SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 2019 – Page 18

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 1:6

1:6a

to the praise of His glorious grace: The phrase to the praise of His glorious grace tells us the purpose of all that God has done: he chose us and made us his children “in order that we should praise him for his grace.” Similar phrases are in 1:12b and 1:14c.

His glorious grace: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as glorious means “wonderful” or “very great.” See also glory, Meaning 4, in the Glossary for more information.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

his wonderful grace
-or-
the greatness of his grace
-or-
his important grace

grace: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as grace means “showing kindness or generosity to someone who does not deserve it.”

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

kindness (God’s Word)
-or-
gracious/generous help

See grace, Meaning 2, in the Glossary for more information.

1:6b

freely given: The phrase freely given is a single Greek verb meaning “to give generously.” In other words, God showed us a great amount of kindness, and he did not make us earn his kindness. Instead, he showed us his kindness generously, abundantly and freely.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

he has poured out on us (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
he has generously/abundantly given to us

in the Beloved One: The phrase in the Beloved One refers to Jesus whom God loves. It is through Jesus, by means of what he has done for us, that God gives us his grace. Be careful that the way you translate this does not imply that there are others whom he does not love.

Here are some other ways to translate in the Beloved One include:

his dearly loved Son (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
in Christ, the One he loves (New Century Version)

Beloved: See how you translated “love” in 1:4c. See love, Meaning 1 in the Glossary for more information.

General Comment on 1:6a–b

In some languages it may be more natural to reverse the order of 1:6a–b. For example:

6b God was very kind to us because of the Son he dearly loves, 6a and so we should praise God. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
God has graciously helped us by means of his beloved ⌊Son’s actions⌋, and so we should praise God for that help

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SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 2:15

2:15a

by abolishing: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as abolishing means to “destroy, cancel, or end.” In this context, Christ abolished the law in the sense that he removed the law as the way to achieve salvation. This means that people do not have to follow the law in order to be saved.

Here are some other ways this word has been translated:

ending (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
brought an end to (God’s Word)

The law Paul referred to includes the ceremonial laws concerning sacrifices and festivals. These ceremonial laws separated the Jews and the Gentiles, because the Gentiles did not follow these ceremonies. The law was a barrier between Jews and Gentiles. Christ, by his death, removed this barrier. One possible way to translate this is:

he made it so that we do not have to follow all the rules and commands of the Jewish religion ⌊in order to be acceptable to God⌋

in His flesh: The phrase in His flesh refers to Christ’s death. However, there are different views regarding which part of the verse in His flesh is connected.

The three main views are:

(1) It is connected to the verb abolished/ended in 2:15a. For example:

15a By his death he ended the whole system of Jewish law… (New Living Translation (1996))

(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, Revised Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, King James Version, Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation (1996), Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English, New Jerusalem Bible)

(2) It is connected to the clause destroyed/broke the wall in 2:14b. For example:

14b With his own body he broke down the wall that separated them and kept them enemies. (Good News Translation)

(Good News Translation, NET Bible, Revised English Bible, New Century Version)

(3) It is connected to the clause made the two one in 2:14b. For example:

14b in his flesh he has made both groups into one (New Revised Standard Version)

(New Revised Standard Version, God’s Word)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) and the majority of English versions.

flesh: Here flesh means Christ’s body. Most commentators believe that it refers to Christ’s crucified body.

Here are some other ways this phrase has been translated:

by his death (New Living Translation (1996))
-or-
Christ gave his own body (Contemporary English Version)

See flesh, Meaning 1 in the Glossary for more information.

the law of commandments and decrees: The two words commandments and decrees are a doublet. They refer to the Jewish religious laws found in the law of Moses. Some ways of translating this entire phrase are:

the whole system of Jewish law (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
the Jewish law with all its rules
-or-
the law containing rules about things which people must do and rules about things which they must not do

You should translate this phrase in a way that is natural in your language.

2:15b

to create in Himself one new man out of the two: One reason Christ abolished the law was so that he could unite both Jews and Gentiles to himself and, in this way, make one new group. This new group is the group of Christians, or the church.

one new man: The phrase one new man means “one new group.” It refers to the “one” in 2:14b.

Here are some ways to translate this phrase:

one new group of people
-or-
one new community

out of the two: The phrase the two refers to the Jews and Gentiles. See how you translated the two in 2:14b.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

from the two ⌊opposing groups⌋
-or-
out from among the Jews and Gentiles/non-Jews

2:15c

thus making peace: Christ united the Jews and Gentiles, and this made peace between them.

