SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 2019 – Page 8

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 5:21

Section 5:21–33

Paul gave advice to husbands and their wives

In 4:17–5:20, Paul taught the Ephesian Christians to behave differently than pagans (people who do not know God). For the next three sections, Paul taught about how Christians should behave in their relationships in their families and at work. In this first section, he dealt with the duties of wives and husbands. He described the marriage relationship as a picture of the relationship between Christ and the church.

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

Paul’s advise to wives and husbands (God’s Word)
-or-
How a wife and a husband should live together

Paragraph 5:21–24

Some English versions make verse 5:21 part of the previous section, and begin this section with 5:22. However, since Paul began to talk about a new topic—submitting—in 5:21, other versions make 5:21 the beginning of a new section.

You may want to consult your national version and use it as a model to follow.

5:21

Submit to one another: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Submit means “to surrender or yield (oneself) to the will or authority of another person.”

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

Place yourselves under each other’s authority (God’s Word)
-or-
Yield to obey each other (New Century Version)
-or-
accept orders from other people

Some languages have special ways to talk about submitting, for example:

Each of you should be willing to put yourself under the others
-or-
Each of you should bow your head to the others
-or-
Among God’s people you are to be underneath ⌊them⌋

out of reverence for Christ: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as out of reverence for Christ is literally “in the fear of Christ.” The Berean Standard Bible and most modern translations use words like “reverence,” “respect,” or “honor,” instead of “fear.” These words are closer to the true meaning in this context.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

because you honor Christ
-or-
out of respect for Christ (God’s Word)
-or-
in order to honor Christ
-or-
You are to regard Christ’s name highly

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SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 5:32

5:32a

This mystery is profound: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as This mystery is profound is literally “this mystery is great.”

Here is another way to translate this clause:

This is a great mystery (Contemporary English Version)

This: The pronoun This refers back to 5:31b. The great “mystery” is that “the two will become one flesh.”

mystery: Here the word mystery means “a truth that is not easy to understand or explain.” It is something that God had previously hidden from man but has now revealed to him. See how you translated mystery in 1:9a, 3:4–6 and 3:9a.

Here are some other ways to translate mystery :

secret (Good News Translation)
-or-
truth that is difficult to understand
-or-
this talk is hidden

profound: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as profound is literally “great.”

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

There is a deep secret truth (Good News Translation)
-or-
This is a truth that is very difficult to understand

General Comment on 5:32a

Some English versions end 5:32a with a dash “—.” This is to show that the following verse, 5:32b is a comment inserted by the author. Most other versions translate this verse without a dash, as the Berean Standard Bible also does. Translate it in a way that is natural in your language.

5:32b

but: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as but introduces an explanation of another way Paul interprets the quoted passage from Genesis. Some other English versions translate this word as “and.” Still other versions do not translate this conjunction. Translate it in a way that is natural in your language.

I am speaking about Christ and the church: The quote from Genesis is talking about the relationship between a man and his wife. But Paul interprets the quote to also refer to Christ and the church. Here is one way to translate this:

but I am actually speaking with reference to Christ and the church (NET Bible)

church: The church is the group of all believers in Christ throughout the world. See how you translated church in 5:29b.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 1:2

1:2

Grace and peace to you: The clause Grace and peace to you was a common greeting among Christians at that time. Here Paul used these words as a prayer to wish God’s blessing on the Ephesians.

In the Greek, Grace and peace to you contains no verbs. In many languages, it may be more natural to add one or two verbs. For example:

May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. (Good News Translation)
-or-
May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ show you grace and give you peace ⌊in your hearts⌋.

In other languages, it may be better to translate Grace and peace as verbs, for example:

⌊I pray that⌋ God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ will graciously help/bless you and help you to live well.

