SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 2019 – Page 19

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 5:31

5:31a

Verse 5:31a–b is a quotation from Genesis 2:24. It is also quoted in other places in the New Testament: Matt. 19:5, Mark 10:7–8, 1 Cor. 6:16. See how this quotation was translated in these verses and translate it here in a similar way. If you want to make it clear in your translation that this is a quotation, you can say:

As the Book of God says…”
-or-
As the scripture says (Good News Translation)
-or-
It’s written in the Bible like this

For this reason: This is the beginning of a quote from Genesis 2:24 and therefore the phrase For this reason refers to the fact that God had made woman from the rib of the man Adam. This does not give a reason for verse 30. If this is not clear in the translation you may want to include the implied information from what happened prior to this in Genesis. For example:

Because ⌊the woman was made from man’s rib⌋ a man will leave his father and mother

a man will leave his father and mother: There are several ways to translate this clause:

• As an indirect command. For example:

So a man should leave his father and mother…

• As a general statement about what usually happens:

This is why a man ⌊normally⌋ leaves his father and mother…

leave his father and mother: You can translate the phrase his father and mother as “his mother and ⌊his⌋ father” or “his parents”—whatever is natural in your language.

The phrase leave his father and mother can be translated “leave his parents’ house.” These words mean that a man’s primary relationship and duty is no longer with his parents, but with his wife. Your translation should not imply that a man should abandon or neglect his parents.

be united to his wife: He will form a close and permanent relationship with his wife. He will live with her and they will become a new family, a new household.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

and will be joined to his wife (NET Bible)
-or-
and he will live with his wife

5:31b

the two will become one flesh: The phrase the two will become one flesh means that the husband and wife will become like one person, or like one body. (Jesus uses this same figure in Matthew 19:4–6.) In God’s sight, it is like a husband and wife are no longer two separate people. It is like they are just one person.

Paul was making a very logical comparison: A husband should love his wife like Christ loves the church (5:25). That is, he should love her like he loves his own body (5:28). The church is part of Christ’s body (5:30), and since a husband and wife are one, (5:31), a wife is like part of the husband’s body.

one flesh: Here one flesh means “one person.” In the Greek, it is the same word the Berean Standard Bible translates as “body” in 5:29a. See flesh, Meaning 3 in the Glossary for more information.

© 1999, 2019 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 1:12

1:12

in order that we…would be for the praise of His glory: This verse tells God’s purpose for choosing the Jews (1:11a). He chose them so that he would receive praise from them.

1:12a

in order that we: The phrase in order that introduces the reason why the Jews were the first to hope in Christ.

we: Here Paul used the pronoun we to mean the Jews in contrast with “you, the Gentiles” in 1:13. The first people to believe in Christ were Jews. If your language has the exclusive pronoun, you should use it here.

Here is another way to translate this word:

I and my fellow Jews

were the first to hope in Christ: It was the Jews who were the first to hear that Jesus was the Messiah and some believed. Then the message went out to the Gentiles.

to hope in Christ: The phrase hope in Christ is similar in meaning to “trust in Christ.” See how you translated “in Christ Jesus” in 1:1d and in Christ in 1:3b and 1:9b.

1:12b

would be for the praise of His glory: The clause would be for the praise of His glory is the purpose for which God chose the Jews. It does not express uncertainty. He chose them so that they would praise God for his glory. This phrase is similar to the phrase “to the praise of his glorious grace” in 1:6a.

glory: Here glory means “God’s magnificence and greatness.”

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

greatness
-or-
wonderful power
-or-
majesty

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

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 2:21

2:21a

In Him: Here the phrase In Him means “because of Christ.” It has the same meaning as “through him” in 2:18. It first occurred in 1:7a. It means that Christ is doing the work of joining and building the building.

whole building: The phrase whole building is part of the apostle Paul’s metaphor comparing the church to a building or house. See the above note on 2:20–22 for more information.

fitted together: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as fitted together is a technical building term. It refers to cutting or shaping stones so that they fit exactly together in the building, then fastening together the cut stones with metal pegs. (This verb occurs only here and in 4:16.) This metaphor refers to the Jews and Gentiles being joined or united together in the church.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

He is the one who holds the whole building together (Good News Translation)
-or-
In him all the parts of the building fit together (God’s Word)

2:21b

grows into a holy temple in the Lord: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible literally translates as grows means “to get larger.” In some languages the word “grow” may not be appropriate to describe a building becoming larger. Use a natural way to describe this in your language.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

becoming a holy temple (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
He builds a holy temple

In some languages it may be necessary to indicate what causes the building to become larger. If this is true in your language you may indicate that Christ is the one who causes the temple to get larger.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

makes it grow into a holy temple for the Lord (Contemporary English Version)
-or-

⌊Christ⌋ builds it into a holy temple for the Lord

holy temple: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible here translates as temple specifically refers to the Holy of Holies. It was the room in the temple where God’s presence lived. The word holy means that this temple is dedicated/set apart for God. In some languages, there is no special word for temple or sanctuary. Instead a phrase like “worship place” or “God’s house” is used. See holy, Meaning 1 in the Glossary for more information.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

a place set apart ⌊for God⌋ ⌊where God resides⌋
-or-

⌊like⌋ a temple, wholly dedicated ⌊to God⌋ ⌊and filled with his presence⌋
-or-

⌊God’s big holy house⌋

in the Lord: By using the word Lord, Paul probably meant the Lord Jesus, but some commentators think Paul means Lord God. If possible, leave this ambiguous in your translation. If this is impossible then choose “the Lord Jesus” as the majority of the commentaries consulted favor this view.

The phrase in the Lord means that the temple is “for the Lord” (see the New Living Translation (2004)) or “dedicated to the Lord” (see Good News Translation).

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 4:10

4:10a

He who descended: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as He who descended is literally “the one having descended himself.” The pronoun He refers to Christ. It is an emphatic form. Try to translate this clause in a way that shows this emphasis.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

And the same one who descended (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
So the one who came down (Good News Translation)

descended: See how you translated descended in 4:9b.

4:10b

is the very One who ascended: The very One means “the same one.”

ascended: The verb ascended means “to go up.” It has the opposite meaning of “descended” in 4:9b and 4:10a.

above all the heavens: The word heavens here refers to the sky. It contrasts with “earthly regions” in 4:9b. Paul is using figurative language to say that Jesus is superior to any created being. Be careful not to translate heavens in a way that sounds as if Christ were in a higher place than God.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

is the same one who went into the highest heaven (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
is the same One who went up above all the sky (New Century Version)

4:10c

in order to fill all things: Most commentators believe that this refers to Christ being present everywhere in the universe.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

to fill the whole universe with his presence (Good News Translation)
-or-
so that he might fill the entire universe with himself (New Living Translation (2004))

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 5:10

5:10

Test and prove what pleases the Lord: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Test and prove here in this context means that Paul was telling the Ephesians to try to “discern, discover, determine,” what pleases the Lord For example:

Determine which things please the Lord. (God’s Word)

Here are some other ways to translate Test and prove :

Try to find out
-or-
try to learn (Good News Translation)
-or-
Discern/discover

what pleases the Lord: This clause means “what the Lord wants you to do.”

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

what ⌊actions and thoughts⌋ cause the Lord to be pleased
-or-
what makes the Lord happy with us

Lord: Paul probably meant the Lord God here since the phrase “pleasing to the Lord ” is often used in the OT when talking about God.

So if you need to specify whether it is the Lord Christ or the Lord God, choose Lord God.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 6:9

6:9a

And masters: In this verse Paul addressed a new group of people. In some languages, the word for masters may be:

owners
-or-
bosses
-or-
overseers

do the same for your slaves: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as do the same for your slaves is literally “do the same to them” (as in the Revised Standard Version). Paul is giving a general principle here. He is saying that masters should treat their slaves with the same kindness and consideration as their slaves are to treat them. For example:

And you slave masters must treat your slaves right, just as I have told them to treat you. (NLT98)

Here is another possible way to translate this:

treat them well also

This does not mean, of course, that masters must obey their slaves in the same way that Paul told slaves to obey their masters in 6:5.

6:9b

Give up your use of threats: The clause Give up your use of threats means “do not say that you will hurt or punish them.” Paul is giving a specific example of how masters should not treat their slaves. An example of threatening is to say in an angry voice: “Get up! Do your work now or I will beat you!” Most languages have a word or phrase for this kind of talk.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

stop using threats (Good News Translation)
-or-
Do not say to them, “I will beat you if you do not obey me!”

6:9c

because you know: The clause because you know is exactly the same as “because you know” in 6:8a. Consider if it would be appropriate to translate it in the same way here.

He who is both their Master and yours is in heaven: This refers to the Lord Jesus. In Greek the word for master is kurios, the same word that is translated “Lord.” If your language has different words for “master” and “Lord”, you may want to translate something like this:

You should always remember that you who are masters and those who are your slaves all have the same ⌊big⌋ master in heaven; that is, the Lord.

6:9d

there is no favoritism with Him: The word favoritism means “treat one person better than another.” Paul is saying that the Lord treats slaves and masters in the same way.

Here are some ways to translate this clause:

• Translate this meaning using a negative. For example:

He does not distinguish between people
-or-
He does not treat people differently

• Use positive terms. For example:

He treats all people in the same way
-or-
he treats everyone alike (New Century Version)
-or-
he judges everyone by one standard (similar to Good News Translation)

• Use an idiom. For example:

God does not look at people’s faces
-or-
God is not soft on some people and hard on other people

Choose the translation that is most vivid and accurate in your language.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 1:23

1:23a

which is His body: The clause which is His body is a metaphor. The church is like the body of Christ, and Christ is the head/leader. Paul often used this figure of speech to describe the close relationship between Christ and the church (see 4:15–16, 5:23).