Here are some other ways this phrase has been translated:

so they are no longer hostile/hateful towards each other
-or-
so they now relate to each other in peaceful ways

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 4:4

4:4a

There is one body: The phrase one body refers to the group of believers called the church. This group of Christians is the body of Christ (1:23). All of us believers are like ⌊parts of⌋ the same body. So, another way to translate this phrase is a simile. For example:

We are like one body

one Spirit: The phrase one Spirit refers to the Holy Spirit. All believers have the same Holy Spirit living/dwelling in them.

4:4b

just as you were called to one hope: The clause just as you were called to one hope is a comparison. There is one body and one Spirit just as there is one hope. (See General Comment below for ways to translate this.)

you were called: The phrase you were called is passive. If it would be more natural in your language to use an active clause here, you can say:

just as ⌊God⌋ called you to one hope

called: As in 4:1c, here are some other ways to translate the verb called :

invited
-or-
chosen

See how you translated “calling” in 4:1c and called in 1:18b.

one hope: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as hope means “to confidently expect and wait for something that we know will happen.” The meaning of the Greek word that is translated as hope is different from the modern English meaning. In modern English, hope is closer to a “wish.”

In many languages hope is easier to understand if translated as a verb rather than a noun. So you may need to say:

you are hoping for/expecting the same good things/blessings

See how you translated hope in 1:18b and 2:12d.

when you were called: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as when you were called is literally “of your calling” (as in the New Revised Standard Version). This phrase repeats the phrase “you were called” that is found earlier in 4:4b. So some translations combine these two phrases. For example:

just as there is one hope to which God has called you (Good News Translation)

Here are some other ways to translate 4:4b:

In the same way you were called to share one hope. (God’s Word)
-or-
…and God called you to have one hope. (New Century Version)
-or-
In the same way, when God called/chose you, he chose you to hope/expect the same good things/blessings.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 5:4

5:4a–b

Paul said that when Christians talk, they should not use any shameful talk. He uses three terms for shameful talk: obscenity, foolish talk and coarse joking.

5:4a

Nor: The NET Bible translates Nor as “neither.”

should there be obscenity: The word obscenity refers to talking of sexual matters or other taboo subjects in a shameful, crude way.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

obscene stories (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
dirty stories (God’s Word)

5:4b

foolish talk: The term foolish talk means saying things that are of no good use. This does not mean talking like a person who has not been to school or who is not intelligent.

Here are some other ways to translate this term:

empty talk
-or-
flippant talk
-or-
disrespectful talk

In the OT, a fool was a person who ignored God or did not believe in God. So foolish talk may mean talking disrespectfully or lightly about serious things, making fun of God and other important things.

or crude joking: The term crude joking means “vulgar jokes,” which usually refers to jokes about sex.

In most languages there are terms for using vulgar and shameful language. You may have expressions like:

saying vulgar words
-or-
laughing about things that bring shame
-or-
telling stories that are not fit for people’s ears

General Comment on 5:4a–b

In some languages, two terms or even one generic term may be sufficient to express all the ideas in the three terms “obscenity, foolish talking and coarse joking.” For example:

don’t even talk about such things; they are no fit subjects for Christians to talk about (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

5:4c

which are out of character: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as out of character means “not right,” or “not fitting.” It is the opposite of “proper” in 5:3a.

5:4d

but rather thanksgiving: The clause but rather thanksgiving means “instead, give thanks to God” or “instead ⌊of doing those things⌋, thank God ⌊for that which he has done for you⌋.”

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Rather you should give thanks to God. (Good News Translation)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 6:3

6:3a

that it may go well with you: This verse continues the Old Testament quotation that started in 6:2a.

Here are some other ways to say that it may go well with you :

that everything that happens to you will be good
-or-
that your life may be full of blessings

6:3b

and that you may have a long life: The clause that you may have a long life means “that you will live a long time.” For example:

you may live a long time (Good News Translation)

There may be an idiom in your language to express a person living till old age.

on the earth: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as on the earth is literally “in the land.” In the original quotation in Exodus 20:12, “land” refers to Canaan, but here it refers to the earth where we live. In your translation, it may be more natural to leave this implicit. For example:

and you will have a long and happy life (Contemporary English Version)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 1:17

1:17a

that: The word that here introduces what Paul prayed for. Many English versions start a new sentence here and add the words “I ask” or “I pray” because they are implied from 1:16. For example:

I keep asking that (New International Version)

the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father: These two phrases form a parallelism. They both refer to God the Father. This should be clear in your translation. See the second meaning line of the Display for ways you can make this explicit.

the glorious Father: A literal English translation of the Greek is “Father of glory.”

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

the Father who has great glory
-or-
the Father who is very great
-or-
the Father who is wonderful/majestic

See how you translated “glorious grace” in 1:6a and “glory” in 1:12b and 1:14c. Also see glory, Meaning 4 in the Glossary for more information.

1:17b

a spirit of wisdom: There are several ways to interpret the word spirit here. It may refer to:

(1) the spirit of man. According to this interpretation, the phrase spirit of wisdom means “spiritual wisdom” or “thinking in a wise way.” For example:

I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ…may give you spiritual wisdom…. (NET Bible)

(Berean Standard Bible, Revised Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, NET Bible, King James Version, God’s Word, New Century Version, New Jerusalem Bible, New Living Translation (2004), New Century Version, Revised English Bible, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English, English Standard Version)

(2) the Holy Spirit. For example:

I ask the glorious Father and God of our Lord Jesus Christ to give you his Spirit. The Spirit will make you wise and let you understand… (Contemporary English Version)

(New International Version, Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) and the majority of English translations. In some languages, it will be more natural to translate spirit of wisdom as “spiritually wise.”

and revelation: The word revelation generally refers to something that has been made known. In this context it refers to God making himself known to people. In some languages, it will be more natural to translate the noun revelation as the verb “reveal.” Paul prayed that God would reveal himself to the Ephesian Christians. For example:

reveal God to you (Good News Translation)

1:17c

in your knowledge of Him: In this context, the pronoun Him refers to God the Father. If this is not clear in your translation, you may want to make it explicit. You can say for example:

in your knowledge of ⌊God⌋
-or-
as it regards the way that you know ⌊God⌋

General Comment on 1:17

You may need to translate this verse as several sentences, as in the second meaning line of the Display.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 3:4

3:4a

In reading this, then: The word this refers to the writing Paul referred to in 3:3b.

then: The Berean Standard Bible has supplied the word then because it is good English style. It should only be translated if it would be natural to do so in your language.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

When/if you read this…
-or-
As you read this ⌊earlier passage⌋…

3:4b

you will be able to understand my insight: In the Greek text, the phrase you will be able to understand my insight is in the present tense.

So here is another way to translate this phrase:

you can understand my insight

my insight: The phrase my insight refers to Paul’s ability to see and understand God’s formerly unknown plan concerning Christ.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

you can perceive my insight (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
you can see that I truly understand (New Century Version)

mystery of Christ: The word mystery means “something that has not been explained.” In this context, mystery of Christ can mean “the secret (plan) put into effect by Christ.”

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

the secret purpose of Christ (Revised English Bible)
-or-
God’s secret plan carried out by Christ,
-or-
the hidden plan concerning Christ
-or-
the secret plan that tells about Christ

Also, see how you translated “the mystery of his will” in 1:9a and “the mystery” in 3:3a.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 4:15

4:15a

Instead: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Instead indicates a contrast with 4:14. Instead of being like children who are deceived by lies, we need to speak the truth so that we will grow up and become mature.

speaking the truth in love: The clause speaking the truth means that we should tell others the true teaching about Christ. It implies more than speaking true words instead of lies. It implies speaking about Christ.

in love: This means we should speak the truth in a loving manner, or that we should speak the truth and show love to others. See how you translated in love in 4:2b. See love, meaning 2 in the Glossary for more information.

4:15b

we will in all things grow up into Christ Himself: The phrase in all things here means “in every way.” So, many English versions translate it that way (Good News Translation, Revised Standard Version, New Living Translation (2004), Contemporary English Version, New Century Version, English Standard Version).

grow up into Christ Himself: To grow up into Christ Himself refers to our becoming mature and becoming like Christ in our behavior.

Here is another way to translate these words:

we will grow in every way and be more like Christ (Contemporary English Version)

“Speaking the truth in love” (4:15a) is the means or way in which we grow up into Christ. Some English versions make this explicit. For example:

Instead, by speaking the truth in a spirit of love, we must grow up in every way to Christ (Good News Translation)
-or-
Instead, as we lovingly speak the truth, we will grow up completely in our relationship to Christ (God’s Word)

grow: The form of this verb in Greek shows that Paul wants his readers to grow. For example:

we should grow up into Christ
-or-

let us grow up into Christ
-or-
we must grow up… (Good News Translation)

Here are some other ways to translate this:

let us become more and more like Christ
-or-
We must develop into very mature ⌊people⌋ like he/Christ is

who is the head: Paul used the word head in a metaphorical sense to mean that Christ is our chief or leader.

You may want to translate this as a separate sentence. For example:

Christ is the head ⌊of his followers⌋.
-or-
Christ is the chief ⌊of all his people/believers⌋.

See how you translated head in 1:22b.

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 2019

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 1:6

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 2:15

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 4:4

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 5:4

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 6:3

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 1:17

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 3:4

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 4:15

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