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Eph_5:17. Διὰ τοῦτο ] Because ye ought so to walk as is said in Eph_5:15-16, of which ye as ἄφρονες (whose walk, in fact, cannot be wise) would be incapable. Others: because the times are evil (Menochius, Zanchius, Estius, et al., including Rückert, Matthies, and de Wette). But the ὅτι αἱ ἡμ . πον . εἰσι was only a subsidiary thought subservient to the ἀγοράζ . τ . καιρ ., and affords no suitable reason for the following exhortations.
μὴ γίνεσθε ] not: be not, but become not.
ἄφρονες ] devoid of intelligence, imprudentes, i.e. “qui mente non recte utuntur” (Tittmann, Synon. p. 143), namely, for the moral understanding of the will of Christ, as here the contrast teaches. Comp. on φρόνησις , Eph_1:8. The ἄσοφοι of Eph_5:15 is a higher notion than ἄφρονες , which latter denotes the want of practical understanding, the opposite of φρόνιμος (Plat. Gorg. p. 498 B; Xen. Mem. ii. 3. 1; comp. Rom_2:20; 1Co_15:36; Luk_11:40; Luk_12:20). Every ἄφρων is also ἄσοφος , but the ἄσοφος may yet be φρόνιμος (Luk_16:8), namely, for immoral ends and means, which here the context excludes. See also the following contrast.
συνίοντες ] understanding, more than γινώσκοντες . Comp. Grotius, and see on Col_1:9.
τὸ θέλ . τοῦ κυρ .] of Christ. Comp. Act_21:14; 1Co_4:19.