Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Ephesians 4:18

"being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their heart;" — Ephesians 4:18 (ASV)

This reprehensible attitude is traced to its source. Such people are impeded by a mental fog that blots out the divine light. They are cut off from contact with God (2:12) and the life he alone can impart. Such a condition arises in turn from deep-seated “ignorance.” Although inborn (cf. 2:2–3), it was not irreversible and might have been removed had they followed such light as came to them. Instead, they steeled their hearts against the truth until they grew altogether impervious to its impact. “Hardening” (GK 4801) describes a state of petrifaction. It is used medically to denote the callus formed when a bone has been fractured and reset. Such a callus is even harder than the bone itself. This dreadful situation has affected the hearts of the pagans. Their whole personality is incapable of appreciating what God offers.