SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 2019 – Page 4

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 1:7

Paragraph 1:7–10

Paul continued to speak of the blessings that we have through Christ. God has redeemed us and revealed to us his plan to unite all things under the control of Christ.

1:7a

In Him: The pronoun Him refers to Christ. The phrase means “through Christ” or “by means of Christ” all these blessings come to us. (Compare 1:7a with Colossians 1:14 where Paul used the same expression.)

redemption: The word redemption means “to free a slave or a prisoner by paying a ransom.” Here Paul used this word in a figurative sense. It refers to our freedom from sin.

In many languages, it will be clearer to translate the noun redemption as a verb, for example:

God redeemed us
-or-
God freed us ⌊from the guilt and penalty of our sins⌋

See redeem in the Glossary for more information.

through His blood: The phrase through His blood refers to the death of Jesus. That is the reason the Good News Translation has translated it:

by the death of Christ (Good News Translation)

If you decide to keep the word blood here in your translation, you may need to complete the idea by saying:

by shedding his blood ⌊when he died⌋
-or-
the blood which he shed/bled ⌊when he died⌋

Notice that the Display meaning lines combine the phrase “in him” and the phrase “through his blood” as some English versions do (Good News Translation, God’s Word).

1:7b

the forgiveness of our trespasses: In this context the phrase the forgiveness of our trespasses means “that God chooses not to punish a person for the evil things that he has done and thought.” God cancels his guilt and treats him as though he had never offended God.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

release from sins
-or-
the taking away of sins
-or-
canceling sins/guilt

In some languages it may be necessary to translate the noun forgiveness with a verb. For example:

pardon sins
-or-
cancel sins
-or-
treat us as if we had not sinned

See forgive in the Glossary for more information.

To say that “God redeemed us (1:7a)” and that “he forgave our sins (1:7b)” are two ways to say almost the same thing. For example:

…we are set free, that is, our sins are forgiven. (Good News Translation)

1:7c

according to: The phrase according to introduces the reason why God redeemed us (1:7a) and forgave us (1:7b). He redeemed us and forgave us according to or because of his grace.

the riches of His grace: Paul used the word riches in a figurative sense to mean “abundant” or “great.” (Paul also used riches in a figurative sense in 1:18, 2:4, 2:7 and 3:16.) The word grace means “God is kind or generous to people even when they do not deserve it.” So the phrase the riches of His grace refers to the abundance of God’s grace/kindness.

Some other ways to translate the riches of His grace are:

• as an exclamation. For example:

How rich is God’s grace! (New Century Version)
-or-
God is so gracious and kind!

• as a rhetorical question. For example:

Isn’t God’s grace great?

See how you translated “grace” in 1:6a. See grace, Meaning 2 in the Glossary for more information.

General Comment on 1:7

In some languages, it may be more natural to reorder the parts of 1:7. One way to do this is:

7c God’s grace/kindness is very great. 7a ⌊That is why⌋ he redeemed us through Christ’s blood 7b ⌊and⌋ forgave our sins.

© 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 2:16

2:16a

reconciling both of them to God: The word reconciling means “making those who are enemies into friends.” By his death on the cross, Christ made the Jews and the Gentiles into friends of God.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

brought them back to God (Good News Translation)
-or-
made peace between us and God (Contemporary English Version)

See reconcile in the Glossary for more information.

in one body: The phrase in one body means the same thing as the phrase “one new man” in 2:15b. It means that the Jews and Gentiles are now “one (new) group.”

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

as one united people
-or-
like one ⌊harmonious⌋ group of people

through the cross: The phrase through the cross means “through Christ’s death on the cross” or “by Christ’s dying on the cross.”

Here is another way to translate this phrase:

his death on the cross (Good News Translation)

2:16b

by which: The word which refers to “the cross” in 2:16a. By dying on the cross, Christ ended the hatred between Jews and Gentiles.

He extinguished their hostility: The phrase He extinguished their hostility is a figure of speech. It means that what Christ did caused the Jews and Gentiles to stop hating each other.

Here are some other ways this phrase has been translated:

Christ did away with our hatred for each other (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Christ’s purpose (was) to end the hatred between the two groups (New Century Version)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 4:5

4:5a

one Lord: We all have the same Lord. Here one Lord refers to the Lord Jesus.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

There is one Lord (Good News Translation)
-or-
We have only one Lord (Contemporary English Version)

one faith: The phrase one faith refers to belief in the same teaching/doctrine about Christ.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

Christian doctrine/teachings
-or-
set of beliefs/teachings
-or-
one way of believing

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

4:5b

one baptism: The word baptism refers to a special ritual washing to purify someone. In this context the ritual implied purifying/cleansing from sin. It was an initiation that marked the beginning of that person’s life as one of God’s pure people.

You should translate baptism in a similar way as you translate “baptize.” However, the form of the word or phrase may be different. For example, here are some ways to translate baptism with a descriptive term:

ritual washing
-or-
purification/initiation ⌊for God⌋
-or-
entering the water

• Use a term for a similar ritual that is already used in your culture. You may need to indicate that in this context it has a special connection with God. For example:

God’s ceremonial bath
-or-
initiation water for God

• Use a term that is already accepted by the local churches. In some areas this term may have been borrowed from the national language or transliterated from Greek or English.

General Comment on baptism

The meaning here is that we all have been baptized with the same baptism. Paul also meant that we all were baptized as a symbol that we are Christians. In the first century, when Paul wrote this letter, baptism had not yet become an issue that Christians argued about. So he was not talking about the method of baptism (sprinkling, immersion or some other method). Baptism was something that all Christians had in common.

Some people think Paul was talking about being baptized by the Holy Spirit here (see 1 Corinthians 12:13), but most people think he was talking about water baptism. Your translation should be general and should not specify any one kind or mode of baptism.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 5:5

5:5a

For of this you can be sure: The clause For of this you can be sure indicates that Paul was emphasizing his words. He wanted his readers to know that what he was about to say was completely true and sure.

Here are some ways to translate this clause:

• As a statement. For example:

You can be sure of this (New Century Version)
-or-
For you can be confident of this one thing (NET Bible)

• As a command. For example:

Be sure of this (Revised Standard Version)

5:5b

No immoral, impure, or greedy person: The three adjectives immoral, impure and greedy are each related to the three nouns in 5:3b and 5:3c, and they have the same meanings.

immoral: An immoral person is someone who practices all types of sexual behaviors (such as adultery) that are forbidden in God’s law.

impure: An impure person is someone who practices perverted and unnatural sexual behavior.

greedy person: A greedy person is someone who has a never-ending desire to get more than he has or deserves.

5:5c

The Berean Standard Bible uses parentheses around the clause “that is, an idolater.” (See 5:5c in the Display.) Other versions, such as the New International Version, use dashes. The dashes or parentheses show that this clause comes in the middle of the main thought.

In some languages, it is not natural to have a clause like this in the middle of the main sentence. If this is the case in your language, see the General Comment below after 5:5d for other places to put this clause.

(that is, an idolater): There are two main ways to connect the word idolater to the preceding part of the verse.

(1) It is connected only to the word greedy. The Good News Translation clearly shows this interpretation by saying:

for greed is a form of idolatry (Good News Translation)

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

(2) It is connected to all three words immoral, impure and greedy. For example:

Being greedy, indecent, or immoral is just another way of worshiping idols. (Contemporary English Version)

(NET Bible, Contemporary English Version)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) as it has the most support among commentators and English versions.

idolater: An idolater is someone who worships idols. A greedy person is like an idolater because riches have become his god. It is as if he worships riches or possessions.

If it is difficult in your language to talk about idols or idolaters together with greed, you can say:

People who desire to get many possessions—we can say that they worship those possessions ⌊instead of God⌋.
-or-
People who desire to get many possessions have made possessions their lord/boss ⌊instead of God⌋.

5:5d

has any inheritance in: Here Paul used the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as inheritance in a figurative sense. Inheritance literally refers to the money or property that someone receives when a relative dies. In its figurative sense, inheritance refers to all the good things that God has promised to give his people. It includes salvation and a future life in heaven. (This word also occurs in 1:14a.)

When Paul said that none of these people “has any inheritance in the kingdom…of God,” he meant that none of them will receive the blessings that God will give his people in his kingdom. These people will have no share in God’s kingdom. They will not be members of it or have a part in it.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

will never be part of (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
will ever receive a share in (Good News Translation)

the kingdom of Christ and of God: The phrase kingdom of Christ and of God refers to Christ and God’s activity of ruling and caring for his people as their king. It does not refer to a land or country that they rule over. In the Gospels, it is normally referred to as the “kingdom of God.” It refers to the relationship that he has with his people. He leads, protects, and cares for them. They obey, trust, and submit to him as their king.

Here is another way to translate this phrase:

the people whom Christ and God rule

You will probably want to translate kingdom of…God here in the same way you translated it in the Gospels, for example in Mark 10:25. (For a discussion of the meaning of kingdom of…God, see kingdom in the Glossary.)

General Comment on 5:5a–d

In some languages, it may be more natural to reorder the parts of 5:5. For example:

5b no person who is sexually immoral or shameful/perverted or who is greedy 5d will have a share in the good things of the kingdom of Christ and of God. 5c Being greedy is like worshiping idols.
-or-

5b no person who is immoral or who does shameful things 5d will inherit/obtain the things Christ and God give to those they rule. 5b A person who is greedy 5d will not receive a part either, 5c because he worships those things instead of God.
-or-

5b people who commit adultery, have such minds, and greatly desire to have and consume things, 5c false gods are important to them, God is not ⌊important to them⌋. 5a Understand this, 5d if people behave like that they will truly never go into God and Christ’s land where they look after people.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 6:4

6:4a

Fathers: Some versions, for example the Good News Translation and the New Jerusalem Bible, translate this as “parents”, referring to both father and mother. But the Greek word here (pater) is different from the word meaning “parents” in 6:1. Therefore, it is better to translate this Greek word as “fathers” in this verse.

do not provoke your children to wrath: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as provoke…to wrath means “to make angry.” Fathers should not treat their children in a harsh or unjust way that would make them angry or resentful. The tense of the verb in Greek shows that Paul has in mind a continual harsh and critical attitude of a father towards his children, not a sudden outburst of anger.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
don’t make your children bitter about life (God’s Word)

6:4b

instead: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as instead is literally “but.” It marks a negative-positive contrast between 6:4a and 6:4b (do not do…but instead do…). Translate this contrast in a way that is natural in your language. Another way to indicate this negative-positive contrast in English is:

but rather

bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord: The phrase bring them up means “raise children” or “rear children.”

in the discipline: The word discipline refers to the whole process of raising and educating children. Discipline and instruction are part of the training including rules of how to behave.

instruction: The word instruction is similar in meaning to “discipline” but focuses more on the ideas of teaching and warning.

of the Lord: Fathers must teach their children “as the Lord wants,” “in a way which the Lord approves” or “according to the word of the Lord.” For example:

Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction approved by the Lord. (New Living Translation (1996))

This phrase probably does not mean that fathers should teach their children “about the Lord” in this context.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 1:18

1:18a–19a

In 1:18–19a Paul prayed that the Christians in Ephesus would come to know three things. In the Display these are marked by repeating “I also pray that…”

1:18a

that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened: This is a figure of speech. In Jewish culture, the heart of a person represented his ability to think and understand. It also represented the person himself. The clause that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened means “that you may be enabled to understand.”

Here are some ways to translate figure of speech:

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

I pray also that you will have greater understanding in your heart (New Century Version)
-or-
I pray that God will cause you to see his light

• Translate the meaning directly. For example:

that you may be enabled to understand

that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened is a passive clause. In some languages it may be more natural for you to use an active clause and supply God as the agent. For example:

that ⌊God⌋ will help you to understand
-or-
that ⌊God⌋ will give you special insight

In some languages a verb like “understand” may require an object. 1:18b indicates what God wanted them to know and understand. Consider how you can connect 1:18a and 1:18b in a natural way in your language. For example:

That ⌊God⌋ would help you understand the hope…

1:18b

so that: The phrase so that introduces the reason why Paul prayed for the Ephesians to have greater understanding. It was so that they would understand “the hope to which he had called them.”

the hope of His calling: The phrase the hope of His calling refers to the blessings that God promised to give to us. We can hope to receive these blessings, which He promised to give us when he called us to be his people.

hope: The Greek word which the Berean Standard Bible translates as hope means “to confidently expect and wait for something that we know will happen.” Christian hope includes the ideas that God is actively working in the lives of all believers and that they will live forever with him in heaven. The Greek meaning of hope is different from the modern English meaning. In modern English, hope means little more than “wish.” This is not the Greek meaning.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

confidence (God’s Word)
-or-
confidently expect

calling: The word calling here means that “God called (invited, summoned) us to be his people.” In some languages, it is clearer to make this explicit. For example:

he chose us ⌊to be his own people⌋

1:18c

the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints: This is the second thing that Paul prayed that the Ephesians would know.

riches: Paul used the word riches in a figurative sense to mean “abundant” or “great.”

glorious inheritance: The words glorious inheritance refer to all the spiritual blessings that God will give to us.

One translation model to follow for 1:18c is the Good News Translation, which says:

how rich are the wonderful blessings he promises his people (Good News Translation)

See how you translated glorious in 1:17a and 1:14a for inheritance.

Also see glory, Meaning 4 in the Glossary for more information.

in the saints: The phrase in the saints means that God has given the glorious inheritance “to” or “for” the people set apart for God.” For example:

how rich are the wonderful blessings he promises his people (Good News Translation)

For more information on the word “saints,” see the note on 1:15c and Holy, Meaning 1, special use, in the Glossary for more information.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 3:5

3:5a

which: The Greek word which the Berean Standard Bible translates as which refers back to the “mystery” or “hidden plan” mentioned in the previous verse.

