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Eph 2 V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 V6 V7 V8 V9 V10 V11 V12 V13 V14 V15 V16 V17 V18 V19 V21 V22

OET interlinear EPH 2:20

◄ ← EPH 2:20 ↓ → ► ║ ©

SR Greek word order (including unused variant words in grey)

    1. Greek word
    2. Greek lemma
    3. OET-LV words
    4. OET-RV words
    5. Strongs
    6. Role/Morphology
    7. OET Gloss
    8. VLT Gloss
    9. CAPS codes
    10. Confidence
    11. OET tags
    12. OET word #
    1. ἐποικοδομηθέντες
    2. epoikodomeō
    3. having been built up
    4. -
    5. 20260
    6. VPAP·NMP
    7. ˓having_been˒ built_up
    8. ˓having_been˒ built_up
    9. -
    10. Y64; R128008
    11. 128811
    1. ἐπί
    2. epi
    3. on
    4. -
    5. 19090
    6. P·······
    7. on
    8. on
    9. -
    10. Y64
    11. 128812
    1. τῷ
    2. ho
    3. the
    4. -
    5. 35880
    6. E····DMS
    7. the
    8. the
    9. -
    10. Y64
    11. 128813
    1. θεμελίῳ
    2. themelios
    3. foundation
    4. founded
    5. 23100
    6. N····DMS
    7. foundation
    8. foundation
    9. -
    10. Y64
    11. 128814
    1. τῶν
    2. ho
    3. of the
    4. -
    5. 35880
    6. E····GMP
    7. ˱of˲ the
    8. ˱of˲ the
    9. -
    10. Y64
    11. 128815
    1. ἀποστόλων
    2. apostolos
    3. ambassadors
    4. -
    5. 6520
    6. N····GMP
    7. ambassadors
    8. ambassadors
    9. -
    10. Y64
    11. 128816
    1. καί
    2. kai
    3. and
    4. and
    5. 25320
    6. C·······
    7. and
    8. and
    9. -
    10. Y64
    11. 128817
    1. προφητῶν
    2. profētēs
    3. prophets
    4. prophets
    5. 43960
    6. N····GMP
    7. prophets
    8. prophets
    9. -
    10. Y64
    11. 128818
    1. ὄντος
    2. eimi
    3. being
    4. -
    5. 15100
    6. VPPA·GMS
    7. being
    8. being
    9. -
    10. Y64
    11. 128819
    1. ἀκρογωνιαίου
    2. akrogōniaios
    3. +the cornerstone
    4. cornerstone
    5. 2040
    6. S····GMS
    7. ˓the˒ cornerstone
    8. ˓the˒ cornerstone
    9. -
    10. Y64
    11. 128820
    1. τοῦ
    2. ho
    3. -
    4. -
    5. 35880
    6. E····GMS
    7. ¬the
    8. ¬the
    9. -
    10. -
    11. 128821
    1. αὐτοῦ
    2. autos
    3. himself
    4. -
    5. 8460
    6. R···3GMS
    7. himself
    8. himself
    9. -
    10. Y64; R128824; Person=Jesus
    11. 128822
    1. Ἰησοῦ
    2. iēsous
    3. -
    4. -
    5. 24240
    6. N····GMS
    7. Yaʸsous/(Yəhōshūˊa)
    8. Jesus
    9. UN
    10. Person=Jesus
    11. 128823
    1. Χριστοῦ
    2. χristos
    3. chosen one messiah
    4. messiah
    5. 55470
    6. N····GMS
    7. chosen_one/messiah
    8. Christ
    9. WN
    10. Y64; Person=Jesus; F128822; F128827
    11. 128824
    1. Ἰησοῦ
    2. iēsous
    3. Yaʸsous/(Yəhōshūˊa)
    4. -
    5. 24240
    6. N····GMS
    7. Yaʸsous/(Yəhōshūˊa)
    8. Jesus
    9. UN
    10. Person=Jesus; Y64
    11. 128825

OET (OET-LV) having_been_built_up on the foundation of_the ambassadors and prophets, chosen_one/messiah Yaʸsous/(Yəhōshūˊa) himself being the_cornerstone,

OET (OET-RV) which has been founded on the teaching of the missionaries and prophets. The cornerstone of this building is Yeshua the messiah.

