The Meaning of Ephesians 4:27 Explained

Ephesians 4:27

KJV: Neither give place to the devil.

YLT: neither give place to the devil;

Darby: neither give room for the devil.

ASV: neither give place to the devil.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Neither  give  place  to the devil. 

What does Ephesians 4:27 Mean?

Verse Meaning

It is important to deal with anger appropriately because, if we do not do Song of Solomon , Satan will have an opportunity to lead us into further sin.
"Horace was right when he said, "Anger is momentary insanity." ...
""Anyone can become angry," wrote Aristotle. "But to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose, and in the right way-this is not easy."" [1]

Context Summary

Ephesians 4:20-32 - Putting On The "new Man"
The Lord Jesus is our text-book and our teacher, the schoolhouse in which we are taught, and the object lesson in which all truth is enshrined. But all is in vain unless we definitely and forever put away the old man; that is, our old manners and customs in so far as they are contrary to the Spirit of Christ. With equal decision we are called upon to seek the daily renewal of our spirit and the outward conformity of our mode of life to the example of Jesus. But it should never be forgotten that the latter will be a dry husk unless it is energized from the true vine. There can be little of Christ without unless He dwells without a rival within. But the Holy Spirit will see to this, if only we grieve Him not.
What a transformation immediately ensues! Truth instead of falsehood, gentleness for anger, earnest toil for dishonesty, cleansed instead of filthy speech. If all believers were to live like this, the world would know that the Son of God has come. It is not enough that a man should believe to secure deliverance from the wrath of God; he must daily seek to attain to such resemblance of Jesus as shall make men recall Him to mind. [source]

Chapter Summary: Ephesians 4

1  He exhorts to unity;
7  and declares that God therefore gives various gifts unto men;
11  that his church might be edified,
16  and grow up in Christ
18  He calls them from the impurity of the Gentiles;
24  to put on the new man;
25  to cast off lying;
29  and corrupt communication

Greek Commentary for Ephesians 4:27

Neither give place to the devil [μηδε διδοτε τοπον τωι διαβολωι]
Present active imperative in prohibition, either stop doing it or do not have the habit. See note on Romans 12:19 for this idiom. [source]
Place []
Room. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Ephesians 4:27

Romans 15:23 Place [τόπον]
Scope, opportunity. So of Esau, Hebrews 12:17. Compare Romans 12:19; Ephesians 4:27. [source]
Romans 12:19 But give place unto wrath [αλλα δοτε τοπον τηι οργηι]
Second aorist active imperative of διδωμι — didōmi to give. “Give room for the (note article as in Romans 5:9; 1 Thessalonians 2:16) wrath” of God instead of taking vengeance in your own hands. See note on Ephesians 4:27 for διδοτε τοπον — didote topon Paul quotes Deuteronomy 32:35 (the Hebrew rather than the lxx). So have Hebrews 10:30 and the Targum of Onkelos, but the relation between them and Paul we cannot tell. Socrates and Epictetus condemned personal vindictiveness as Paul does here. I will recompense (ανταποδωσω — antapodōsō). Future active of the double compound verb quoted also in Romans 11:35. [source]
1 Timothy 3:6 Of the devil [τοῦ διαβόλου]
See on Matthew 4:1, and see on Satan, 1 Thessalonians 2:18. Paul uses διάβολος only twice, Ephesians 4:27; Ephesians 6:11. Commonly Satan. The use of διάβολος as an adjective is peculiar to the Pastorals (see 1 Timothy 3:11; 2 Timothy 3:3; Titus 2:3), and occurs nowhere else in N.T., and not in lxx. The phrase judgment of the devil probably means the accusing judgment of the devil, and not the judgment passed upon the devil. In Revelation 12:10Satan is called the accuser of the brethren. In 1 Corinthians 5:5; 1 Timothy 1:20, men are given over to Satan for judgment. In 1 Timothy 3:7the genitive διαβόλου isclearly subjective. In this chapter it appears that a Christian can fall into the reproach of the devil (comp. Judges 1:9; 2 Peter 2:11), the snare of the devil (comp. 2 Timothy 2:26), and the judgment of the devil. [source]

What do the individual words in Ephesians 4:27 mean?

neither give opportunity to the devil
μηδὲ δίδοτε τόπον τῷ διαβόλῳ

μηδὲ  neither 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: μηδέ  
Sense: and not, but not, nor, not.
δίδοτε  give 
Parse: Verb, Present Imperative Active, 2nd Person Plural
Root: διδῶ 
Sense: to give.
τόπον  opportunity 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: τόπος 
Sense: place, any portion or space marked off, as it were from surrounding space.
τῷ  to  the 
Parse: Article, Dative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
διαβόλῳ  devil 
Parse: Adjective, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: διάβολος  
Sense: prone to slander, slanderous, accusing falsely.