John Bengel Commentary - Ephesians 4:26 - 4:26

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John Bengel Commentary - Ephesians 4:26 - 4:26


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Eph 4:26. Ὀργίζεσθε καὶ μὴ ἁμαρτάνετε, be angry and sin not) So the LXX, Psa 4:5. Anger is neither commanded, nor quite prohibited; but this is commanded, not to permit sin to enter into anger: it is like poison, which is sometimes used as medicine, but must be managed with the utmost caution. Often the force of the mood [the Imperative mood] falls only upon a part of what is said, Jer 10:24.[71]-ὁ ἥλιος, the sun) The feeling kept up during the night is deeply seated.-μὴ ἐπιδυέτω, let-not go down) Deu 24:15, οὐκ ἐπιδύσεται ὁ ἡλιος ἐπʼ αὐτῷ, the sun shall not go down upon it.-ἐπὶ τῷ παροργισμῷ ὑμῶν, upon your wrath[72]) Not only should wrath cease, but a brother should be put right without delay, and reconciliation take place, especially with a neighbour whom you will not see afterwards in this life,[73] or whom you have seen for the first time in the street, at an entertainment, or in the market-place.

[71] “O Lord, correct me, but with judgment, not in thine anger.” Where the force falls on the imperat. correct, not in its full extent, but with the limitations, with judgment, and not in thine anger: in fact, the main force rests on these limitations.-ED.

[72] Παροργισμός is not = ὀργή. The former is absolutely forbidden: the latter not so. See Mar 3:5, where ὀργή is applied to the sinless Jesus. The sense is not. Your anger shall not be imputed to you if you put it away before nightfall; but let no παροργισμὸς, irritation or exasperation, mingle with your anger, even though your anger be righteous. Trench, Syn. Gr. Test. Engl. V. loses this point by translating wrath. However, I think there is also included the notion, that even righteous anger, if kept up too long, is likely in us to degenerate into irritation.-ED.

[73] Beng. seems by this to take the sun going down as also figurative, for life coming to a close without a reconciliation.