Ephesians 4:19

Eph_4:19

Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness.

Past feeling

There are two great extremes into which persons fail with regard to Christian feeling. There are some whose religion seems to consist in feeling only. But remember that if your feeling is not based on solid acquaintance with Scriptural truth, it will rise like a bubble, and be as beautiful in its colours, but burst as easily. On the other hand there is religion without feeling Some persons seem to think all emotion, or warmth, or fervour, is enthusiasm, and settle down satisfied with a cold reception of Christian truth.

I. The importance of Christian feeling. One of the great points of contrast between the people of God and the wicked.

1. The godly man feels sorrow for sin.

2. The godly man feels the emotion of love.

3. The godly man is filled with joy.

II. Suggestions for those anxious on the subject.

1. The feelings, however warm, can never justify, and the want of feeling does not prevent justification.

2. If you want to be made to feel, you must lose no time in going near to the Fathers throne.

3. Remember always that feeling is the gift of the Holy Ghost, and that you cannot work yourself up to it. (The Clergymans Magazine.)

Spiritual insensibility

In the wilds of North America, amid vast prairies and trackless woods, there lived, through many centuries, the race of the Red Men. Encroached upon from all sides, hemmed in by settlers from Europe, and defrauded of their ancient territories, that race of men has almost disappeared from the face of the earth. They were a race of hunters; unsettled, cruel, and deceitful; yet not without many features of character which gave them a peculiar interest. Their hospitality was inviolate; and the stern gravity of their manners deeply impressed the stranger. But there was one thing about them, in particular, which they cultivated with especial care, and which was matter of especial pride: this was their power of absolutely repressing the slightest outward exhibition of feeling. If they were glad, they never looked it; if the most awful misfortune befell them, it wrought not the least change on their iron features and their impassive demeanour. From his tree-rocked cradle to his bier, the Indian brave was trained to bear all the extremes of good and evil, without making any sign of what he felt. If he met a friend, the dearest friend on earth; or if he was being tortured to death at the fiery stake; he preserved the same fixed, immovable aspect. And you could not please him better than by believing that he was as completely beyond all feeling as he seemed; for he set himself out as the stoic of the woods, as a man without a tear. And, indeed, it is curious to think how much, in this respect, the extreme of civilization and the extreme of barbarism approach one another. Greek philosophy centuries ago, and modern refinement in its last polish of manner, alike recognize the mute Oneidas principle, that there is something manly, something fine, in the repression of human feeling. A Red Indian, a Grecian philosopher, an English gentleman, would all be pretty equally ashamed to have been seen to weep. Each would try to convey by his entire deportment the impression that he cared very little for anything. And there is no doubt at all, that it might be unworthy of the grown-up man, who has to battle with the world for his familys support, were his feelings as easily moved as in his childish days, or did his tears flow as readily as then. Even the gentleness and freshness of womanly feeling would hardly suit the rude wear of manhoods busy life. And it must be admitted, that the highest pitch of heroism to which man has ever attained, as well as the vilest degree of guilt to which man has ever sunk, has been attained, has been sunk to, by the putting down of natural feeling. The soldier volunteering for the forlorn hope, must do that as truly as the desperate pirate who spreads his black flag to the winds. And yet St. Paul was right when he wrote those words of the text. When he was speaking of people who had become hopelessly and fearfully bad, who had broken through every restraint, who had flung off every obligation; he was quite right to mention, as something symptomatic of their case, that they were past feeling. They were thoroughly hardened. You could make no impression upon them. That was the most hopeless thing about them. Yes, brethren, St. Paul was right. It is one of the last and worst symptoms of the souls condition, when feeling is gone. You know that it is sometimes so also with the body. Sometimes when disease has run a certain length, there is nothing which looks so ill as an entire cessation of pain. For that may indicate that mortification has begun, and so that all hope is at an end. So with spiritual insensibility; for that is arrived at by most men only after a long continuance in iniquity: and that is an indication which gives sad ground for fearing that the Holy Spirit, without whom we can never feel anything as we ought, has ceased to strive with that hardened soul--has left that obdurate heart alone. Yet we must not imagine that our text describes a state of matters which can only be found among the most degraded and abandoned of the race. I believe, on the contrary, that our text names a spiritual condition which is too common a condition; a condition to which we have all a strong tendency; a spiritual condition which we must all daily be striving and praying against. We all run a great risk of becoming so familiar with spiritual truths, as that we shall understand them and believe them without feeling them; without really feeling what their meaning is, and without that degree of emotion being excited by them that ought to be excited. You may remember what a faithful and zealous minister tells us, of a conversation which he had with an aged man in his parish, a respectable decent man, who bore an unstained character, who never was absent from church or sacrament. That zealous minister, in his parochial visitation, went to that respectable mans house, and there, addressing him and his family, he told simply of the salvation that is in Christ, and urged those who listened to a hearty acceptance of it. The minister finished what he had to say, and when he left the house his friend accompanied him; and when they were alone together, said something like this: Spend your time and strength upon the young; labour to bring them to Jesus: it is too late for such as me. I know, he said, that I have never been a Christian. I fully believe that when I die I shall go down to perdition; but somehow I do not care. I know perfectly all you can say; but I feel it no more than a stone. And that man, we are told, died with the like words on his lips. He had lost the springtime of his life; he had missed the tide in his affairs that might have borne him to heaven: his heart had, under the deadening influence of a present world, grown hard and unimpressionable; and, saving only Gods irresistible Spirit, there was no use in anyone speaking of religious things to such as him. Oh, past feeling! Past feeling! Not past it in the mere sentimental sense in which the poet tells us that it is the one great woe of life to feel all feeling die; not past it in that mere sentimental sense in which youth has a freshness of feeling and heart which tames down, which passes away with advancing years; not past it merely in that sense in which as we grow older we grow less susceptible, less capable of all emotion; not past it merely in the sense, that when the hair grows grey, and the pulse turns slower, the tear flows less readily at the gospel story, and even at the table of communion we miss somewhat of the warmth of heart and the vividness of thought which we felt in earlier days; but past feeling in that saddest sense, that religious words fall with little meaning on the ear, and with no impression at all upon the heart: past feeling in that saddest sense, that now to all spiritual truths, to all expostulation and all entreaty, to Gods abounding mercy, to Christs blessed sacrifice, to the hopes of heaven and the fears of perdition, the understanding may indeed yield a torpid, listless assent; but the heart is stone! (A. K. H. Boyd, D. D.)

The story of the unarousable

These words were used as descriptive of certain persons a good while ago; but they are a striking photograph of some people in this day. You and I have known them--men sensitive on all other things; but, so far as the subject of religion was concerned, accurately described by my text: Past feeling. It does not require much to arouse the emotions of an audience on a great many subjects. If a nation be in peril and the subject be patriotic, you know how the hats go up and the handkerchiefs wave from the galleries, and the reporter taking down the speech interlards his notes with applause, vociferous cheering, cries of hear, hear. I heard a Frenchman sing the Marseillaise Hymn on the Champs Elysees in Paris on the day when the German guns were thundering at Sedan, and I shall never forget the enthusiasm of the singer or the enthusiasm of the audience. It required but little to stir them. So, also, if upon a public occasion, it is proper to recite the virtues of the dead, it is like when on a summer morning at sunrise you shake a tree heavily laden with glittering dew. But you know as well as I do that, if the subject be deeply religious, while there are many earnest countenances in an assemblage, and some are broken down with emotion, there are those who by their manner and by their look excite the suspicion that they have gone down into the condition spoken of by the text: Past feeling. I remember some years ago going through a medical museum, in Philadelphia, with a very learned surgeon, and he pointed to me under the glass cases, the splintered bones, and the cancerous protuberances, and the fractured thighs, and he said: What beautiful specimens they are. I thought if that man had to endure the agonies that those things suggested, he would not have thought they were such splendid specimens. My dear friends, there are those who coolly philosophize about the splintered, cancered, and fractured souls of men, but if the Spirit of God would come upon them and they could see it was their own condition, that they were diseased, and leprous, and broken, and death struck, they would stop philosophizing so placidly, Some years ago, when John Hawkins was speaking in Greene-street Church, New York, showing the condition of an inebriate, a man rose up in the gallery and cried out: Thats me! The truth went right to his heart. And, my dear friends, if tonight, while I speak, the Holy Spirit of God would show all those of you who are yet unforgiven and unchristian your true condition, there would be an outcry on the right and an outcry on the left, and above me and beneath me, and my voice would be drowned out, and I should have to stop in the services because of the praying, and the repenting, and the weeping--thousands of voices filling the air with the cry: Thats me! thats me! And yet, I suppose, there are people in the building tonight who suppose I exaggerate. They have no appreciation of their peril. Eternal consumption having seized upon their vitals, they think themselves in perfect health. I remember riding from Geneva to Chamouni, and the driver of the diligence--we were being drawn by six horses--gathered the reins in one hand, and with the other lifted his hat, and bowed very low. I looked to see what he was bowing to. It was a cross at a gate post. I could not but admire the mans behaviour. Oh! my friends, if we could really understand how much that symbol of Christs suffering means, the whole world would bow in obeisance, nay more, it would burst into tears of repentance. I was in a meeting in the Fourth Ward, New York, one night last summer, and the city missionary was commending Christ to the sailors. There was a German who seemed to take the truth to himself, and when the leader of the meeting said; Christ died for you; is there any of you that feel it? this man sprang to his feet and cried: Me! me! Why, my friends, if you could appreciate what Christ has done and suffered in your behalf, you could not be stolid and indifferent. (T. de W. Talmage, D. D.)

Past feeling

Truly, there are no colours in human language dark enough wherewith to describe this state. Conceive of a person standing amid this present world, all whose senses have, one by one, been utterly destroyed; on whose sightless orbs the sun shines in vain; whose ear receives no intelligence from the world without; whose hand feels not; whose tongue is dumb; in whom every sense is gone, while yet his soul, living and conscious in itself, is imprisoned in his body! How awful, how unspeakably awful, would be such a living death! And yet what would be such a condition as compared with that of him who stands amid eternity in like manner, dead in all his spiritual sensibilities to the influences of God and the realities of heaven--dead in all the spiritual faculties which were given to him for his knowledge and his happiness, and only stung forever with the vague, terrible consciousness that he is dead and lost to all the influences of Gods mighty and most merciful Spirit? It is truly a state so awful, even in the thought of it, that it seems almost impossible. And yet this is nothing more than the condition to which, the text informs us, every man--you and I--may bring himself.

I. The progress of the soul to spiritual insensibility is not one that can be entered upon without an internal struggle and a feeling of painful emotion. There is a consciousness, an instinct, in every human breast that man is to live a life beyond this present; that the service of Christ is both his duty and his interest; that he can only attain to eternal joy by becoming worthy of heaven; while at the same time he feels, from the witness both of conscience and of revelation, that he cannot depart from God without forfeiting all happiness for his immortal soul. No man, therefore, can determine to take the latter course without a feeling of alarm and sorrow.

II. The souls progress to the condition of being past feeling is a gradual one. Its final state of insensibility is not attained until after many awakenings and many relapses. It is often a long while ere a man becomes incapable of being aroused at times to seriousness and consideration. Only, it requires continually a stronger excitement to produce this result; and each time his feelings are less and less acute and effective. After each relapse, he is not the same man that he was before. The death frost has struck in deeper and nearer to the seat of life. He is harder to be aroused, and less sensitive when he is aroused. And so he goes on, step by step, awakening less and sinking more, until at last he begins to wonder how it could ever be that he once felt alarmed about his soul. Or else it may be that when, having enjoyed to satiety the present world, he would endeavour to be religious for the selfish purpose of gaining the future one also, he finds he has no power to be religious. He has no longer the sensibilities in whose right exercise consists religion. He has all along turned his back upon God and heaven, and travelled down and down all the frozen steps of indifference, until now, when at last he would return, he finds himself with a yawning eternity before, and an impassable wall of ice behind. His long outraged spiritual sensibilities are dead.

III. The progress we are considering is a deceptive one. No man expects to lose his soul. If a man knew that beyond a certain fixed and evident point he could not be saved, he would doubtless be careful to observe more closely his place upon the scale of life and death. But there is no such evident point, and hence he has no irresistible exterior evidence of his spiritual situation. His heart, within, moreover, acting under the same delusion, tends to keep up the same deception. The soul is borne along by so equable and smooth a movement, that at no point is the sinner sensible how far gone he is from God. Should you ask him at any period concerning his condition, he will confess, indeed, that all is not right, that his conscience is not satisfied; but he will say that he does not intend to put off the subjection of himself to God forever--it is only for a season; and he does not think it will be any more difficult to repent and be converted hereafter than it is at present or has been before. True, he admits that there is a difference between his religious feelings now and some time ago, but he supposes it is only the novelty of his first serious impressions wearing off; and this, he argues, is only what he should naturally expect. Moreover, his transient seasons of spiritual sensibility, instead of being used as opportunities of return, are made to strengthen his delusion, being interpreted as evidences that he is still capable of emotion. He thanks God that he is not morally dead yet; and therefore he concludes that he can venture to delay a little longer in carelessness and sin. His very resolution hereafter to repent thus blinds his eyes to the process of decay that is constantly going on in his heart. (Wm. Rudder, D. D.)

The road to spiritual insensibility

There is the man who but as yesterday stood amid the brightness and purity of dawning life. His heart was tender and sensitive to the influences of the Spirit as the strings of a harp to the breathings of the wind. Perhaps pious parents instructed him in the Word of truth, and by their watchfulness and their prayers not only kept alive, but increased the flame of natural piety in his breast. The thought of God could subdue him into deepest reverence. The love of Christ could cause his young heart to throb with a quicker pulse and fill it with an ardent gratitude. The hope of heaven could illuminate his mind with a deep, undefined delight. And so he passed from childhood to youth. And then began the fierce contest between the evil that was in his nature and the good which summoned him to overcome that evil. It would have been comparatively an easy matter for him to have decided then, and devoted himself forever to the service of his God. But he determined--not, however, through indifference to heaven or daring rebellion against God--first to make trial of the world, tits conscience and his heart protested, but he hushed them with the plea that it was only for a season. Thus, without any outbreak of iniquity, without greatly offending man, he glided on to maturity. His life was generally upright and correct. His fellow men called him honourable. His friends loved him for his love. But he had not yet truly, sincerely chosen Christ, nor had the Spirit as yet forsaken him. He was visited from time to time, and again and again, by the power of the grace of God. The loving hand of Christ roused him from his dangerous slumber, and the voice of Christ warned him of duty and judgment and eternity; and for each time he was filled with alarm. Conscience was heard again. He felt the necessity of repentance. He was not fit to die, and he knew that he was not, and shrank from death; but then that dread event seemed to him no nearer now than it did in his youth, and it seemed that repentance could be no more difficult at some future period than at the present. So he once more smothered conscience and sensibility, and went on as he had done before. Afflictions came, disappointments came, but their effect was only for a moment, and he crushed his feelings to indifference again. And so he lived, and passed on to white old age, repulsing and grieving the Spirit of God, outraging his own nature, until the Spirit left him and he could feel no more. Had such an end been foretold him formerly as the result of such delay as he then meditated, and such indifference as he then practised, he would have plucked out his right eye and cut off his right hand rather than delayed for one hour the submission of his soul to God. But now the acceptable time is passed, and the sun is setting; the shadows of the night are gathering around his soul; the power to feel is gone, his moral nature is benumbed, his intellect is clouded; he cannot repent, and without a fear, without a hope, he waits the summons to pass from his probation to his recompense. (Wm. Rudder, D. D.)

