Ephesians 4:29 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

Let no corrupt communication; unprofitable, unsavoury, not seasoned with the salt of prudence, Colossians 4:6: see Mark 9:50. To the use of edifying; Gr. to the edification of use, by an hypallage, for, to the use of edifying, as our translators render it, implying, that the great use of speech is to edify those with whom we converse. But the same word translated use, signifies likewise profit, and necessity, and, by a Hebraism, this (as the latter substantive) may be instead of an adjective, and the words translated, to useful, or profitable, edifying, or, (according to the marginal reading), to edify profitably, with little difference of sense from the former: or, to necessary edifying; and then it respects the condition and necessities of the hearers, to which our discourse must be suited by way of instruction, reprehension, exhortation, or consolation, as their case requires. That it may minister grace to the hearers; by which some grace may be communicated to or increased in them, by instruction, reprehension, exhortation, &c.