Here the thought continues, “All things exposed by the light are revealed”; “exposed” translates the same verb used in verse 11 (Revised Standard Version “exposed”); Good News Translation has And when all things are brought out to the light. The Greek phrase “by the light” (Revised Standard Version) goes with the preceding participial phrase “all things exposed,” and the main verb “are revealed” is used absolutely. Revised Standard Version, New International Version have “become visible”; New English Bible “is illumined”; Barclay “is lit up.” In the context, however, something like Good News Translation their true nature is clearly revealed seems to define the sense more precisely; so Abbott “all these things when exposed by the light are made manifest in their true character.” Translator’s New Testament has “is shown up for what it truly is”; Biblia Dios Habla Hoy “everything becomes clear”; Twentieth Century New Testament “have their true character made manifest by the Light.”

As in verse 12 it may be difficult to speak of bringing events out into the light. But one may render verse 13 as “when light shines on anything, then people can know what it really is” or “… it is clear what a thing really is.”

The rest of the sentence forms the first part of verse 14, for anything that is clearly revealed becomes light. Good News Translation follows Good News Bible in placing the verse number 14 before for anything that is clearly revealed becomes light (also Bible de Jérusalem, Jerusalem Bible and most other modern translations). Textus Receptus and has it after, so that verse 14 begins That is why it is said; so King James Version, American Standard Version, Revised Standard Version, New English Bible, Moffatt. If the translation being made is not the first one in that language, then the translator might do well simply to follow what has already been done; if it is a first translation, it would be well to follow Good News Bible. The Greek says “for everything that is revealed is light.” By common consent most commentators take the Greek participle to be passive, “is revealed,” and not middle, “reveals” (so Abbott, Beare, Barth, and others). Only King James Version, Good News Translation, margin, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, of the translations consulted, give the middle meaning: “it is light that clearly reveals everything.” The sense seems to be that when light shines in a dark place the darkness not only disappears but is, so to speak, transformed into light. This had happened to the readers themselves; they had once been “darkness,” but now they were “light” (verse 8).

In a sense the statement anything that is clearly revealed becomes light is a contradiction, since the revelation of something does not in itself make that become a source of light. Nevertheless, this is what the text says. However, the application of this text is not to events as such but to those who participate in the revelation of such events, and in the process become light.

The rest of verse 14 is a quotation from some nonbiblical source, perhaps a Christian hymn. The introductory words in the Greek are exactly the same as in 4.8, “wherefore it says” or “… he says.” Here both Translator’s New Testament and Barclay have “the hymn says”; Barth has “he says.” Most translations, like Good News Translation, have an impersonal form, it is said. Such an impersonal statement must be rendered in some languages as “some people say” or “someone has said.” Translators should be careful not to use an introductory statement that would imply that the quotation is from the Scriptures.

The appropriateness of the quotation is not at once evident; the last line and Christ will shine on you, with its picture of Christ’s life-giving light shining on a resurrected person, is the key element.

Wake up … and rise from death are addressed to a dead person, the sleeper. Whether the “sleep” means physical or spiritual death is impossible to determine; both Greek verbs, “rise, arise,” are used of resurrection, and “sleep” is a euphemism for death (see the use of the same verb “to sleep” in 1 Thes 5.10). Most commentators believe that the quotation is part of a baptismal liturgy, and that the words were addressed to a person being baptized.

The bold figurative language of the quotation involves an apparent contradiction, unless the reader understands sleeping as a figurative way of talking about death. There is no special problem in translating Wake up, sleeper, for one can say “You, who are asleep, wake up.” But in a number of languages it is not possible to speak of “rising from death.” One can, however, “become alive again” or “escape from death” or even “return from the dead,” all of which represent more or less standardized ways of talking about resurrection.

The Greek verb “to shine on” occurs only here in the New Testament; see a similar expression in 2 Corinthians 4.6. A strictly literal translation of Christ will shine on you might suggest that Christ in his heavenly glory has become the sun. In some instances, therefore, it may be better to use “Christ will cause light to shine upon you” or “… cause you to be in the light.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert C. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1982. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .