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Wednesday, July 9th, 2025
the Week of Proper 9 / Ordinary 14
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Easy-to-Read Version

Ephesians 3:15

Every family in heaven and on earth gets its true name from him.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Adoption;   Church;   Intercession;   Wisdom;   Thompson Chain Reference - Church;   Family;   Names;   Relationships, Spiritual;   Spiritual;   Titles and Names;   The Topic Concordance - Bowing;   God;   Holy Spirit;   Strength;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Prayer, Intercessory;   Titles and Names of the Church;   Types of Christ;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Family;   Father;   Paul;   Prayer;   Worship;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Christians, Names of;   Corinthians, First and Second, Theology of;   God, Names of;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Adoption;   Faith;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Fellowship;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Ephesians, the Epistle to the;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ephesians, Book of;   Family;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - English Versions;   Perfection;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Angels (2);   Building;   Children;   Children of God, Sons of God;   Colossians, Epistle to the;   Dependence;   Earth Earthen Earthy Earthly;   Ephesians Epistle to the;   Example;   Family;   Intercession;   Prayer;   Prophecy Prophet Prophetess;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Abba;   Brother;   Church;   Father;   Head;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Prayer;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Church;   Family;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Brother;   Ephesians, Epistle to the;   Intercession;   Prayer;   Regeneration;   Trine (Triune) Immersion;  

Devotionals:

- Daily Light on the Daily Path - Devotion for October 10;   Every Day Light - Devotion for December 6;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named.
King James Version (1611)
Of whom the whole family in heauen and earth is named,
King James Version
Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
English Standard Version
from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
New American Standard Bible
from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name,
New Century Version
from whom every family in heaven and on earth gets its true name.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name,
Legacy Standard Bible
from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
Berean Standard Bible
from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name,
Contemporary English Version
All beings in heaven and on earth receive their life from him.
Complete Jewish Bible
from whom every family in heaven and on earth receives its character.
Darby Translation
of whom every family in [the] heavens and on earth is named,
Geneva Bible (1587)
(Of whom is named the whole familie in heauen and in earth)
George Lamsa Translation
For whom all fatherhood in heaven and in earth is named,
Good News Translation
from whom every family in heaven and on earth receives its true name.
Lexham English Bible
from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
Literal Translation
of whom every family in Heaven and on earth is named,
Amplified Bible
from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name [God—the first and ultimate Father].
American Standard Version
from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
Bible in Basic English
From whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
Hebrew Names Version
from whom every family in heaven and on eretz is named,
International Standard Version
from whom every familyall fatherhood">[fn] in heaven and on earth receives its name.Ephesians 1:10; Philippians 2:9-11;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
from whom is named the whole family [fn] who are in heaven and in earth;
Murdock Translation
from whom the whole family in heaven and on earth is named;
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Of who all the famyly in heauen and earth is named:
English Revised Version
from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
World English Bible
from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
(Of whom the whole
Weymouth's New Testament
from whom the whole family in Heaven and on earth derives its name,
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
of whom ech fadirhod in heuenes and in erthe is named,
Update Bible Version
from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
Webster's Bible Translation
Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
New English Translation
from whom every family in heaven and on the earth is named.
New King James Version
from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
New Living Translation
the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.
New Life Bible
It is from Him that every family in heaven and on earth has its name.
New Revised Standard
from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
From whom every fatherhood in the heavens and upon the earth is named, -
Douay-Rheims Bible
Of whom all paternity in heaven and earth is named:
Revised Standard Version
from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
which is father over all that ys called father In heven and in erth
Young's Literal Translation
of whom the whole family in the heavens and on earth is named,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
which is the true father, ouer all that is called father in heauen and in earth,
Mace New Testament (1729)
from whom the whole family in heaven and earth are denominated his children:
Simplified Cowboy Version
He is the Creator of all things in heaven and on earth.

Contextual Overview

14 So I bow in prayer before the Father. 15 Every family in heaven and on earth gets its true name from him. 16 I ask the Father with his great glory to give you the power to be strong in your spirits. He will give you that strength through his Spirit. 17 I pray that Christ will live in your hearts because of your faith. I pray that your life will be strong in love and be built on love. 18 And I pray that you and all God's holy people will have the power to understand the greatness of Christ's love—how wide, how long, how high, and how deep that love is. 19 Christ's love is greater than anyone can ever know, but I pray that you will be able to know that love. Then you can be filled with everything God has for you. 20 With God's power working in us, he can do much, much more than anything we can ask or think of. 21 To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus for all time, forever and ever. Amen.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the whole: Ephesians 1:10, Ephesians 1:21, Philippians 2:9-11, Colossians 1:20, Revelation 5:8-14, Revelation 7:4-12

is: Isaiah 65:15, Jeremiah 33:16, Acts 11:26, Revelation 2:17, Revelation 3:12

Reciprocal: Genesis 4:26 - Enos Zechariah 14:9 - and Matthew 23:8 - all Galatians 6:10 - especially Ephesians 2:14 - both Ephesians 2:19 - household 2 Timothy 2:19 - Let James 2:7 - by

Cross-References

Genesis 3:1
The snake was the most clever of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made. The snake spoke to the woman and said, "Woman, did God really tell you that you must not eat from any tree in the garden?"
Genesis 3:3
But there is one tree we must not eat from. God told us, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden. You must not even touch that tree, or you will die.'"
Genesis 3:4
But the snake said to the woman, "You will not die.
Genesis 3:6
The woman could see that the tree was beautiful and the fruit looked so good to eat. She also liked the idea that it would make her wise. So she took some of the fruit from the tree and ate it. Her husband was there with her, so she gave him some of the fruit, and he ate it.
Genesis 3:7
Then it was as if their eyes opened, and they saw things differently. They saw that they were naked. So they got some fig leaves, sewed them together, and wore them for clothes.
Genesis 3:8
During the cool part of the day, the Lord God was walking in the garden. The man and the woman heard him, and they hid among the trees in the garden.
Genesis 3:10
The man said, "I heard you walking in the garden, and I was afraid. I was naked, so I hid."
Genesis 3:13
Then the Lord God said to the woman, "What have you done?" She said, "The snake tricked me, so I ate the fruit."
Genesis 3:14
So the Lord God said to the snake, "You did this very bad thing, so bad things will happen to you. It will be worse for you than for any other animal. You must crawl on your belly and eat dust all the days of your life.
Genesis 3:15
I will make you and the woman enemies to each other. Your children and her children will be enemies. You will bite her child's foot, but he will crush your head."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named. This may refer either to God, the Father of Christ; who is the Father of the whole family in heaven and in earth; not only the Father of Christ, but the Father of spirits, of angelic spirits, as well as of the souls of men; and the Father of all the saints by adopting grace, whether above or below; they are all the household of God: or else to Jesus Christ, who is the everlasting Father, the Son over his own house, and the firstborn among many brethren: and this family consists either of elect angels and elect men, who are both under one head, Christ, and are in one family, only with this difference, the one are servants, the other sons; or else only of elect men, of saints in heaven and in earth, who all make up but one family; and that part of it, which is on earth, consists of persons of various sizes and growth, as fathers, young men, and children, though they are all the children of God, and partake of the same privileges: and this family is named of Christ; they are called Christians from him, and he is the master and governor of them; they have their laws, directions, and instructions from him; and he is the great provider for them, and the support of them; they have their food and clothing from him, as well as are called by his name. Frequent mention is made in the Jewish writings o of the family of the holy angels, and of the family above, and the family below, to which here may be some reference.

o Targ. in Cant. i. 15. T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 17. 1. Zohar in Exod. fol. 105. 4. Raziel, fol. 42. 1. & 45. 2. Caphtor, fol. 58. 2. Shaare Orn, fol. 14. 3.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Of whom the whole family - This expression “of whom,” may refer either to “the Father,” or to the Lord Jesus. Commentators have been divided in opinion in regard to it. Bloomfield, Chandler, Erasmus, Koppe, and some others, refer it to the Father. Locke, Doddridge, Calvin, and some others, refer it to the Lord Jesus. This is the more natural interpretation. The whole “family of God,” means all his children; and the idea is, that they all bear the same name, derived from the Redeemer; all are Christians. No matter where they are, in heaven or in earth; no matter from what nation they are converted, whether Jews or Gentiles, they all have one name, and one Redeemer, and all belong to one family; see Ephesians 4:4-6.

In heaven - Spirits of just people made perfect. It does not properly refer to angels, for he is not speaking of them but of the family of the redeemed. If the phrase “in heaven,” could “ever” be taken to denote the Jews as contradistinguished from the Gentiles, I should think that this was one of the places. Many expositors have supposed that it is frequently so used in this Epistle, but I see no clear evidence of it, and no instance where it seems very probable, unless this should be one. And it is not necessary here, for it may mean “all” the redeemed, whether in heaven or earth, though the connection would seem rather to have suggested a reference to the Jews and the Gentiles. An expression similar to this occurs in Colossians 1:20. “To reconcile all things to himself, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.” The passage before us is one that is commonly explained by a reference to Jewish opinions. The Jews were accustomed to call the angels in heaven God’s “upper family,” and his people on earth his “lower family.” See the passages cited from the rabbinical writers in Wetstein.

Is named - This means substantially the same as is. They are all of one family. They all have one father, and are all of one community. The expression is taken from the custom in a family, where all bear the name of the “head” of the family; and the meaning is, that all in heaven and on earth are united under one head, and constitute one community. It does not mean that all are “called” by the same name, or that the name “Christian” is given to the angels, but that they all pertain to the same community, and constitute the same great and glorious brotherhood. Part are in heaven, near his throne; part in distant worlds; part are angels of light; part redeemed and happy spirits; part are in the church on earth; but they are all united as one family, and have one head and Father. This glorious family will yet be gathered together in heaven, and will encompass the throne of their common Father rejoicing.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 15. Of whom the whole familyBelievers in the Lord Jesus Christ on earth, the spirits of just men made perfect in a separate state, and all the holy angels in heaven, make but one family, of which God is the Father and Head. St. Paul does not say, of whom the families, as if each order formed a distinct household; but he says family, because they are all one, and of one. And all this family is named-derives its origin and being, from God, as children derive their name from him who is the father of the family: holy persons in heaven and earth derive their being and their holiness from God, and therefore his name is called upon them. Christ gives the name of Christians to all the real members of his Church upon earth; and to all the spirits of just men (saved since his advent, and through his blood) in heaven. They are all the sons and daughters of God Almighty.


 
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