Ephesians 6:1-3
New American Standard Bible
Children and Parents
6 (A)Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 (B)Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise), 3 so that it may turn out well for you, and that you may live long on the earth.
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Ephesians 6:1-3
The Voice
6 Now to you, children, obey your parents in the Lord because this is right in God’s eyes. 2 This is the first commandment onto which He added a promise: “Honor your father and your mother, and 3 if you do, you will live long and well in this land.”[a]
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Ephesians 6:1-3
New English Translation
6 Children,[a] obey your parents in the Lord,[b] for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother,”[c] which is the first commandment accompanied by a promise, namely, 3 “that it will go[d] well with you and that you will live[e] a long time on the earth.”[f]
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- Ephesians 6:1 tn The use of the article τά (ta) with τέκνα (tekna) functions in a generic way to distinguish this group from husbands, wives, fathers and slaves and is left, therefore, untranslated. The generic article is used with γύναῖκες (gunaikes) in 5:22, ἄνδρες (andres) in 5:25, δοῦλοι (douloi) in 6:5, and κύριοι (kurioi) in 6:9.
- Ephesians 6:1 tc B D* F G as well as a few versional and patristic representatives lack “in the Lord” (ἐν κυρίῳ, en kuriō), while the phrase is well represented in P46 א A D1 Ivid Ψ 0278 0285 33 1175 1505 1739 1881 2464 M sy co. Scribes may have thought that the phrase could be regarded a qualifier on the kind of parents a child should obey (viz., only Christian parents), and would thus be tempted to delete the phrase to counter such an interpretation. It is unlikely that the phrase would have been added later, since the form used to express such sentiment in this Haustafel is ὡς τῷ κυρίῳ/Χριστῷ (hōs tō kuriō/Christō, “as to the Lord/Christ”; see 5:22; 6:5). Even though the witnesses for the omission are impressive, it is more likely that the phrase was deleted than added by scribal activity.
- Ephesians 6:2 sn A quotation from Exod 20:12 and Deut 5:16.
- Ephesians 6:3 tn Grk “be.”
- Ephesians 6:3 tn Grk “will be.”
- Ephesians 6:3 sn A quotation from Deut 5:16.
Ephesians 6:1-3
New Living Translation
Children and Parents
6 Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord,[a] for this is the right thing to do. 2 “Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise: 3 If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.”[b]
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- 6:1 Or Children, obey your parents who belong to the Lord; some manuscripts read simply Children, obey your parents.
- 6:2-3 Exod 20:12; Deut 5:16.
Ephesians 6:1-3
English Standard Version
Children and Parents
6 (A)Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 (B)“Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”
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