1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;
2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour.
(Anacoluthon 723; Anthropopatheia 888)
3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;
4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.
5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
(Hendiadys 667)
6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
(Metonymy 550)
7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them.
8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now [are ye] light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
(Antimereia 504; Metonymy 591)
9 (For the fruit of the Spirit [is] in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
(Ellipsis 31; Polysyndeton)
10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove [them].
12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.
13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.
14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.
(Idioma 825)
15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
(Metonymy 595)
17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord [is].
18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
(Metonymy 540)
19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
(Synonymia 333)
20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so [let] the wives [be] to their own husbands in every thing.
25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
(Anacoluthon 724)
28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
(Gnome 786)
32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
(Symbol 770; Gnome 786)
33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife [see] that she reverence [her] husband.
(Anacoluthon724)
Notes:
Verse 2 Anacoluthon: Change from second person to the first person.
See BibleHub Interlinear.
Anthropopatheia: smelling.
Verse 5 Hendiadys: “…in the kingdom of Christ and of God.”
Dr. Bullinger cites this as the figure, translating it “…of Christ who is truly God.” Hendiadys is a secondary figure, as something of the original, or actual, must be changed to produce it, and is therefore subjective. Rather than changing what is said, this verse is better understood as it is stated. God’s kingdom is being administered by our Lord Jesus Christ, who is seated at God’s right hand. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that Jesus is God without adding to, subtracting from, or changing what is said. However, dozens of times it is stated that Jesus is the son of God.
Verse 6 Metonymy of the cause: For because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience “: i.e., the punishments inflicted by God on account of His wrath.”
Verse 8 Antimereia and Idioma: Pg. 503 and pg. 504
“The word “sons” or “children” with a noun (in regimen) is used idiomatically: —” The word “son”, when qualified by a noun, denotes the nature and character of the person or persons so named, and even their source and origin: e.g. “sons of…” .
Note: the term in regimen simply means that it is governed or qualified by another. In the expression children of light, the noun children is qualified by the noun light. Antimereia changes the noun light to an adjective and we then have enlightened children. Antimereia is a secondary figure, as it requires us to change something, and therefore is subject to one’s interpretation.
Metonymy: “For ye were sometimes darkness (i.e., dark and ignorant), but now are ye light (i.e. enlightened ones) in the Lord.”
Verse 9 Ellipsis: “For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth:” i.e.., [consists] in these things.
All the ancient MSS. and critical texts, and the R.V. agree in reading φωτός (phōtos) of the light, instead of πνεύματος (pneumatos) of the Spirit; and thus ” the fruits of the light” are contrasted with ” the unfruitful works of darkness.”
See Parallel Versions
Polysyndeton: “…all goodness and righteousness and truth”.
Verse 14 Idioma: “1 Tim. 5:12.—Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold of eternal life: i.e., thou shalt lay hold of, etc.
Sometimes the future is used literally instead of the idiomatic second imperative. See John 2:19; Jas. 4:7. In Eph. 5:14, we have two imperatives and then the future.” (5:14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.)”
Often times scripture will contain more than a single meaning, with one being on the surface, and another underneath. Some, with a view from the surface, interpret verse 14 as referring only to the the great Gathering Together of the Body of Christ upon Jesus’ return from heaven, when those who have fallen asleep in their mortal bodies shall be raised. Indeed, this is an appropriate interpretation, for Jesus shall return to awaken those who have, euphemistically, “fallen asleep”. But a better understanding is that verse 14 refers to the “here and now”, and that we who are Christ’s must learn God’s word and conduct our lives in accordance with it, here and now.
The epistle was written to the faithful in Christ Jesus, and at his return not all shall have perished. Some will not need to be awakened, and therefore will not rise from the dead. We all, however, whether alive or dead at that time, shall be changed. The spirit of Christ is eternal and shall endure to the end. Our souls are mortal, and will become immortal, no longer being subject to death. Our bodies, which are corruptible, will be changed incorrupible. This is Christ, and we shall be like him then. But we can be like him now as we learn God’s word, believe it, and do it! Polishing the vessel is not without benefit, but it is the treasure that the vessel contains that is our true riches.
Verse 16 Metonymy of the adjunct: “i.e., because of the evil deeds that are done. See Dan. 2:8 (margin) and LXX. (both Versions: LXX. and Theodotian)”
Time itself is not evil, but through associating what is done in relationship to or during time, “days” is put for what is done during days.
Verse 18 Metonymy of the cause: “Be filled with the Spirit: i.e., not with the Person of the Holy Spirit surely! but with His operations: i.e., with the gifts which come through the ministry of the Word; as is clear from Col. 3:16, where this effect is produced by the same cause: viz., occupation of the heart with God— the Word of Christ dwelling richly within us.”
Spirit is put for the things of the spirit, or spiritual matters.
Verse 19 Synonymia: see Dr. Bullingers notes pgs. 333-336.
Verse 27 Anacoluthon: “Sometimes two equivalent constructions are united in the same proposition.”
https://biblehub.com/interlinear/ephesians/5.htm
“It is scarcely necessary to present these in full. The student can readily search them out for himself.
See Mark 6:7; 12:38; Rom. 12:4; 1 Cor. 14:5; Eph. 5:27, 33.
And in the Old Testament the following may be noticed:— Gen. 35:3; Josh. 23:16; Judges 16:24; Neh. 10:30.”
Verse 31 Gnome: “Where the original sense is modified in the quotation or reference.”
– “in the reference to Gen. 2:23, 24, the words are used with a new application.”
Verse 32 Gnome: “Where the original sense is modified in the quotation or reference.”
– “in the reference to Gen. 2:23, 24, the words are used with a new application.”
Symbol: see pages 769-771.
Verse 33 Anacoluthon: “Sometimes two equivalent constructions are united in the same proposition.”
Italicized words in [brackets] were added by the King James Version translators.
Thanks go to Blue Letter Bible and Internet Archive and The Cornell University Library for providing public domain material.
Thanks also to E. W. Bullinger for his work “Figures Of Speech Used In The Bible”, and thanks to you for taking the time here.
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