Ephesians 5:18

Bible in Basic English (1941)

And do not take overmuch wine by which one may be overcome, but be full of the Spirit;

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Καὶ μὴ μεθύσκεσθε οἴνῳ, ἐν ᾧ ἐστιν ἀσωτία· ἀλλὰ πληροῦσθε ἐν Πνεύματι·

Transliteration

And mē methyskesthe oinō, in which estin asōtia; but plērousthe in Pneumati

Grammar Details

• *mē*: negative particle - not
• *methyskesthe*: present imperative, passive, 2nd plural - be drunk [continuous command]
• *oinō*: dative, masculine, singular - with wine
• *estin*: present, indicative, 3rd singular - is
• *asōtia*: nominative, feminine, singular - debauchery/dissipation
• *plērousthe*: present imperative, passive, 2nd plural - be filled [continuous command]
• *Pneumati*: dative, neuter, singular - with Spirit

Word Meanings

• *methyskesthe*: be drunk/intoxicated
• *oinō*: wine/fermented grape juice
• *asōtia*: debauchery/dissipation/excess/riot
• *plērousthe*: be filled/be fulfilled
• *Pneumati*: Spirit/spirit/breath

Referenced Verses

• Prov 20:1 : 1 Wine makes men foolish, and strong drink makes men come to blows; and whoever comes into error through these is not wise.
• Isa 5:22 : 22 Cursed are those who are strong to take wine, and great in making mixed drinks!
• Luke 1:15 : 15 For he will be great in the eyes of the Lord; he will not take wine or strong drink; and he will be full of the Spirit of God from his birth.
• Rom 13:13 : 13 With right behaviour as in the day; not in pleasure-making and drinking, not in bad company and unclean behaviour, not in fighting and envy.
• 1 Cor 5:11 : 11 But the sense of my letter was that if a brother had the name of being one who went after the desires of the flesh, or had the desire for other people's property, or was in the way of using violent language, or being the worse for drink, or took by force what was not his, you might not keep company with such a one, or take food with him.
• 1 Thess 5:7 : 7 For those who are sleeping do so in the night; and those who are the worse for drink are so in the night;
• 1 Pet 4:3-4 : 3 Because for long enough, in times past, we have been living after the way of the Gentiles, given up to the desires of the flesh, to drinking and feasting and loose behaviour and unclean worship of images; 4 And they are wondering that you no longer go with them in this violent wasting of life, and are saying evil things of you:
• Isa 5:11-13 : 11 Cursed are those who get up early in the morning to give themselves up to strong drink; who keep on drinking far into the night till they are heated with wine! 12 And corded instruments and wind-instruments and wine are in their feasts: but they give no thought to the work of the Lord, and they are not interested in what his hands are doing. 13 For this cause my people are taken away as prisoners into strange countries for need of knowledge: and their rulers are wasted for need of food, and their loud-voiced feasters are dry for need of water.
• Gal 5:21-25 : 21 Envy, uncontrolled drinking and feasting, and such things: of which I give you word clearly, even as I did in the past, that they who do such things will have no part in the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, a quiet mind, kind acts, well-doing, faith, 23 Gentle behaviour, control over desires: against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ's have put to death on the cross the flesh with its passions and its evil desires. 25 If we are living by the Spirit, by the Spirit let us be guided.
• 1 Cor 6:10 : 10 Or is a thief, or the worse for drink, or makes use of strong language, or takes by force what is not his, will have any part in the kingdom of God.
• Luke 21:34 : 34 But give attention to yourselves, for fear that your hearts become over-full of the pleasures of food and wine, and the cares of this life, and that day may come on you suddenly, and take you as in a net:
• Prov 23:20-21 : 20 Do not be among those who give themselves to wine-drinking, or among those who make themselves full with meat: 21 For those who take delight in drink and feasting will come to be in need; and through love of sleep a man will be poorly clothed.
• Prov 23:29-35 : 29 Who says, Oh! who says, Ah! who has violent arguments, who has grief, who has wounds without cause, whose eyes are dark? 30 Those who are seated late over the wine: those who go looking for mixed wine. 31 Keep your eyes from looking on the wine when it is red, when its colour is bright in the cup, when it goes smoothly down: 32 In the end, its bite is like that of a snake, its wound like the wound of a poison-snake. 33 Your eyes will see strange things, and you will say twisted things. 34 Yes, you will be like him who takes his rest on the sea, or on the top of a sail-support. 35 They have overcome me, you will say, and I have no pain; they gave me blows without my feeling them: when will I be awake from my wine? I will go after it again.