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

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

All people are one in Christ

Paragraph 2:19–22

In this next paragraph, Paul used three comparisons to describe the unity of Jewish and Gentile believers in Christ. He said that they are like:

  1. citizens of the same country (19a–b)

  2. members of the same family (19c)

  3. bricks of one building (20–21)

2:20–22

In 2:20–22, Paul used the idea of a house or building as a metaphor for the Church/believers. There are three parts of this metaphor:

  1. Believers are the bricks (or boards or sticks) of the house.

  2. The apostles and prophets are the foundation.

  3. Christ is the cornerstone.

You should keep this figure of speech in your translation. You may want to change it to a simile, for example, “Christ is like a cornerstone.”

Also, think about what houses are like in your area. You may want to adapt Paul’s figure of speech so that it will communicate clearly in your language. Perhaps you can say that Christ is like the rock on which the house posts stand and the apostles and prophets are like the house posts. Or perhaps you can say that Christ is the big central post, and the apostles and prophets are the main horizontal beams.

2:20a

built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets,

foundation of the apostles and prophets: There are different views about the meaning of this phrase. This phrase could mean that:

  1. the foundation is composed of the apostles and prophets. For example:

    You are like a building with the apostles and prophets as the foundation (CEV) (CEV, JBP)

  2. the foundation has been laid by the apostles and prophets. This means that the work that the apostles and prophets did is the foundation. For example:

    You, too, are built upon the foundation laid by the apostles and prophets (GNT)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). Most English versions translate the Greek literally, and it is not possible to tell which interpretation they follow. In some languages, a literal translation would mean that the apostles and prophets owned the foundations, so be careful to avoid such a meaning.

foundation: In New Testament times the houses were built on rocks to make them solid. These rocks were called the foundation. If your language has no word for foundation, you may need to say something like this:

rocks that they build the house on

apostles: The apostles are the twelve disciples plus Paul and perhaps a few other men. See how you translated “apostle” in 1:1b. See apostle in the Glossary if you want more information.

prophets: In this context, prophets were people in the church to whom God gave a spiritual gift. This gift enabled the person to speak a message from God. Most commentators think that the prophets Paul was talking about were New Testament prophets rather than Old Testament prophets. (See Acts 13:1, Ephesians 3:5, Ephesians 4:11.)

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

spokesmen for God

men who speak God’s words

God’s message-speakers

See prophet in the Glossary for more information.

2:20b

with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone.

cornerstone: The Greek word the BSB translates as cornerstone was the largest and most important stone in the building. It was a large stone placed in the corner of the foundation. It made the building solid and helped hold the foundation and walls together.

If your readers will not understand a word like cornerstone, you may need to use a word for the most important part of your buildings. For example:

the most important stone (CEV)

the central post of the house

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ἐποικοδομηθέντες ἐπὶ τῷ θεμελίῳ

˓having_been˒_built_up (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἐποικοδομηθέντες ἐπί τῷ θεμελίῳ τῶν ἀποστόλων καί προφητῶν ὄντος ἀκρογωνιαίου αὐτοῦ Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ)

Paul speaks of God’s people as if they were a building. Christ is the cornerstone, the apostles are the foundation, and the believers are the structure. Alternate translation: [you depend on the teaching]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

ἐποικοδομηθέντες

˓having_been˒_built_up

If your language does not use this passive form, you can state this in active form. Alternate translation: [God has built you]

TSN Tyndale Study Notes:

