Ephesians 5:3-4
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Paul uses "or covetousness" to highlight that this sin, though often seen as less severe than sexual immorality, is equally unfit to be even mentioned among believers. He elevates the pursuit of money or possessions to the same level of gross immorality, showing its deeply corrupting nature.
But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul is exhorting believers to live lives worthy of their calling in Christ, contrasting them with the gentile world. This verse directly follows his command to imitate God and walk in love, urging them to avoid the immoral and impure practices common in pagan society. He then expands on the behavior expected of "saints," or holy people, by detailing specific sins that should not even be named among them.
Paul links sexual immorality and impurity with covetousness. Why would he place a sin often seen as less severe in the same category as the most debasing vices?
Paul’s pairing of covetousness with 'fornication and all uncleanness' is striking. The ancient world, much like ours, often distinguished between sexual sins and the 'love of money.'
A Deeper Look at Covetousness
Paul insists that this deep-seated desire for more, this restlessness, is just as incompatible with a holy life as sexual sin. It’s a heart issue that corrupts everything.
Ask a follow-up
Paul commands that these sins 'must not even be named among you.' What does he mean by 'named,' and how is this even possible?
The command 'let it not even be named among you' is a powerful call to a life so transformed that these sins become foreign.
Beyond Mere Mention
This standard challenges us to cultivate a holiness that impacts not just our actions, but our conversations and the very culture of our Christian communities.
Understand the original words
porneia · Greek Noun
A broad term for all forms of sexual activity outside the bounds of the marriage covenant between a man and a woman; it denotes a fundamental perversion of God's design for human sexuality.
akatharsia · Greek Noun
Moral uncleanness or corruption, often implying a lack of purity in heart, thought, or lifestyle; it stands in opposition to the holiness expected of believers.
pleonexia · Greek Noun
An insatiable desire to have more, often at the expense of others; it is essentially the worship of material things over God.
hagiois · Greek Noun
Holy ones; believers who have been set apart (sanctified) by God for His exclusive use and purpose.
This passage directly links sexual immorality with other sinful actions and emphasizes fleeing from it, echoing Paul's strong stance against impurity in Ephesians 5:3.
Colossians 3:5This verse places covetousness alongside sexual immorality and impurity, calling them 'idolatry,' which highlights the deep spiritual corruption these sins represent, just as Paul does in Ephesians 5:3.
Romans 1:29-31This passage lists a broad range of sinful behaviors, including sexual immorality, impurity, and covetousness, showing how pervasive these vices were and underscoring Paul's concern for the moral purity of believers.
1 Thessalonians 4:3-5Here, Paul explicitly states that God's will is for believers to be sanctified and to abstain from sexual immorality and lust, reinforcing the idea that such conduct is utterly contrary to the life of a saint.
Matthew 15:19Jesus himself identifies sexual immorality, impurity, and greed (covetousness) as sins that originate from the heart, showing that these are not minor issues but deep-seated problems that defile a person, aligning with Paul's serious tone in Ephesians 5:3.
vincentEphesians 5:3: "But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;"
Or covetousnessOr sets this sin emphatically by itself.Let itIt refers to each of the sins.
barnesEphesians 5:3: "But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;"
But fornication - A "common" vice among the pagan then as it is now, and one into which they were in special danger of falling; see Romans 1:29 note; 1 Corinthians 6:18 note. And all uncleanness - Impurity of life; see the notes on Romans 1:24; compare Romans 6:19; Galatians 5:19; Ephesians 4:19; Colossians 3:5. Or covetousness - The "connection" in which this word is…
Paul uses "or covetousness" to highlight that this sin, though often seen as less severe than sexual immorality, is equally unfit to be even mentioned among believers. He elevates the pursuit of money or possessions to the same level of gross immorality, showing its deeply corrupting nature.
Paul is exhorting believers to live lives worthy of their calling in Christ, contrasting them with the gentile world. This verse directly follows his command to imitate God and walk in love, urging them to avoid the immoral and impure practices common in pagan society. He then expands on the behavior expected of "saints," or holy people, by detailing specific sins that should not even be named among them.
Paul is exhorting believers to live lives worthy of their calling in Christ, contrasting them with the gentile world. This verse directly follows his command to imitate God and walk in love, urging them to avoid the immoral and impure practices common in pagan society. He then expands on the behavior expected of "saints," or holy people, by detailing specific sins that should not even be named among them.
"But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving." — Paul uses "or covetousness" to highlight that this sin, though often seen as less severe than sexual immorality, is equally unfit to be even mentioned among believers. He elevates the pursuit of mone…
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Last reviewed October 2026
