Parents is the Good News Translation translation of the Greek “the fathers” (also Bible de Jérusalem, Jerusalem Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible); all other translations have “fathers.” The plural of the Greek word for “father” may be used in the sense of “parents” (see Heb 11.23), but the more common word for “parents” in Greek is used in verse 1, and it probably is true that in this verse (as in Col 3.21) it is the fathers who are being addressed, not both the fathers and the mothers. In languages where the vocative “fathers” cannot be used, it will be necessary to say “Those of you who are fathers” or “I want to tell those of you who are fathers….”

Treat your children in such a way as to make them angry translates the Greek verb “to provoke to anger.” The verb occurs elsewhere in the New Testament only in Romans 10.19 (in a quotation from Deut 32.21); for the related noun “anger” see 4.26. Such a provocation would occur if the parents made unreasonable and harsh demands on their children; see the similar use of the verb “to irritate” in Colossians 3.21.

The command do not treat your children in such a way as to make them angry may be restructured in some languages as “do not make your children angry by what you say and do to them” or “you should not say and do things to your children which will cause them to be angry with you.” A translator should not use an expression which means simply to discipline children, nor one which means to beat children.

Raise translates the same verb that appears in 5.29; here it involves all “nourishment” a parent supplies a child and not merely food. Raise them may be rendered “take care of them” or “provide children with what they need.”

The Greek follows: “in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” The first Greek noun means “discipline, training.” This discipline may be either punitive (in which case it becomes “chastisement, punishment”) or nurturing (and so “training, upbringing”). The second Greek noun (also in 1 Cor 10.11; Titus 3.10, and nowhere else in the New Testament), may mean “admonition, warning.” The two together are translated by A&G “Christian discipline and instruction”; Translator’s New Testament, Barclay have “Christian discipline and training.”

In some languages it may be necessary to expand somewhat a phrase such as with Christian discipline and instruction, for this is a very compact expression; for example, “train your children and instruct them as a believer in the Lord should.” In this context instruction may be rendered as “tell them what they must do.”

Christian translates “of the Lord” (Revised Standard Version), here an obvious reference to Jesus Christ.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert C. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1982. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .