1st Thessalonians Chapter 5 verse 22 Holy Bible

ASV 1stThessalonians 5:22

abstain from every form of evil.
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BBE 1stThessalonians 5:22

Keep from every form of evil.
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DARBY 1stThessalonians 5:22

hold aloof from every form of wickedness.
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KJV 1stThessalonians 5:22

Abstain from all appearance of evil.
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WBT 1stThessalonians 5:22


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WEB 1stThessalonians 5:22

Abstain from every form of evil.
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YLT 1stThessalonians 5:22

from all appearance of evil abstain ye;
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Pulpit Commentary

Pulpit CommentaryVerse 22. - Abstain from all appearance of evil. This verse is connected with the last, and states negatively what is there stated positively. Test the declarations of the prophets; retain the good, and reject the evil. The word translated "appearance" has been differently rendered; it denotes form, figure, species, kind; so that the clause is to be rendered, "Abstain from all form of evil" (R.V.), or, "of the evil," the word being an abstract substantive. The whole exhortation is similar to that given in Romans 12:9, only there the negative statement is put first: "Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good." Some suppose that the metaphor employed is from the practice of money-changers who tested the money offered to them, rejecting what was base and retaining what was genuine. Among the Fathers we meet with the phrase, "Be ye experienced money-changers," as a traditionary saying of our Lord; and some suppose that the apostle refers to this saying, and give the following paraphrase: "The good money keep; with every sort of bad money have nothing to do; act as experienced money-changers: all the money presented to you as good, test." Such a supposition is fanciful and far-fetched.

Ellicott's Commentary

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(22) Abstain from all appearance of evil.--This translation cannot stand. Possibly it might be rendered "every form of evil," but the most natural version would be, "Hold yourselves aloof from every evil kind"--i.e., evil kind of whatever you may be testing. The word "evil" is here used in the moral sense, and does not constitute an exact antithesis to the "good" of the preceding verse.