John Trapp Complete Commentary - Ephesians 5:4 - 5:4

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John Trapp Complete Commentary - Ephesians 5:4 - 5:4


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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:

4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.



Ver. 4. Neither filthiness] Borborology (rumblings?), ribaldry, {a} the language of hell. Some men as ducks have their noses always guzzling in the gutter of obscene talk. Of Eckius’ last book concerning priests’ marriages, Melancthon saith, Non fuit Cygnea cantio, sed ultimus crepitus: Et sicut felis fugiens pedit, sic ille moriens hunc crepitum cecinit. Legi librum, subinde accipiens partem ad cloacam; alioqui non legissem. These filthy speakers make podicem ex ore, excrement from their mouth, as one phraseth it.



Nor jesting] Salt jests, scurrility, jocularity, dicacity, to the just grief or offence of another. This consists not with piety and Christian gravity. Aristotle useth the word åõôñáðåëéá , here found in a good sense, for urbanity, facility, and facetiousness of speecb, in a harmless way. But Jason in Pindarus saith, that he lived twenty years with his tutor Chiron, and never in all that time heard him speaking or acting ïõô åñãïí ïõô åðïò åõôñáðåëïí , anything scurrilous or abusive to another. On the contrary, our Sir Thomas Moore never thought anything to be well spoken, except he had ministered some mock in the communication, saith Edward Hall the chronicler, who therefore seemeth to doubt whether to call him a foolish wise man or a wise foolish man. Quid nobis cum fabulis, cum risu? non solum profulos, sed etiam omnes iocos arbitror declinandos, saith Bernard. What have we to do with tales and jests? Tertullian saith he was Nulli rei natus nisi poenitentiae, born for nothing else but for repentance. Crede mihi, res severa est gaudium verum, saith Seneca, True mirth is a severe business.



Which are not convenient] ôá ìç áíçêïíôá . As not conducing to the main end of our lives.



But rather giving of thanks] A special preservative against the former evils, the filth and power of those base vices. And the word rather imports an extraordinary earnestness to be used in giving thanks to God.



{a} Debauchery, lasciviousness, vice. Obs. ŒD