SEV Biblia, Chapter 4:19
los cuales despus que perdieron el sentido de la conciencia , se entregaron a la desvergenza para cometer con avidez toda suerte de impureza.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Ephesians 4:19
Verse 19. 5. Who being past feeling] oitinev aphlghkotev. The verb apalgein 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 aphlghkotev, several excellent MSS. and versions have aphlpikotev, 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, aselgeia, 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, en pleonexia, 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.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 19. Who being past feeling , &c.] 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.
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
οιτινες 3748 απηλγηκοτες 524 5761 εαυτους 1438 παρεδωκαν 3860 5656 τη 3588 ασελγεια 766 εις 1519 εργασιαν 2039 ακαθαρσιας 167 πασης 3956 εν 1722 πλεονεξια 4124
Vincent's NT Word Studies
19. Who (oitinev). Explanatory and classifying: men of the class which. Being past feeling (aphlghkotev). Only here in the New Testament. Lit, the verb means to cease from feeling pain. Hence to be apathetic. Have given themselves over (paredwkan). See on Matt. iv. 12; xi. 27; xxvi. 2; Mark iv. 29; Luke i. 2; 1 Pet. ii. 23. The verb is frequently used of Christ giving Himself for the world. Rom. iv. 25; Gal. ii. 20; Eph. v. 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. i. 24.
Lasciviousness (aselgeia). See on Mark vii. 22.
To work (eiv ergasian). Lit., to a working. In Acts xix. 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 (en pleonexia). 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.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
4:19 {Being past feeling} (apelgekotes). Perfect active participle of apalgew, old word to cease to feel pain, only here in N.T. {To lasciviousness} (tei aselgeiai). Unbridled lust as in #2Co 12:21; Ga 5:19. {To work all uncleanness} (eis ergasian akaqarsias pases). Perhaps prostitution, "for a trading (or work) in all uncleanness." Certainly Corinth and Ephesus could qualify for this charge. {With greediness} (en pleonexiai). From pleonektes, one who always wants more whether money or sexual indulgence as here. The two vices are often connected in the N.T.
