EPH 4:22 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. ἀποθέσθαι
2. apotithēmi
3. to put away
4. -
5. 6590
6. VNAM····
7. ˓to˒ put_away
8. ˓to˒ put_away
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129570
1. ὄθεσθαι
2. othomai
3. -
4. -
5. 36065
6. VNPM····
7. ˓to_be˒ heeding
8. ˓to_be˒ heeding
9. -
10. -
11. 129571
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. 129572
1. κατά
2. kata
3. according to
4. -
5. 25960
6. P·······
7. according_to
8. according_to
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129573
1. τήν
2. ho
3. your
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····AFS
7. your
8. your
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129574
1. προτέραν
2. proteros
3. earlier
4. -
5. 43870
6. A····AFS
7. earlier
8. earlier
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129575
1. ἀναστροφήν
2. anastrofē
3. conduct
4. conduct
5. 3910
6. N····AFS
7. conduct
8. conduct
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129576
1. τόν
2. ho
3. the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····AMS
7. the
8. the
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129577
1. παλαιόν
2. palaios
3. old
4. -
5. 38200
6. A····AMS
7. old
8. old
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129578
1. ἄνθρωπον
2. anthrōpos
3. person
4. -
5. 4440
6. N····AMS
7. person
8. person
9. -
10. Y64; F129581
11. 129579
1. τόν
2. ho
3. which
4. 39\x*that
5. 35880
6. R····AMS
7. which
8. which
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129580
1. φθειρόμενον
2. ftheirō
3. being corrupted
4. corrupted
5. 53510
6. VPPP·AMS
7. ˓being˒ corrupted
8. ˓being˒ corrupted
9. -
10. Y64; R129579
11. 129581
1. κατά
2. kata
3. according to
4. -
5. 25960
6. P·······
7. according_to
8. according_to
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129582
1. τάς
2. ho
3. the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····AFP
7. the
8. the
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129583
1. ἐπιθυμίας
2. epithumia
3. desires
4. desires
5. 19390
6. N····AFP
7. desires
8. desires
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129584
1. τῆς
2. ho
3. the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····GFS
7. ¬the
8. ¬the
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129585
1. ἀπάτης
2. apatē
3. of seduction
4. seductive
5. 5390
6. N····GFS
7. ˱of˲ seduction
8. ˱of˲ seduction
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129586

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 4:17–32: We should change our behavior

Paul urged the Christians to stop doing the evil deeds that they used to do before they knew God. He urged them to start doing the good things that people who know Christ should do. He gave examples of old (former) behavior that they must stop doing, for example: lying, theft, anger and slander. Instead they must be kind, tender and forgiving.

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

Live as God’s people (GW)

The old life and the new life (CEV)

Don’t live as pagans but as God’s people

4:22–24

In these verses, Paul listed some of the things that the Ephesians were taught. Some English versions repeat the verb “You were taught…” (from 4:21a) at the beginning of 4:22. The BSB does not do this, but continues the sentence on from 4:21b. If, in your translation, you follow the example of those English versions that begin a new sentence here (like the NIV), you may also want to repeat “You were taught…” at the beginning of 4:23.

Here is another way to translate 4:22–24 is as a direct command:

(4:22a) Stop behaving like you used to…

(4:24a) Let God make you a new person

4:22a

to put off your former way of life,

Your teachers taught you
This is what you were taught:

4:22b

your old self,

to leave/abandon the way you used to behave.
Stop behaving as you previously did.

4:22a–b

to put off your former way of life, your old self: The phrase your former way of life means “the way you used to live” or “the way you previously behaved when you did not yet know Christ.” The clause your old self is a figure of speech. It means “your former character” or “the behavior you used to do.” This is contrasted with “your new self” in 4:24.

The words put off in 4:22a and “put on” in 4:24 are words usually used to mean take off and put on clothes. A person can take off old, dirty clothes and put on new, clean clothes. In the same way, the Ephesian Christians should “take off” (stop doing) the dirty behavior they used to do, and “put on” (start doing) clean, Christian behavior.

your old self: The phrase your old self refers to “your former/previous character” or “the way you used to behave.” Paul was telling the Ephesians to no longer live the way they did before they became Christians. When a person becomes a Christian, it is as if he becomes a new person (see 2 Corinthians 5:17).

In translating this clause, it may be necessary to translate this figure of speech directly. For example:

change the way you were living (GW)

give up your old way of life (CEV)

4:22c

which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;

Your evil desires deceived you and spoiled/ruined your lives.
At that time, you desired to do all kinds of evil things. Those things were leading you astray and were destroying your life.

which is being corrupted: The word which refers back to “old self” in 4:22b.

is being corrupted: The word corrupted can mean to “rot away,” “decay,” “ruin” or “destroy.” To say that a person is being corrupted means he is becoming controlled by evil, until finally he is destroyed. He is like a tree that gets more and more rotten on the inside until it dies and is destroyed.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

being destroyed (GNT)

being ruined

by its deceitful desires: The phrase deceitful desires refers to evil things the Ephesians wanted to do that led them away from the truth/Christ. In many languages it will probably be clearer to translate deceitful and desires as verbs, for example:

You desired to do evil things, and these things deceived you.

Paul meant that the evil desires in people’s hearts caused them to believe the wrong things and follow their own way instead of following God’s way. 4:22c can be translated:

The things you wanted to do were wrong and deceived you, and so they ruined/spoiled your hearts.

General Comment on 4:22a–c

You may want to translate 4:22c as a new sentence. For example:

The way you used to live at that time was ruining your life…

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ἀποθέσθαι ὑμᾶς κατὰ τὴν προτέραν ἀναστροφὴν

˓to˒_put_away you_all (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἀποθέσθαι ὑμᾶς κατά τήν προτέραν ἀναστροφήν τόν παλαιόν ἄνθρωπον τόν φθειρόμενον κατά τάς ἐπιθυμίας τῆς ἀπάτης)

Paul is speaking of moral qualities as if they were pieces of clothing. Alternate translation: [You must stop living according to your former manner of life]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ἀποθέσθαι ὑμᾶς κατὰ τὴν προτέραν ἀναστροφὴν τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον

Paul is speaking of a way of living as if it were a person. Alternate translation: [You must stop doing the things that your former self did] or [Stop doing the things that you used to do]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / personification

τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἀποθέσθαι ὑμᾶς κατά τήν προτέραν ἀναστροφήν τόν παλαιόν ἄνθρωπον τόν φθειρόμενον κατά τάς ἐπιθυμίας τῆς ἀπάτης)

The old man refers to the “old nature” or “former self,” the way that the person was before the person became a believer in Christ

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / personification

τὸν φθειρόμενον κατὰ τὰς ἐπιθυμίας τῆς ἀπάτης

Paul is continuing to speak of a sinful way of living as if it were a person who does evil things. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [when you fooled yourself into thinking that it was good to do whatever evil thing that you wanted to do]

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. you all
2. -
3. 47710
5. su
6. R-···2A·P
7. you_all
8. you_all
9. -
10. Y64; R128863
11. 129572
1. to put away
2. -
3. 6590
5. apotithēmi
6. V-NAM····
7. ˓to˒ put_away
8. ˓to˒ put_away
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129570
1. according to
2. -
3. 25960
5. kata
6. P-·······
7. according_to
8. according_to
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129573
1. your
2. -
3. 35880
5. ho
6. E-····AFS
7. your
8. your
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129574
1. earlier
2. -
3. 43870
5. proteros
6. A-····AFS
7. earlier
8. earlier
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129575
1. conduct
2. conduct
3. 3910
5. anastrofē
6. N-····AFS
7. conduct
8. conduct
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129576
1. the
2. -
3. 35880
5. ho
6. E-····AMS
7. the
8. the
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129577
1. old
2. -
3. 38200
5. palaios
6. A-····AMS
7. old
8. old
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129578
1. person
2. -
3. 4440
5. anthrōpos
6. N-····AMS
7. person
8. person
9. -
10. Y64; F129581
11. 129579
1. which
2. 39\x*that
3. 35880
5. ho
6. R-····AMS
7. which
8. which
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129580
1. being corrupted
2. corrupted
3. 53510
5. ftheirō
6. V-PPP·AMS
7. ˓being˒ corrupted
8. ˓being˒ corrupted
9. -
10. Y64; R129579
11. 129581
1. according to
2. -
3. 25960
5. kata
6. P-·······
7. according_to
8. according_to
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129582
1. the
2. -
3. 35880
5. ho
6. E-····AFP
7. the
8. the
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129583
1. desires
2. desires
3. 19390
5. epithumia
6. N-····AFP
7. desires
8. desires
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129584
1. of
2. seductive
3. 5390
5. apatē
6. N-····GFS
7. ˱of˲ seduction
8. ˱of˲ seduction
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129586
1. the
2. -
3. 35880
5. ho
6. E-····GFS
7. ¬the
8. ¬the
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129585
1. seduction
2. seductive
3. 5390
5. apatē
6. N-····GFS
7. ˱of˲ seduction
8. ˱of˲ seduction
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129586

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 4:22

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