Monday, July 26, 2021

Ephesians 4:1-6, annotated


This translation is from the New American Bible. The 
bolded hyperlink will take you to additional translations. The entire chapter is included to provide context. 

Information about the meaning the original Greek of what seem to be key words is provided in blue

Words highlighted in yellow tell us something about God’s nature or our relationship to Him.  

Words highlighted in green tell us about something God wants us to do. 

 

Ephesians 4:1-6

I, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patiencebearing with one another through lovestriving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace: one body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptismone God and Father of allwho is over all and through all and in all.

call you have received

κλσις = klēsis

Blue Letter Bible

invitation; divine invitation 

Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon

Invitation

 

καλω = kaleō

Blue Letter Bible

to bid, in the sense of invite; summon; to call out, call forth from; to select; to rouse

Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon

Summon; call by name

 

humility= ταπεινοφροσνη = tapeinophrosyne

Blue Letter Bible

the having a humble opinion of one's self; a deep sense of one's (moral) littleness; modesty, humility, lowliness of mind; humiliation of mind

 

R. Trench, Synonyms of the New Testament

absolute dependence, of having nothing, but receiving all things of God; creaturely dependence


 

gentleness= πρατης = prautēs

Blue Letter Bible

Meekness; mildness of disposition, gentleness of spirit;  

R. Trench, Synonyms of the New Testament

an inwrought grace of the soul; and the exercises of it are first and chiefly towards God (Matt. 11:29; Jam. 1:21). It is that temper of spirit in which we accept his dealings with us as good, and therefore without disputing or resisting; This meekness, however, being first of all a meekness before God, is also such in the face of men, even of evil men, out of a sense that these, with the insults and injuries which they may inflict, are remitted and employed by Him for the chastening and purifying of his elect.

 

patience = μακροθυμα = makrothymia

Blue Letter Bible

forbearance, longsuffering; endurance, constancy, steadfastness, perseverance; slowness in avenging wrongs; especially as shown in bearing troubles and ills

R. Trench, Synonyms of the New Testament

patience in respect of persons

 

bearing with = νχω = anechō

Blue Letter Bible

to hold up against a thing; endure; forbearing; to sustain, to bear, to endure; put up with; suffer; listen

Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon 

hold up, lift up; offer prayers, perhaps with uplifted hands; lift up as an offering; hold back, check; hold on, keep doing; practice regularly; cease from; bear up;be content with; suffer; hold on by one another, hang together

 

Love = γπη = agape

Blue Letter Bible

affection, good will, love, benevolence, brotherly love 

Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon 

the love of husband and wife; brotherly love, charity

 

striving = σπουδζω = spoudazō

Blue Letter Bible

Diligence, Diligent, diligently; endeavor; to make haste, to be zealous; to exert one's self; to make effort, be prompt or earnest; labour, study

Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon

to be busy, eager to do a thing; endeavour that; pay serious attention,to be serious or earnest; study

 

unity = ντης = henotēs

Blue Letter Bible

unanimity, agreement

 

bond = σνδεσμος = syndesmos

Blue Letter Bible

that which binds firmly together; bundle; joint tie, i.e. ligament, (figuratively) uniting principle 

Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon 

that which binds together, bond of union, fastening; sinews or ligaments;  

 

Peace = ερνη = eirēnē

Blue Letter Bible

harmonious relationships between men; friendliness; the sense of rest and contentment; The corresponding Heb. word shalom primarily signifies "wholeness"; quietness; harmony, concord; security, safety, prosperity, felicity; quietness, rest; way leading to peace, a course of life promoting harmony; a formula of wishing well, blessing, addressed by the Hebrews to departing friends

 

Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon

profound peace 

No comments: