[B-Greek] Eph 4:19 EN PLEONEXIA

Iver Larsen iver at larsen.dk
Sat Jun 18 03:44:08 EDT 2005


> I have a question regarding the following text:
>
> Eph 4:19 OITINES APHLGHKOTES hEAUTOUS PAREDWKAN TH ASELGEIA EIS
> ERGASIAN AKAQARSIAS PASHS EN PLEONEXIA.
>
> I read that EN PLEONEXIA is qualifying EIS ERGASIAN, which means
> it should translated as in RSV "greedy to practice".

As far as I can see, the RSV translation makes no sense at all.

> However, in Andrew Lincoln's commentary, in addition to Martin
> Barth's commentary on Ephesians, they both indicated that EN
> PLEONEXIA could mean KAI PLEONEXIA, because of Semitic usage of
> "with" (Barth 503, 522).

No, you cannot find that kind of "Semitic usage" at that level of the
grammar in Paul's writings. It cannot mean the same as KAI, but it can be
translated by English "with".

> Hence, I am wondering if anyone has any insight or comment on
> this?  FYI, I am preparing a hermanuetic paper on Eph 4:17-24.
> Hence, any direction, comment or suggestion are welcomed.

The following is a quote from Exegetical Summaries (published by SIL). In
order to reduce the size, I have deleted some of the discussion under each
headline. The book offers an overview of the different and diverse views by
various commentators and translations. It is organised in a question and
answer style with an abbreviation to refer to each commentary:

QUESTION—What is meant by THi ASELGEIAi  ‘to licentiousness’?
1. This indicates open, unrestrained lust [Ea, LJ], shameless, outrageous
sensuality [EGT, MNTC]. It was reckless and grossly animal-like [ECWB].
In the NT, the word primarily refers to sexual excesses [Ea, EBC, ECWB, EGT,
LJ, MNTC, My, NCBC, NTC, TH, WBC, We].
2. This noun has here its general meaning and is not restricted to its
sexual connotation [AB, Cal, CBC, Ho, IDB, Ln, NIC, Rob, TD, TNTC].
This word means lewdness [AB, Rob], outrageous lasciviousness,
licentiousness [AB], debauchery [IDB, TD], or voluptuousness [TD].

QUESTION—What is meant by EIS ERGASIAN  ‘for the practice’?
The preposition EN ‘for’ indicates the object or purpose [AB, Alf, Ea, EGT,
El],
the conscious aim of the verb ... ‘they gave (themselves) over’ [Alf, EGT,
El, My], not just an incidental result [Alf].
1. The word indicates an almost total preoccupation with something [Alf,
Can, EBC, ICC, ISBE, TNTC, We; NJB].
2. The word is simply the equivalent of TO ERGAZESQAI ‘the doing, working’
[Ea, EGT, El, TH; KJV, TEV], or ‘performance, practice’ [Ln, Rob, WBC; NASB,
NRSV, REB, TNT].

QUESTION—What is meant by AKAQARSIAS  ‘uncleanness’?
1. This word indicates moral uncleanness in the widest sense [Cal, CBC, EGT,
ISBE2, Ln, NIC, TD, WeBC].
2. The word refers especially or primarily to sexual sins [Ea, LJ, My, TD,
TH, WBC].
This word usually denotes, in the NT, the special sin of lewdness or
unchastity [Ea, LJ].
3. This word connotes an association with idolatry [AB].
The word includes, but is not restricted to sexual sins. To the Jewish mind,
the word expressed a religious attitude on the part of pagans that was often
associated with sexual sins.
But any act connected with idolatry was regarded as unclean [AB].

QUESTION—To what is the phrase EN PLEONEXIAi ‘with greediness/covetousness’
connected?
1. This phrase is connected to both ASELGEIAi  ‘licentiousness’ and
AKAQARSIAS  ‘uncleanness’ [AB, Cal, Ea, EBC, IB, LJ; NIV]:
they have given themselves over insatiably both to licentiousness and the
working of all kinds of uncleanness.
It indicates the spirit or atmosphere in which the vices that precede it in
the text are carried out [AB, Ea, IB].
2. This phrase is more immediately connected to AKAQARSIAS  ‘uncleanness’
[Can, ECWB, EGT, Ln, MNTC, My, NCBC, TH, TNTC, WeBC; NAB, NJB, TEV]:
they have given themselves over to licentiousness, to the working of all
kinds of uncleanness insatiably.
The result of ASELGEIAi ‘licentiousness’ is not just the working out of
uncleanness of every kind, but that the practice of uncleanness is done with
greediness, with a reckless delight in uncleanness for its own sake [ECWB].
The two great heathen vices were AKAQARSIAS  ‘uncleanness’ and PLEONEXIAi
‘greediness’ [EGT, MNTC, My].
3. This phrase is connected to EIS ERGASIAN ‘practice’ [NTC, TD; NRSV, TNT]:
for the greedy practice of every kind of uncleanness.
4. This phrase is used absolutely, indicating the greed for gain as yet
another vice to which they have given themselves [Ho, NIC, WBC; (no
translation takes this view)]:
they have given themselves over to licentiousness, to the working of all
kinds of uncleanness and greediness.
The phrase EN PLEONEXIAi means ‘together with covetousness’. The heathen
have given themselves up to uncleanness and covetousness [Ho].
QUESTION—What is meant by PLEONEXIAi  ‘greediness/covetousness’?
1. It means ‘greediness’ [AB, Alf, Cal, Can, DNTT, Ea, EBC, ECWB, EGT, El,
IB, IDB, ISBE2, Ln, MNTC, NTC, Rob, TH, TNTC, We, WeBC; KJV, NASB, NIV, NJB,
NRSV, TEV, TNT].
This is the desire for always having more, a wider vice than mere
covetousness [Alf, MNTC, TNTC] ...
The gathering of all possible objects and enjoyments for one’s self [Ea,
EBC, IB]
2. It means ‘covetousness’ [Ho, ICC, LJ, My, NCBC, NIC, WBC].
It indicates covetousness, extortion, and the attitude that nothing matters
but the gratification of self [LJ].
This is the ruthless appetite for more and more of what you want [NCBC].

Iver Larsen





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