The Greek that is translated as “licentiousness” and “impurity” or similar in English is translated in Bariai as “following behavior like dogs.” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
In Ephesians 4:19 this is translated in the Catholic Mandarin ChineseSigao version with a historical Chinese idiom: zòngqíng zìyù (縱情恣慾 / 纵情恣欲) or “follow desires.” (Source: Toshikazu S. Foley in Hong Kong Journal of Catholic Studies, 2011, p. 45ff.)
Following are a number of back-translations of Ephesians 4:19:
Uma: “They no longer know shame, with the result that they follow the desires of their bodies that are wicked/evil, and they so very much like to do all kinds of behavior/deeds that are not right.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “They are no longer ashamed. That is what they always only follow, their cravings/greed and they are after the opposite sex and they are-never/refuse-to-be satisfied.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “They are not ashamed of any of their evil behavior and they also do not control the ugly desires of their bodies, but rather they are very pleased with filthy behavior.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Therefore they no longer have any shame, because whatever their bodies want that is bad or shameful, they are doing it without stopping.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “For they have thoroughly accustomed themselves to endulging disgusting desires without any self control at all. What they are always attending-to/facing is, this evil of theirs. (They) don’t rest (from it).” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “They have very much given their hearts over to living in evil. Afterwards they do not feel ashamed. They are happier when they do different kinds of evil.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Illustration by Horst Lemke (1922-1985) for the GermanGute Nachricht für Sie – NT68, one of the first editions of the Good News Bible in German of 1968. Lemke was a well-known illustrator who illustrated books by Erich Kästner , Astrid Lindgren and many others.
The description of the heathens’ spiritual condition continues without a break from verse 18, and begins with the perfect participle of a Greek verb (which occurs only here in the New Testament) which describes complete loss of feeling; Revised Standard Version “callous”; Translator’s New Testament “Dead to all feeling of shame.” It is the ultimate in moral depravity, a lack of shame or guilt for any sin or vice.
It may be difficult to speak of “losing a feeling,” but one can translate they have lost all feeling of shame as “they no longer feel any shame about anything” or “no longer can anything make them feel ashamed” or “… anything which they have done make them feel ashamed” or “they are no longer able to feel shame for the bad things they do.”
Give … over translates a verb meaning “to deliver, hand over,” which in Romans 1.24, 26, 28 is used three times of God turning the Gentiles over to their own folly and sin. It may be difficult to speak of a person “giving himself over to something,” but one can in some instances say “they want to do nothing else than engage in vice” or “they spend all their time doing bad things.”
Vice translates a Greek noun meaning “indecent conduct, debauchery, licentiousness”; it occurs in other lists of vices: Mark 7.22; 2 Corinthians 12.21; Galatians 5.19; 1 Peter 4.3. There may be no generic term for vice, but it is always possible to employ a phrase such as “drunkenness and illicit sex” or “drunkenness and immorality” or, more generally, “evil practices.”
Do translates a noun which means “working, doing.” Indecent things translates “uncleanness, impurity” (New English Bible “foul desires”); it appears also in 5.3; Colossians 3.5. Without restraint translates the prepositional phrase “in avarice, greed, covetousness.” The Greek noun (also 5.3) describes the desire to have more, the lack of restraint in conduct.
The final clause of verse 19 may be rendered as “they do not hold themselves back at all from doing (or, they don’t stop doing) all kinds of bad things.” In order to reflect something of the indecency suggested by the Greek term, one may use such figurative expressions as “from sins that make them dirty” or even “from sins that stink.”
The sins listed here are mainly, but not exclusively, sexual in nature.
Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert C. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1982. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
Commentators and versions differ on how 4:19a and 4:19b are connected to one another. There are two main interpretations:
(1) “Having lost all sense of shame” is the reason “they have given themselves over to sensuality.” For example:
Since they no longer have any sense of shame (God’s Word)
(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible, God’s Word, NET Bible, Revised English Bible, New American Standard Bible, King James Version, Contemporary English Version)
(2) “Having lost all sense of shame” and “they have given themselves over to sensuality” are separate examples connected by the word “and.” For example:
They have lost all feeling of shame, and… (New Century Version)
(Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, New Living Translation (2004), New Century Version, English Standard Version, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
Since there is strong support for both interpretations, either is acceptable. It is recommended that you consult your national versions and follow their example.
4:19a
Having lost all sense of shame: The phrase lost all sense of shame means that when the Gentiles do evil things, they are not ashamed of their actions. These people do evil things day after day, until their hearts (consciences) become “callous” (Revised Standard Version); that is, they no longer feel ashamed or guilty.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
They no longer have any feelings about what is right (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
They have no sense of shame (New Living Translation (2004))
4:19b
they have given themselves over to sensuality: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as given themselves over means that “they have turned themselves over” to sensuality, or “they have handed themselves over” to sensuality.
sensuality: The Greek word for sensuality means shameful behavior, impure behavior, immoral ways, debauchery. This is talking mainly about sexual sins, but it may also include other evil behavior, such as getting drunk.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
They live for lustful pleasure (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
they do nothing else but shameful deeds
-or-
they pass their time behaving in shameful ways
4:19c
for the practice of every kind of impurity: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as for the practice of also means “to continually do something” or “satisfy a desire.”
every kind of impurity: The word impurity means sexual immorality. It means almost the same thing as “sensuality” in 4:19b. For example:
They practice every kind of sexual perversion (God’s Word)
4:19d
with a craving for more: The Greek phrase which the Berean Standard Bible translates as craving for more is literally “in greediness.” These people are “greedy for more sin” or they “want to sin more.” Their sinful desires are never satisfied.
Some other ways to say this are:
they do not restrain themselves
-or-
they do not hold themselves back ⌊from doing all these immoral deeds⌋
-or-
They continually seek for more sinful pleasure
Living Water is produced for the Bible translation movement in association with Lutheran Bible Translators. Lyrics derived from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®).
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