliteration: Christō
  • Meaning: Christ.

• ἐχάρισεν (echarisen)

  • Transliteration: ech.risen
  • Meaning: Granted, forgave, was generous. Aorist indicative, active voice, third person singular. This verb from charizomai is specifically about forgiving, granting grace, imparting a gift. It links the human command to God's own action in Christ.

• Word Group Analysis:

  • "Bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and slander": These are presented as a linked chain of destructive interpersonal communication and emotional states that are to be thoroughly removed. They move from an inner disposition (bitterness) to outward expressions (anger, shouting, slander).
  • "All malice": This kakia encapsulates the underlying evil intent or attitude that fuels the other negative behaviors.
  • "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another": This is the positive alternative, describing a mutual conduct characterized by goodness, empathy, and the active release of grievances.
  • "as God in Christ forgave you": This phrase is the divine rationale and model for the believer's forgiving one another. The measure of our forgiveness is the boundless, gracious forgiveness God has extended to us through Christ.

Ephesians 4 31 Bonus Section

The contrast between the list of sins (bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander, malice) and the virtues (kindness, tenderheartedness, forgiveness) mirrors the contrast between the "old self" and the "new self" described earlier in the chapter (Eph 4:22-24). This reinforces the transformative nature of the Christian life. The use of "anger" (orgē) here might also allude to a potential divine wrath against unrepented sin, underscoring the seriousness of holding onto bitterness within the community. The parallel to Colossians 3:8 shows Paul’s consistent teaching on this matter across his epistles, indicating its foundational importance for Christian living. The profound truth that our ability to forgive others stems directly from, and is a reflection of, God's forgiveness towards us through Christ’s sacrifice (taught also in the Lord’s Prayer, Matt 6:12-15) highlights that this is not an option but a necessary consequence of salvation.

Ephesians 4 31 Commentary

Verse 31 acts as a pivotal point, shifting from the negative behaviors that grieve the Holy Spirit to the positive actions that manifest the Spirit's fruit within the community. It's a call to a radical detoxification of the church's social interactions. The emphasis on putting off "bitterness" and its associated actions underscores that true unity (Eph 4:3) is impossible when internal strife and outward verbal aggression dominate. The interconnectedness of these sins implies that addressing one often requires addressing the others. The positive exhortation to "be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving" isn't just about the absence of negatives, but the active presence of Christ-like virtues. These are not merely suggestions but essential characteristics of those indwelt by the Spirit. The ultimate grounding for this transformation is God's own gracious forgiveness in Christ, setting the standard and providing the empowerment for believers to mirror His love and mercy. This practice of forgiveness is both a directive and a vital component of maintaining spiritual health and community cohesion.