Albert Barnes Commentary Ephesians 4:29

"Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but such as is good for edifying as the need may be, that it may give grace to them that hear." — Ephesians 4:29 (ASV)

Let no corrupt communication proceed. (See Barnes on 1 Corinthians 15:33).

The word translated "corrupt"—saprov—means bad, decayed, rotten, and is applied to putrid vegetables or animal substances. It is then applied to a tree of a useless character that produces no good fruit (Matthew 7:17). Furthermore, it is used in a moral sense, as our word "corrupt" is, to denote that which is depraved, evil, and contaminating. Here, it may denote anything that is obscene, offensive, or that tends to corrupt others.

The importance of this admonition will be appreciated when it is remembered:

1. That such obscene and filthy conversation prevailed everywhere, and still does among the heathen. So general is this, that at almost every missionary station it has been found that the common conversation is so corrupt and defiling, that missionaries have felt it necessary to send their children home to be educated, to secure them from the contaminating influence of those around them.

2. Those who have had the misfortune to be familiar with the common conversation of the lower classes in any community, and especially with the conversation of young men, will see the importance of this admonition. Scarcely anything can be conceived more corrupt or corrupting than that which often prevails among young men—and even young men in the academies and colleges of this land.

3. Its importance will be seen from the influence of such corrupt communications. "The passage of an impure thought through the mind leaves pollution behind it!" The expression of such a thought deepens the pollution on the soul and corrupts others. It is like retaining an offensive carcass above ground to pollute the air and to diffuse pestilence and death, which should at once be buried out of sight.

A Christian should be pure in his conversation. His Master was pure. His God is pure. The heaven to which he goes is pure. The religion which he professes is pure.

NEVER should he indulge himself in an obscene allusion; never should he retail anecdotes of an obscene character, or smile when they are retailed by others. He should never indulge in a jest having a double meaning, nor should he ever listen to a song of this character. If those with whom he associates do not have sufficient respect for themselves and for him to abstain from such corrupt and corrupting allusions, he should at once leave them.

But that which is good to the use of edifying. A marginal note reads, to edify profitably. The Greek means "to useful edification;" that is, speech adapted to instruct, counsel, and comfort others, and to promote their intelligence and purity.

Speech is an invaluable gift, a blessing of inestimable worth. We may so speak as always to do good to others. We may give them some information they do not have, impart some consolation they need, elicit some truth by friendly discussion that we did not know before, or recall by friendly admonition those who are in danger of going astray.

He who talks for the mere sake of talking will say many foolish things; he whose great aim in life is to benefit others will not be likely to say that which he will have occasion to regret (Matthew 12:36; Ecclesiastes 5:2; Proverbs 10:19; James 1:19).