Heinrich Meyer Commentary - Ephesians 5:15 - 5:15

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Heinrich Meyer Commentary - Ephesians 5:15 - 5:15


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Eph_5:15. Οὖν ] is, after the digression begun with μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ ἐλέγχετε of Eph_5:11, resumptive, as at Eph_4:17. Look then to it—now to return to my exhortations with regard to the Christian walk, Eph_5:8-10how ye, etc. Calvin, whom Harless follows, states the connection thus: “Si aliorum discutere tenebras fideles debent fulgure suo, quanto minus caecutire debent in proprio vitae instituto.” This would be correct, if Paul had written βλέπετε οὖν αὐτοί , or βλέπετε οὖν , πῶς αὐτοί .

βλέπετε ] is the simple: look to, take heed to (1Co_16:10; Php_3:2; Col_4:17), not: “utimini luce vestra ad videndum,” Estius (comp. Erasmus), which is forbidden by πῶς .

πῶς ἀκριβῶς περιπατεῖτε ] πῶς not equivalent to ἵνα (Koppe), and περιπατεῖτε not for the subjunctive (Grotius), but: look to it, in what manner ye carry out the observance of an exact walk in strict accord with duty (comp. ἀκριβοδίκαιος , Arist. Eth. Nic. v. 10. 8). Comp. C. F. A. Fritzsche, in Fritzschior. Opusc. p. 208 f.; Winer, p. 269 [E. T. 376].

μὴ ὡς ἄσοφοι , κ . τ . λ .] Epexegesis of the ἀκριβῶς just mentioned, negative and positive: presenting yourselves in your walk not as unwise, but as wise. We have thus to supply neither περιπατοῦντες (Harless) nor anything else; but, like ἀκριβῶς , its more precise definition μὴ ὡς ἄσοφοι κ . τ . λ . is dependent on περιπατεῖτε . With regard to μή , referring to βλέπετε , see Winer, p. 421 [E. T. 595]; and for the emphatic parallelismus antithcticus, comp. Nägelsbach, Anm. z. Ilias, ed. 3, p. 80 f.; Bremi, ad Dem. de Chers. p. 108, 73; Winer, p. 537 f. [E. T. 762].