Grace: Grace here means that “God favors people” or that “he is kind to people even though they do not deserve it.” Paul used the word Grace to express his desire for God’s blessing on people and to wish them well. See grace, Meaning 1, in the Glossary for more information.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

God’s favor
-or-
God’s gracious help
-or-
God’s generous help

peace: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as peace refers to serenity and calm well-being. It often implies an absence of war or conflict. In the context of this Christian greeting, it probably implies the peace that comes from God for those who are in a relationship with him. Remember that the word peace has more than one meaning in the NT. You may need to translate it in different ways in different verses, according to the context.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

tranquility
-or-
untroubled relationships
-or-
calm life

God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Since the pronoun our occurs with Father, consider whether it is more natural in your language to also say “our Lord” rather than “the Lord.” For example:

God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. (New Living Translation (2004))

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 2:11

Section 2:11–22

God has united Jews and non-Jews through Christ

In 2:11–22, Paul described another aspect of God’s salvation. Previously Jews and Gentiles were enemies. But Christ, by his death on the cross, has made peace between both groups of people and God. Because of this, there is peace between the two groups also. So the Gentile Christians now belong to the family of God just like Jewish Christians do.

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

Christ has united all people
-or-
All people are one in Christ

Paragraph 2:11–13

Paul again describes the former condition of the Ephesians: they did not share in any of the privileges of the Jews. They were far from God and had no hope. But now they have been brought close to God because Christ died in their place for their sins.

2:11–12

Verses 2:11–12 are one complex sentence in Greek and in the Berean Standard Bible. The main verb of this sentence is “remember,” which occurs at the beginning of 2:11. However, the main things that Paul wants the Ephesians to remember are listed in 2:12. To show this relationship, some good translation models to follow are the New Century Version and Good News Translation. The New Century Version places “remember” in 2:12. The Good News Translation places “remember” at the end of 2:11.

11 You were not born Jewish. You are the people the Jews call “uncircumcised.” Those who call you “uncircumcised” call themselves “circumcised.” (Their circumcision is only something they themselves do on their bodies.) 12a Remember that in the past you were without Christ… (New Century Version)
-or-

11 You Gentiles by birth—called “the uncircumcised” by the Jews, who call themselves the circumcised (which refers to what men do to their bodies)—remember what you were in the past. (Good News Translation)

Although the Berean Standard Bible does not break this into shorter sentences, it does repeat the verb “remember” in 2:12a.

2:11

This verse refers to a particular Jewish custom called “circumcision.”

Circumcision is the cutting off of a band of skin, called the foreskin, from around the end of the penis.

You may want to use a euphemism to describe this event. Some examples are:

mark
-or-
receive the mark

Circumcision was the special mark or sign God gave to the Jews which showed they were his chosen people. Since the Gentiles did not practice circumcision, this showed that they did not belong to God’s chosen people.

2:11a

Therefore: The conjunction Therefore refers back to 2:1–10. Paul is reminding the Ephesians again of what they were like before they became Christians.

Here is another way to translate this word:

So then (New Revised Standard Version)

remember that formerly you who are Gentiles in the flesh: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as remember is a command. It means “keep in mind” or “think of.” Most English versions translate it positively, remember. A few versions translate it using a negative, for example:

do not forget (New Living Translation (2004))

formerly: The word formerly means “in the past” or “previously.”

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

before ⌊you believed in Christ⌋
-or-
prior ⌊to becoming a Christian⌋

Gentiles: This word Gentiles refers to all people who are not Jews. See Gentiles, Meaning 1 in the Glossary for more information.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

non-Jews
-or-
people who are not Jews

in the flesh: The Greek phrase which the Berean Standard Bible literally translates as in the flesh refers to the fact that the Ephesians were not circumcised physically (in the flesh) like the Jews were. They were born Gentiles. See flesh, Meaning 5, in the Glossary for more information.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Remember that once you were not Jewish physically. (God’s Word)

2:11b

called uncircumcised: When a Jew called someone uncircumcised, he was insulting him. To a Jew, anyone who was uncircumcised was a pagan, which is an unbeliever. If the verb for called in your language has only a positive meaning, you may need to choose another verb or add a word such as “insult” to give the proper meaning of this clause.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

uncircumcised heathen
-or-

⌊despicable⌋ people without the mark of God

by the so-called circumcision: The phrase by the so-called circumcision refers to the Jewish people. They called themselves the circumcision because their men were circumcised. You may need to make the meaning more explicit. For example:

the Jews, who call themselves the circumcised (Good News Translation)
-or-
Jewish people who say, “we are circumcised people.”

