“Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.”
My Notes
What Does Ephesians 5:14 Mean?
The writer (Paul or another voice) delivers a wake-up call: awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. The sleeping, the death, and the darkness are all connected — and all addressed by Christ's light.
"Awake thou that sleepest" — the spiritual sleeper is addressed directly. You are asleep. Wake up. The sleeping is not physical. It is moral and spiritual numbness — living without awareness of spiritual reality.
"Arise from the dead" — the deadness is spiritual. You are alive physically but dead to God. The command is to rise — to move from spiritual death to spiritual life.
"Christ shall give thee light" — the light is Christ's gift. You cannot illuminate yourself. You awake and arise — and Christ provides the light. The waking and the rising are your response. The light is his gift.
Some scholars believe this was an early Christian hymn or baptismal formula — a song of awakening sung over new believers as they emerged from the baptismal waters.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What does spiritual 'sleep' look like — how do you recognize it in yourself?
- 2.How is 'arising from the dead' different from just improving your behavior?
- 3.What light has Christ given you that you have been too asleep to receive?
- 4.What would waking up spiritually look like for you this week?
Devotional
Awake thou that sleepest. Wake up. You are asleep — not physically but spiritually. Numb to what is real. Unconscious of the spiritual dimension of your life. The alarm is going off. Wake up.
Arise from the dead. The deadness is spiritual. You are breathing but not alive — not alive to God, not alive to truth, not alive to the reality that matters most. Stand up. Rise from the dead.
Christ shall give thee light. The light is not something you produce. It is something you receive. You awake. You arise. And Christ illuminates. The waking is your response. The light is his gift.
This may have been sung over new believers at their baptism — a hymn of awakening as they came up from the water. Rising from the death of the old life. Opening eyes to the light of Christ.
Are you awake? Not going through the motions — but truly alert to spiritual reality? Or have you drifted into numbness — living, breathing, functioning, but spiritually asleep?
The call is direct: awake. Arise. And the promise is immediate: Christ shall give thee light. The light is ready. The illumination is available. You just have to open your eyes.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Redeeming the time,.... Or "buying time"; a like expression is used in Dan 2:8, which we render, gain time: but in the…
Wherefore he saith - Margin, or “it.” Διὸ λέγει Dio legei. The meaning may be, either that the Lord says, or the…
Wherefore he saith - It is a matter of doubt and controversy whence this saying is derived. Some think it taken from Isa…
These verses contain a caution against all manner of uncleanness, with proper remedies and arguments proposed: some…
Wherefore With regard to the fact that whatever is really brought to light, in the sense of true spiritual conviction,…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture