Efesus 2:2-3
Konteks2:2 in which 1 you formerly lived 2 according to this world’s present path, 3 according to the ruler of the kingdom 4 of the air, the ruler of 5 the spirit 6 that is now energizing 7 the sons of disobedience, 8 2:3 among whom 9 all of us 10 also 11 formerly lived out our lives in the cravings of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath 12 even as the rest… 13
Efesus 4:18-19
Konteks4:18 They are darkened in their understanding, 14 being alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts. 4:19 Because they are callous, they have given themselves over to indecency for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. 15
Efesus 5:7-11
Konteks5:7 Therefore do not be partakers with them, 16 5:8 for you were at one time darkness, but now you are 17 light in the Lord. Walk as children of the light – 5:9 for the fruit of the light 18 consists in 19 all goodness, righteousness, and truth – 5:10 trying to learn 20 what is pleasing to the Lord. 5:11 Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather 21 expose them. 22
[2:2] 1 sn The relative pronoun which is feminine as is sins, indicating that sins is the antecedent.
[2:2] sn The Greek verb translated lived (περιπατέω, peripatew) in the NT letters refers to the conduct of one’s life, not to physical walking.
[2:2] 3 tn Or possibly “Aeon.”
[2:2] sn The word translated present path is the same as that which has been translated [this] age in 1:21 (αἰών, aiwn).
[2:2] 4 tn Grk “domain, [place of] authority.”
[2:2] 5 tn Grk “of” (but see the note on the word “spirit” later in this verse).
[2:2] 6 sn The ruler of the kingdom of the air is also the ruler of the spirit that is now energizing the sons of disobedience. Although several translations regard the ruler to be the same as the spirit, this is unlikely since the cases in Greek are different (ruler is accusative and spirit is genitive). To get around this, some have suggested that the genitive for spirit is a genitive of apposition. However, the semantics of the genitive of apposition are against such an interpretation (cf. ExSyn 100).
[2:2] 8 sn Sons of disobedience is a Semitic idiom that means “people characterized by disobedience.” However, it also contains a subtle allusion to vv. 4-10: Some of those sons of disobedience have become sons of God.
[2:3] 9 sn Among whom. The relative pronoun phrase that begins v. 3 is identical, except for gender, to the one that begins v. 2 (ἐν αἵς [en Jais], ἐν οἵς [en Jois]). By the structure, the author is building an argument for our hopeless condition: We lived in sin and we lived among sinful people. Our doom looked to be sealed as well in v. 2: Both the external environment (kingdom of the air) and our internal motivation and attitude (the spirit that is now energizing) were under the devil’s thumb (cf. 2 Cor 4:4).
[2:3] 12 sn Children of wrath is a Semitic idiom which may mean either “people characterized by wrath” or “people destined for wrath.”
[2:3] 13 sn Eph 2:1-3. The translation of vv. 1-3 is very literal, even to the point of retaining the awkward syntax of the original. See note on the word dead in 2:1.
[4:18] 14 tn In the Greek text this clause is actually subordinate to περιπατεῖ (peripatei) in v. 17. It was broken up in the English translation so as to avoid an unnecessarily long and cumbersome statement.
[4:19] 15 sn Greediness refers to an increasing desire for more and more. The point is that sinful passions and desires are never satisfied.
[5:7] 16 tn The genitive αὐτῶν (autwn) has been translated as a genitive of association because of its use with συμμέτοχοι (summetocoi) – a verb which implies association in the σύν- (sun-) prefix.
[5:8] 17 tn The verb “you are” is implied in the Greek text, but is supplied in the English translation to make it clear.
[5:9] 18 tc Several
[5:9] 19 tn Grk “in.” The idea is that the fruit of the light is “expressed in” or “consists of.”
[5:10] 20 tn BDAG 255 s.v. δοκιμάζω 1 translates δοκιμάζοντες (dokimazonte") in Eph 5:10 as “try to learn.”
[5:11] 21 tn The Greek conjunction καὶ (kai) seems to be functioning here ascensively, (i.e., “even”), but is difficult to render in this context using good English. It may read something like: “but rather even expose them!”