2:20 Apostles are missionary evangelists commissioned by God.
• Here, the prophets appear to be New Testament prophets, not Old Testament ones (see 3:5; 4:11; see also 1 Cor 12:10, 28-29; 14:1-5, 22-24, 29-32, 39; cp. Acts 13:1; 19:6; 21:9-10). In both the Old Testament and New Testament, prophets are not primarily predictors of the future but are empowered to speak a message from God (see 1 Cor 12:10).
• The church is built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets (or on the foundation laid by the apostles and prophets)—that is, on their faithful witness to the saving message of Christ (see Rev 21:14; cp. Matt 16:18). However, the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself, the Messiah, Savior, and Lord (cp. 1 Cor 3:11). The cornerstone is the most important stone in a building’s foundation (see Isa 28:16; Mark 12:10; Acts 4:11; 1 Pet 2:6-7).

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

    1. OET-LV words
    2. OET-RV words
    3. Strongs
    4. Greek word
    5. Greek lemma
    6. Role/Morphology
    7. OET Gloss
    8. VLT Gloss
    9. CAPS codes
    10. Confidence
    11. OET tags
    12. OET word #
    1. having been built up
    2. -
    3. 20260
    5. epoikodomeō
    6. V-PAP·NMP
    7. ˓having_been˒ built_up
    8. ˓having_been˒ built_up
    9. -
    10. Y64; R128008
    11. 128811
    1. on
    2. -
    3. 19090
    5. epi
    6. P-·······
    7. on
    8. on
    9. -
    10. Y64
    11. 128812
    1. the
    2. -
    3. 35880
    5. ho
    6. E-····DMS
    7. the
    8. the
    9. -
    10. Y64
    11. 128813
    1. foundation
    2. founded
    3. 23100
    5. themelios
    6. N-····DMS
    7. foundation
    8. foundation
    9. -
    10. Y64
    11. 128814
    1. of the
    2. -
    3. 35880
    5. ho
    6. E-····GMP
    7. ˱of˲ the
    8. ˱of˲ the
    9. -
    10. Y64
    11. 128815
    1. ambassadors
    2. -
    3. 6520
    5. apostolos
    6. N-····GMP
    7. ambassadors
    8. ambassadors
    9. -
    10. Y64
    11. 128816
    1. and
    2. and
    3. 25320
    5. kai
    6. C-·······
    7. and
    8. and
    9. -
    10. Y64
    11. 128817
    1. prophets
    2. prophets
    3. 43960
    5. profētēs
    6. N-····GMP
    7. prophets
    8. prophets
    9. -
    10. Y64
    11. 128818
    1. chosen one messiah
    2. messiah
    3. 55470
    4. WN
    5. χristos
    6. N-····GMS
    7. chosen_one/messiah
    8. Christ
    9. WN
    10. Y64; Person=Jesus; F128822; F128827
    11. 128824
    1. Yaʸsous/(Yəhōshūˊa)
    2. -
    3. 24240
    4. UN
    5. iēsous
    6. N-····GMS
    7. Yaʸsous/(Yəhōshūˊa)
    8. Jesus
    9. UN
    10. Person=Jesus; Y64
    11. 128825
    1. himself
    2. -
    3. 8460
    5. autos
    6. R-···3GMS
    7. himself
    8. himself
    9. -
    10. Y64; R128824; Person=Jesus
    11. 128822
    1. being
    2. -
    3. 15100
    5. eimi
    6. V-PPA·GMS
    7. being
    8. being
    9. -
    10. Y64
    11. 128819
    1. +the cornerstone
    2. cornerstone
    3. 2040
    5. akrogōniaios
    6. S-····GMS
    7. ˓the˒ cornerstone
    8. ˓the˒ cornerstone
    9. -
    10. Y64
    11. 128820

OET (OET-LV) having_been_built_up on the foundation of_the ambassadors and prophets, chosen_one/messiah Yaʸsous/(Yəhōshūˊa) himself being the_cornerstone,

OET (OET-RV) which has been founded on the teaching of the missionaries and prophets. The cornerstone of this building is Yeshua the messiah.

Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.

Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.

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◄ ← EPH 2:20 ↑ → ► ║ ©