Degradation of the heathen

The Greek word signifies to grieve out, to have done with grieving over ones actions, so that all sense of shame is lost. This is a fearful trait of character, and marks, with unerring skill, the polytheism of the heathen. Read their literature, and observe how deeply immoral the best and purest of their writers were; look at the monuments of the Greeks and Romans in general--look at the ruins of Herculaneum and Pompeii, and think how scandalous and shameless the public manners of the nation must have been; or enter a heathen temple in India, where the gods are to be worshipped, and you behold at the present hour the abominations of Venus, Baal, and Astarte. Shame is one of the first feelings of childhood, as well as one of the strongest of our manhood, and when we have become able to extinguish it, our condition is morally hopeless. The beautiful and the good can attract us no more. Hence the natural consequence was the next step in the climax, viz., They gave themselves over unto all lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. A fearful picture, truly! Every word is emphatic, and shows the dominion which sinful habit had acquired over them. It was their own act; they gave themselves over to it. Sin is a fearful master; it increases its dominion over us with all the rapidity of a burning fire. Every indulgence enlarges the appetite, and makes repentance more improbable and more difficult. Such were the Gentiles as Paul saw them, and described them with a masters hand. Hence the necessity of a Divine Revelation to teach, and a Divine Deliverer to redeem. The Day star has arisen to chase away the darkness and the dangers of the night. It may be objected to the apostles description of heathenism--that it is exaggerated, and even contrary to the innate principles of human virtue and rectitude. Bur the proper answer to this is--

1. it is yet to be proved that there are innate principles of virtue in man--I admit innate capacities only--and till this is done, we may hold by the words of Paul in this matter.

2. I mentioned already that the literature and monuments of the heathen, ancient and modern, are remarkably corrupt and abominable.

3. I add that the wise men and philosophers taught sentiments of the grossest impiety and vileness, so that, as Origen says, In committing adultery and whoredom, they did not think themselves violating good manners. Among the refined and civilized Greeks, theft was dishonourable only when the thief had not sufficient adroitness to conceal it. The great philosopher of Athens taught Aspasia the arts of seduction. The wise men of heathenism had hardly any perception of the beauty of truth. Whitby collects some of their maxims on this subject. Menander lays down the rule, that a lie is better than a hurtful truth; Proclus asserts that good is better than truth; Darius, in Herodotus, teaches, When telling a lie is profitable, tell it! Plato allows you to lie as much as you please, if you do it at the proper time, for, as Maximus Tyrius asserts, there is nothing decorous in truth, save when it is profitable, and sometimes a lie is profitable, and truth injurious to men. These specimens will be sufficient to justify the apostle in his awful denunciations of the crimes and corruptions of the heathen world. (W. Graham, D. D.)

Sin hardens man

When men have long taken a custom of sinning, they grow hardened and senseless, as the highway doth by being often trod upon, or as a labourers hand grows hard by constant labour. And so sin becometh familiar to them, and they become past feeling, and are given up to work uncleanness with greediness. (R. Baxter.)

The loss of moral sensibility

The chief danger of the poison called nightshade is its tendency to deprive the stomach of sensibility, and so to render the most powerful antidotes of no avail. Exactly like this is the effect of long continued evil habits. Those who are governed by them lose all moral sensibility. Nothing will work upon them. They are past feeling. Seeing, they see and do not perceive, and hearing, they hear and do not understand. The conscience becomes as it were seared with a hot iron. In that state, applications which before would have made it start and tremble, fail to move it. (R. A. Bertram.)

Past feeling

An old man took a little child up into his arms and put his fingers into the abundant curls of his sunny hair, and said, Oh, dear child, while your mother sings to you and tells you about Jesus, think of Him and trust Him. Grandpa, said the little boy, dont you trust Him? No, dear, he said, I might have done so years ago, but my old heart has got so hard, nothing ever touches me now. And the old man dropped a tear as he said it. (C. H. Spurgeon.)

The man in the iron mask

It has long been a mystery who was the man in the iron mask. We believe that the mystery was solved some years ago, by the conjecture that he was the twin brother of Louis XIV, King of France, who, fearful lest he might have his throne disturbed by his twin brother, whose features were extremely like his own, encased his face in a mask of iron and shut him up in the Bastille for life. Your body and your soul are twin brothers. Your body, as though it were jealous of your soul, encases it as in an iron mask of spiritual ignorance, lest its true lineaments, its immortal lineage, should be discovered, and shuts it up within the Bastille of sin, lest getting liberty and discovering its royalty, it should win the mastery over the baser nature. But what a wretch was that Louis XIV, to do such a thing to his own brother! How brutal, how worse than the beasts that perish! But, sir, what art thou if thou doest thus to thine own soul, merely that thy body may be satisfied, and thy earthly nature may have a present gratification? O sirs, be not so unkind, so cruel to yourselves. But yet this sin of living for the mouth and living for the eye, this sin of living for what ye shall eat and what ye shall drink, and wherewithal ye shall be clothed, this sin of living by the clock within the narrow limits of the time that ticks by the pendulum, this sin of living as if this earth were all and there were nought beyond--this is the sin that holds this City of London, and holds the world, and binds it like a martyr to the stake to perish, unless it be set free. (C. H. Spurgeon.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

4:19 no sense of shame: The hardness of unbelievers’ hearts is reflected in their moral insensitivity and sexual immorality (see Rom 1:21-31).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Eph 4:19. Ἀπηλγηκότες) A very significant term, in which pain (ἄλγος) is used by Synecdoche for the whole sensibility of the affections and understanding, whether painful or pleasant. For pain urges us to seek the means of a cure; and when the pain is removed, not only hope, but also the desire and thought of good things are lost, so that a man becomes senseless, shameless, hopeless. That constitutes hardness, Eph 4:18. Despairing (Desperantes), in the Vulgate and Syriac Version, is worthy of consideration, and illustrates its signification. In this way ἡ ἀναλγησία (insensibility) and ἡ ἀπόγνωσις (despair) are conjointly noted by Chrysostom, Homil. vi., on Heb 3:13. But the very word ἀπαλγεῖν Cicero seems to paraphrase, lib. 2. famil. Ep. 16, when he says, “Diuturna DESPERATIONE rerum obduruisse animum ad DOLOREM novum,” that by long-continued DESPAIR at existing circumstances the mind has become hardened to new PAIN. Therefore ἀπαλγεῖν is more than to despair. Raphelius has given a beautiful disquisition on this word out of Polybius, where, of two examples ascribed to Polybius by Suidas, the oneexists in the same words in Xiphilinus.—ἑαυτοὺς παρέδωκαν, they gave themselves over) of their own accord, willingly.—πάσης, of all) ἀσέλγεια, lasciviousness, the species; ἀκαθαρσία, impurity, the genus. Those who are occupied with these works of the flesh, as being hurried away (seized) with the heated desire of material objects, fall also into greediness [πλεονεξίᾳ, avarice, covetousness]; and gain made by unchastity was frequent among the Gentiles.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Eph_4:19. The estrangement of the Gentiles from the divine life, indicated in Eph_4:18, is now more precisely proved in conformity with experience: οἵτινες, quippe qui, etc.: being such as, void of feeling, have given themselves over to lasciviousness.

ἀπηλγηκότες] ἀναίσθητοι γενόμενοι, Hesychius. The verbum significantissimum (Bengel), from ἀλγεῖν and ἀπό, is equivalent to dedolere, to cease to feel pain, then to be void of feeling, whether there be meant by it the apathy of intelligence, or the state of despair, or, as here, the moral indolence, in which one has ceased to feel reproaches of conscience,[234] consequently the securitas carnalis; see Wetstein, and also Matthaei, ed. min. in loc. The explanation having despaired (comp. Polyb. ix. 40. Ephesians 4 : ἀπαλγοῦντες ταῖς ἐλπίσι) imports a special definition of the meaning without warrant from the context, but is found already in Syr. Arm. Vulg. It. Ambrosiaster, and from it has arisen the reading ἈΠΗΛΠΙΚΌΤΕς (D E F G have ἈΦΗΛΠΙΚ.), which probably already those vss. followed.

ἙΑΥΤΟΎς] with deterrent emphasis. To bring into prominence what was done on the part of their own freedom, was here in accordance with the paraenetic aim. It is otherwise put at Rom_1:24 : παρέδωκεν αὐτοὺς ὁ Θεός. The two modes of regarding the matter are not contrary to one another, but go side by side (see on Rom_1:24); and according to the respective aims and connection of the discourse, both have their warrant and their full truth.

τῇ ἀσελγείᾳ] personified. It is to be understood of sensual lasciviousness (comp. on Rom_13:13; 2Co_12:21; Gal_5:19), as, subsequently, ἀκαθαρσίας of sensual filthiness (comp. Rom_1:24; 2Co_12:21; Gal_5:19), not of ethical wantonness and impurity generally (Harless, Matthies, Meier, and others), since the πλεονεξία connected with it is likewise a special vice, as indeed, on the other hand (Rom_1:24; comp. Eph_4:29 and Col_3:5), unchastity appears as the first and chief vice of the Gentiles.

εἰς ἐργασίαν ἀκαθαρσίας πάσης] aim of this self-surrender to the ἈΣΈΛΓΕΙΑ (comp. Rom_6:19): for the prosecution of every uncleanness, in order to practise every sort of uncleanness. On ἐργασία, comp. LXX. Exo_26:1; 2Ch_15:7; Isa_1:31, al.; Plat. Prot. p. 353 D: τῆς ἡδονῆς ἐργασίαν, Eryx. p. 403 E: ἐργασίας πραγμάτων μοχθηρῶν. Koppe takes it as trade (Act_16:16; Act_19:19; Act_24:2-9). But could the trade of prostitution (Dem. 270. 15, Reiske, and thereon Dissen, de Cor. p. 301) be thus generally predicated with truth of the Gentiles? This at the same time tells in opposition to the explanation followed by Grotius, Bengel, Stolz, Koppe, Flatt, and Meier, of the ἐν πλεονεξίᾳ that follows as quaestus ex impudicitia (on the thing itself, see Aristaen. i. 14). In fact, ἐν πλεονεξίᾳ adds to the vice of sensuality the other chief vice of the heathen, and signifies: with covetousness. The explanations: with unsatiableness (Chrysostom, Theodoret, Oecumenius, Erasmus, Calvin, Estius, and others, including Matthies), or certatim (quasi agatur de lucro, ita ut alius alium superare contendat, Beza), or with haughtiness (Holzhausen), or in gluttony (Harless[235]), are all of them at variance with linguistic usage, partly in general, partly of the N.T. in particular, in which πλεονεξία never means anything else than covetousness. Sensuality and covetousness are the two cardinal vices of the heathen, which are to be avoided by the Christians. See Eph_5:3; 1Co_5:10 f.; Col_3:5. Comp. 2Pe_2:2; 2Pe_3:14.

[234] Homines a Deo relicti sopita conscientia, extincto divini judicii timore, amisso denique sensu tanquam attoniti, belluino impetu se ad omnem turpitudinem projiciunt, Calvin.

[235] He is followed by Olshausen, who explains πλεονεξία of repletion with meat and drink, and terms this physical greed! According to classical usage, πλεονεξία might mean superabundance, but not gluttony.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Eph 4:19 . οἵτινες ἀπηλγηκότες : who having become past feeling . οἵτινες has its usual qualitative or explanatory force, = “who as men past feeling”. The ἀπηλγηκότες is naturally suggested by the πώρωσιν . It expresses the condition, not of despair merely (Syr., Vulg., Arm., etc.), but of moral insensibility, “the deadness that supervenes when the heart has ceased to be sensible of the ‘stimuli’ of the conscience” (Ell.). A few MSS. ( [443] [444] [445] , etc.) mistakenly read ἀπηλπικότες or ἀφηλπικότες , = desperantes (Latt., Syr., Arm., etc.). ἑαυτοὺς παρέδωκαν τῇ ἀσελγείᾳ : gave themselves up to lasciviousness . In Rom 1:26 Paul gives us the other side of the same unhappy fact πάρεδωκεν αὐτοὺς ὁ Θεός . It is at once a guilty choice of men and a judicial act of God. ἀσέλγεια is wantonness, shameless, outrageous sensuality ( cf. 2Co 12:21 ; Gal 5:19 ; 2Pe 2:7 , etc.). εἰς ἐργασίαν ἀκαθαρσίας πάσης ἐν πλεονεξίᾳ : to the working of all uncleanness with greediness . The noun ἐργασία is used sometimes of work or business (Act 19:25 ); sometimes of the gain got by work (Act 16:19 ; perhaps also Act 16:16 ; Act 19:24 ); sometimes of the pains or endeavour (Luk 12:58 ). Hence some give it the sense of trade here (Koppe, RV marg. = “to make a trade of”). It might perhaps be rendered here “so as to make a business of every kind of uncleanness”. But it seems rather to be simply = τὸ ἐργάζεσθαι . The εἰς denotes the object , the conscious object (Ell.) of the self-surrender. πάσης = every kind of; ἀκαθαρσία is moral uncleanness in the widest sense; ἐν πλεονεξίᾳ , describes the condition or frame of mind in which they wrought the ἀκαθαρσία , viz. , that of covetousness or greediness . πλεονεξία is taken by some to mean ἀμετρία , inordinate desire or insatiableness (Chrys., Oec., Calv., Trench, etc.). It is repeatedly coupled indeed with sins of the flesh in the NT (1Co 5:11 ; Eph 5:3 ; Col 3:5 ) and is akin to them as they all involve self-seeking . But its own proper meaning is greed, covetousness , and that sense is quite applicable here. See further on Eph 5:3 ; Eph 5:5 . These two things ἀκαθαρσία and πλεονεξία ranked as the two great heathen vices. So the Gentiles, darkened and alienated from the life of God, had become men of such a character that they gave themselves wilfully over to wanton sensuality, in order that they might practise every kind of uncleanness and do that with unbridled greedy desire.

