translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: EPH

label: NET translator note

text: Grk “prisoner in the Lord.”


text: Grk “walk.” The verb “walk” in the NT letters refers to the conduct of one’s life, not to physical walking.


text: Or “meekness.” The word is often used in Hellenistic Greek of the merciful execution of justice on behalf of those who have no voice by those who are in a position of authority ( Matt 11:29; 21:5 ).


text: Or “putting up with”; or “forbearing.”


text: Grk “he led captive captivity.”


text: 082 6 33 81 1739 1881 pc ); internally, the inclusion of πρῶτον is most likely an addition to clarify the sense of the passage.


text: I Ψ 33 1739 1881 Ï ). Certain scribes may have deleted the word, thinking it superfluous; in addition, if the shorter reading were original one would expect to see at least a little variation in clarifying additions to the text. For these reasons the inclusion of μέρη should be regarded as original.


text: Grk “to the lower parts of the earth.” This phrase has been variously interpreted: (1) The traditional view understands it as a reference to the underworld (hell), where Jesus is thought to have descended in the three days between his death and resurrection. In this case, “of the earth” would be a partitive genitive. (2) A second option is to translate the phrase “of the earth” as a genitive of apposition: “to the lower parts, namely, the earth” (as in the present translation). Many recent scholars hold this view and argue that it is a reference to the incarnation. (3) A third option, which also sees the phrase “of the earth” as a genitive of apposition, is that the descent in the passage occurs after the ascent rather than before it, and refers to the descent of the Spirit at Pentecost (cf. Acts 4:11-16 ). Support for this latter view is found in the intertestamental and rabbinic use of Ps 68:18 (quoted in v. 8 ), which is consistently and solely interpreted as a reference to Moses’ ascent of Mt. Sinai to “capture” the words of the law. The probability, therefore, is that the comments here in v. 9 reflect a polemic against the interpretation of Ps 68:18 in certain circles as a reference to Moses. See W. H. Harris, The Descent of Christ (AGJU 32), 46-54; 171-204.


text: The Greek text lays specific emphasis on “He” through the use of the intensive pronoun, αὐτός ( autos ). This is reflected in the English translation through the use of “the very one.”


text: The emphasis on Christ is continued through the use of the intensive pronoun, αὐτός ( autos ), and is rendered in English as “it was he” as this seems to lay emphasis on the “he.”


text: On the translation of πρὸς τὸν καταρτισμὸν τῶν ἁγίων ( pro" ton katartismon twn Jagiwn ) as “to equip the saints” see BDAG 526 s.v. καταρτισμός . In this case the genitive is taken as objective and the direct object of the verbal idea implied in καταρτισμός ( katartismo" ).


text: The εἰς ( eis ) clause is taken as epexegetical to the previous εἰς clause, namely, εἰς ἔργον διακονίας ( ei" ergon diakonia" ).


text: The words “attaining to” were supplied in the translation to pick up the καταντήσωμεν ( katanthswmen ) mentioned earlier in the sentence and the εἰς ( eis ) which heads up this clause.


text: Grk “the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” On this translation of ἡλικία ( Jhlikia , “stature”) see BDAG 436 s.v. 3 .


text: Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.


text: While the sense of the passage is clear enough, translation in English is somewhat difficult. The Greek says: “by the trickery of men, by craftiness with the scheme of deceit.” The point is that the author is concerned about Christians growing into maturity. He is fearful that certain kinds of very cunning people, who are skilled at deceitful scheming, should come in and teach false doctrines which would in turn stunt the growth of the believers.


text: The meaning of the participle ἀληθεύοντες ( alhqeuonte" ; from the verb ἀληθεύω [ alhqeuw ]) is debated. In classical times the verb could mean “to speak the truth,” or “to be true, to prove true.” In the LXX it appears five times ( Gen 20:16; 42:16 ; Prov 21:3 ; Isa 44:26 ; Sir 34:4) and translates four different Hebrew words; there it is an ethical term used of proving or being true, not with the idea of speaking the truth. In the NT the only other place the verb appears is in Gal 4:16 where it means “to speak the truth.” However, in Ephesians the concept of “being truthful” is the best sense of the word. In contrast to the preceding verse, where there are three prepositional phrases to denote falsehood and deceit, the present word speaks of being real or truthful in both conduct and speech. Their deceit was not only in their words but also in their conduct. In other words, the believers’ conduct should be transparent, revealing the real state of affairs, as opposed to hiding or suppressing the truth through cunning and deceit. See H. W. Hoehner, Ephesians , 564-65, and R. Bultmann, TDNT 1:251.


text: The Greek participle συμβιβαζόμενον ( sumbibazomenon ) translated “held together” also has in different contexts, the idea of teaching implied in it.


text: Grk “joint of supply.”


text: On the translation of μαρτύρομαι ( marturomai ) as “insist” see BDAG 619 s.v. 2 .


text: On the translation of ματαιότης ( mataioth" ) as “futility” see BDAG 621 s.v.


text: Or “thoughts,” “mind.”


text: In the Greek text this clause is actually subordinate to περιπατεῖ ( peripatei ) in v. 17 . It was broken up in the English translation so as to avoid an unnecessarily long and cumbersome statement.


text: An alternative rendering for the infinitives in vv. 22-24 (“to lay aside… to be renewed… to put on”) is “that you have laid aside… that you are being renewed… that you have put on.” The three infinitives of vv. 22 ( ἀποθέσθαι , apoqesqai ), 23 ( ἀνανεοῦσθαι , ananeousqai ), and 24 ( ἐνδύσασθαι , endusasqai ), form part of an indirect discourse clause; they constitute the teaching given to the believers addressed in the letter. The problem in translation is that one cannot be absolutely certain whether they go back to indicatives in the original statement (i.e., “you have put off”) or imperatives (i.e., “put off!”). Every other occurrence of an aorist infinitive in indirect discourse in the NT goes back to an imperative, but in all of these examples the indirect discourse is introduced by a verb that implies a command. The verb διδάσκω ( didaskw ) in the corpus Paulinum may be used to relate the indicatives of the faith as well as the imperatives. This translation implies that the infinitives go back to imperatives, though the alternate view that they refer back to indicatives is also a plausible interpretation. For further discussion, see ExSyn 605.


text: Or “in God’s likeness.” Grk “according to God.” The preposition κατά used here denotes a measure of similarity or equality (BDAG 513 s.v. B.5.b. α ).


text: Or “in righteousness and holiness which is based on truth” or “originated from truth.”


text: The word παροργισμός ( parorgismo" ), typically translated “anger” in most versions is used almost exclusively of the source of anger rather than the results in Greek literature (thus, it refers to an external cause or provocation rather than an internal reaction). The notion of “cause of your anger” is both lexically and historically justified. The apparently proverbial nature of the statement (“Do not let the sun go down on the cause of your anger”) finds several remarkable parallels in Pss. Sol. 8:8-9: “(8) God laid bare their sins in the full light of day; All the earth came to know the righteous judgments of God. (9) In secret places underground their iniquities (were committed) to provoke (Him) to anger” (R. H. Charles’ translation). Not only is παροργισμός used, but righteous indignation against God’s own people and the laying bare of their sins in broad daylight are also seen.


text: Grk “but if something good for the building up of the need.” The final genitive τῆς χρείας ( th" creia" ) may refer to “the need of the moment” or it may refer to the need of a particular person or group of people as the next phrase “give grace to those who hear” indicates.


text: places δέ in brackets, indicating some doubt as to its authenticity.