3:18–19a
In 3:18–19a, Paul prayed about two things regarding God’s love.
He prayed that:
(a) the Ephesians would be able to understand that Christ’s love is very, very great (3:18),
and he prayed that:
(b) the Ephesians would know Christ’s love (3:19b).
3:18a–b
will have power…to comprehend: The clause will have power…to comprehend means “that you may have the ability to understand/know” or “that you may be able to understand.”
3:18a
together with all the saints: The word saints means “people set apart for God.” See the note on 1:15c for more information and Holy, Meaning 1, special use in the Glossary.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
so that you, together with all God’s people, may have the power to understand (Good News Translation)
-or-
This way, with all of God’s people you will be able to understand (God’s Word)
-or-
So that all of you believers will strongly recognize/realize
3:18b
the length and width and height and depth: The phrase length and width and height and depth is a figure of speech that compares love to an object that we can see and measure. It means that Christ’s love is “very, very great.”
It may be difficult in your language to speak of love being wide and long. So, in that case, think how you would describe love that is extremely great. For example:
love which has no end/limits
-or-
love which we can never measure
-or-
we can never finish describing how much he loves us
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