[443] Codex Claromontanus (sæc. vi.), a Græco-Latin MS. at Paris, edited by Tischendorf in 1852.

[444] Codex Augiensis (sæc. ix.), a Græco-Latin MS., at Trinity College, Cambridge, edited by Scrivener in 1859. Its Greek text is almost identical with that of G, and it is therefore not cited save where it differs from that MS. Its Latin version, f, presents the Vulgate text with some modifications.

[445] Codex Boernerianus (sæc. ix.), a Græco-Latin MS., at Dresden, edited by Matthæi in 1791. Written by an Irish scribe, it once formed part of the same volume as Codex Sangallensis ( δ ) of the Gospels. The Latin text, g, is based on the O.L. translation.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Eph_4:19

Who, not the simple relative, but οἵτινες, such as who. The practical proof of their being in the state described is to be found in the fact that being without feeling they give themselves over to the sins mentioned. Ἀπηλγηκότες, no longer susceptible of pain. Conscience ceases to upbraid or to restrain them. They, therefore, give themselves up to excess, to practice all kinds of uncleanness, ἐν πλεονεξίᾳ, with greediness, i.e. insatiably. The parallel passage, 2Pe_2:14, Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin, would favor this interpretation so far as the idea is concerned. But the word πλεονεξία always elsewhere means, covetousness; a desire to have more. And as this gives a good sense it is not right to depart from the established meaning. Ἐν πλεονεξίᾳ, therefore, means with, i.e. together with, covetousness. The heathen give themselves up to uncleanness and covetousness. These two vices are elsewhere thus associated, as in Eph_5:3, Eph_5:5, Let not uncleanness or covetousness be named among you. No unclean person, nor covetous man, etc. See also Col_3:5; Rom_1:29; 1Co_5:10. Here as in Rom_1:24, immorality is connected with impiety as its inevitable consequence. Men in their folly think that morality may be preserved without religion, and even that morality is religion; but reason, experience and Scripture all prove that if men do not love and fear God they give themselves up to vice in some form, and commonly either to uncleanness or avarice. There is a twofold reason for this; one is the nature of the soul which has no independent source of goodness in itself, so that if it turns from God it sinks into pollution, and the other is the punitive justice of God. He abandons those who abandon him. In Rom_1:24 and elsewhere, it is said God gives the impious up to uncleanness; here it is said, they give themselves up. These are only different forms of the same truth. Men are restrained from evil by the hand of God, if he relaxes his hold they rush spontaneously to destruction. All systems of education, all projects of reform in social or political life, not founded in religion, are, according to the doctrine of this passage and of all Scripture, sure to lead to destruction.

Charles Hodge — Commentary on Romans (1835), First Corinthians (1857), and Ephesians (1856) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

They strove to pass one another as though there had been some gain to be gotten by it.

Void of all judgment.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

past feeling--senseless, shameless, hopeless; the ultimate result of a long process of "hardening," or habit of sin (Eph 4:18). "Being past hope," or despairing, is the reading of the Vulgate; though not so well supported as English Version reading, "past feeling," which includes the absence of hope (Jer 2:25; Jer 18:12).

given themselves over--In Rom 1:24 it is, "God gave them up to uncleanness." Their giving themselves to it was punished in kind, God giving them up to it by withdrawing His preventing grace; their sin thus was made their punishment. They gave themselves up of their own accord to the slavery of their lust, to do all its pleasure, as captives who have ceased to strive with the foe. God gave them up to it, but not against their will; for they give themselves up to it [ZANCHIUS].

lasciviousness--"wantonness" [ALFORD]. So it is translated in Rom 13:13; Pe2 2:18. It does not necessarily include lasciviousness; but it means intemperate, reckless readiness for it, and for every self-indulgence. "The first beginnings of unchastity" [GROTIUS]. "Lawless insolence, and wanton caprice" [TRENCH].

to work all uncleanness--The Greek implies, "with a deliberate view to the working (as if it were their work or business, not a mere accidental fall into sin) of uncleanness of every kind."

with greediness--Greek, "in greediness." Uncleanness and greediness of gain often go hand in hand (Eph 5:3, Eph 5:5; Col 3:5); though "greediness" here includes all kinds of self-seeking.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

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.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

19. Who being past feeling. The account which had been given of natural depravity is followed by a description of the worst of all evils, brought upon men by their own sinful conduct. Having destroyed the sensibilities of the heart, and allayed the stings of remorse, they abandon themselves to all manner of iniquity. We are by nature corrupt and prone to evil; nay, we are wholly inclined to evil. Those who are destitute of the Spirit of Christ give loose reins to self-indulgence, till fresh offenses, producing others in constant succession, bring down upon them the wrath of God. The voice of God, proclaimed by an accusing conscience, still continues to be heard; but, instead of producing its proper effects, appears rather to harden them against all admonition. On account of such obstinacy, they deserve to be altogether forsaken by God.

The usual symptom of their having been thus forsaken is — the insensibility to pain, which is here described — being past feeling. Unmoved by the approaching judgment of God, whom they offend, they go on at their ease, and fearlessly indulge without restraint in the pleasures of sin. No shame is felt, no regard to character is maintained. The gnawing of a guilty conscience, tormented by the dread of the Divine judgment, may be compared to the porch of hell; but such hardened security as this — is a whirlpool which swallows up and destroys. As Solomon says,

“When the wicked is come to the deep, he despiseth it.” (Proverbs 18:3.)

Most properly, therefore, does Paul exhibit that dreadful example of Divine vengeance, in which men forsaken by God — having laid conscience to sleep, and destroyed all fear of the Divine judgment, — in a word, being past feeling, — surrender themselves with brutal violence to all wickedness. This is not universally the case. Many even of the reprobate are restrained by God, whose infinite goodness prevents the absolute confusion in which the world would otherwise be involved. The consequence is, that such open lust, such unrestrained intemperance, does not appear in all. It is enough that the lives of some present such a mirror, fitted to awaken our alarm lest anything similar should happen to ourselves.

Lasciviousness (ἀσελγείᾳ) appears to me to denote that wantonness with which the flesh indulges in intemperance and licentiousness, when not restrained by the Spirit of God. Uncleanness is put for scandalous enormities of every description. It is added, with greediness. The Greek word πλεονεξία, which is so translated, often signifies covetousness, (Luke 12:15; 2 Peter 2:14,) and is so explained by some in this passage; but I cannot adopt that view. Depraved and wicked desires being insatiable, Paul represents them as attended and followed by greediness, which is the contrary of moderation.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(19) Who being past feeling . . .—We note that St. Paul, passing lightly over the intellectual loss, dwells on the moral with intense and terrible emphasis. They are (he says) “past feeling”; or, literally, carrying on the metaphor of callousness, they have lost the capacity of pain—the moral pain which is the natural and healthful consequence of sin against our true natures. Consequently, losing in this their true humanity, they give themselves over to “lasciviousness.” The word used here (as also in Mar_7:22; Rom_13:13; 2Co_12:21; Gal_5:19) signifies a lust devoid of all sense of decency, recklessly and grossly animal. Hence its result is not only to work out uncleanness of every kind, but to do so “with greediness,” with a reckless delight in foulness for its own sake. The union of this brutality of sensual sin with intellectual acuteness and æsthetic culture was the most horrible feature of that corrupt Greek civilisation, tainted with Oriental grossness, of which he was especially writing.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

