Ephesians 5:9
in Ephesians 5for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
(for the fruit of the light is in all goodness and righteousness and truth),
KJV
(For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
⋯
This verse in Ephesians 5
Commentary
13 notes on this verseChrist himself is rightly called goodness, righteousness and truth. He is goodness in that he gives grace to those who believe in him, not according to their works but according to his mercy. He is himself righteousness in that he gives to each what he deserves. He is himself truth in that he is the one who knows the causes of all creatures and all things.
This site's exposition
you were once darkness
on Ephesians 5:8-10
Paul names what the Ephesians were and are: you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. In both cases the words name an identity.
This site's exposition
the fruit of the light consists
Older English versions read fruit of the Spirit here, and Clarke lists early manuscripts and versions reading light, which fits verse 8. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown pair each quality with a sin. Goodness answers the malice of 4:31, righteousness the greed of 5:3, and truth the falsehood of 4:25.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
Where there is goodness, there is righteousness. Where there is truth, there you will find righteousness. For both goodness and truth belong to God alone. So righteousness is always found with him and no other.
"In all goodness," he says: this is opposed to the angry, and the bitter: "and righteousness"; this to the covetous: "and truth"; this to false pleasure: not those former things, he says, which I was mentioning, but their opposites. "In all"; that is, the fruit of the Spirit ought to be evinced in everything. "Proving what is well-pleasing unto the Lord"; so that those things are tokens of a childish and imperfect mind.
The Medieval Church2 voices
As if explaining to us who is a child of light, he says: the one who has the fruit of the Spirit. For the Spirit produces fruits, not those which we spoke of earlier, but the opposite of them: "goodness," which is opposed to irritation …
He interprets this when he says For the fruit of the light is in all goodness. However, a person behaves as a child of the light in two ways; first in reference to the substance or kind of actions he performs, then in reference to …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
The fruit of the light - Opposite to " the unfruitful works of darkness," chap. iv, 11. Is in - That is, consists in. Goodness and righteousness and truth - Opposite to the sins spoken of, chap. iv, 25,&c.
5 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
For the fruit of the Spirit,....
This is expected from the children of light, that, being illuminated, they be also sanctified by the Spirit, and thereupon bring forth his fruit, which is in all goodness, an inclination to do good and to show mercy, and righteousness, which signifies justice in our dealings. Thus they are taken more strictly; but, more generally, all religion is goodness and righteousness.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
For the fruit of the Spirit - That is, since the Holy Spirit through the gospel produces goodness, righteousness, and truth, see that you exhibit these in your lives, and thus show that you are the children of light. On the fruits of the Spirit, see the notes on Gal 5:22-23. Is in all goodness - Is seen in producing all kinds of goodness. He who is not good is not a Christian.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
This verse is parenthetic. Walk as children of light, that is, in all good works and words, "FOR the fruit of the light is [borne] in [ALFORD; but BENGEL, 'consists in'] all goodness [opposed to 'malice,' Eph 4:31], righteousness [opposed to 'covetousness,' Eph 5:3] and truth [opposed to 'lying,' Eph 4:25]."
For the fruit of the Spirit - Instead of Spirit, Πνευματος, ABD*EFG, the Syriac, Coptic, Sahidic, Ethiopic, Armenian, Vulgate, and Itala, together with several of the fathers, read φωτος, light, which is supposed by most critics to be the true reading, because there is no mention made of the Spirit in any part of the context. As light, Eph 5:8, not only means the Divine influence upon the soul, but also the Gospel, with great propriety it may be said: The fruit of the light, i.e. of the Gospel, is in all goodness, and righteousness, and truth. Goodness, αγαθωσυνῃ, in the principle and disposition; righteousness, δικαιοσυνη, the exercise of that goodness in the whole conduct of life; truth, αληθεια, the director of that principle, and its exercise, to the glorification of God and the good of mankind.
The words behind it
12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ὁ | ho | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γὰρ | gar | for | G1063 → | 1039 times |
| καρπὸς | karpos | the fruit | G2590 → | |
| τοῦ | tou | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| φωτὸς | photos | light [is] | G5457 → | 72 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| πάσῃ | pase | all | G3956 → | 1235 times |
| ἀγαθωσύνῃ | agathosune | goodness | G19 → | |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| δικαιοσύνῃ | dikaiosune | in righteousness | G1343 → | 92 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἀληθείᾳ, | aletheia | in truth — | G225 → | 109 times |
ὁ<the>
hoG3588 →19766 times
γὰρfor
garG1063 →1039 times
καρπὸςthe fruit
karposG2590 →
τοῦof the
touG3588 →19766 times
φωτὸςlight [is]
photosG5457 →72 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
πάσῃall
paseG3956 →1235 times
ἀγαθωσύνῃgoodness
agathosuneG19 →
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
δικαιοσύνῃin righteousness
dikaiosuneG1343 →92 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἀληθείᾳ,in truth —
aletheiaG225 →109 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
Ephesians 6:14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness arrayed,
it leads to
- Isaiah 59:17
He put on righteousness like a breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on His head; He put on garments of vengeance and wrapped Himself in a cloak of zeal.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:8
But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and the helmet of our hope of salvation.
- Isaiah 11:5
Righteousness will be the belt around His hips, and faithfulness the sash around His waist.
- Luke 12:35
Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning.
- 2 Corinthians 6:7
in truthful speech and in the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left;
- Isaiah 59:17
Through
3 John 1:11Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God.
it leads to
- Isaiah 1:16–17
Wash and cleanse yourselves. Remove your evil deeds from My sight. Stop doing evil!
- Psalms 37:27
Turn away from evil and do good, so that you will abide forever.
- Ephesians 5:1
Be imitators of God, therefore, as beloved children,
- Isaiah 1:16–17
Where this verse is studied
On this page
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On this verse
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About Ephesians
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); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Ephesians 5:9; John Chrysostom, Homily on Ephesians 18; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Origen of Alexandria, EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Ephesians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Ephesians.