Figures of Speech in Ephesians Chapter 1 (ISV)
The Letter of Paul to the EPHESIANS
Ephesians 1
Greetings from Paul
1From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will, to his holy and faithful people in Ephesus who are in union with Christ Jesus. 2May grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be yours!
The Many Blessings of Salvation
3May the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ be praised![1] He has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing[2] in the heavenly realm, 4just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in his presence. In love 5he predestined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ, according to the pleasure of his will,[3] 6so that we would praise[4] his glorious grace that he gave[5] us in the Beloved One. 7In him we have redemption through his blood,[6] the forgiveness of our offenses, according to the riches[7] of God’s[8] grace 8that he lavished on us, along with all wisdom and understanding,[9] 9when he made known to us the secret of his will.[10] This was according to his plan that he set forth in Christ 10to usher in the fullness of the times[11] and to gather up all things in Christ, both things in heaven and things on[12] earth.
11In Christ[13] we were also chosen when we were set apart beforehand according to the purpose of the one who does everything according to the intention of his will.[14] 12He did this so that we who had already fixed our hope on Christ might live for his praise and glory. 13You, too, have heard the word of truth[15], the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him. You were sealed in him with the promised Holy Spirit,[16] 14who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of God’s own possession,[17] to his praise and glory.
Paul’s Prayer for the Ephesians
15Therefore, because I have heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16I never stop giving thanks for you as I mention you in my prayers. 17I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father most glorious,[18] would give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation[19] through knowing Christ. 18Then, with the eyes of your hearts[20] enlightened, you will know the hope of his calling, the riches of his glorious inheritance[21] among the saints, 19and the unlimited greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his mighty strength.[22] 20He put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand[23] in the heavenly realm. 21He is far above every ruler, authority, power, dominion, and every name that can be named, [24]not only in the present age but also in [the one][25] to come. 22God has put everything[26] under his feet[27] and has made him the head of everything for the good of the church, 23which is his body,[28] the fullness of the one who fills[29] everything in every way.
2
[1] 1:3 Figure: benedictio, expression of feeling by giving a blessing
[2] 1:3 Figure: polyptoton, eulogetos…eulogesas…eulogia, emphasis on blessing
[3] 1:5 Figure: hypallage, “his pleasing will” see also v 9,11
[4] 1:6 Lit. to the praise of
[5] 1:6 Figure: polyptoton, charitos…echaritosen, emphasis on grace
[6] 1:7 Figure: metalepsis, blood put for blood-shedding put for what was accomplished by his death
[7] 1:7 Figure: anthropopatheia, riches attributed to God, idioma, riches stand for great quantity of something
[8] 1:7 Lit. his
[9] 1:8 Figure: hendiadys, one thing meant – wise understanding
[10] 1:9 Figure: hypallage, “his secret purpose or will”
[11] 1:10 Figure: metonymy (of time) – stands for the ending of all history
[12] 1:10 Figure: anaphora, emphasis on how ALL will be gathered up in Christ
[13] 1:11 Lit. him; 1:11,13 Figure: repetitio, “in whom” emphasis on “in Christ”, 2x in v 13
[14] 1:11 Figure: hypallage, “his intended will”
[15] 1:13 Figure: antimereia, “the true word”; also synecdoche, word stands for all revelation
[16] 1:13 Lit. the Spirit of promise, Figure: antimereia, “the promised Spirit”; also hyperbaton, exchange of word order emphasizes “Holy”
[17] 1:14 Lit. of the possession, Figure: epitrechon, parenthesis explains that the Holy Spirit is a guarantee.
[18] 1:17 Lit. the Father of glory, Figure: antimereia, “the glorious Father”
[19] 1:17 Figure: hendiadys, one thing meant, “wise revelation”
[20] 1:18 Figure: prosopopeia (personification); also hypocatastasis, heart = inner mind
[21] 1:18 Figure: antimereia, dual genitive, “glorious riches of his inheritance”; also, anthropopatheia, wealth and inheritance attributed to God; idioma, riches = plenty
[22] 1:19 Figure: antimereia, dual genitive, “mighty working of his strength”
[23] 1:20 Figure: anthropopatheia, right hand; also hypocatastasis, right hand = place of blessing
[24] 1:21 Figure: polysyndeton, consider each kind of authority; also polyptoton, onomatos… onamazomenou, emphasis on every name
[25] 1:21 Figure: ellipsis, [the one] or [the age]
[26] 1:22 Figure: repetitio, panta, emphasis on everything
[27] 1:22 Figure: hypocatastasis, feet = dominion
[28] 1:23 Figure: metaphor, church represented by body
[29] 1:23 Figure: polyptoton, pleroma…pleroumenou, emphasis on fullness; also homeopropheron, “p” pleroma, panta, pasin, pleroumenou