EPH 4:9 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. τό
2. ho
3. which
4. -
5. 35880
6. R····NNS
7. ¬which
8. ¬which
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129318
1. Δέ
2. de
3. And
4. -
5. 11610
6. C·······
7. and
8. and
9. S
10. Y64
11. 129319
1. Ἀνέβη
2. anabainō
3. he went up
4. -
5. 3050
6. VIAA3··S
7. ˱he˲ went_up
8. ˱he˲ went_up
9. b
10. Y64; R129303; Person=Jesus
11. 129320
1. τί
2. tis
3. what
4. -
5. 51010
6. R····NNS
7. what
8. what
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129321
1. ἐστίν
2. eimi
3. is it
4. -
5. 15100
6. VIPA3··S
7. is ‹it›
8. is ‹it›
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129322
1. εἰ
2. ei
3. except
4. -
5. 14870
6. C·······
7. except
8. except
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129323
1. μή
2. mē
3. not/lest
4. -
5. 33610
6. D·······
7. ¬not/lest
8. ¬not/lest
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129324
1. ὄντι
2. eimi
3. -
4. -
5. 15100
6. VPPA·DMS
7. being
8. being
9. -
10. -
11. 129325
1. ὅτι
2. hoti
3. that
4. -
5. 37540
6. C·······
7. that
8. that
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129326
1. καί
2. kai
3. also
4. -
5. 25320
6. D·······
7. also
8. also
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129327
1. κατέβη
2. katabainō
3. he came down
4. -
5. 25970
6. VIAA3··S
7. ˱he˲ came_down
8. ˱he˲ came_down
9. -
10. Y64; R129303; Person=Jesus
11. 129328
1. πρῶτον
2. prōton
3. -
4. -
5. 44120
6. D·······
7. first
8. first
9. -
10. -
11. 129329
1. εἰς
2. eis
3. into
4. -
5. 15190
6. P·······
7. into
8. into
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129330
1. τά
2. ho
3. the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····ANP
7. the
8. the
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129331
1. κατώτερα
2. katōteros
3. lower
4. -
5. 27370
6. A····ANP
7. lower
8. lower
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129332
1. μέρη
2. meros
3. parts
4. -
5. 33130
6. N····ANP
7. parts
8. parts
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129333
1. τῆς
2. ho
3. of the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····GFS
7. ˱of˲ the
8. ˱of˲ the
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129334
1. γῆς
2. gē
3. earth
4. earth
5. 10930
6. N····GFS
7. earth
8. earth
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129335

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

Paragraph 4:7–16

In 4:4–6 Paul talked about the things that unite Christians. These are things that we have in common. But in 4:7 he talked about special abilities that some Christians have and that others do not have. We all have the same Spirit, we all worship the same Lord, and so on. But to each of us, Christ has given different special abilities.

4:9–10

Paul proved that this quotation from the Psalms applies to Christ, since Christ is the only one who descended from heaven before he ascended.

General Comment on 4:9–10

Some English versions put these verses in (parentheses) to show that this is background information given by Paul. If you are able to do this in your language and it would be natural to do so, you will want to consider following the example of those versions. If not, following the example of the BSB, which does not use parentheses.

4:9a

What does “He ascended” mean,

(When the Book says: “He went up to a high place,” what does this mean?
(When it says that “he ascended,” this means that

What does “He ascended” mean: This is a rhetorical question. So Paul is not asking the question so he can get an answer. He asked this question in order to introduce a new aspect of his teaching to his readers. He then explained how Psalm 68:18 applied to Christ.

ascended: The word ascended means “went up.”

There are two ways to translate this question:

As a rhetorical question. For example:
Now, what does “he went up” mean? (GNT)
As a statement. For example:
Notice that it says “he ascended (NLT)
The words “he ascended” mean…
Translate this in a way that is most natural in your language.

4:9b

except that He also descended to the lower parts of the earth?

These words mean that Christ had already come down to this earth below.
previously he had come down to a low place; that is, to this earth.

except that He also descended: Here, the words except that have the meaning of “it could only mean that.” The RSV and ESV translate except that as:

but that

He also descended: Beginning here, Paul talked about Christ and how the words of the quotation in 4:8 are like Christ. So the pronoun He refers to Christ, and you can translate it that way if necessary. To make it clear that Christ descended before he ascended, the GNT says:

first came down (GNT)

Here are some other ways to translate the word descended:

came down (NCV)

had gone down (GW)

to the lower parts of the earth: The Greek phrase that the BSB literally translates as to the lower parts of the earth may refer to:

the earth below in contrast to the highest heaven. This refers to where Christ was when he became a human. For example:
This clearly means that Christ also descended to our lowly world (NLT) (BSB, NIV, REB, JBP, NLT, ESV, NET, NCV)
Hades. This refers to where Christ was after he died. According to some interpretations of 1 Peter 3:18 and 1 Peter 4:6, Christ descended into Hades after his death. For example:
…it means that Christ had been deep in the earth. (CEV) (GNT, RSV, NASB, NJB, KJV, CEV, GW)

If possible, translate in a way in which either interpretation could be understood. If you must choose one interpretation, choose interpretation (1). You may also want to include a footnote that gives the other interpretation.

uW Translation Notes:

ἀνέβη

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: τό Δέ Ἀνέβη τί ἐστίν εἰ μή ὅτι καί κατέβη εἰς τά κατώτερα μέρη τῆς γῆς)

Alternate translation: [Christ went up]

καὶ κατέβη

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: τό Δέ Ἀνέβη τί ἐστίν εἰ μή ὅτι καί κατέβη εἰς τά κατώτερα μέρη τῆς γῆς)

Alternate translation: [Christ also came down]

εἰς τὰ κατώτερα μέρη τῆς γῆς

into (Some words not found in SR-GNT: τό Δέ Ἀνέβη τί ἐστίν εἰ μή ὅτι καί κατέβη εἰς τά κατώτερα μέρη τῆς γῆς)

This could refer to: (1) the lower regions as a part of the earth. (2) the lower regions as another way of referring to the earth itself. Alternate translation: [into the lower regions, the earth]

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. And
2. -
3. 11610
4. S
5. de
6. C-·······
7. and
8. and
9. S
10. Y64
11. 129319
1. which
2. -
3. 35880
5. ho
6. R-····NNS
7. ¬which
8. ¬which
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129318
1. he went up
2. -
3. 3050
4. b
5. anabainō
6. V-IAA3··S
7. ˱he˲ went_up
8. ˱he˲ went_up
9. b
10. Y64; R129303; Person=Jesus
11. 129320
1. what
2. -
3. 51010
5. tis
6. R-····NNS
7. what
8. what
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129321
1. is it
2. -
3. 15100
5. eimi
6. V-IPA3··S
7. is ‹it›
8. is ‹it›
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129322
1. except
2. -
3. 14870
5. ei
6. C-·······
7. except
8. except
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129323
1. not/lest
2. -
3. 33610
5. mē
6. D-·······
7. ¬not/lest
8. ¬not/lest
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129324
1. that
2. -
3. 37540
5. hoti
6. C-·······
7. that
8. that
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129326
1. also
2. -
3. 25320
5. kai
6. D-·······
7. also
8. also
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129327
1. he came down
2. -
3. 25970
5. katabainō
6. V-IAA3··S
7. ˱he˲ came_down
8. ˱he˲ came_down
9. -
10. Y64; R129303; Person=Jesus
11. 129328
1. into
2. -
3. 15190
5. eis
6. P-·······
7. into
8. into
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129330
1. the
2. -
3. 35880
5. ho
6. E-····ANP
7. the
8. the
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129331
1. lower
2. -
3. 27370
5. katōteros
6. A-····ANP
7. lower
8. lower
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129332
1. parts
2. -
3. 33130
5. meros
6. N-····ANP
7. parts
8. parts
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129333
1. of the
2. -
3. 35880
5. ho
6. E-····GFS
7. ˱of˲ the
8. ˱of˲ the
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129334
1. earth
2. earth
3. 10930
5. gē
6. N-····GFS
7. earth
8. earth
9. -
10. Y64
11. 129335

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 4:9