Ephesians 4:22
What does Ephesians 4:22 mean?
A plain-English look at Ephesians 4:22 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Ephesians 4:22 means
The first element of Christian formation is renunciation: put away the old self tied to your former manner of life. This “old man” is decaying, corrupted by deceitful desires—lusts that promise life but deliver death. To put it off is to decisively reject the habits, patterns, and identities that belonged to life apart from Christ. This is both a past definitive break at conversion and an ongoing, practical repudiation of sin’s remnants. The focus is not merely behavior modification but a change of self—no longer identifying with the corrupt nature but with the new identity Christ gives.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000that ye put away, as concerning your former manner of life, the old man, that waxeth corrupt after the lusts of deceit;
KJV
King James Version · 1611That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901that ye put away, as concerning your former manner of life, the old man, that waxeth corrupt after the lusts of deceit;
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949That you are to put away, in relation to your earlier way of life, the old man, which has become evil by love of deceit;
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862ye are to put off concerning the former behaviour the old man, that is corrupt according to the desires of the deceit,
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752To put off, according to former conversation, the old man, who is corrupted according to the desire of error.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890[namely] your having put off according to the former conversation the old man which corrupts itself according to the deceitful lusts;
Context
This begins the specific content of Christian instruction (verses 22–24). After identifying learning Christ as the basis (verses 20–21), Paul describes the three movements of transformation: put off the old self (verse 22), be renewed in mind (verse 23), and put on the new self (verse 24). The structure mirrors the pattern of death, renewal, and new life. Verse 22 looks back to the former walk; verse 23 turns inward to the mind’s renewal; verse 24 looks forward to the new creation likeness.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Job 22:23
If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, If thou put away unrighteousness far from thy tents.
- Ephesians 2:3
among whom we also all once lived in the lusts of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest:—
- Jeremiah 49:16
As for thy terribleness, the pride of thy heart hath deceived thee, O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, that holdest the height of the hill: though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down from thence, saith Jehovah.
- James 1:21
Wherefore putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
- Colossians 2:11
in whom ye were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ;
- Hebrews 12:1
Therefore let us also, seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
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