19. who being past feeling] The Gr. relative pronoun indicates a certain conditionality; almost as if it were, “as being those who.” But the shade is too slight for translation.—“Past feeling”:—lit., “having got over the pain,” as when mortification sets in; a deeply suggestive metaphor.

have given themselves over] Lit., did give over themselves. An ideal crisis is in view, reflected in many a sad actual crisis in individual lives.—“Themselves” is emphatic by position. The perverted will is the traitor, the “giver over.” However deep the mystery of its perversion, it is always the will, and speaks as such the decisive “yes” to temptation.

lasciviousness] The Gr. word occurs in N.T. 11 times. See e.g. Mar_7:22; Rom_13:13 (A.V., “wantonness”); Gal_5:19. The root-idea of the word is not specially fleshly impurity, but rebellion against restraint as such; petulance, wantonness, as shewn e.g. in violence. Abp Trench (N. T. Synonyms, on this word), recommends accordingly wantonness as a better rendering than “lasciviousness,” which is but one manifestation of the tendency denoted.

to work] Lit., to the working of. The Gr. noun occurs elsewhere in N.T. Luk_12:58 (A.V., “diligence”); Act_16:16; Act_16:19 (A.V., “gain”); Act_19:24 (A.V., “gain”), Rom 25 (A.V., “craft”). The idea of business thus adheres to the word. The suggestion conveyed by it here is that sin becomes to the deliberate sinner an earnest pursuit, an occupation. Cp. Rom_13:14 (“forethought for the flesh”). The R.V. gives in its margin here, “to make a trade of.”

uncleanness] The connexion of the Gr. word is mainly with fleshly impurity, and so probably here. But it is not quite confined to this; one passage (1Th_2:3) giving the thought rather of “impure motives” in the sense of insincerity.

greediness] The Gr. word is rendered “covetousness,” Luk_12:15. But it means much more than the desire of money, or property, with which we specially associate “covetousness.” It occurs (or its cognate verb or adjective) in close connexion with the subject of fleshly impurity 1Co_5:11; 1Th_4:6; and below, Eph_5:3; Eph_5:5. See too Col_3:5. “Greed” has a strong and terrible connexion with impurity, as is obvious. Bp Lightfoot shews (on Col_3:5) that the present word never of itself denotes “lust,” while it is, of course, rightly used to denote the horrible grasp and plunder which lust involves.

In this verse the Apostle depicts, as universal among “the Gentiles,” an abandoned licentiousness. Contemporary literature gives mournful testimony to the charge, as regards society in general, indicating a large social toleration of the most hideous vices, and a significant readiness to import vicious imagery into refined spheres of thought. But the accusation of this passage, surely, transcends the limits of any one age, or state of society; it is levelled at unregenerate Man. And the explanation of it, so viewed, is to be sought in the study of those tendencies of evil which reside in the fallen “heart” as such. The action of outrageous sinning does but illustrate the underlying principle of sin; a principle with which absolutely nothing but “the life of God” can effectually deal. See further Rom_3:10-18, and notes in this Series.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

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

Ver. 19. Who being past feeling] Under a dead and dedolent disposition, being desperately sinful. Some there are of cauterized consciences, that, like devils, will have nothing to do with God, because loth to be tormented before their time. They feeling such horrible hard hearts, and privy to such notorious sins, they cast away souls and all for lust, and so perish woefully, because they lived wickedly; having through custom in evil contracted such a hardness, as neither ministry, nor misery, nor miracle, nor mercy could possibly mollify. As ducklings dive at any little thing thrown by a man at them, yet shrink not at the heaven’s great thunder; so is it with these, till at length they become like the smith’s dog, whom neither the hammers above him nor the sparks of fire falling round about him can awake.

Have given themselves over] They make it their felicity to pass their time lasciviously, as though they were born (as Boccas saith of himself) per l’amore dalle dame, for the love of women.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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 Rom 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 Rom 1:21.

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

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Who despairing,[4] (without faith and charity) according to the Latin text and some Greek manuscripts; though according to the ordinary Greek, without grief or sorrow, (to wit, for their sins) have given themselves over to all manner of vices, unto covetousness.[5] Some take notice that the Greek word may not only signify avarice, or covetousness of money, but any unsatiable desires or lusts. See Chap. v. ver. 3. and 5. (Witham)

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[BIBLIOGRAPHY]

Deperantes. The Latin interpreter seems to have read Greek: apelpikotes, as in some manuscripts, but in most other copies Greek: apelgekotes, indolentes. See St. Jerome in his Commentary, p. 368.

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[BIBLIOGRAPHY]

In avaritiam: Greek: en pleonexia, in cupiditate. See ver. 3. of the next chapter.

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George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Who being past feeling; having lost all sense and conscience of sin: a higher degree or effect of the hardness before mentioned, 1Ti 4:2.

Have given themselves over unto lasciviousness; voluntarily yielded themselves up to the power of their own sensuality and lasciviousness, so as to be commanded by it, without resisting it.

To work; not only to burn with inward lusts, but to fulfil them in the outward acts.

All uncleanness; all sorts of uncleanness, even the most monstrous, Rom 1:24,26,27; 1Co 6:9; Gal 5:19.

With greediness; either with covetousness, and then it respects those that prostituted themselves for gain; or rather with an insatiable desire of still going on in their filthiness.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

19. Being past feeling—The Greek verb so rendered signifies those who have had their crying spell but now are quiescent. Hence it comes to signify such as have become freed from all once-existing moral sensibility.

Lasciviousness—Unrestraint, or license of every kind. It is by no means limited to sexual license, but applies to any vice.

Uncleanness—Filth, nastiness, baseness, either material or moral. See note, Eph_5:3.

In 1Th_2:3 it refers to avarice.

Greediness—Rather, covetousness; grasping after more and more gain. From our definitions of these last three words, it will be seen that we find no reference in the verse to sexual impurity, but to secular and business profligacy. We render the whole verse: Who being past all sensitiveness, (either as to obligation or to reputation) have surrendered themselves to unrestraint for accomplishment of every baseness in gain-getting. Our reasons for finding no reference to sexual license here are:

1. That subject is fully treated in Eph_5:3-21.

2. All the vices to be put off, (Eph_4:25-32,) in contrast with the present dark pictures, belong to secular business life and not to sexuality.

3. The terms used, though some of them have a sexual side, yet do not here require that meaning, while the last word, rendered greediness, fairly excludes it. It is derived from πλεος, more, and εχω, to have, and is the normal Greek word to signify gain-greed, graspingness, avarice.

In the apostle’s day, as in ours, the supremacy of the money-power, the consequent unscrupulousness and profligacy with which gain was sought, and the readiness to sell one’s self for riches, were overwhelming. The conquered East poured boundless wealth into the Roman empire, and (to use, with Paul, a sexual term) debauched the West into utter prostitution to the baseness of greed. No wonder that St. Paul should have execrated it as a base filthiness.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Who being past feeling. Without sense of shame, without conscience, without fear of God or regard for man, without any perception of the dignity of human nature, the glory of the Divine image, or the degradation of sin. Have given themselves over to lasciviousness to work all uncleanness (fourth point of difference). This is the climax heathenism in its worst and fullest development, yet by no means rare. The sensuality of the heathen was and is something dreadful. Many of them gave themselves to it as a business, worked at it as at a trade or employment (see Uhlmann"s "Conflict of Christianity with Heathenism," etc.). Details, such as even the walls of Pompeii furnish, are unfit for the public eye. With greediness, Pleonexia means the desire of having more, and has reference to the insatiable character of sensual sins. Sometimes it is translated (A.V.) "covetousness," as Eph_5:3.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Who being past feeling - The original word is peculiarly significant. It properly means, past feeling pain. Pain urges the sick to seek a remedy, which, where there is no pain, is little thought of. Have given themselves up - Freely, of their own accord. Lasciviousness is but one branch of uncleanness, which implies impurity of every kind.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

19. Who being past feeling. Having trampled conscience under foot until it is calloused. Having silenced its admonitions, they give themselves over to licentiousness and evil. This description is not overdrawn. Purity of life was not even considered a virtue among the Gentiles of that period.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

19. ἀπηλγηκότες, ‘in a state of moral insensibility.’ ‘Past feeling.’

