Jesting

Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament

(εὐτραπελία,  Ephesians 5:4)

That the Greek word is used in an unfavourable sense is shown by its association with ‘filthiness’ and ‘foolish talking,’ as well as by its characterization as ‘not befitting.’ But in itself (being derived from εὐ, ‘well,’ and τρέπω, ‘I turn’) it was morally neutral, and originally it had a good sense. ‘On the subject of pleasantness in sport,’ says Aristotle ( Eth. Nic . II. vii. 13), ‘he who is in the mean is a man of graceful wit, and the disposition graceful wit (εὐτραπελία); the excess ribaldry, and the person ribald; he who is in defect a clown, and the habit clownishness.’ And again (iv. viii 3), ‘Those who neither say anything laughable themselves, nor approve of it in others, appear to be clownish and harsh, but these who are sportive with good taste are called εὐτράπελοι, as possessing versatility,’ etc. This was a characteristic of the Athenians, whom Pericles praised as ‘qualified to act in the most varied ways and with the most graceful versatility’ (εὐτραπέλως [Thuc. ii. 41]). Aristotle admits that even ‘buffoons are called men of graceful wit’ (εὐτράπελοι), but questions their right to the term (iv. viii. 3). The nearest Latin equivalent was urbanitas . But gradually the coinage was debased, and εὐτραπελία came to mean no more than badinage, persiflage, wit without the salt of grace; in Chrysostom’s striking phrase, it was ‘graceless grace’ (χάρις ἄχαρις). See R. Trench, NT Synonyms 8, 1876, p. 119f.

James Strahan.

Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words

1: Εὐτραπελία (Strong'S #2160 — Noun Feminine — eutrapelia — yoo-trap-el-ee'-ah )

properly denotes "wit, facetiousness, versatility" (lit., "easily turning," from eu, "well," trepo, "to turn"). It was used in the literal sense to describe the quick movements of apes and persons. Pericles speaks of the Athenians of his day (430 B.C.) as distinguished by a happy and gracious "flexibility." In the next century Aristotle uses it of "versatility" in the give and take of social intercourse, quick repartee. In the sixth century, B.C., the poet Pindar speaks of one Jason as never using a word of "vain lightness," a meaning deteriorated, and it came to denote "coarse jesting, ribaldry," as in  Ephesians 5:4 , where it follows morologia, "foolish talking."

Webster's Dictionary

(1): ( p. pr. & vb. n.) of Jest

(2): ( a.) Sportive; not serious; fit for jests.

(3): ( n.) The act or practice of making jests; joking; pleasantry.

King James Dictionary

JEST'ING, ppr. Joking talking for diversion or merriment.

JEST'ING, n. A joking concise wit wit that consists in a trope or verbal figure, in a metaphorical sense of words, or in a double sense of the same word, or in similitude of sound in different words.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

jest´ing  : Used from Tyndale down as the translation of εὐτραπελία , eutrapelı́a (  Ephesians 5:4 ). Aristotle uses the original in his Ethics iv. 14 as an equivalent of "quick-witted," from its root meaning "something easily turned," adding that, since the majority of people love excessive jesting, the word is apt to be degraded. This is the case here, where it clearly has a flavor of the coarse or licentious.