the Week of Proper 13 / Ordinary 18
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Myles Coverdale Bible
Ephesians 6:5
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Slaves, obey your human masters with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as you would Christ.
Seruants, bee obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with feare and trembling, in singlenesse of your heart, as vnto Christ:
Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;
Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ,
Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ;
Slaves, obey your masters here on earth with fear and respect and from a sincere heart, just as you obey Christ.
Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ;
Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the integrity of your heart, as to Christ;
Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear and sincerity of heart, just as you would show to Christ.
Slaves, you must obey your earthly masters. Show them great respect and be as loyal to them as you are to Christ.
Slaves, obey your human masters with the same fear, trembling and single-heartedness with which you obey the Messiah.
Bondmen, obey masters according to flesh, with fear and trembling, in simplicity of your heart as to the Christ;
Slaves, obey your masters here on earth with fear and respect. And do this with a heart that is true, just as you obey Christ.
Seruants, be obedient vnto them that are your masters, according to the flesh, with feare & trembling in singlenesse of your hearts as vnto Christ,
Servants, be obedient to your masters according to the flesh, with reverence and trembling, and with a sincere heart, as to Christ;
Slaves, obey your human masters with fear and trembling; and do it with a sincere heart, as though you were serving Christ.
Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ,
Slaves, obey your lords according to flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as to Christ;
Slaves, be obedient to those who are your earthly masters, with respect for authority, and with a sincere heart [seeking to please them], as [service] to Christ—
Servants, be obedient unto them that according to the flesh are your masters, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;
Servants, do what is ordered by those who are your natural masters, having respect and fear for them, with all your heart, as to Christ;
Servants, be obedient to those who according to the flesh are your masters, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as to Messiah;
Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear, with trembling, and along with sincerity,With sincerity">[fn] as when you obey Christ.as to Christ">[fn]1 Chronicles 29:17; 2 Corinthians 7:15; Philippians 2:12; Colossians 3:22; 1 Timothy 6:1; Titus 2:9; 1 Peter 2:18;">[xr]
Servants, be subject to your masters who are according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, and with simplicity of heart, as unto the Meshiha:
Servants, be obedient to your masters after the flesh, with fear, and with trepidation, and with simplicity of heart, as unto the Messiah.
Seruauntes obey them that are your bodyly maisters, with feare and tremblyng, in singlenesse of your heart, as vnto Christe.
Servants, be obedient unto them that according to the flesh are your masters, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;
Servants, be obedient to those who according to the flesh are your masters, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as to Christ;
Servants, obey your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of heart, as unto the Lord:
Slaves, be obedient to your earthly masters, with respect and eager anxiety to please and with simplicity of motive as if you were obeying Christ.
Seruauntis, obeische ye to fleischli lordis with drede and trembling, in simplenesse of youre herte, as to Crist;
Slaves, be obedient to those that according to the flesh are your masters, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as to Christ;
Servants, be obedient to them that are [your] masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as to Christ;
Slaves, obey your human masters with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart as to Christ,
Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ;
Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ.
You servants who are owned by someone must obey your owners. Work for them as hard as you can. Work for them the same as if you were working for Christ.
Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, in singleness of heart, as you obey Christ;
Ye servants, be obedient unto them who, after the flesh, are your masters, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto the Christ;
Servants, be obedient to them that are your lords according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the simplicity of your heart, as to Christ.
Slaves, be obedient to those who are your earthly masters, with fear and trembling, in singleness of heart, as to Christ;
Servautes be obedient vnto youre carnall masters with feare and trimblinge in singlenes of youre hertes as vnto Christ:
The servants! obey the masters according to the flesh with fear and trembling, in the simplicity of your heart, as to the Christ;
Servants, be obedient to your legal masters, with awful reverence and sincerity of heart, as unto Christ:
Servants, respectfully obey your earthly masters but always with an eye to obeying the real master, Christ. Don't just do what you have to do to get by, but work heartily, as Christ's servants doing what God wants you to do. And work with a smile on your face, always keeping in mind that no matter who happens to be giving the orders, you're really serving God. Good work will get you good pay from the Master, regardless of whether you are slave or free.
Slaves, do what your bosses tell you to do. If you have to, just think of it like you are serving Christ.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
be: Genesis 16:9, Psalms 123:2, Malachi 1:6, Matthew 6:24, Matthew 8:9, Acts 10:7, Acts 10:8, Colossians 3:22, 1 Timothy 6:1-3, Titus 2:9, Titus 2:10, 1 Peter 2:18-21
according: Philemon 1:16
with: 1 Corinthians 2:3, 2 Corinthians 7:15, Philippians 2:12, 1 Peter 3:2
in: Ephesians 6:24, Joshua 24:14, 1 Chronicles 29:17, Psalms 86:11, Matthew 6:22, Acts 2:46, 2 Corinthians 1:12, 2 Corinthians 11:2, 2 Corinthians 11:3
as: Ephesians 1:1-23, 1 Corinthians 7:22, Colossians 3:17-24
Reciprocal: Genesis 16:8 - Sarai's maid Genesis 24:33 - General Genesis 30:29 - General Genesis 31:6 - General Luke 11:34 - single Romans 12:8 - with simplicity Romans 12:11 - serving Romans 13:7 - fear to Ephesians 5:22 - as Ephesians 6:1 - in Ephesians 6:7 - as Ephesians 6:9 - the same Hebrews 10:22 - a true
Cross-References
So whan men beganne to multiplie vpon the earth, and had begot them doughters,
Then sayde ye LORDE: My sprete shal not allwaye stryue with man, for he is but flesh also. I wil yet geue him respyte an hundreth and twety yeares.
There were giauntes also in the worlde at that tyme. For whan the children of God had lyen with the daughters of men, and begotten them children, ye same (children) became mightie in the worlde, and men of renowne.
This is ye generacion of Noe. Noe was a righteous and parfecte ma, and led a godly life in his tyme,
And of all creatures what so euer flesh it be, thou shalt bringe into the Arcke, euen a payre: the male and the female, that they maye lyue wt the:
Of foules after their kynde, of beastes after their kynde, and of all maner wormes of the earth after their kinde. Of euery one of these shal there a payre go in vnto the, that they maye lyue.
And thou shalt take vnto the all maner of meate that maye be eaten, and shalt laye it vp in stoare by the, that it maye be meate for the and them.
And ye LORDE smelled the swete sauor, & sayde in his hert: I wyl hence forth curse the earth nomore for mas sake, for the ymaginacion of mans hert is euell, euen from the very youth of him. Therfore from hece forth I wil nomore smyte all that lyueth, as I haue done.
But ye men of Sodome were wicked, and synned exceadingly agaynst the LORDE.
so that though he heare the wordes of this curse, he blesse him selfe yet in his hert, and saye: Tush, it shal not be so euell. I wil walke after the meanynge of myne awne hert, that the dronken maye perishe with the thyrstie.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Servants, be obedient to them that are [your] masters,.... The apostle enlarges on the duty of servants, as well as frequently inculcates it in his epistles; because, generally speaking, they were more rude and ignorant, and less pains were taken with them to instruct them; they were apt to be impatient and weary of the yoke; and scandal was like to arise from servants in the first ages of Christianity through some libertines, and the licentiousness of the false teachers, who insinuated, that servitude was inconsistent with Christian freedom: the persons exhorted are "servants", bond servants, and hired servants; who are to be subject to, and obey their "masters", of each sex, whether male or female, of every condition, whether poor or rich, believers or unbelievers, good or bad humoured, gentle or froward: such as are their masters
according to the flesh; or "carnal masters", as the Vulgate Latin version renders it; even though they are unregenerate men, and are in a state of nature, and only mind the things of the flesh, yet they are to be obeyed in their lawful commands; or "in things pertaining to the flesh", as the Arabic version renders it; in things temporal, which concern the body, and this temporal life; not in things spiritual and religious, or that belong to conscience, and which are contrary to them: or "according to your flesh", as the Ethiopic version renders it; signifying that they are only masters over their bodies, not their consciences; and that their power only extends to corporeal things, and can last no longer than while they are in the flesh; see Job 3:19; and obedience is to be yielded to them
with fear and trembling; with great humility and respect, with reverence of them, and giving honour to them, with carefulness not to offend them, with submission to their reproofs and corrections, and with fear of punishment; but more especially with the fear of God, being by that influenced and constrained to obedience;
in singleness of heart; with readiness and cheerfulness, without hypocrisy and dissimulation, and with all integrity and faithfulness:
as unto Christ; it being agreeable to his will, and what makes for his glory, and serves to adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Servants - οιÌÌ Î´Î¿Ï Íλοι hoi douloi. The word used here denotes one who is bound to render service to another, whether that service be free or voluntary, and may denote, therefore, either a slave, or one who binds himself to render service to another. It is often used in these senses in the New Testament, just as it is elsewhere. It cannot be demonstrated that the word here necessarily means âslaves;â though, if slavery existed among those to whom this Epistle was written - as there can be little doubt that it did - it is a word which would apply to those in this condition; compare notes on 1 Corinthians 7:21; Galatians 3:28, note. On the general subject of slavery, and the Scripture doctrine in regard to it; see notes on Isaiah 58:6. Whether the persons here referred to were slaves, or were those who had bound themselves to render a voluntary servitude, the directions here given were equally appropriate. It was not the design of the Christian religion to produce a rude sundering of the ties which bind man to man, but to teach all to perform their duties aright in the relations in which Christianity found them, and gradually to modify the customs of society, and to produce ultimately the universal prevalence of that which is right.
Be obedient to them - This is the uniform direction in the New Testament; see 1 Peter 2:18; 1 Timothy 6:1-3; notes 1 Corinthians 7:21. The idea is that they were to show in that relation the excellence of the religion which they professed. If they could be made free, they were to prefer that condition to a state of bondage 1 Corinthians 7:21, but while the relation remained, they were to be kind, gentle, and obedient, as became Christians. In the parallel place in Colossians Colossians 3:22, it is said that they were to obey their masters âin all things.â But evidently this is to be understood with the limitations implied in the case of wives and children (see the notes on Ephesians 5:24; Ephesians 6:1, note), and a master would have no right to command that which was morally wrong.
According to the flesh - This is designed, evidently, to limit the obligation to obedience. The meaning is, that they had control over âthe body, the flesh.â They had the power to command the service which the body could render; but they were not lords of the spirit. The soul acknowledged God as its Lord, and to the Lord they were to be subject in a higher sense than to their masters.
With fear and trembling - With reverence and with a dread of offending them. They have authority and power over you, and you should be afraid to incur their displeasure. Whatever might be true about the propriety of slavery, and whatever might be the duty of the master about setting the slave free, it would be more to the honor of religion for the servant to perform his task with a willing mind than to be contumacious and rebellions. He could do more for the honor of religion by patiently submitting to even what he felt to be wrong, than by being punished for what would be regarded as rebellion. It may be added here, that it was presumed that servants then could read. These directions were addressed to them, not to their masters. Of what use would be directions like these addressed to American slaves - scarce any of whom can read?
In singleness of your heart - With a simple, sincere desire to do what ought to be done.
As unto Christ - Feeling that by rendering proper service to your masters, you are in fact serving the Lord, and that you are doing that which will be well-pleasing to him; see the notes on 1 Corinthians 7:22. Fidelity, in whatever situation we may be in life, is acceptable service to the Lord. A Christian may as acceptably serve the Lord Jesus in the condition of a servant, as if he were a minister of the gospel, or a king on a throne. Besides, it will greatly lighten the burdens of such a situation, and make the toils of an humble condition easy, to remember that we are then âserving the Lord.â
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Ephesians 6:5. Servants, be obedient — Though Î´Î¿Ï Î»Î¿Ï frequently signifies a slave or bondman, yet it often implies a servant in general, or any one bound to another, either for a limited time, or for life. Even a slave, if a Christian, was bound to serve him faithfully by whose money he was bought, howsoever illegal that traffic may be considered. In heathen countries slavery was in some sort excusable; among Christians it is an enormity and a crime for which perdition has scarcely an adequate state of punishment.
According to the flesh — Your masters in secular things; for they have no authority over your religion, nor over your souls.
With fear and trembling — Because the law gives them a power to punish you for every act of disobedience.
In singleness of your heart — Not merely through fear of punishment, but from a principle of uprightness, serving them as you would serve Christ.
