EPH 6:17 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, orange:accusative/object, pink:genitive/possessor.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

UST Also, as a soldier relies on a helmet to protect his head, rely on the fact that God has saved you. And just as a soldier uses a sword to defeat his enemies, use the weapon that God’s Spirit gives you, which is the message that comes from God.

BLB And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,

AICNT And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

OEB And receive the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit – which is the message of God – always with prayer and supplication.

WEBBE And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word[fn] of God;

6:17 from the Greek “ῥῆμα” (rhema), which means “spoken word”

WMBB (Same as above including footnotes)

NET And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

LSV and receive the helmet of the salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,

FBV Wear the helmet of salvation, and carry the sword of the Spirit—the Spirit that's the word of God.

TCNT Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

T4T And rely/depend on the fact that God has saved you, in order to protect yourselves against demonic attacks, just like soldiers put on a helmet to protect their heads from attacks by their enemies [MET]. And be ready to use the weapon that God’s Spirit has given you, which is the message of God, in order to fight against ◄demonic powers/Satan►, just like soldiers use their swords to fight against their enemies [MET].

LEB and receive the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,

BBE And take salvation for your head-dress and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

Moff put on salvation as your helmet, and take the Spirit as your sword (that is, the word of God),

Wymth and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God.

ASV And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

DRA And take unto you the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit (which is the word of God).

YLT and the helmet of the salvation receive, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the saying of God,

Drby Have also the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is [fn]God's word;

6.17 Elohim

RV And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

SLT And take ye the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

Wbstr And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

KJB-1769 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

KJB-1611 And take the helmet of saluation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above)

Bshps And take the helmet of saluation, and the sworde of the spirite, whiche is the worde of God.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from capitalisation and punctuation)

Gnva And take the helmet of saluation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the worde of God.
(And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. )

Cvdl And take the helmet of saluacion, & the swerde of the sprete, which is the worde of God.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from capitalisation and punctuation)

TNT And take the helmet of salvacion and the swearde of the sprete which is the worde of God.
(And take the helmet of salvacion and the sword of the spirit which is the word of God. )

Wycl And take ye the helm of helthe, and the swerd of the Goost, that is, the word of God.
(And take ye/you_all the helm of health, and the sword of the Goost, that is, the word of God.)

Luth Und nehmet den Helm des Heils und das Schwert des Geistes, welches ist das Wort Gottes.
(And take the Helm the salvation and the sword the spirit, which is the word God’s.)

ClVg et galeam salutis assumite, et gladium spiritus (quod est verbum Dei),[fn]
(and helmet health assumese, and a_sword spirit (that it_is the_word/saying of_God), )

6.17 Et galeam. Galea est salus æterna, cujus memoria mentem obvolvit ne deficiat. Et gladium spiritus. Verbum Dei est gladius bis acutus, docens de temporalibus et æternis. Illorum consolationem in Veteri, istorum perfectionem in Novo Testamento promittens. Quod enim temporaliter nobis promissum est, ad unam partem gladii: quod vero in sempiternum ad aliam partem gladii pertinet. Nam et ideo duo Testamenta dicuntur, quia Vetus terrena promittit, Novum æterna. De hoc gladio Dominus ait: Non veni pacem mittere in terram, sed gladium Matth. 10.. Iste gladius vere acutus est, quia eum quem fecit a mundo dividit.

6.17 And helmet. Helmet it_is health/safety eternal, whose memory mind wrapped not to_fail. And a_sword spirit. The_word/saying of_God it_is sword twice sharp, teaching from/about temporal and eternal. Illorum consolation in/into/on Veteri, to_thisrum perfection in/into/on Novo Testamento promittens. That because temporarily us promised it_is, to one part swords: that indeed/however in/into/on eternal to another part swords belongs. For/Surely and therefore/for_that_reason two Testamenta are_said, because Old earthly promises, Novum eternal. From/About this with_a_sword Master he_said: Not/No I_came peace to_send in/into/on the_earth/land, but a_sword Matth. 10.. Iste sword really/truly sharp it_is, because him which he_did from to_the_world divides.

UGNT καὶ τὴν περικεφαλαίαν τοῦ σωτηρίου δέξασθε, καὶ τὴν μάχαιραν τοῦ Πνεύματος, ὅ ἐστιν ῥῆμα Θεοῦ;
(kai taʸn perikefalaian tou sōtaʸriou dexasthe, kai taʸn maⱪairan tou Pneumatos, ho estin ɽaʸma Theou;)

SBL-GNT καὶ τὴν περικεφαλαίαν τοῦ σωτηρίου ⸀δέξασθε, καὶ τὴν μάχαιραν τοῦ πνεύματος, ὅ ἐστιν ῥῆμα θεοῦ,
(kai taʸn perikefalaian tou sōtaʸriou ⸀dexasthe, kai taʸn maⱪairan tou pneumatos, ho estin ɽaʸma theou,)

RP-GNT Καὶ τὴν περικεφαλαίαν τοῦ σωτηρίου δέξασθαι, καὶ τὴν μάχαιραν τοῦ πνεύματος, ὅ ἐστιν ῥῆμα θεοῦ·
(Kai taʸn perikefalaian tou sōtaʸriou dexasthai, kai taʸn maⱪairan tou pneumatos, ho estin ɽaʸma theou;)

TC-GNT Καὶ τὴν περικεφαλαίαν τοῦ σωτηρίου [fn]δέξασθαι, καὶ τὴν μάχαιραν τοῦ πνεύματος, ὅ ἐστι ῥῆμα Θεοῦ·
(Kai taʸn perikefalaian tou sōtaʸriou dexasthai, kai taʸn maⱪairan tou pneumatos, ho esti ɽaʸma Theou; )

6:17 δεξασθαι ¦ δεξασθε ANT CT TR

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, red:words differ (from our SR-GNT base).

TTN Tyndale Theme Notes:

Overcoming the Devil

The New Testament writers were convinced of the reality of evil and the dangers of the spiritual world. So they took Satan (the evil one, the devil) seriously as a real threat. The devil inhibits the work of God’s people (see 1 Thes 2:18; Rev 2:10), and he “prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour” (1 Pet 5:8).

The entire unbelieving world is subject to the power of sin and the devil (see Eph 2:2; 1 Jn 5:19). As the “god of this world,” the devil can blind the minds of unbelievers (see 2 Cor 4:4; cp. Matt 13:19). While Satan opposes God and seeks to destroy his people (Rev 12:12, 17), Jesus came to destroy Satan’s work (1 Jn 3:8). God turns what the devil intends for evil into good. Following this principle, Paul instructs the church at Corinth to expel someone from Christian fellowship in order that, by being exposed to the devil’s destructive power, that person might repent and be saved (see 1 Cor 5:5).

Christians are to stand firm and resist the devil (Jas 4:7), praying for God’s deliverance (Matt 6:13) and availing themselves of the armor that God provides for their defense (Eph 6:10-20). Those who yield to Satan’s influence suffer the consequences (see Acts 5:1-5). But believers who walk with Christ are secure because they know that the cross has broken the devil’s power (see Rom 8:38-39; 1 Cor 15:24; Col 1:13; 2:10, 15; 1 Pet 3:22) and that the Lord protects them (see 1 Jn 5:18). They also know that the Holy Spirit within them is greater than the devil (see 1 Jn 4:4). By the word of God, they can overcome the evil one (see 1 Jn 2:14; cp. Rev 12:11).

Although believers need to be wary of the devil and protect themselves from his power, they need not live in fear. The power of the devil is no match for the power of God. And in the end, the devil will be ultimately and totally defeated (see Rev 20:7-10).

Passages for Further Study

Matt 6:13; 13:19; Acts 5:3-5; Rom 8:38-39; 1 Cor 5:5; 15:24; 2 Cor 4:4; Eph 2:2; 4:27; 6:10-20; Col 1:13; 2:10, 15; 1 Thes 2:18; Jas 4:7; 1 Pet 3:22; 5:8; 1 Jn 2:14; 3:8; 4:4; 5:18-19; Rev 2:10; 12:7-9, 11-12, 17

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 6:10–20: Paul told believers how to fight against Satan

In this section, Paul compared the Christian to a soldier fighting in a war. The Christian’s enemies are not human, but supernatural. Christians are fighting against the devil and all the powers of evil, and they must use all the weapons that God gives them. Paul described six pieces of equipment that the Roman soldier of that time used (see the picture below), and he compared each one to something spiritual that will help Christians to overcome Satan. Then Paul also reminded Christians to pray at all times. He told them to pray for their fellow believers and to pray for him so that he would be able to proclaim the gospel without fear.

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

Wear the full armour of God (NCV)

Put on all the armour that God supplies (GW)

Christians should prepare and fight against evil spiritual forces

Paragraph 6:14–20

In this paragraph, Paul used six metaphors to describe the way a Christian should prepare himself to fight against Satan. Paul based these metaphors on the armor a Roman soldier wore. The specific pieces of armor are:

belt (6:14b)
breastplate (6:14c)
shoes (6:15)
shield (6:16b–c)
helmet (6:17a)
sword (6:17b)

In many places in the world, people do not know what breastplates, helmets, shields and other armor of the Roman soldiers looked like. So you may want to put a picture of a Roman soldier in your Bible translation at this place when it is printed.

6:17a

And take the helmet of salvation

Put on the helmet. The helmet is salvation.
let the fact that God saved you be like a helmet of protection.from the devil.

And take: The verb take here implies the meaning “put on” or “wear.”

Some other ways to translate take are:

Put on (NLT)

Accept (GNT)

wear

the helmet of salvation: A helmet is the piece of armor that a soldier wore on his head to protect it. It was made of metal. See the helmet of a soldier in the picture at Section 6:10–20.

This is also a metaphor. Paul compared salvation to a helmet. One way to fully explain this metaphor is like this: “Just as a helmet protects and saves a soldier in a battle, so let the fact that God saved you be like a helmet of protection when Satan attacks you.”

salvation: The word salvation means that God has saved us and will save us from Satan’s power. See 1 Thessalonians 5:8 where Paul says that “the hope of salvation” is our helmet. See save, Word 2 in the Glossary for more information.

Here are some other ways to translate 6:17a:

Keep the metaphor. Some ways to express the metaphor are:
Put on God’s salvation as your helmet.
Put on the helmet. The helmet is God’s salvation.
Make the metaphor a simile. For example:
Let God’s saving power be like a helmet (CEV)
Give the full meaning of the metaphor. For example:
As a soldier puts on a helmet to protect his head in battle, let the fact that God saved you be like a helmet of protection from the devil.

6:17b

and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Take the sword which the Holy Spirit gives. The sword is the word of God.
Be ready to use God’s Word. It is like a sword that the Holy Spirit gives you to oppose evil/Satan.

and the sword of the Spirit: The sword of the Spirit is part of the metaphor and refers to God’s powerful word that the Holy Spirit enables you to use. It is like a sword that is used to attack the enemy. It is used as a metaphor and described below.

sword: A sword is a large, long knife which soldiers used in battle. A sword was sharpened on both edges. See the sword of a soldier in the picture at Section 6:10–20.

which is the word of God: Here the word of God refers to the written word of God. It is the Bible or scriptures.

The meaning of this metaphor can be fully described like this: “When Satan attacks you, you must use God’s Word (by reading it, quoting it, speaking it). This is like a sword that you can use to fight against Satan.”

Here are some ways to translate 6:17b:

Keep the metaphor. Some ways to express the metaphor are:
Take the sword that the Spirit gives. The sword is the word of God.
Make the metaphor a simile. For example:
Take the word of God that is like a sword that the Spirit gives.
Give the full meaning of the metaphor. For example:
As a soldier grasps a sword to defend himself, use God’s word to defend yourself. It is from the Holy Spirit.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

τὴν περικεφαλαίαν τοῦ σωτηρίου δέξασθε

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί Τήν περικεφαλαίαν τοῦ σωτηρίου δέξασθε καί τήν μάχαιραν τοῦ Πνεύματος ὅ ἐστίν ῥῆμα Θεοῦ)

The salvation that God gives protects the believer’s mind just as a helmet protects the head of a soldier.

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

τοῦ σωτηρίου

¬the ˱of˲_salvation

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea behind the word salvation, you could express the same idea with a verbal form. Alternate translation: [that represents the fact that God has saved you]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

τὴν μάχαιραν τοῦ Πνεύματος, ὅ ἐστιν ῥῆμα Θεοῦ

In this metaphor, God’s message is compared to a soldier’s sword. Just as soldiers use a sword to fight and defeat their enemy, so a believer can use God’s message in the Bible to fight against the devil.

Parallel EPH 6:17

Section 6:10–20: Paul told believers how to fight against Satan

Paragraph 6:14–20

6:17a

6:17b