This context implies that the Jews were proud of this sign that they were God’s chosen people. In some languages it may be helpful to make this explicit. For example:

the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
marked as God’s chosen people

2:11c

In 2:11c, Paul says two things about circumcision. These are discussed in the following two notes.

that done in the body: The first thing that Paul said about circumcision is that it is done in the body. This means it is a ritual that someone does to a man’s body. Paul implied that circumcision affects a man’s outward appearance, but does not change his heart or change his behavior.

body: This is literally “flesh.” See flesh, Meaning 1 in the Glossary for more information.

by human hands: The second thing that Paul said about circumcision is that it is done by human hands. This means it is something people do, not something God does.

In other words, circumcision is only an outward, physical ceremony. A person may be circumcised following the Jewish religion, but that does not mean that the person has allowed God to change his inner being. (See Romans 2:28–29 and Colossians 2:11.)

General Comment on 2:11c

2:11c is background information Paul gives explaining about circumcision. The Berean Standard Bible has used parentheses to indicate this. Try to indicate it in a natural way in your language.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 3:21

3:21a

to Him be the glory: A literal English translation of the Greek is “to him the glory.” There is no explicit verb in Greek, so you may need to supply one.

Here are some examples of how to translate this phrase:

• Using the form of a blessing. For example:

That God’s name be big
-or-
May he be honored through Christ

• Using the form of a command. For example:
-or-

⌊Give⌋ to God the glory…

• Using the form of a statement. For example:

God deserves glory…
-or-
Glory belongs to God (God’s Word)

glory: There are two aspects to the word glory in this verse:

(a) praise,

(b) the manifestation of God’s divine perfection and power.

Paul probably had both of these things in mind. When Paul said, “to him [be] glory” he meant “God should be praised because of his greatness.” Some ways to translate this are:

May God be praised for his greatness
-or-
Praise God because of his greatness ⌊which is seen⌋
-or-
May people speak very highly about God’s goodness/majesty/bigness

He did not mean that God must be given some glory because he does not have any.

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

3:21b

in the church: The word church here means “God’s people” or “the people who believe in Christ.” It does not refer to a building.

So the phrase “To God be glory in the church ” means that God’s people should glorify God through what they do. People should see God’s glory in his people.

Here are some other ways to translate 3:21a–b:

Praise God because of his greatness ⌊which is seen/shown⌋ in his people
-or-
God deserves/merits praise because of his power ⌊which others can see⌋ in his people
-or-
Let us praise God for his greatness ⌊which⌋ his people ⌊display/show⌋

Also, see how you translated church in 3:10a. And see church in the Glossary for more information.

in Christ Jesus: The phrase in Christ Jesus is parallel grammatically to the phrase “in the church.” We should also praise God because of his greatness that is seen in the church and in Christ Jesus. It may be helpful to translate 3:21a–b as:

To him be praise ⌊for his glory which is seen⌋ both in the church and in Christ Jesus

In some languages, it may be necessary to translate these two phrases in Christ Jesus and “in the church” as two different clauses. For example:

May God’s name be truly high among God’s people, ⌊and⌋ through the work of Christ Jesus, may God’s name always be high with no end.

3:21c

throughout all generations, forever and ever: The phrase throughout all generations and the phrase forever and ever both refer to very long periods of time. Paul used both statements to emphasize that people should never stop praising God.

When you translate these phrases, you will need to decide:

(a) whether it is more natural to combine these two phrases into one. An example of combining them is:

for all time/eternity

(b) where to put them in the sentence. Some possibilities are:

• keep them at the end of the verse and begin a new sentence here. For example:

21a Praise God because of his greatness ⌊which is seen⌋ 21b in his people and in Christ Jesus. 21c ⌊Praise him⌋ throughout all time and forever and ever !

