ESV Global Study Bible :: Footnotes for Ephesians 5

Eph. 5:1–20 New Life in Love. Paul gives general instructions for holy living. Purity of life comes from avoiding evil deeds and relationships and adopting holy practices.

Eph. 5:1–2 Paul’s discussion of love introduces further instructions on holy living (vv. 3–20). When Christ gave himself up for us, it was the supreme act of his love (see John 15:13).

Eph. 5:3 The term sexual immorality covers all sexual sins, including adultery, sex outside of marriage, and homosexuality. Covetousness is a jealous desire for what others possess (Ex. 20:17). It amounts to idolatry (Eph. 5:5; Col. 3:5). saints. See note on Eph. 1:1.

Eph. 5:4 Thanksgiving, in contrast to crude joking and foolish talk, is the positive way to speak. Thanksgiving can also be a cure for covetousness (see v. 3).

Eph. 5:5 idolater. See Col. 3:5. inheritance. See Eph. 1:13–14; 4:30. kingdom. Paul speaks of Christ ruling now from the right hand of God (see 1:20–22; compare Rom. 8:34; 1 Cor. 15:24–27; Col. 3:1; etc.). Believers have already been brought into his redemptive kingdom (see Eph. 2:6; Col. 1:13–14), although his rule will be complete only at his second coming (1 Cor. 15:20–24; 2 Tim. 4:1).

Eph. 5:6 deceive you . . . because of these things. Only a false teacher would claim that Christians can lead unrepentant, sinful lives (see 2 Tim. 3:1–9; 2 Pet. 2:1–3; Rev. 2:14, 20) and not suffer any consequences. These practices lead to the wrath of God in judgment (Rev. 2:21–23). sons of disobedience. See note on Eph. 2:2; compare John 8:44; 17:12; 1 John 3:10.

Eph. 5:7 become partners. Christians must not join unbelievers in their sin.

Eph. 5:8 Walk as children of light. See 1 John 1:5–7. See also Isa. 9:2; 42:6; John 9:5.

Eph. 5:9 Fruit of light is similar to fruit of the Spirit (compare Gal. 5:22–23).

Eph. 5:10 The Bible gives general principles for life. Christians must also seek the wisdom to discern how to apply those principles to their daily lives.

Eph. 5:11 Expose means either to correct or to convince through argument and discussion (also v. 13). Those who expose sin must not gossip or slander others in the process.

Eph. 5:14 it says. The quotation combines the thought of several verses, including Isa. 60:1 (see also Isa. 9:2; 26:19).

Eph. 5:17 The will of the Lord means God’s general guidelines for life as found in the Bible (his “revealed will”; see Deut. 29:29).

Eph. 5:18 be filled with the Spirit. Compare Gal. 5:22–23. The command describes a regular pattern of life, rather than a onetime event.

Eph. 5:19 Being filled with the Spirit results in joyful praise through singing and making melody. psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. Paul probably has in mind the OT Psalms along with other songs of praise (compare Col. 3:16). “Spiritual” points to the influence of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 5:18) in the believer’s acts of praise.

Eph. 5:20 To pray in the name of Jesus means to pray in faith, trusting in him as the one who represents his people before God the Father (John 14:6; Heb. 4:16; see also note on John 14:13).

Eph. 5:21–6:9 Submission to One Another. Ephesians 5:21 connects the previous section to what follows. Submission is illustrated in various family relationships in 5:22–33 (wives/husbands), 6:1–4 (children/parents), and 6:5–9 (bondservants/masters). See also Col. 3:18–25.

Eph. 5:21 Although this verse begins a new section (5:21–6:9), submitting is actually the last item in the list of ways in which believers are to “Look carefully . . . how you walk” (5:15). The previous items in this list are “making” (v. 16), “addressing” (v. 19), and “giving” (v. 20). Submitting to one another means “submitting to others according to the authority and order established by God.” This can be seen in the examples Paul gives in the following verses.

Eph. 5:22 submit. Paul begins with the right ordering of the marriage relationship (see also Col. 3:18; 1 Pet. 3:1–7). The submission of wives is not like the obedience of children, nor does this text command all women to submit to all men (to your own husbands). Both genders are equally created in God’s image (Gen. 1:26–28) and heirs together of eternal life (Gal. 3:28–29). The submission described here is to the husband’s leadership for the health of the marriage relationship.

Eph. 5:23–24 the husband is the head of the wife. The wife’s submission to her husband is modeled on Christ’s position as head of the church and its Savior. “Head” here clearly refers to a husband’s authority over his wife. See note on 1 Cor. 11:3.

Eph. 5:25 love. Paul now turns to the duty of husbands. Paul tells the husband to give himself up for her. Husbands are to love their wives in a self-sacrificial manner, following the example of Christ with the church. This model is directly opposed to any kind of male tyranny or oppression. Notably, Paul gives three times more space to the subject of the husband’s duty (nine verses) than to the wife’s (three verses).

Eph. 5:26–27 The focus in these verses is on Christ, for husbands do not “sanctify” their wives or “wash” them of their sins. sanctify. Set aside for the Lord’s service through cleansing. washing of water. Perhaps baptism (see Rom. 6:3–4). There may also be a link here to Ezek. 16:1–13, where the Lord washes the infant Israel, raises her, and eventually makes her royalty and marries her. This would correspond to presenting the church to himself in splendor at his marriage supper (see also Ezek. 36:25; Rev. 19:7–9; 21:2; 9–11).

Eph. 5:28–30 The body for which Christ sacrificed himself was the church.

Eph. 5:31 God joins husbands and wives together to become one flesh (Gen. 2:24; see also Matt. 19:5; 1 Cor. 6:16).

Eph. 5:32 By mystery Paul means the hidden plan of God that has come to fulfillment in Christ Jesus (see 1:9; 3:3–4; 9;; 6:19). Paul interprets the original creation of the husband-and-wife union as being modeled on Christ’s forthcoming union with the church (see 5:23).