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And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

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From Death to Life

You were dead through the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world,[a] following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient.[b](A) All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, doing the will of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else,(B)

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Footnotes

  1. 2.2 Gk according to the aeon
  2. 2.2 Gk sons of disobedience

By Grace Through Faith

(A)And you were (B)dead in the trespasses and sins (C)in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following (D)the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in (E)the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in (F)the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body[a] and the mind, and (G)were by nature (H)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

Made Alive in Christ

And [a]you [b]were (A)dead [c]in your offenses and sins, in which you (B)previously walked according to the [d]course of (C)this world, according to (D)the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in (E)the [e]sons of disobedience. Among them [f]we too all (F)previously lived in (G)the lusts of our flesh, [g]indulging the desires of the flesh and of the [h]mind, and were (H)by nature (I)children of wrath, (J)just as the rest.

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Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 2:1 Lit being
  2. Ephesians 2:1 I.e., Gentile believers
  3. Ephesians 2:1 Or by reason of
  4. Ephesians 2:2 Lit age
  5. Ephesians 2:2 I.e., people opposed to God
  6. Ephesians 2:3 I.e., Jewish believers
  7. Ephesians 2:3 Lit doing
  8. Ephesians 2:3 Lit thoughts

New Life Individually

And although you were[a] dead[b] in your offenses and sins, in which[c] you formerly lived[d] according to this world’s present path,[e] according to the ruler of the domain[f] of the air, the ruler of[g] the spirit[h] that is now energizing[i] the sons of disobedience,[j] among whom[k] all of us[l] also[m] 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[n] even as the rest…[o]

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Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 2:1 tn The adverbial participle “being” (ὄντας, ontas) is taken concessively.
  2. Ephesians 2:1 sn Chapter 2 starts off with a participle, although you were dead, that is left dangling. The syntax in Greek for vv. 1-3 constitutes one incomplete sentence, though it seems to have been done intentionally. The dangling participle leaves the readers in suspense while they wait for the solution (in v. 4) to their spiritual dilemma.
  3. Ephesians 2:2 sn The relative pronoun which is feminine as is sins, indicating that sins is the antecedent.
  4. Ephesians 2:2 tn Grk “walked.” sn The Greek verb translated lived (περιπατέω, peripateō) in the NT letters refers to the conduct of one’s life, not to physical walking.
  5. Ephesians 2:2 tn Or possibly “Aeon.”sn The word translated present path is the same as that which has been translated [this] age in 1:21 (αἰών, aiōn).
  6. Ephesians 2:2 tn That is, “[place of] authority”; see BDAG 353 s.v. ἐξουσία 6.
  7. Ephesians 2:2 tn Grk “of” (but see the note on the word “spirit” later in this verse).
  8. Ephesians 2:2 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).
  9. Ephesians 2:2 tn Grk “working in.”
  10. Ephesians 2:2 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.
  11. 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).
  12. Ephesians 2:3 tn Grk “we all.”
  13. Ephesians 2:3 tn Or “even.”
  14. Ephesians 2:3 sn Children of wrath is a Semitic idiom which may mean either “people characterized by wrath” or “people destined for wrath.”
  15. 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.