• Gen 9:21 : 21 And he took of the wine of it and was overcome by drink; and he was uncovered in his tent.
• Deut 21:20 : 20 And say to them, This son of ours is hard-hearted and uncontrolled, he will not give attention to us; he gives himself up to pleasure and strong drink.
• Ps 63:3-5 : 3 Because your mercy is better than life, my lips will give you praise. 4 So will I go on blessing you all my life, lifting up my hands in your name. 5 My soul will be comforted, as with good food; and my mouth will give you praise with songs of joy;
• Luke 11:13 : 13 If, then, you who are evil are able to give good things to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who make request to him?
• Luke 12:45 : 45 But if that servant says to himself, My lord is a long time coming; and goes about giving blows to the men-servants and the women-servants, feasting and taking overmuch wine;
• Acts 2:13-18 : 13 But others, making sport of them, said, They are full of new wine. 14 But Peter, getting up, with the eleven, said in a loud voice, O men of Judaea, and all you who are living in Jerusalem, take note of this and give ear to my words. 15 For these men are not overcome with wine, as it seems to you, for it is only the third hour of the day; 16 But this is the thing which was said by the prophet Joel; 17 And it will come about, in the last days, says God, that I will send out my Spirit on all flesh; and your sons and your daughters will be prophets, and your young men will see visions, and your old men will have dreams: 18 And on my men-servants and my women-servants I will send my Spirit, and they will be prophets.
• Acts 11:24 : 24 For he was a good man and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith: and a great number were joined to the Lord.
• Isa 25:6 : 6 And in this mountain will the Lord of armies make for all peoples a feast of good things, a feast of wines long stored, of good things sweet to the taste, of wines long kept and tested.
• Zech 9:15-17 : 15 The Lord of armies will be a cover for them; and they will overcome, crushing under foot the armed men; they will take their blood for drink like wine: they will be full like the sides of the altar. 16 And the Lord their God will be their saviour in that day, giving them food like the flock of his people: for they will be like the jewels of a crown shining over his land. 17 For how good it is and how beautiful! grain will make the young men strong and new wine the virgins.
• Matt 23:25 : 25 A curse is on you, scribes and Pharisees, false ones! for you make clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of violent behaviour and uncontrolled desire.
• Ps 69:12 : 12 I am a cause of wonder to those in authority; a song to those who are given to strong drink.
• Gen 19:32-35 : 32 Come, let us give our father much wine, and we will go into his bed, so that we may have offspring by our father, 33 And that night they made their father take much wine; and the older daughter went into his bed; and he had no knowledge of when she went in or when she went away. 34 And on the day after, the older daughter said to the younger, Last night I was with my father; let us make him take much wine this night again, and do you go to him, so that we may have offspring by our father. 35 And that night again they made their father take much wine; and the younger daughter went into his bed; and he had no knowledge of when she went in or when she went away.
• Song 1:4 : 4 Take me to you, and we will go after you: the king has taken me into his house. We will be glad and full of joy in you, we will give more thought to your love than to wine: rightly are they your lovers.
• 1 Cor 11:21 : 21 For when you take your food, everyone takes his meal before the other; and one has not enough food, and another is the worse for drink.
• Titus 1:6 : 6 Men having a good record, husbands of one wife, whose children are of the faith, children of whom it may not be said that they are given to loose living or are uncontrolled.
• Song 7:9 : 9 And the roof of your mouth like good wine flowing down smoothly for my loved one, moving gently over my lips and my teeth.
• Matt 24:49 : 49 And is cruel to the other servants, taking his pleasure with those who are overcome with wine;
• Isa 55:1 : 1 Ho! everyone in need, come to the waters, and he who has no strength, let him get food: come, get bread without money; wine and milk without price.