SEV Biblia, Chapter 4:17
¶ Así que esto digo, y requiero en el Seor, que no andis ms como los otros gentiles, que andan en la vanidad de su sentido.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Ephesians 4:17
Verse 17. Walk not as other Gentiles walk] Ye are called to holiness by the Gospel, the other Gentiles have no such calling; walk not as they walk. In this and the two following verses the apostle gives a most awful account of the conduct of the heathens who were without the knowledge of the true God. I shall note the particulars.
1. They walked in the vanity of their mind, en mataiothti tou noov autwn? In the foolishness of their mind; want of genuine wisdom is that to which the apostle refers, and it was through this that the Gentiles became addicted to every species of idolatry; and they fondly imagined that they could obtain help from gods which were the work of their own hands! Here their foolishness was manifested.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 17. This I say therefore and testify in the Lord , &c.] These words may be considered either as an assertion, and so a testimonial of the different walk and conversation of the saints at Ephesus, from the rest of the Gentiles; or as an exhortation in the name of the Lord to such a walk, the apostle here returning to what he stirs them up to in ( Ephesians 4:1) that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind ; every natural man walks in a vain show; the mind of man is vain, and whoever walk according to the dictates of it, must walk vainly: the phrase is expressive of the emptiness of the mind; it being naturally destitute of God, of the knowledge, fear, and grace of God; and of Jesus Christ, of the knowledge of him, faith in him, and love to him; and of the Spirit and his graces; and it also points at the instability and changeableness of the human mind, in which sense man at his best estate was altogether vanity; as also the folly, falsehood, and wickedness of it in his fallen state: and the mind discovers its vanity in its thoughts and imaginations, which are vain and foolish; in the happiness it proposes to itself, which lies in vain things, as worldly riches, honours, &c. and in the ways and means it takes to obtain it, and in words and actions; and the Gentiles showed the vanity of their minds in their vain philosophy and curious inquiries into things, and in their polytheism and idolatry: to walk herein, is to act according to the dictates of a vain and carnal mind; and it denotes a continued series of sinning, or a vain conversation maintained, a progress and obstinate persisting therein with pleasure: now God's elect before conversion walked as others do, but when they are converted their walk and conversation is not, at least it ought not to be, like that of others: the Alexandrian copy, and some others, the Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions, leave out the word other, and only read, as the Gentiles, &c.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 17-24 - The apostle charged the Ephesians in the name and by the authority of the Lord Jesus, that having professed the gospel, they should not be a the unconverted Gentiles, who walked in vain fancies and carna affections. Do not men, on every side, walk in the vanity of their minds? Must not we then urge the distinction between real and nomina Christians? They were void of all saving knowledge; they sat in darkness, and loved it rather than light. They had a dislike and hatre to a life of holiness, which is not only the way of life God require and approves, and by which we live to him, but which has some likenes to God himself in his purity, righteousness, truth, and goodness. The truth of Christ appears in its beauty and power, when it appears as in Jesus. The corrupt nature is called a man; like the human body, it is of divers parts, supporting and strengthening one another. Sinfu desires are deceitful lusts; they promise men happiness, but rende them more miserable; and bring them to destruction, if not subdued an mortified. These therefore must be put off, as an old garment, a filth garment; they must be subdued and mortified. But it is not enough to shake off corrupt principles; we must have gracious ones. By the ne man, is meant the new nature, the new creature, directed by a ne principle, even regenerating grace, enabling a man to lead a new lif of righteousness and holiness. This is created, or brought forth by God's almighty power.
Greek Textus Receptus
τουτο 5124 ουν 3767 λεγω 3004 5719 και 2532 μαρτυρομαι 3143 5736 εν 1722 κυριω 2962 μηκετι 3371 υμας 5209 περιπατειν 4043 5721 καθως 2531 και 2532 τα 3588 λοιπα 3062 εθνη 1484 περιπατει 4043 5719 εν 1722 ματαιοτητι 3153 του 3588 νοος 3563 αυτων 846
Vincent's NT Word Studies
17. This - therefore. Referring to what follows. Therefore, resuming the exhortation of vers. 1-3.Testify. Solemnly declare. Compare Acts xx. 26; Gal. v. 3.
Other Gentiles. Omit other.
Vanity of their mind (mataiothti tou noov autwn). For vanity see on Rom. i. 21; viii. 20. For mind, on Rom. vii. 23.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
4:17 {That ye no longer walk} (meketi humas peripatein). Infinitive (present active) in indirect command (not indirect assertion) with accusative humas of general reference. {In vanity of their mind} (en mataioteti tou noos autwn). "In emptiness (from mataios, late and rare word. See #Ro 8:20) of their intellect (noos, late form for earlier genitive nou, from nous).
