All three nouns used in this verse (Revised Standard Version “filthiness, silly talk, levity”) occur only here in the New Testament. The first one could be understood to refer to conduct, “indecent behavior” (so Abbott, Salmond, Murray), but most likely it is a reference to conversation, as are the following two nouns. It has its equivalent in Colossians 3.8 obscene talk; it refers to shameful, shameless talk of every kind, but probably dealing with sexual themes in a vulgar way; New English Bible, Translator’s New Testament “coarse”; Jerusalem Bible “coarseness.”
The second Greek noun is literally “foolish talking”; Good News Translation takes this “foolishness” not in the sense of levity or silliness as such, but in the biblical sense of “the fool” as the person who disregards God. Murray defines the word as “conversation … which is coarse and outwardly repulsive” and quotes Plutarch’s definition of it as “the kind of talk that comes from a man when he is drunk.” Murray goes on to say that this may be no more than inane talk, but adds: “But ‘the fool’ in the Wisdom literature has a darker side.” But no other translation consulted gives it this specific a sense of “profanity”; most have “silly” or “foolish” or “stupid” talking.
The third Greek noun originally had a favorable meaning of “ready wit,” “pleasantry,” but it acquired a connotation of suggestive talk which employs euphemisms and double meanings. So Barth “ribald talk”; New International Version “coarse joking”; Translator’s New Testament “suggestive language”; Abbott “licentious speech.” So it means not just jokes as such (as Revised Standard Version “levity” suggests) but dirty jokes.
In almost all languages there are plenty of terms which one may use to speak of obscene or vulgar language, since such types of speech are universal. Obscene language may be described in some languages as “dirty language.” But in some instances it may be called “vulva language” (a reference to the female genital organs). It would be wrong, however, to interpret the Good News Translation use of profane as simply being in contrast with sacred. This is not secular language but “bad talk.” Sometimes one may use an expression such as “how fools talk.” Finally the term vulgar may be rendered as “jokes about sex” or “jokes about the genitals.”
The expression Nor is it fitting is synonymous with it is not right in verse 3, and it may be rendered as “You should not.”
Give thanks to God translates the Greek noun for “thanksgiving” (see the related verb “to give thanks” in 1.16). This is the kind of language that is fitting for Christians. As early as Origen and Jerome (see the quotation in Robinson) the question has arisen: Why should “thanksgiving, praise” (to God) be the kind of language Christians should use, in opposition to vulgarity and obscenity? One would expect something like “gracious, beautiful, noble” talk, or even “truthful, honest, fair” speaking. But commentators, in one way or the other, show why thanksgiving is fitting here. For similar injunctions to be thankful see 5.20 and Colossians 3.15, 17.
In speaking of “giving thanks” it is frequently necessary to indicate the content of such thanks or at least the reason for the thanks. Making such information specific in this context may be particularly significant in that it provides a basis for contrast from the first part of verse 4. One may, for example, translate you should give thanks to God as “you should thank God for what he has done for you,” presumably in freeing the believer from such bad behavior.
Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert C. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1982. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .