EPH 5:21 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. ὑποτασσόμενοι
2. hupotassō
3. being subjected
4. -
5. 52930
6. VPPP·NMP
7. ˓being˒ subjected
8. ˓being˒ subjected
9. -
10. Y64; R128863
11. 130045
1. ἀλλήλοις
2. allēlōn
3. to one another
4. -
5. 2400
6. R····DMP
7. ˱to˲ one_another
8. ˱to˲ one_another
9. -
10. Y64; R128863
11. 130046
1. ἐν
2. en
3. in
4. -
5. 17220
6. P·······
7. in
8. in
9. -
10. Y64
11. 130047
1. φόβῳ
2. fobos
3. reverence
4. -
5. 54010
6. N····DMS
7. reverence
8. reverence
9. -
10. Y64
11. 130048
1. Χριστοῦ
2. χristos
3. of chosen one messiah
4. messiah
5. 55470
6. N····GMS
7. ˱of˲ chosen_one/messiah
8. ˱of˲ Christ
9. WN
10. Y64; Person=Jesus
11. 130049
1. Θεοῦ
2. theos
3. -
4. -
5. 23160
6. N····GMS
7. ˱of˲ god
8. ˱of˲ God
9. GN
10. Person=God
11. 130050

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 5:21–33: Paul gave advice to husbands and their wives

In 4:17–5:20, Paul taught the Ephesian Christians to behave differently than pagans (people who do not know God). For the next three sections, Paul taught about how Christians should behave in their relationships in their families and at work. In this first section, he dealt with the duties of wives and husbands. He described the marriage relationship as a picture of the relationship between Christ and the church.

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

Paul’s advise to wives and husbands (GW)

How a wife and a husband should live together

Paragraph 5:21–24

Some English versions make verse 5:21 part of the previous section, and begin this section with 5:22. However, since Paul began to talk about a new topic—submitting—in 5:21, other versions make 5:21 the beginning of a new section.

You may want to consult your national version and use it as a model to follow.

5:21

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

¶ Yield to each other, because you^(plur) respect Christ.
¶ Put yourselves under one another’s authority, because you^(plur) honour Christ.

Submit to one another: The Greek word that the BSB translates as Submit means “to surrender or yield (oneself) to the will or authority of another person.”

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

Place yourselves under each other’s authority (GW)

Yield to obey each other (NCV)

accept orders from other people

Some languages have special ways to talk about submitting, for example:

Each of you should be willing to put yourself under the others

Each of you should bow your head to the others

Among God’s people you are to be underneath them

out of reverence for Christ: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as out of reverence for Christ is literally “in the fear of Christ.” The BSB and most modern translations use words like “reverence,” “respect,” or “honor,” instead of “fear.” These words are closer to the true meaning in this context.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

because you honor Christ

out of respect for Christ (GW)

in order to honor Christ

You are to regard Christ’s name highly

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ὑποτασσόμενοι ἀλλήλοις

˓being˒_subjected ˱to˲_one_another

Paul assumes that his readers will understand that he is continuing to explain what it means to “be filled with the Spirit” ([Ephesians 5:18](../05/18.md)). You could include this information if that would be helpful to your readers. Here Paul says that Christians are to submit themselves to one another. Alternate translation: [yielding to fellow believers]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

αἱ γυναῖκες τοῖς ἰδίοις ἀνδράσιν ὡς τῷ Κυρίῳ,

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὑποτασσόμενοι ἀλλήλοις ἐν φόβῳ Χριστοῦ)

Paul is leaving out some of the words that in many languages a sentence would need in order to be complete. You could supply these words from earlier in the sentence if it would be clearer in your language. Alternate translation: [wives, subuitting yourselves to your own husbands, just as you submit yourselves to the Lord]

TSN Tyndale Study Notes:

5:21–6:9 Paul gives specific instructions on how believers are to relate to one another in a Christian home (see also Col 3:18–4:1; 1 Pet 2:18–3:7). Love and respect are to characterize all relationships in the body of Christ as an expression of believers’ commitment to the Lord himself.

5:21 And further, submit to one another: The verb form links it with the command to be filled (5:18). This general instruction (cp. Phil 2:3) applies to all three relationships that Paul discusses: wives and husbands (Eph 5:22-33), children and their parents (6:1-4), and slaves and their masters (6:5-9). For believers, submission is not expressed out of fear or desire for personal gain, but out of reverence for Christ.

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 5:21

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

Section 5:21–33: Paul gave advice to husbands and their wives

Paragraph 5:21–24

5:21

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