Ephesians 4:19

Amplified Bible

And they, [the ungodly in their spiritual apathy], having become callous and unfeeling, have given themselves over [as prey] to unbridled sensuality, eagerly craving the practice of every kind of impurity [that their desires may demand].

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
They have lost their feeling of shame and use their lives to do what is morally wrong. More and more they want to do all kinds of evil.

Revised Standard Version
they have become callous and have given themselves up to licentiousness, greedy to practice every kind of uncleanness.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
which beynge past repentaunce have geven them selves vnto wantannes to worke all manner of vnclennes even with gredynes.

Hebrew Names Version
who having become callous gave themselves up to lust, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

New American Standard Bible
and they, having become callous, have given themselves up to indecent behavior for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.

New Century Version
They have lost all feeling of shame, and they use their lives for doing evil. They continually want to do all kinds of evil.

Update Bible Version
who being past feeling gave themselves up to sexual immorality, to work all impurity with greed.

Webster's Bible Translation
Who being past feeling have given themselves over to lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

English Standard Version
They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.

World English Bible
who having become callous gave themselves up to lust, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Who being past feeling, have given themselves up to lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

Weymouth's New Testament
Such men being past feeling have abandoned themselves to impurity, greedily indulging in every kind of profligacy.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Which dispeirynge bitoken hem silf to vnchastite, in to the worchyng of al vnclennesse in coueitise.

English Revised Version
who being past feeling gave themselves up to lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

Berean Standard Bible
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.

Contemporary English Version
and they are so greedy that they do all kinds of indecent things.

American Standard Version
who being past feeling gave themselves up to lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

Bible in Basic English
Who having no more power of feeling, have given themselves up to evil passions, to do all unclean things with overmuch desire.

Complete Jewish Bible
They have lost all feeling, so they have abandoned themselves to sensuality, practicing any kind of impurity and always greedy for more.

Darby Translation
who having cast off all feeling, have given themselves up to lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greedy unsatisfied lust.

International Standard Version
Since they have lost all sense of shame, they have abandoned themselves to sensuality and practice every kind of sexual perversion without restraint.Romans 1:24,26; 1 Timothy 4:2; 1 Peter 4:3;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
who are cut off from their hope, and have delivered themselves up to lasciviousness and to the working of all uncleanness in their greediness.

Murdock Translation
They have cut off their hope, and have given themselves over to lasciviousness, and to the practice of all uncleanness in their greediness.

King James Version (1611)
Who being past feeling, haue giuen themselues ouer vnto lasciuiousnesse, to worke all vncleannesse with greedinesse.

New Living Translation
They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.

New Life Bible
They do not care anymore about what is right or wrong. They have turned themselves over to the sinful ways of the world and are always wanting to do every kind of sinful act they can think of.

New Revised Standard
They have lost all sensitivity and have abandoned themselves to licentiousness, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Which being past feeling, haue giuen themselues vnto wantonnesse, to woorke all vncleannesse, euen with griedinesse.

George Lamsa Translation
And who have given up their hope, and have surrendered themselves to wantonness, and to the practice of all uncleanness in their covetousness.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Who, indeed, having become past feeling, have delivered, themselves, up, with wantonness, unto making a trade of all impurity with greed.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Who despairing have given themselves up to lasciviousness, unto the working of all uncleanness, unto covetousness.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Whiche beyng past feelyng, haue geuen the selues ouer vnto wantonnesse, to worke al vncleanenesse with greedynesse.

Good News Translation
They have lost all feeling of shame; they give themselves over to vice and do all sorts of indecent things without restraint.

Christian Standard Bible®
They became callous and gave themselves over to promiscuity for the practice of every kind of impurity with a desire for more and more.

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

Lexham English Bible
who, becoming callous, gave themselves over to licentiousness, for the pursuit of all uncleanness in greediness.

Literal Translation
who, having cast off all feeling, gave themselves up to lust, to the working of all uncleanness with greediness.

Young's Literal Translation
who, having ceased to feel, themselves did give up to the lasciviousness, for the working of all uncleanness in greediness;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
which beynge past repentaunce, haue geue them selues ouer vnto wantonnes, to worke all maner of vnclennes euen with gredynesse.

Mace New Testament (1729)
who without remorse, have abandon'd themselves to brutality, in gratifying every lewd unnatural passion.

New English Translation
Because they are callous, they have given themselves over to indecency for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.

New King James Version
who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

Simplified Cowboy Version
They justify everything they do without shame. Lust is their life and their hunger is for rotten things that destroy the soul.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.

Legacy Standard Bible
And they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.

Contextual Overview

¹⁷So this I say, and solemnly affirm together with the Lord [as in His presence], that you must no longer live as the [unbelieving] Gentiles live, in the futility of their minds [and in the foolishness and emptiness of their souls], ¹⁸for their [moral] understanding is darkened and their reasoning is clouded; [they are] alienated and self-banished from the life of God [with no share in it; this is] because of the [willful] ignorance and spiritual blindness that is [deep-seated] within them, because of the hardness and insensitivity of their heart. ¹⁹And they, [the ungodly in their spiritual apathy], having become callous and unfeeling, have given themselves over [as prey] to unbridled sensuality, eagerly craving the practice of every kind of impurity [that their desires may demand].²⁰But you did not learn Christ in this way! ²¹If in fact you have [really] heard Him and have been taught by Him, just as truth is in Jesus [revealed in His life and personified in Him], ²²that, regarding your previous way of life, you put off your old self [completely discard your former nature], which is being corrupted through deceitful desires, ²³and be continually renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh, untarnished mental and spiritual attitude], ²⁴and put on the new self [the regenerated and renewed nature], created in God's image, [godlike] in the righteousness and holiness of the truth [living in a way that expresses to God your gratitude for your salvation]. ²⁵Therefore, rejecting all falsehood [whether lying, defrauding, telling half-truths, spreading rumors, any such as these], SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are all parts of one another [and we are all parts of the body of Christ]. ²⁶BE ANGRY [at sin—at immorality, at injustice, at ungodly behavior], YET DO NOT SIN; do not let your anger [cause you shame, nor allow it to] last until the sun goes down.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

past: 1 Timothy 4:2

given: Ephesians 4:17, Romans 1:24-26, 1 Peter 4:3

with: Job 15:16, Isaiah 56:11, 2 Peter 2:12-14, 2 Peter 2:22, Jude 1:11, Revelation 17:1-6, Revelation 18:3

Reciprocal: Leviticus 11:16 - General Judges 19:25 - and abused 1 Kings 21:20 - to work Proverbs 23:35 - I felt it not Romans 1:26 - vile Romans 8:7 - the carnal mind Ephesians 5:3 - fornication Colossians 3:5 - evil 1 Thessalonians 4:7 - uncleanness 2 Peter 2:10 - in the

Cross-References

Genesis 2:18
Now the LORD God said, "It is not good (beneficial) for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper [one who balances him—a counterpart who is] suitable and complementary for him."

Genesis 2:24
For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.

Genesis 4:4
But Abel brought [an offering of] the [finest] firstborn of his flock and the fat portions. And the LORD had respect (regard) for Abel and for his offering;

Genesis 4:6
And the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you so angry? And why do you look annoyed?

Matthew 19:8
He said to them, "Because your hearts were hard and stubborn Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

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.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

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 Romans 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; compare notes on Romans 1:21.

Unto lasciviousness - see the notes on Romans 1:24-26.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 19. 5. Who being past feeling — οιτινεςαπηλγηκοτες. 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 labour in it is worse, to labour 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, endeavour to decry it, and to take refuge in the falsities of infidelity against the testimony of eternal truth.