ἑαυτοὺς παρέδωκαν. Just as in Exodus the narrative speaks at times of Pharaoh’s hardening his heart, and at times of the Lord as hardening Pharaoh’s heart, so here the Gentiles are said ‘to give themselves up,’ whereas in Rom 1:24; Rom 1:26; Rom 1:28 with solemn iteration we read παρέδωκεν αὐτοὺς ὁ θεός. Cp. also Wisdom 14; 1Pe 4:3 for parallel pictures of the moral degradation of heathenism.

τῇ ἀσελγείᾳ. Rom 13:13; 1Pe 4:3: ‘lasciviousness’ with the further thought of passion unrestrained by any sense of propriety, shocking public decency.

εἰς ἐργασίαν ἀκαθαρσίας πάσης, ‘to consummate in act’ rather than ‘to make a business of.’

ἐν πλεονεξίᾳ, ‘with greediness,’ ‘with a miser’s greed’ (Lightfoot). Lust is inherently insatiable and selfish. The word is often used in close connexion with uncleanness, cp. Eph 5:3; Eph 5:5; 1Co 5:10, but this is not inherent in the word itself, but is due rather to the common root from which the vices spring. See further on Eph 5:3.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

19.] who as (οἵτινες, see ch. 1:23 note) being past feeling (ὥσπερ τῶν ἀπὸ πάθους τινὸς μέρη πολλάκις τοῦ σώματος νενεκρωμένων οἷς οὐ μόνον ἄλγος οὐδὲν ἐκεῖθεν ἐγγίνεται, ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ ἡ τοῦ μέρους ἀφαίρεσις αἴσθησιν ἐμποιεῖ. Theod. Mops. in Stier. From the ‘desperatio’ of the Vulg. Syr., seems to have come the reading ἀπηλπικότες, see var. readd. The obduration described may spring in ordinary life from despair:—so Cicero, Ep. fam. ii. 16, in Bengel, ‘diuturna desperatione rerum obduruisse animum ad dolorem novum,’—and Polyb. ix. 40. 9, ἀπαλγοῦντες ταῖς ἐλπίσι (where see Ernesti’s note), but may also result from other reasons. Certainly despair has nothing to do with the matter here, but rather the carrying on of the πώρωσις to positive ἀπάλγησις by the increasing habit of sin) gave up themselves (“ἑαυτ., with terrific emphasis. It accorded here with the hortatory object of the Apostle to bring into prominence that which happened on the side of their own free will. It is otherwise in Rom 1:24, παρέδωκεν αὐτοὺς ὁ θεός: and the two treatments of the fact are not inconsistent, but parallel, each having its vindication and its full truth in the pragmatism of the context.” Meyer) to wantonness (see Gal 5:19 note) in order to (conscious aim, not merely incidental result of the παραδοῦναι—see below) the working (yes and more—the being ἐργάται—the working as at a trade or business—but we have no one word for it: cf. Chrys., ὁρᾷς πῶς αὐτοὺς ἀποστερεῖ συγγνώμης ἐργασίαν ἀκαθαρσίας εἰπών; οὐ παραπεσόντες, φησίν, ἥμαρτον, ἀλλʼ εἰργάζοντο αὐτὰ τὰ δεινά, κ. μελέτῃ τῷ πράγματι ἐκέχρηντο) of impurity of every kind (see Rom 1:21-27. Ellic. remarks, “As St. Paul nearly invariably places πᾶς before, and not as here after the abstract (anarthrous) substantive, it seems proper to specify it (that circumstance) in translation”) in greediness (such is the meaning, and not ‘with greediness,’ i.e. greedily, as E. V., Chr. (appy), Thdrt., Œc., Erasm., Calv., Est., al., nor ‘certatim, quasi agatur de lucro, ita ut alius alium superare contendat,’ as Beza, nor as Harl. ‘in gluttony’ (which meaning his citation from Chrys. does not bear out).

πλεονεξία, the desire of having more, is obviously a wider vice than mere covetousness, though this latter is generally its prominent form. It is self-seeking, or greed: in whatever direction this central evil tendency finds its employment. So that it may include in itself as an element, as here, lustful sins, though it can never actually mean ‘lasciviousness.’ In 1Co 5:10 it (πλεονέκταις) is disjoined from πόρνοις by ἤ, and joined by καί to ἅρπαξιν—clearly therefore meaning covetous persons. See also ch. 5:3, and Col 3:5: and compare Ellicott’s note here).

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

19. οἵτινες, “quippe qui,” “being persons who.” ἀπηλγηκότες, “being past feeling,” a word appropriate to the figure in πώρωσις; it properly means to give over feeling pain, and is used by Thucydides with an accusative of the thing, ἀπαλγοῦντες τὰ ἴδια, ii. 61; hence it comes to mean “to be without feeling.” The AV. “past feeling” expresses the sense very accurately. Polybius, however, has the expression ἀπαλγοῦντες ταῖς ἐλπίσι, and, indeed, elsewhere uses the verb in the sense “giving up,” as Hesychius interprets, μηκέτι θέλοντες πονεῖν. This may be “giving up in despair,” as in i. 58 of the Romans and Carthaginians, κάμνοντες ἤδη τοῖς πόνοις διὰ τὴν συνέχειαν τῶν κινδύνων, εἰς τέλος ἀπήλγουν. Hence some commentators have adopted “desperantes” here, which is the rendering of the Vulgate. Bengel cites from Cicero (Epp. ad famil. ii. 16) what looks like a paraphrase of the word: “diuturna desperatione serum obduruisse animum ad dolorem novum.” “Dolor, says Bengel, “urget ad medicinam: dolore autem amisso, non modo spes sed etiam studium et cogitatio rerum bonarum amittitur, ut homo sit excors, effrons, exspes.” Theophylact gives a similar interpretation: κατερῥᾳθυμηκότες, καὶ μὴ θέλοντες καμεῖν πρὸς τὴν εὕρεσιν τοῦ καλοῦ, καὶ ἀναλγήτως διατεθέντες. The reading of D G is ἀπηλπικότες (ἀφ- G); but evidence for the textual reading is predominant, and, moreover, ἀπηλπικότες would give a very poor sense. Jerome appears to regard “desperantes” of the old Latin as an incorrect rendering of ἀπηλπικότες, for which he suggests “indolentes sive indolorios.” But he did not alter the text of the translation. Probably the other versions which express the same meaning had not a different reading; and, on the other hand, the reading of D G may have arisen either from the influence of the versions or as a gloss.

ἑαυτούς. What is ascribed in Rom 1:24 to God is ascribed here to themselves, in accordance with the hortatory purpose of the present passage, so as to fix attention on the part which they themselves had in the result.

ἀσελγής and ἀσέλγεια were used by earlier writers (Plato, Isaeus, Dem.) in the sense of “insolent, insolence, outrageous”; Later writers apply them in the sense “lasciviousness.” The substantive has that meaning in 2Co 12:21; Gal 5:19; 2Pe 2:7, 2Pe 2:18; Rom 13:13. In Mar 7:22; Jud 1:4; 1Pe 4:3; 2Pe 2:2, the meaning is less clearly defined. In the LXX it occurs only Wisd. 14:22 and 2 Macc. 2:26. The derivation is probably from σέλγω, a form of θέλγω.

εἰς ἐργασίαν ἀκαθαρσίας πάσης πάσης. ἐργασία suggests the idea that they made a business of ἀκαθαρσία. So Chrysostom: οὐ παραπεσόντες, φησίν, ἥμαρτον, ἀλλʼ εἰργάζοντο αὐτὰ τὰ δεινά, καὶ μελέτῃ τῷ πράγματι ἐκέχρηντο. It is not, however, to be understood of literal trading in impurity, which could not be asserted with such generality of the Gentiles. Compare Luk 12:58, ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ δὸς ἐργασίαν, “give diligence”: see note ad loc.

ἐν πλεονεξίᾳ. πλεονεξία originally meant (like πλεονέκτης, πλεονεκτεῖν) only advantage over another, for example, superiority in battle, hence it passed to the idea of unfair advantage, and then to that of the desire to take unfair advantage, “covetousness.” The verb occurs five times in 2 Cor. in the sense “take advantage of.” The substantive πλεονέκτης is found (besides Eph 5:5) in 1Co 5:10, 1Co 5:11, 1Co 5:6:16. πλεονεξία occurs in all ten times in N.T. In Luk 12:15 it is clearly “covetousness,” and so in 2Co 9:5; 1Th 2:5. But all three words are so frequently associated with words relating to sins of the flesh, that many expositors, ancient and modern, have assigned to them some such special signification. Thus πλεονέκτης, 1Co 5:10, 1Co 5:11; πλεονεξία, Col 3:5, πορνείαν, ἀκαθαρσίαν, πάθος, ἐπιθυμίαν κακήν, καὶ τὴν πλεονεξίαν, ἥτις ἐστὶν εἰδωλολατρεία: besides the present passage and Eph 5:3, πᾶσα ἀκαθαρσία ἢ πλεονεξία, cf. also v. 5. In 2Pe 2:14, καρδίαν γεγυμνασμένην πλεονεξίας ἔχοντες, “covetousness” does not suit the connexion as well as some more general term. But the most striking passage 1Th 4:6, τὸ μὴ ὑπερβαίνειν καὶ πλεονεκτεῖν ἐν τῷ πράγματι τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ, where the verb is undoubtedly applied to adultery, viewed as an injustice to one’s neighbour. And this suggests that possibly in Mar 7:21, where the right order is κλοπαί, φόνοι, μοιχεῖαι, πλεονεξίαι, there is a similiar idea. In Rom 1:29 also, something grosser than covetousness seems to be intended. In Polycarp, Phil. vi., which exists only in the Latin, “avaritia” undoubtedly represents the original πλεονεξία. Polycarp is lamenting the sin of Valens, and says: “moneo itaque vos ut abstineatis ab avaritia, et sitis casti et veraces,” and a little after: “is quis non abstinuerit se ab avaritia, ab idololatria coinquinabitur; et tanquam inter gentes judicabitur.” In the present passage Theodoret says the word is used for ἀμετρία: “Πᾶσαν ἁμαρτίαν τολμῶσι, ὑπὲρ κόρον τῷ διεφθαρμένῳ καταχρώμενοι βίῳ πλεονεξίαν γὰρ τὴν ἀμετρίαν ἐκάλεσε.” The association with idolatry in Eph 5:5 and Col 3:5 favours the same view. Hammond on Rom 1:29 has a learned note in support of this signification of πλεονεξία, which, however, he pushes too far. Of course it is not alleged that the word of itself had this special sense, but that it was with some degree of euphemism so applied, and in such a connexion as the present would be so understood.

It is alleged, on the other side, that covetousness and impurity are named together as the two leading sins of the Gentile world; that they even proceed from the same source; that covetousness especially is idolatry, as being the worship of Mammon.

Covetousness was not a peculiarly Gentile sin. The Pharisees were covetous (φιλάργυροι). Our Lord warns His own disciples against πλεονεξία, in the sense of covetousness, in Luk 12:15 above referred to. And the form of the warning there shows that covetousness and impurity were not on the same level in respect of grossness. This may also be inferred from St. Paul’s ὁ κλέπτων μηκέτι κλεπτέτω. Can we conceive him saying ὁ μοιχεύων μηκέτι μοιχευέτω?

That covetousness and impurity proceed from the same source, and that “the fierce longing of the creature which has turned from God to fill itself with the lower things of sense” (Trench, Syn., after Bengel), is psychologically false. Lust and impurity are excesses of a purely animal and bodily passion; covetousness is a secondary desire, seeking as an end in itself that which was originally desired only as a means.

The explanation of ver. 5 by the observation that the covetous serve Mammon, not God, is due to Theodoret, who derives it from Mat 6:24. But that passage does not make it probable that the covetous man would be called an idolator without some explanation added. St. Paul himself speaks of persons who serve, not the Lord Christ, but their own belly (Rom 16:18), and of others “whose god is their belly”; yet he probably would not call them, without qualification, “idolators.” Indeed, other Greek commentators devised various explanations. Chrysostom, for instance, as one explanation, suggests that the covetous man treats his gold as sacred, because he does not touch it.

We may ask, further, why should covetousness be specified with impurity and filthy speaking as not to be even named? (Eph 5:3). Impure words suggest impure thoughts, words about covetousness have no tendency to suggest covetous thoughts. It is said, indeed, that the ἤ there between ἀκαθαρσία πᾶσα and πλεονεξία implies that the two words cannot refer to sins of the same kind; but this argument seems to be answered by the immediately following μωρο λογία ἢ εὐτραπελία. In ver. 5, also, we have πόρνος ἢ ἀκάθαρτος ἢ πλεονέκτης. In the present passage we have, not καὶ πλ., but ἐν πλ. To take this as ἐν “covetousness,” or the like, after the strong words that have preceded, would be an incredible weakening of the charge.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Who [οιτινες] . Explanatory and classifying : men of the class which. Being past feeling [απηλγηκοτες] . Only here in the New Testament. Lit, the verb means to cease from feeling pain. Hence to be apathetic. Have given themselves over [παρεδωκαν] . See on Mt 4:12; Mt 11:27; Mt 26:2; Mr 4:29; Luk 1:2; 1Pe 2:23. The verb is frequently used of Christ giving Himself for the world. Rom 4:25; Gal 2:20; Eph 5:5, 25. It indicates a complete surrender. Meyer says, "with frightful emphasis." Where men persistently give themselves up to evil, God gives them up to its power. See Rom 1:24.

Lasciviousness [ασελγεια] . See on Mr 7:22.

To work [εις εργασιαν] . Lit., to a working. In Act 19:25, used of a trade. Not precisely in this sense here, yet with a shade of it. They gave themselves up as to the prosecution of a business. The eijv unto is very forcible.

With greediness [εν πλεονεξια] . The noun commonly rendered covetousness : in an eager grasping after more and more uncleanness. Not with, but in, as the state of mind in which they wrought evil.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.