1 Thessalonians 4:5
in 1 Thessalonians 4not in lustful passion like the Gentiles who do not know God;
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
not in the passion of lust, even as the Gentiles who know not God;
KJV
Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:
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This verse in 1 Thessalonians 4
Commentary
11 notes on this verseIn what way? "Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles." Concupiscence, however, is not ascribed to marriage even among the Gentiles, but to extravagant, unnatural, and enormous sins.
This site's exposition
even your sanctification
on 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5
The will of God is stated flatly, even your sanctification, and its first application is bodily, abstain from fornication, written to converts fresh from a pagan port where the demand was novel. To possess his vessel is read two ways with holders on both sides since the fathers: the vessel as a man's own body, mastered in sanctification and honour, or as his wife, taken in marriage honorably; the Greek verb ktasthai serves either. Either way the contrast is verse 5, not in the lust of concupiscence like the Gentiles which know not God.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
A commentator
Ignatius of AntiochEpistle of Ignatius to the Philadelphians · Written before 108.
proposed
Have no fellowship with such a man, lest ye perish along with him, even should he be thy father, thy son, thy brother, or a member of thy family. For says [the Scripture], "Thine eye shall not spare him." You ought therefore to "hate those that hate God, and to waste away [with grief] on account of His enemies." I do not mean that you should beat them or persecute them, as do the Gentiles "that know not the Lord and God; " but that you should regard them as your enemies, and separate yourselves from them, while yet you admonish them, and exhort them to repentance, if it may be they will hear, if it may be they will submit themselves. For our God is a lover of mankind, and "will have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth." Wherefore "He makes His sun to rise upon the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust; " of whose kindness the Lord, wishing us also to be imitators, says, "Be ye perfect, even as also your Father that is in heaven is perfect."
"That each one of you know how to possess himself of his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in the passion of lust, even as the Gentiles which know not God." He says, "That each one of you know how to possess himself of his own vessel." It is, then, a matter to be learnt, and that diligently, not to be wanton. But we possess our vessel, when it is pure; when it is impure, sin possesses it. And reasonably. For it does not do the things which we wish, but what sin commands. "Not in the passion of lust," he says. Here he shows also the manner, according to which one ought to be temperate; that we should cut off the passions of lust. For luxury, and wealth, and idleness, and sloth, and ease, and all such things, lead us on to irregular lust. "Even as the Gentiles," he says, "which know not God." For such are they who do not expect that they shall suffer punishment.
The Medieval Church2 voices
But also with regard to your wife, deny yourself honorably; that each one of you know how to take his vessel, that is his wife, in holiness, denying yourself pleasure for a time, and in honor, not in the passion of lust, that is, do …
That is, not in desire that contains passion. For there is also dispassionate desire, such as the desire for divine things. Or, that everything which arouses lust he calls a passion of lust, such as luxury, wealth, idleness, and negligence — each of these can …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Not in the lust of concupiscence,....
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
The Gentiles, and especially the Grecians, were commonly guilty of some sins of uncleanness which were not so evidently forbidden by the light of nature. But they did not know God, nor his mind and will, so well as Christians know, and should know, this his will, namely our sanctification in this branch of it.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
in the lust--Greek, "passion"; which implies that such a one is unconsciously the passive slave of lust. which know not God--and so know no better. Ignorance of true religion is the parent of unchastity (Eph 4:18, 19). A people's morals are like the objects of their worship (De 7:26;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase+unbalanced-parens
Not in the lust of concupiscence - Having no rational object, aim, nor end. Some say, “not like beasts;” but this does not apply as they who use it wish, for the males and females of the brute creation are regular and consistent in their intercourse, and scarcely ever exceed such bounds as reason itself would prescribe to those most capable of observing and obeying its dictates. The Gentiles which know not God - These are the beasts; their own brutes are rational creatures when compared with them. Enough has been said on this subject on Romans 1, and 2: They who wish to see more may consult Juvenal, and particularly his 6th and 9th Satires; and indeed all the writers on Greek and Roman morals.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Not in the lust of concupiscence - In gross gratifications. Even as the Gentiles - This was, and is, a common vice among the pagan; see the Act 15:20 note; Rom 1:29 note; Eph 4:17-18 notes, and the reports of missionaries everywhere. Which know not God - See the Rom 1:21, Rom 1:28 notes; Eph 2:12 note.
The words behind it
13 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| μὴ | me | not | G3361 → | 1066 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| πάθει | pathei | [the] passion | G3806 → | |
| ἐπιθυμίας | epithumias | of lust | G1939 → | |
| καθάπερ | kathaper | as | G2509 → | 13 times |
| καὶ | kai | also | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| τὰ | ta | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἔθνη | ethne | Gentiles | G1484 → | |
| τὰ | ta | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| μὴ | me | not | G3361 → | 1066 times |
| εἰδότα | eidota | knowing | ||
| τὸν | ton | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θεόν· | theon | God; | G2316 → | 1312 times |
μὴnot
meG3361 →1066 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
πάθει[the] passion
patheiG3806 →
ἐπιθυμίαςof lust
epithumiasG1939 →
καθάπερas
kathaperG2509 →13 times
καὶalso
kaiG2532 →9120 times
τὰthe
taG3588 →19766 times
ἔθνηGentiles
ethneG1484 →
τὰ<the>
taG3588 →19766 times
μὴnot
meG3361 →1066 times
εἰδόταknowing
eidota
τὸν<the>
tonG3588 →19766 times
θεόν·God;
theonG2316 →1312 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Colossians 3:5Put to death, therefore, the components of your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry.
it leads to
- Romans 8:13
For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
- Galatians 5:19–21
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery;
- Galatians 5:24
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
- 1 Peter 2:11
Beloved, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from the desires of the flesh, which war against your soul.
- Romans 6:13
Do not present the parts of your body to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and present the parts of…
- Romans 8:13
Through
2 Thessalonians 1:8in blazing fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
it leads to
- 1 Peter 4:17
For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who disobey the gospel of God?
- 2 Peter 3:7
And by that same word, the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
- 1 Peter 4:17
Through
Galatians 4:8Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods.
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 8:4
So about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world, and that there is no God but one.
- 1 Corinthians 8:4
Where this verse is studied
About 1 Thessalonians
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ignatius of Antioch, Epistle of Ignatius to the Philadelphians; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on 1 Thessalonians 5; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Tertullian, Against Marcion Book V; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 1 Thessalonians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on 1 Thessalonians.