If you need to make this word more clear, here are some ways to translate this word:

that secret (New Century Version)
-or-
this mystery (God’s Word)
-or-
this plan

was not made known: This is a passive clause. If it would be more natural in your language to use an active phrase in this case, here are some ways you can translate this phrase:

God did not reveal it (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
God did not announce it

to men: The word men refers here to people in general, not just males.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

people (God’s Word)
-or-
human beings (Good News Translation)

in other generations: The phrase in other generations is a way of referring to the past in a general way.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

previous generations (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
in past times (Good News Translation)
-or-
in the time before Jesus came

3:5b

now: The word now refers to the time when Paul lived.

been revealed by the Spirit: This is a passive clause. If it would be more natural in your language to make this an active clause, you can translate like this:

God revealed it through/by the Holy Spirit… (similar to Good News Translation)
-or-
God caused the Holy Spirit to reveal…
-or-
The Spirit revealed… (similar to God’s Word)

revealed: The verb revealed means the same thing as the verb “made known” in 3:5a. They are synonyms.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

told (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
shown (New Century Version)

the Spirit: The word Spirit here refers to the Holy Spirit. God revealed his plan to the apostles and prophets by causing the Holy Spirit to reveal it to them. He did it “by the work/power/hand of the Holy Spirit.”

3:5c

God’s holy apostles and prophets: The word holy modifies both apostles and prophets, not just apostles. It means they were consecrated, set apart and specially chosen for a task. It does not mean that they were pure or sinless. See Holy, Meaning 3 in the Glossary for more information.

God chose certain people to be apostles and prophets, and in this way he set them apart. You could translate this:

the people God ⌊especially⌋ chose/appointed to be apostles and prophets

In some languages, a translation of this phrase may exclude Paul from the group of apostles and prophets. However, since Paul was an apostle, you should translate this phrase in a way that makes it clear that Paul was part of that group. For example:

us (excl.) who are God’s holy apostles and prophets

apostles: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as apostles is literally “sent ones.” See how you translated apostles in 2:20a. For more information see apostle in the Glossary.

prophets: In this context, prophets refer to people in the church who had the ability to speak messages directly from God. See how you translated prophets in 2:20a. See prophet in the Glossary for more information.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 4:16

4:16a

From Him: The pronoun Him refers to Christ in 4:15b.

the whole body: Paul again used the picture of a body to describe the church. Just as the ligaments/muscles hold together the different parts of the body, so it is Christ who holds together his body, which is the church (all believers).

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

He makes the whole body (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
The whole body depends on Christ (New Century Version)
-or-
Like the whole body depends ⌊on the head⌋ ⌊so all we believers depend⌋ on Christ

See how you translated body in 4:4a and 4:12b.

4:16b

fitted and held together: The phrase fitted and held together refers to the different parts of the body of Christ (members of the church) that work together just as the different parts of a body are held together by its ligaments/muscles. See the note below on “ligament” for more information.

by every supporting ligament: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as by every supporting ligament is literally “through every joint of the supply.” A ligament refers to one of the strong bands of tough fibrous tissue that joins bones or holds some part of the body in position. In this context, the word ligament includes all those things that connect the different parts of the body together, that is, joints, tendons and muscles.

Here are some other ways to translate 4:16a:

He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
He makes the whole body fit together and unites it through the support of every joint (God’s Word)

If the people will not understand that this is a metaphor about the group of believers then you may want to translate the meaning directly. Here is an example of how to translate the meaning directly:

He causes all the believers to work together harmoniously as they support each other.

Another option is to put in a footnote. For example:

Paul is continuing to use a metaphor here. He compares the ligaments of a person’s body that holds the body together to the individual believers helping and supporting each other by Christ’s power. The following is an example of the metaphor with its meaning. “As God causes the whole body to be held together by its ligaments so Christ causes all his believers to work together harmoniously by their support of each other.”

4:16c

grows and builds itself up: The phrase grows and builds itself up means “cause to grow large and strong” or “make complete and mature.”

Here is another way to translate this phrase:

grows and becomes strong (Good News Translation)

in love: The phrase in love means that the members of the body will grow in their love for each other. This phrase also occurred in 4:15a.

through the work of each individual part: This is a continuation of Paul’s comparison between a human body and the church. If all the parts of a person’s body function as they should, the body will be healthy and grow. So it is with the church: if all believers use the special gifts God has given them, then the church will become strong. For example:

As each and every part does its job (God’s Word)

General Comment on 4:16c

In your translation it may be better to reorder this clause. You could first explain the figure of speech (“If each part of a body does its work…”) and then explain how believers are compared to the body (“In the same way…”). This has been done in the second meaning line of the Display for 4:16c.

General Comment on 4:16a–c

Here is another way to translate this verse:

He would be like our head, and we would be each of his arms, legs and sinews/ligaments. And if/when we would love each other, we would grow up to be strong and each of us do our own/individual works faithfully.

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 1:7

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 2:16

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 4:5

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 5:5

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 6:4

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 1:18

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 3:5

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 4:16

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

American Bible Society