• move these phrases to the beginning of the verse after “to him be glory.” For example:

21a,c Praise God forever and ever because of his greatness ⌊which is seen⌋ 21b in his people and in Christ Jesus.

Amen: The meaning of the word Amen is “Indeed it is true” or “May it be so.” Since people most frequently use this word at the end of a prayer, many people think this Greek word means “the end.” But this is not its true meaning.

Translations in many languages simply transliterate this word rather than translating the meaning. You may do the same.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 4:32

4:32

In 4:31, Paul gave examples of bad behaviors Christians should not do. Here in 4:32, he gives good examples of behaviors that Christians should do.

4:32a

Be kind: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Be kind means to do good to others, be generous and helpful.

tenderhearted: The word tenderhearted means to show love and mercy to people, to be sympathetic, to feel love and pity for those in pain.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

sympathetic (God’s Word)
-or-
tender-hearted (King James Version)
-or-
caring

4:32b

forgiving each other: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as forgiving is more literally “graciously give” or “give generously” toward someone. This word is similar in meaning to the previous words “kind” and “compassionate.”

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

pardon
-or-
erase the guilt of someone
-or-
forget/cancel the wrong that person has done

You may need to make explicit what we are to forgive. For example:

forgive other people ⌊for the wrong things they have done to you⌋

Also, see the note on “forgiveness of our trespasses” in 1:7b and forgive in the Glossary for more information.

4:32c

just as in Christ God forgave you: The words just as in this context means “generously forgive each other in just the same way that God generously forgave you.”

in Christ: See the note at 1:3b on in Christ for more information.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

God forgave you because of that which Christ did for you.
-or-
God forgave you by uniting you with Christ.

If necessary, you can translate in Christ as a separate sentence. For example:

Christ made this possible. (UBS Handbook handbook)

forgave you: See how you translated “forgiving” in 4:32b. See forgive in the Glossary for more information.

General Comment on 4:32b–c

If it is more natural in your language, you can reverse 4:32b–c like this:

32c God forgave you because of Christ, 32b and so you should forgive each other.

If your language requires stating what is forgiven, you can translate like this:

God forgave your sins because of what Jesus did, so if people do bad ⌊behavior⌋ to you, you should forgive them ⌊too⌋

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 6:10

Section 6:10–20

Paul told believers how to fight against Satan

In this section, Paul compared the Christian to a soldier fighting in a war. The Christian’s enemies are not human, but supernatural. Christians are fighting against the devil and all the powers of evil, and they must use all the weapons that God gives them. Paul described six pieces of equipment that the Roman soldier of that time used (see the picture below), and he compared each one to something spiritual that will help Christians to overcome Satan. Then Paul also reminded Christians to pray at all times. He told them to pray for their fellow believers and to pray for him so that he would be able to proclaim the gospel without fear.

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

Wear the full armour of God (New Century Version)
-or-
Put on all the armour that God supplies (God’s Word)
-or-
Christians should prepare and fight against evil spiritual forces

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 1:13

1:13a, c

And …you: The word And here indicates that the same thing that happened to the Jews also happened to the Gentiles. Just as the Jews became Christ’s people, the Gentiles also became Christ’s people.

Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

You as well
-or-
And you also (New International Version)

1:13a

And in Him: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as And in Him is literally “in whom.” This is the first phrase in the verse and is repeated later in it. Scholars have different views about how these two occurrences of “in whom” are related to the other words in the context. See how you have translated the phrase “in him” or “in Christ” in other verses in this chapter (1:4a, 1:7a, 1:9b, 1:11a, 1:12a). Scholars have different views about how this phrase is connected to the rest of the sentence. The main views are:

(1) The phrase in Him is connected to the main verb (literally “sealed”) in 1:13c. It is repeated twice in Greek because other clauses come between the subject “you” and the main verb. (Notice that the God’s Word does not repeat “in him.”.) For example:

you were sealed in Him (New American Standard Bible)

(Berean Standard Bible, Revised Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, Revised English Bible, English Standard Version, God’s Word, New Century Version)

(2) The phrase in Him is connected to an implied form of the verb “to be,” that is, “you also (are) in him.” English versions that follow this interpretation express it in different ways. For example:

were included in Christ (New International Version)
-or-
became God’s people (Good News Translation)

(3) The phrase in Him is connected to the verb “believed/trusted” in 1:13a. For example:

In whom ye also [trusted] (King James Version)

(King James Version, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English, NET Bible, New Living Translation (2004))

(4) The phrase in Him is connected to the verb “heard.” For example:

Now you too, in him, have heard the message (New Jerusalem Bible)

(New Jerusalem Bible, probably Contemporary English Version)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). This fits the structure of the Greek text and does not require a translator to supply another verb. However, it may be more natural in many languages to translate the phrase “in him” only once.

If this is true in your language, you may be able to follow an example like the God’s Word as you translate this verse:

13a–e You heard and believed the message of truth, the Good News that he has saved you. In him you were sealed with the Holy Spirit whom he promised. (God’s Word)

having heard and believed: In some languages it may be necessary to specify what the Gentiles had hear and believed. In this context there are two possibilities:

(a) They heard and believed in the true message, the gospel of their salvation.

(b) They heard and believed in Christ.

The meaning of (a) and (b) are almost the same, because the gospel is about Christ. Both options have good support. If you must make one of these options explicit, you may use whichever is more natural in your language in this context.

the word of truth: The phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the word of truth is literally “message of truth.” It is the first part of a parallelism with “the gospel of your salvation in 1:13b. It means “the word that is true” or “the true message ⌊from God ⌋ , ” and refers to the gospel or Good News. See the note below in 1:13b on “the gospel of your salvation” for examples of how the word of truth has been translated.

1:13b

the gospel of your salvation: The phrase the gospel of your salvation means “the good news that saved you.”

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase along with “word of truth” in 1:13a:

the true message, the Good News that brought you salvation (Good News Translation)
-or-
the truth, the Good News that God saves you (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
the truth, which is the good news about how you can be saved (Contemporary English Version)

For more information, see gospel and save, Word 2, in the Glossary.

1:13c

you were sealed: The phrase you were sealed is the translation of one Greek verb. This verb is passive. In some languages it may be necessary to make it active and supply the agent “God.” For example:

⌊God⌋ marked you with a seal

In NT times a person used a special symbol to mark something that belonged to him. That was called his “seal.” Here Paul uses “seal” as a metaphor to describe the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit that God gives his people is the seal to show they belong to him.

Here are some ways to translate this word:

• Use a verb or noun in your language that means seal. For example:

tribal mark
-or-
mark (put on animals) to show ownership

• Use a simile. If a metaphor is not clear (“God sealed you with the Holy Spirit”), you can say:

When in Christ God gave you the Holy Spirit, it was like he put his seal/mark on you.

• If this figure of speech is confusing, you may have to translate the meaning without the figure of speech. For example you could say:

In Christ God gave you the Holy Spirit to show that you belong to him.

you: Here, the pronoun you refers to the Gentiles. To make clear the contrast with the Jews in 1:12, you could say:

you non-Jews
-or-
you foreigners

1:13d

the promised Holy Spirit: The phrase the promised Holy Spirit means “the Holy Spirit that God had promised to give to his people.” See Holy, Meaning 3 in the Glossary for more information.

General Comment on 1:13e

There is implied information here. The purpose of the believers being marked with the seal (the promised Holy Spirit) was to show themselves and/or other people that they belonged to God. If this purpose is not clear, you may want to make it explicit. For example:

were given the promised Holy Spirit to show that you belong to God (Contemporary English Version)

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 2019

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 5:21

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 5:32

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 1:2

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 2:11

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 3:21

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 4:32

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 6:10

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 1:13

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