EPH 4:1 Interlinear View

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. παρακαλῶ
2. parakaleō
3. I am exhorting
4. -
5. 38700
6. VIPA1··S
7. ˱I˲ ˓am˒ exhorting
8. ˱I˲ ˓am˒ exhorting
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129215
1. Οὖν
2. oun
3. Therefore
4. -
5. 37670
6. C·······
7. therefore
8. therefore
9. PS
10. Y64
11. 129216
1. ὑμᾶς
2. su
3. you all
4. -
5. 47710
6. R···2A·P
7. you_all
8. you_all
9. -
10. Y64; R128863
11. 129217
1. ἐγώ
2. egō
3. I
4. -
5. 14730
6. R···1N·S
7. I
8. I
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129218
1. ὁ
2. ho
3. the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····NMS
7. the
8. the
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129219
1. δέσμιος
2. desmios
3. prisoner
4. prisoner
5. 11980
6. N····NMS
7. prisoner
8. prisoner
9. -
10. Y64; F129291; F129293; F129386; F129411; F129414; F129416; F129439; F129443; F129493; F129495; F129631; F129769; F130035; F130470; F130609; F130623; F130630; F130637; F130652; F130654; F130670; F130680; F130711
11. 129220
1. ἐν
2. en
3. in
4. -
5. 17220
6. P·······
7. in
8. in
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129221
1. Κυρίῳ
2. kurios
3. +the master
4. Yahweh
5. 29620
6. N····DMS
7. ˓the˒ master
8. ˓the˒ Lord
9. GN
10. Y64
11. 129222
1. Χριστῷ
2. χristos
3. -
4. -
5. 55470
6. N····DMS
7. chosen_one/messiah
8. Christ
9. WN
10. Person=Jesus
11. 129223
1. ἀξίως
2. axiōs
3. worthily
4. worthily
5. 5160
6. D·······
7. worthily
8. worthily
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129224
1. περιπατῆσαι
2. peripateō
3. to walk
4. walk
5. 40430
6. VNAA····
7. ˓to˒ walk
8. ˓to˒ walk
9. -
10. Y64; R128863
11. 129225
1. τῆς
2. ho
3. of the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····GFS
7. ˱of˲ the
8. ˱of˲ the
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129226
1. κλήσεως
2. klēsis
3. calling
4. calling
5. 28210
6. N····GFS
7. calling
8. calling
9. -
10. Y64; F129228
11. 129227
1. ἧς
2. hos
3. to which
4. that which
5. 37390
6. R····GFS
7. ˱to˲ which
8. ˱to˲ which
9. -
10. Y64; R129227
11. 129228
1. ἐκλήθητε
2. kaleō
3. you all were called
4. called
5. 25640
6. VIAP2··P
7. ˱you_all˲ ˓were˒ called
8. ˱you_all˲ ˓were˒ called
9. -
10. Y64; R128863
11. 129229

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 4:1–16: Believers are united in Christ

In the previous sections, Paul taught the important truths of the Christian faith. In this section, Paul showed how those truths should affect the way we live. He urged the Ephesian Christians to behave in the way that would keep their unity. He explained in detail the basis of this unity. He also explained that Christ gives believers power to do different tasks so that the church may become strong and mature. Mature believers should no longer be influenced by false teaching. Instead, they will proclaim the truth, and the church, with Christ as its head, will grow as it should and become strong.

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

Unity of the body of Christ

Christ’s gifts to the church

Live in unity, using God’s gifting to strengthen believers

Paul urges the Ephesians to live a life of unity in Christ

Believers in Christ should live in unity, strengthening each other

4:1a

As a prisoner in the Lord, then,

¶ Because of all this, therefore, I, who am a prisoner for serving the Lord,
¶ Because of all that God has done for you, now I, who am in prison because I serve the Lord Jesus,

prisoner in the Lord: The phrase prisoner in the Lord means that Paul was in prison for serving the Lord.

This phrase is the same as the phrase “prisoner of Christ Jesus” in 3:1b, though the Greek is not exactly the same. Here are some other ways to translate this:

I am imprisoned because I serve the Lord

People put me in prison for serving my Master Jesus

the Lord: Here the phrase the Lord refers to Jesus. The Greek word that the BSB translates as Lord means “master” or “one who has authority over others.” People used this word as a polite title when they spoke to an elder or someone in authority. However, the Jews also used this same title to refer to God. Paul here recognizes Jesus as his sovereign Master who had authority from God and is the Son of God. Use a term in your language that could also be used in this way.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

Master

Chief

Owner

Sovereign God

In some languages it may be necessary to add a word like “my” before such a term of address. For example:

my Chief/Sovereign

then: The Greek word that the BSB translates as then connects all that Paul had taught in chapters 1–3 to the advice that he gave in chapters 4–6. This is not a time word. Paul began his advice by urging the Ephesians to behave like Christians should because of all that God had done for them.

Here are some other ways to translate the main idea here:

Because of all this therefore…

Because of all that God has done for you, I urge you…

The BSB has placed the conjunction then after the phrase “prisoner for the Lord” because it is good English style. In Greek, this conjunction occurs before the phrase “prisoner for the Lord.” For example:

Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord… (NLT)

In some languages, it may not be necessary to explicitly show a connection here. In such cases, you may leave this conjunction untranslated.

General Comment on 4:1a–b

The Greek text of 4:1a–b is literally “I encourage therefore you, I, the prisoner of the Lord…” Paul repeats the pronoun “I” when he adds that he is a prisoner in the Lord. He does this to emphasize that he is in prison for the Lord, and this gives added authority to the advice he is going to give to the Ephesians in the following sections. As you translate 4:1a–c, try to include this emphasis in your translation in a natural way.

4:1b

I urge you to walk in a manner worthy

I encourage you to live/behave in a way that is worthy
I beg you to live in a way that is fitting for believers. Your life should demonstrate

I urge you to walk in a manner worthy: The Greek word that the BSB translates as urge can also mean “beg,” “plead,” “request” and “encourage.”

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

encourage (GW)

beg (RSV)

to walk in a manner worthy: The Greek word that the BSB translates as to walk refers to our daily actions and our behavior.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

to live

to behave

(For other references to “walk,” see notes on 2:2a, 2:10c.)

worthy: The Greek word that the BSB translates as worthy also means “fitting,” or “proper.”

Here are some other ways to translate “to walk in a manner worthy”:

to live the kind of life which proves that God has called you (GW)

behave in a way that is proper for God’s people to behave

to live in a way which agrees/conforms to the way God wants his people to live

When God called the Ephesians to be his people, he expected them to behave in a way that pleased him.

4:1c

of the calling you have received:

of the way God called you to live/behave.
the fact that God called you to be his people.

of the calling you have received: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as of the calling you have received is literally “of the calling to which you were called” (as in the RSV). This is a passive construction. God is the one who calls us. He calls us to be his people.

received: Some other ways to translate the word received are “invited” and “chosen.”

Here are some other ways to translate the phrase “of the calling you have received”:

(worthy) of the fact that God called you to be his people

of the invitation that God gave you to belong to him

The word “calling” is the same as the word “called” in 1:18b. See how you translated this word there.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

οὖν

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: παρακαλῶ Οὖν ὑμᾶς ἐγώ ὁ δέσμιος ἐν Κυρίῳ ἀξίως περιπατῆσαι τῆς κλήσεως ἧς ἐκλήθητε)

The connecting word Therefore introduces a reason-result relationship. The reason is that God will be glorified in the church for all generations. The result is that believers should walk in a way that is worthy of the Lord. Use a phrase in your language that connects a reason to a result.

ὁ δέσμιος ἐν Κυρίῳ

the prisoner in ˓the˒_Lord

Alternate translation: [someone who is in prison because he serves the Lord]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ἀξίως περιπατῆσαι τῆς κλήσεως

worthily ˓to˒_walk ˱of˲_the calling

The phrase to walk is a common way to express the idea of living one’s life. Because of what Paul has been writing to the Ephesians, he now tells them how they should live their lives as believers, reemphasizing that believers are to agree with each other.

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

τῆς κλήσεως ἧς ἐκλήθητε

˱of˲_the calling ˱to˲_which ˱you_all˲_˓were˒_called

Here, the calling refers to the fact that God chose them to be his people. Alternate translation: [because God chose you to be his people]

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

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.

OET interlinear EPH 4:1

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

Section 4:1–16: Believers are united in Christ

4:1a

General Comment on 4:1a–b

4:1b

4:1c

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