Here are some ways to translate this metaphor:

• Use a figure of speech that communicates this in your language:

And the church is his body (New Living Translation (2004))

• Use a simile:

which is like his body

Translate the meaning directly. For example:

The church belongs to him

1:23b

the fullness of Him: There are several ways to understand the word fullness in this context:

(1) It indicates that the church is filled with/by Christ. This means that Christ fills the church with his life and power. For example:

The church is filled with Christ (New Century Version)

(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, Revised Standard Version, NET Bible, New American Standard Bible, Revised English Bible, King James Version, New Living Translation (2004), Contemporary English Version, New Century Version, New Jerusalem Bible)

(2) It indicates that the church fulfils Christ in the sense that the church completes Christ. For example:

The church is Christ’s body and completes him (God’s Word)

(Good News Translation, God’s Word, UBS Handbook)

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

fullness: In many languages, it will not make sense to literally translate “the church is filled by Christ” or “Christ fills the church.” You will need to supply a complement to the verb “fill,” or you will need to choose a different verb.

Commentators say that Christ fills the church with his presence, power, life, directions, gifts, graces and blessings. So some ways you can translate this part of the verse are:

Christ fills the church with his power/life/presence
-or-
Christ gives power/life to the church
-or-
Christ sustains the church

1:23c

who fills all: There are at least two ways to understand the word fills in this part of the verse:

(1) fills has an active meaning. It means that Christ fills (controls, empowers) everything. For example:

Christ fills everything in every way (New Century Version)

(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, NET Bible, New American Standard Bible, Revised English Bible, God’s Word, New Living Translation (2004), Contemporary English Version, New Century Version, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

(2) fills has a passive meaning. It means that Christ is filled with everything, that is, Christ is filled with all the fulness of God. For example:

the fullness of him who is filled (New Jerusalem Bible)

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

all: The word all here refers to everything in the whole world or universe.

in all: The phrase in all means “completely” or “in every respect.”

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

who himself completes all things everywhere (Good News Translation)
-or-
who fills all things everywhere with himself (New Living Translation (2004))

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 3:10

3:10a

His purpose was that now: In the Greek text, 3:10 begins with a conjunction often translated as “so that” or “in order that.” This conjunction shows that 3:10 is the purpose of 3:8–9. For example:

3:8b this grace was given me: 3:8c to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 3:9a and to illuminate for everyone the stewardship of this mystery…

3:10
in order that…the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities…

English versions frequently translate this conjunction as “in order that” or “so that.” For example:

in order that at the present time (Good News Translation)

The Berean Standard Bible and other versions have tried to make the connection clearer by translating this conjunction with a clause. Some other ways that English versions translate this conjunction are:

God’s purpose in all this was… (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
He did this so that now… (God’s Word)

through the church: The phrase through the church refers to the church as the means by which the rulers and authorities would come to know God’s wisdom. For example:

God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. (New Living Translation (2004))

church: The word church refers to all believers in Christ throughout the world. In the New Testament, the word church never refers to a building. See how you translated church in 1:22b. See church in the Glossary for more information.

3:10b

the manifold wisdom of God: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as manifold literally means “many-sided,” or “very varied.” So the phrase manifold wisdom means that God is “wise in all ways.” He is not just wise in one area.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

his infinite wisdom (God’s Word)
-or-
he has many different kinds of wisdom (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
God’s wisdom, which has so many forms (New Century Version)
-or-
God is very wise in everything ⌊he does⌋

should be made known: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as should be made known is a passive. If it would be more natural in your language to make this active, you can:

• supply God as the agent. For example:

God/he should make known

• supply God as the agent and translate the verb as “show.” For example:

God’s purpose was to show his wisdom (New Living Translation (1996))

• make rulers and authorities the subject. For example:

the rulers and powers in the heavenly world will now know God’s wisdom (New Century Version)

to the rulers and authorities: The words rulers and authorities can refer to either:

(a) human beings who rule on earth or

(b) spirit beings who rule in the heavens

In this context with the phrase “in the heavenly realms” that follows, these words refer to spirit beings. These beings are good angels and evil spirits. These are probably the same spiritual powers Paul talked about in 1:21a.

Here are some other ways to translate these words:

angelic rulers and powers (Good News Translation)
-or-
unseen rulers and authorities (New Living Translation (2004))

in the heavenly realms: The phrase the heavenly realms refers to the area above the earth where the spirits were thought to live. This does not refer to heaven where God is.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

in the heavenly world (Good News Translation)
-or-
in the heavenly places (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
in the spiritual world (Contemporary English Version)

General Comment on 3:10a–b

In some languages it may be more natural to put the phrase “through the church” in 3:10a at the end of 3:10b. See the second meaning line for these verses for an example.

Step into the multitudes of languages of the Bible and join the worldwide conversation!

Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 2019

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 5:31

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 1:12

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 2:21

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 4:10

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 5:10

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 6:9

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 1:23

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 3:10

Step into the multitudes of languages of the Bible and join the worldwide conversation!

American Bible Society