translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: EPH

label: NET translator note

text: The use of the article τά ( ta ) with τέκνα ( tekna ) functions in a generic way to distinguish this group from husbands, wives, fathers and slaves and is left, therefore, untranslated. The generic article is used with γύναῖκες ( gunaikes ) in 5:22 , ἄνδρες ( andres ) in 5:25 , δοῦλοι ( douloi ) in 6:5 , and κύριοι ( kurioi ) in 6:9 .


text: Ψ 0278 0285 33 1739 1881 Ï sy co. Scribes may have thought that the phrase could be regarded a qualifier on the kind of parents a child should obey (viz., only Christian parents), and would thus be tempted to delete the phrase to counter such an interpretation. It is unlikely that the phrase would have been added, since the form used to express such sentiment in this Haustafel is ὡς τῷ κυρίῳ / Χριστῷ ( Jw" tw kuriw / Cristw , “as to the Lord/Christ”; see 5:22; 6:5 ). Even though the witnesses for the omission are impressive, it is more likely that the phrase was deleted than added by scribal activity.


text: Grk “be.”


text: Grk “will be.”


text: Or perhaps “Parents” (so TEV, CEV). The plural οἱ πατέρες ( Joi patere" , “fathers”) can be used to refer to both the male and female parent (BDAG 786 s.v. πατήρ 1.b).


text: Or “do not make your children angry.” BDAG 780 s.v. παροργίζω states “make angry.” The Greek verb in Col 3:21 is a different one with a slightly different nuance.


text: Traditionally, “Servants” (KJV). Though δοῦλος ( doulos ) is often translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος ), in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.


text: Grk “the masters according to the flesh.” In the translation above, the article τοῖς ( tois ) governing κυρίοις ( kuriois ) is rendered in English as a possessive pronoun (i.e., “your”) and the prepositional phrase κατὰ σάρκα ( kata sarka ) is taken as modifying κυρίοις (indicating that the author is referring to human masters) and not modifying the imperative ὑπακούετε ( Jupakouete , which would indicate that obedience was according to a human standard or limitation).


text: Grk “not according to eye-service.”


text: Grk “from the soul.”


text: Though the verb does not appear again at this point in the passage, it is nonetheless implied and supplied in the English translation for the sake of clarity.


text: Grk “serving as to the Lord.”


text: Here καί ( kai ) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.


text: Though the Greek text only has αὐτούς ( autous , “them”), the antecedent is the slaves of the masters. Therefore, it was translated this way to make it explicit in English.


text: Grk “do the same things to them.”


text: Grk “giving up the threat.”


text: Grk “because of both they and you, the Lord is, in heaven…”


text: Or “craftiness.” See BDAG 625 s.v. μεθοδεία .


text: BDAG 752 s.v. πάλη says, “ struggle against …the opponent is introduced by πρός w. the acc.”


text: Grk “blood and flesh.”


text: BDAG 561 s.v. κοσμοκράτωρ suggests “the rulers of this sinful world” as a gloss. sn The phrase world-rulers of this darkness does not refer to human rulers but the evil spirits that rule over the world. The phrase thus stands in apposition to what follows ( the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens ); see note on heavens at the end of this verse.


text: BDAG 837 s.v. πνευματικός 3 suggests “the spirit-forces of evil” in Ephesians 6:12 .


text: The term ἀνθίστημι ( anqisthmi ) carries the idea of resisting or opposing something or someone (BDAG 80 s.v.). In Eph 6:13 , when used in combination with στῆναι ( sthnai ; cf. also στῆτε [ sthte ] in v. 14 ) and in a context of battle imagery, it seems to have the idea of resisting, standing firm, and being able to stand your ground.


text: Grk “girding your waist with truth.” In this entire section the author is painting a metaphor for his readers based on the attire of a Roman soldier prepared for battle and its similarity to the Christian prepared to do battle against spiritually evil forces. Behind the expression “ with truth ” is probably the genitive idea “belt of truth.” Since this is an appositional genitive (i.e., belt which is truth), the author simply left unsaid the idea of the belt and mentioned only his real focus, namely, the truth . (The analogy would have been completely understandable to his 1st century readers.) The idea of the belt is supplied in the translation to clarify the sense in English.


text: The definite article τοῖς ( tois ) was taken as a possessive pronoun, i.e., “your,” since it refers to a part of the physical body.


text: Grk “gospel.” However, this is not a technical term here.


text: Grk “in preparation of the gospel of peace.” The genitive τοῦ εὐαγγελίου ( tou euangeliou ) was taken as a genitive of source, i.e., “that comes from….”


text: Grk “in everything.”


text: Both “pray” and “be alert” are participles in the Greek text (“praying…being alert”). Both are probably instrumental, loosely connected with all of the preceding instructions. As such, they are not additional commands to do but instead are the means through which the prior instructions are accomplished.


text: Grk “and toward it.”


text: To avoid a lengthy, convoluted sentence in English, the Greek sentence was broken up at this point and the verb “pray” was inserted in the English translation to pick up the participle προσευχόμενοι ( proseuxomenoi , “praying”) in v. 18 .


text: Grk “that a word may be given to me in the opening of my mouth.” Here “word” ( λόγος , logo" ) is used in the sense of “message.”


text: The infinitive γνωρίσαι ( gnwrisai , “to make known”) is functioning epexegetically to further explain what the author means by the preceding phrase “that I may be given the message when I begin to speak.”


text: Grk “the.” The Greek article ὁ ( Jo ) was translated with the possessive pronoun, “my.” See ExSyn 215.


text: Grk “the things according to me.”


text: Grk “the things concerning us.”


text: Grk “brothers,” but the Greek word may be used for “brothers and sisters” or “fellow Christians” as here (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 1, where considerable nonbiblical evidence for the plural ἀδελφοί [ adelfoi ] meaning “brothers and sisters” is cited).


text: Or “is.”


text: א * A B F G 0278 6 33 81 1175 1241 1739* 1881 sa) lack the particle, giving firm evidence that Ephesians did not originally conclude with ἀμήν . Grk “without corruption.” The term “love” is not found at the end of the sentence, but is supplied to clarify the sense in English. The term “undying” which modifies it captures the sense of the kind of love the author is referring to here. He is saying that God’s grace will be with those whose love for Jesus never ceases.