SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 2019 – Page 2

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 6:8

6:8a

because you know that the Lord will reward each one: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as because you know is literally “knowing.” Some English translations translate this “remember” (Good News Translation, New Living Translation (2004), New Century Version). But it does not mean that Paul’s readers had forgotten. Paul was telling them to “keep this in mind, always remember and think about this.”

Here are some other ways to translate this:

Be aware of the fact that the Lord will reward each one
-or-
You can be sure that the Lord will reward each one

reward: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as reward means “cause to experience in return,” “cause to experience in proportion to an action,” or “be repaid for an action.” So in this verse the Lord is giving back a good reward.

Here is another way to translate this word:

the Lord will give good back in return

6:8b

for whatever good he does: The phrase whatever good refers to good works or good things or good actions/behaviors he does.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

good work (Good News Translation)
-or-
good things (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
good behavior

whether he is slave or free: The words slave and free are opposites. Paul means here that it doesn’t matter if a person is a slave or if a person is not a slave (free). Make sure your terms for slave and free have these opposite meanings.

Other languages may not have a precise word for the opposite of slave. If this is the case in your language, you can translate the phrase whether he is slave or free like this:

whether he is a slave or not ⌊a slave⌋
-or-
Whether he has an owner/master or not

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SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 1:22

1:22a

God put everything under His feet: The clause God put everything under His feet is a figure of speech which comes from Psalm 8:6. It means that God has given Christ control of all things, and all things are in his power.

In many languages this figure of speech will not be clear if it is translated literally. If this is true for your language, it may be better to say something like this:

God has put all things under the power of Christ (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
God caused all things to be under Christ’s authority

1:22b

made Him head over everything for the church: There are several ways to understand this clause:

(1) God made Christ head/leader of everything for the benefit of the church (God’s people). For example:

He has made Christ the head of everything for the good of the church. (God’s Word)

(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, Revised Standard Version, New Living Translation (2004), God’s Word, Contemporary English Version, New Century Version)

(2) God gave Christ to the church (his people). For example:

…he gave him to the church as head over all things. (NET Bible)

(NET Bible, Good News Translation, New American Standard Bible, Revised English Bible, King James Version)

(3) God made Christ the head/leader of the church (his people). For example:

He…made him, as he is above all things, the head of the Church. (New Jerusalem Bible)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1).

head: Here, Paul used the word head in a metaphorical sense. It means that Christ is the “leader,” “ruler,” or “chief” over everything.

Paul also used the word head in a metaphorical sense in 1:10b, 4:15b, 5:23a and 5:23b. You should translate it in a similar way in all these places.

church: The word church refers to all believers in Christ throughout the world. Be careful to avoid any translation that would mean a church building. You can say:

his people/group
-or-
all his followers

See church in the Glossary for more information.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 3:9

3:9a

and: Notice the word and at the beginning of 3:9. God gave Paul two things to do:

(a) preach the gospel to the Gentiles (3:8b) and

(b) explain how God will accomplish his plan (3:9a).

to illuminate: Some other ways to say to illuminate are:

explain (as in God’s Word and New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
help everyone understand (Contemporary English Version)

the stewardship of this mystery: The Greek word which the Berean Standard Bible translates as stewardship refers to how something is put into effect, accomplished, administered or caused to be done. For example:

how God’s secret plan is to be put into effect (Good News Translation)
-or-
the way people/someone will accomplish God’s hidden plan

See how you translated “administration of God’s grace” in 3:2b.

mystery: The word mystery in this context means “something that was formerly unknown to people but has recently been revealed or explained.” See how you translated it in 3:3a, 3:4b, and 3:6a.

3:9b

which: The word which refers back to “the mystery” that Paul just mentioned.

for ages past: The phrase for ages past refers to all of past time, including all the time before God created the world. In all that time, God had not revealed his plan to anyone. But now he had revealed it clearly to Paul and the other apostles and prophets.

Some other ways this phrase has been translated include:

through all the past ages (Good News Translation)
-or-
from the beginning (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
since the beginning of time (New Century Version)

was kept hidden in God: The phrase was kept hidden in God is a figure of speech. Its meaning here is “God kept it hidden from people”

Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

was kept secret by God
-or-
God never revealed it to anyone before

It is also passive. Some ways to make this active are:

God kept his plan hidden ⌊from people⌋
-or-
He kept his plan to himself, in his own heart
-or-
He did not tell anyone about it.

who created all things: Consider what is the best way to translate this clause in your language:

• literally, as a relative clause (“God who created…”) This is how the Berean Standard Bible and many other English versions have translated it.

• as an independent clause (“God created…”). For example:

God created everything

If you translate it as a relative clause, the reader must not think that it means that there is more than one God. It does not mean that there are two Gods: one God who created all things, and another God who did not create all things.

General Comment on 3:9b

In Greek the phrase “who created all things” occurs at the end of 3:9b, however many English versions have moved this clause to the beginning of 3:9b. For example:

God, who is the Creator of all things, kept his secret hidden through all the past ages (Good News Translation)
-or-
God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
God, the one who created everything

Place this phrase in 3:9 where it would be most natural to occur.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 4:20

Paragraph 4:20–24

4:20

But this: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as But shows a contrast between two groups of people. In 4:17–19 Paul talked about people who did not know God and the way they acted. Here in 4:20, he said that his readers were not like that. Another way to translate this is:

But you, you did not…

is not the way you came to know Christ: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as is not the way you came to know Christ is literally “did not thus learn Christ,” It means that when the Ephesians learned about Christ, they did not learn to continue to behave as Gentiles.

It is recommended that you follow the example of many English versions that retain the verb “learn.” For example:

That was not what you learned about Christ! (Good News Translation)
-or-
But you did not learn about Christ like this (NET Bible)

the way: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the way refers back to 4:17–19, “in the futility of their thinking,” etc. It refers to the way the Gentiles lived. Some versions simply translate this word as “that.” For example:

But that is not what you learned from Christ’s teachings. (God’s Word)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 5:20

5:20a

always giving thanks: The term giving thanks means “to be thankful for” or simply “to thank.”

Here are some other ways to translate always giving thanks :

give thanks every day (Revised English Bible)
-or-
giving thanks…at all times (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
I thank…every time

to God the Father for everything: In some languages, it is more natural to say “God our Father” rather than God the Father.

for everything: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as for everything means everything in general, “for all the things that happen.”

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

for all the things that happen
-or-
for whatever happens

5:20b

in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: There is implied information here. The phrase in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ means “because of what Christ has done.” We are thanking God the Father because of what Christ our Lord has done. It is because of Jesus Christ that we can approach God the Father for all purposes, including giving thanks.

If it is not clear to your audience why Paul is telling the Ephesians to give thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, you may want to consider making this explicit. For example:

because of ⌊that which⌋ our Lord Jesus Christ ⌊has done⌋
-or-
in/by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ ⌊because of what he has done⌋

This verse is similar to Colossians 3:17.

General Comment on 5:20a–b

In some languages it may be more natural to change the order of 5:20a and 5:20b. For example:

20b In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 20a always give thanks for everything to God the Father. (Good News Translation)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 6:19

6:19a

that whenever I open my mouth: The clause that whenever I open my mouth is a figure of speech that means “that each time I talk ⌊about Christ⌋.”

words may be given me: This is a passive clause. If your language prefers an active clause you can translate like this:

⌊God⌋ will give me the words to say

Here are some other ways to translate these clauses:

Ask God to give me the right words (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Pray that I will be given the message to speak (Contemporary English Version)

6:19b

so that I will boldly make known: To boldly make known means to fully explain something without fear of what might happen afterwards.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

I will speak boldly (God’s Word)
-or-
tell…without fear (New Century Version)

the mystery of the gospel: The word mystery refers to something hidden or secret which people cannot find out by themselves, but which God reveals to them. See how you translated mystery in 1:9a and 3:9a.

The mystery of the gospel means the “secret that is found in the gospel,” that is, the truth that God has made known to us in the good news. See gospel in the Glossary for more information.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 1:1

Section 1:1–2

Paul greeted the believers at Ephesus

Paul began his letter in the way that people usually began letters at that time. He gave his name first: “Paul.” Then he identified the people receiving the letter: “the saints in Ephesus.” Next, he gave a Christian greeting in 1:2.

Here are some other examples for a heading for this section:

Greetings from Paul (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Greetings to the church at Ephesus

Paragraph 1:1–2

1:1a

Paul: The Berean Standard Bible follows the Greek text by beginning this letter with the name of the person who wrote it. In some languages it will be clearer to use a sentence here. For example:

This letter is from Paul (New Living Translation (2004))

In some languages it may be natural to use a word or form to indicate that Paul himself was addressing the believers. For example:

⌊I,⌋ Paul, ⌊am writing this letter⌋.
-or-

⌊This letter is from me⌋, Paul.

1:1b

an apostle of Christ Jesus: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as apostle is literally “sent one.” It refers to a person whom someone sends with his authority to accomplish a mission or a particular purpose. Here, the word apostle refers to Paul whom Jesus chose and to whom he gave authority. After Jesus returned to heaven, his apostles were the leaders of those who believed in him.

Some other ways to translate apostle include:

representative ⌊of Jesus Christ⌋
-or-
(special) messenger ⌊of Jesus Christ⌋
-or-
sent-person ⌊of Jesus Christ⌋

If you have already translated the Gospels, you can probably use the same term for apostle as you used there. In some languages you may need to change it slightly for this context. See apostle in the Glossary for more information.

Christ Jesus: Notice that the word Christ comes before Jesus. The names Christ Jesus and Jesus Christ mean the same thing. In most English translations and other national language translations, “Jesus Christ” and “Christ Jesus” are translated literally, in the same order as they are in the Greek.

If the people who read your translation will be confused by the different order of the names, you may decide to translate Christ Jesus by the more familiar order: “Jesus Christ.” You should talk to many people about this matter and test it with many readers before you decide which order to use. In the Display the names “Christ Jesus,” “Jesus Christ,” and all other names, are translated literally and spelled according to normal English spelling. See Christ in the Glossary for more information.

by the will of God: The phrase by the will of God means that “God wanted Paul to be an apostle.” Paul himself did not decide to become an apostle.

Here is another way to translate by the will of God :

God chose Paul

1:1c

To the saints: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as saints means “people set apart for God.” It does not refer to a special group of “holy people.” All Christians are saints.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

God’s holy people (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
the people belonging to God

See Holy, Meaning 1, special use, in the Glossary for more information.

in Ephesus: There is an issue with the Greek text here.

(1) Some Greek manuscripts contain the words in Ephesus. English versions that follow these manuscripts are:

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

(2) Other Greek manuscripts do not contain the words in Ephesus. English versions that follow these manuscripts are:

(Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible)

It is recommended that you follow option (1) as it has more support among English versions.

1:1d

the faithful: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as faithful is ambiguous. It can mean:

(1) people who are loyal or steadfast to Christ Jesus. The Contemporary English Version follows this interpretation:

faithful followers of Christ Jesus (Contemporary English Version)

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

(2) people who have faith (or who believe) in Christ Jesus. For example:

believers in Christ Jesus (New Century Version)

(New Century Version)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) as it has more support among English versions.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

those people who continue to follow Christ Jesus
-or-
those who faithfully obey Christ Jesus

in Christ Jesus: The phrase in Christ Jesus occurs many times in Paul’s letters. It means “to be united with Christ.” The Berean Standard Bible always translates it literally, but the Good News Translation usually translates it as “in union with Christ.”

Here it has the usual meaning of “in union with Christ Jesus” or “to be related to Christ by faith.” In many languages, it is difficult to translate this in a way that is clear and meaningful. Search for a good way to say this in your language, for example:

⌊you who⌋ belong to Christ Jesus
-or-

⌊you who have⌋ a close relationship with Christ Jesus
-or-

⌊you who are⌋ joined to Christ Jesus
-or-

⌊you who are⌋ one with Christ Jesus

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 2:10

2:10a

For: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as For here introduces the basis or reason for the previous statement in 2:9. Paul clearly states again that this grace and salvation are not from us or out of any good thing we have done.

Here is another way to translate this word:

Because,

we are God’s workmanship: The expression we are God’s workmanship means that God made us what we now are. This refers to God spiritually remaking us when we became Christians. By saying this Paul again emphasizes that our salvation is all God’s work, and not ours.

Here are some other ways to translate this expression:

God has made us what we are (Good News Translation)
-or-
we are God’s masterpiece (New Living Translation (2004))

2:10b

created in Christ Jesus: When God saved us, he remade or recreated us. We are a new creation. See translation advice in the following note.

in Christ Jesus: God gave us this new life by uniting us with Christ Jesus. See how you translated in Christ Jesus in 1:1d and 2:6b and in Christ in 1:3b, 1:9b, and 1:12a.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

In Christ Jesus, God made us… (New Century Version)
-or-
God made us ⌊new people⌋ through Christ Jesus
-or-
God made us new people because we are in Christ Jesus

to do good works: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as to do good works is literally “walk in good works.” Here the word works means deeds. So the phrase to do good works means that believers should be doing good behaviors or doing good deeds as a normal part of their lives.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

for a life of good deeds (Good News Translation)
-or-
so we can do the good things (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
in order that we would behave in good ways

2:10c

which God prepared in advance as our way of life: This clause means that before God recreated us, he had already planned what good deeds he wanted us to do.

in advance: The phrase in advance refers to the time before God saved us. If it is not clear in your translation what this refers to, you can supply this information. For example:

Even before he saved us, God had already planned for us to do these good works.

as our way of life: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as as our way of life is literally “that we should walk in them” (as in the Revised Standard Version). The Greek word for “walk” is a figure of speech that refers to our daily actions and our behavior.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

for us to live doing good deeds
-or-
for us to behave in good ways

For another reference to “walk,” see the note on 2:2a.

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 2019

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 6:8

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 1:22

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 3:9

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 4:20

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 5:20

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 6:19

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 1:1

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 2:10

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