All of us also lived among them at one time,(A) gratifying the cravings of our flesh[a](B) and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.

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Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 2:3 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit.

among whom we all once lived in (A)the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body[a] and the mind, and (B)were by nature (C)children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.[b]

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Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 2:3 Greek flesh
  2. Ephesians 2:3 Greek like the rest

Among them [a]we too all (A)previously lived in (B)the lusts of our flesh, [b]indulging the desires of the flesh and of the [c]mind, and were (C)by nature (D)children of wrath, (E)just as the rest.

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Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 2:3 I.e., Jewish believers
  2. Ephesians 2:3 Lit doing
  3. Ephesians 2:3 Lit thoughts

All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.

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among whom[a] all of us[b] also[c] 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[d] even as the rest…[e]

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Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 2:3 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 hais], ἐν οἵς [en hois]). 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. Ephesians 2:3 tn Grk “we all.”
  3. Ephesians 2:3 tn Or “even.”
  4. Ephesians 2:3 sn Children of wrath is a Semitic idiom which may mean either “people characterized by wrath” or “people destined for wrath.”
  5. Ephesians 2:3 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.