Ephesians 4:31

     31. bitterness—both of spirit and of speech: opposed to "kind."

      wrath—passion for a time: opposed to "tender-hearted." Whence BENGEL translates for "wrath," harshness.

      anger—lasting resentment: opposed to "forgiving one another."

      clamour—compared by CHRYSOSTOM to a horse carrying anger for its rider: "Bridle the horse, and you dismount its rider." "Bitterness" begets "wrath"; "wrath," "anger"; "anger," "clamor"; and "clamor," the more chronic "evil-speaking," slander, insinuations, and surmises of evil. "Malice" is the secret root of all: "fires fed within, and not appearing to by-standers from without, are the most formidable" [CHRYSOSTOM].

Colossians 3:8

     8. But now—that ye are no longer living in them.

      ye also—like other believers; answering to "ye also" (Col 3:7) like other unbelievers formerly.

      put off—"Do ye also put away all these," namely, those just enumerated, and those which follow [ALFORD].

      anger, wrath—(See on Eph 4:31).

      blasphemy—rather, "reviling," "evil-speaking," as it is translated in Eph 4:31.

      filthy communication—The context favors the translation, "abusive language," rather than impure conversation. "Foul language" best retains the ambiguity of the original.

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