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Ephesians

About this book
Chapter 4

1 I, therefore, the prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live worthily of the calling with which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, putting up with one another in love, 3 making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit,⁠ just as you too were called to the one hope of your calling, 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he captured captives; he gave gifts to men.”⁠ 9 Now what is the meaning of “he ascended,” except that he also descended to the lower regions, namely, the earth?⁠ 10 He, the very one who descended, is also the one who ascended above all the heavens, in order to fill all things. 11 And he himself gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, that is, to build up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God—a mature person, attaining to the measure of Christ’s full stature. 14 So we are no longer to be children, tossed back and forth by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching by the trickery of people who craftily carry out their deceitful schemes.⁠ 15 But practicing the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ, who is the head. 16 From him the whole body grows, fitted and held together through every supporting ligament. As each one does its part, the body builds itself up in love. 17 So I say this, and insist in the Lord, that you no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, being alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts. 19 Because they are callous, they have given themselves over to indecency for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. 20 But you did not learn about Christ like this, 21 if indeed you heard about him and were taught in him, just as the truth is in Jesus. 22 You were taught with reference to your former way of life to lay aside the old man who is being corrupted in accordance with deceitful desires, 23 to be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and to put on the new man who has been created in God’s image—in righteousness and holiness that comes from truth. 25 Therefore, having laid aside falsehood, each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor because we are members of one another.⁠ 26 Be angry and do not sin;⁠ do not let the sun go down on the cause of your anger.⁠ 27 Do not give the devil an opportunity. 28 The one who steals must steal no longer; instead he must labor, doing good with his own hands, so that he will have something to share with the one who has need. 29 You must let no unwholesome word come out of your mouth, but only what is beneficial for the building up of the one in need, that it would give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God,⁠ by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.⁠ 31 You must put away all bitterness, anger, wrath, quarreling, and slanderous talk—indeed all malice. 32 Instead, be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you.

Texts in conversation

Compare Isaiah 63:6 and Ephesians 4:9 and Jonathan Isaiah 63:6

Hebrew Bible · New Testament · Targum

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Summary

Isaiah 63 ends with blood being "splashed on the ground," which the Aramaic translation in the Targum interprets as the “lowest parts of the earth,” a reference to cosmic judgment. Ephesians may have been influenced by a similar Aramaic tradition.

Passages

Isaiah 63:6

Hebrew Bible
5 I looked, but there was no one to help; I was shocked because there was no one offering support. So my right arm accomplished deliverance; my raging anger drove me on. 6 I trampled nations in my anger; I made them drunk in my rage; I splashed their blood on the ground.” 7 I will tell of the faithful acts of the Lord, of the Lord’s praiseworthy deeds. I will tell about all the Lord did for us, the many good things he did for the family of Israel, because of his compassion and great faithfulness.
740–450 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Isaiah

Ephesians 4:9

New Testament
8 Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he captured captives; he gave gifts to men.” 9 Now what is the meaning of “he ascended,” except that he also descended to the lower regions, namely, the earth? 10 He, the very one who descended, is also the one who ascended above all the heavens, in order to fill all things.
90–100 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in Ephesians

Jonathan Isaiah 63:6

Targum
5 And it is revealed before me that there is no man whose works are good, and it is known to me that there is no man who will stand up and pray on behalf of them; yes, I will redeem them by the arm of my strength, and by the Memra of my delight I will help them. 6 And I will slay the nations in my anger, and I will tread them down in my fury, and I will cast the slain of their mighty ones into the lowest parts of the earth. 7 The prophet said, “I will mention the loving-kindness of the LORD, the praise of the LORD, according to all that the LORD has dealt bountifully with us, and His great goodness toward the house of Israel, which He has given to them according to His mercies and according to the multitude of His loving-kindnesses.”
200–300 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in Jonathan Isaiah

References

"... It is striking that “Edom” does not here occasion a reference to Rome (compare 34:9), even though military “retribution” is the principal issue (verses 1–3). But it may be that Rome is understood as a matter of course, in accordance with Amoraic interpretative habit (compare 34:9 ). In verse 5 (compare also verse 9), there is a clear back reference to the apparently non-messianic theology of vindication which is characteristic of the later meturgeman (compare 59:16) ... On the other hand, the reference to “the lower earth” in verse 6 might be considered by scholars of the New Testament in respect of Ephesians 4:9 ..."
Bruce D. Chilton, The Isaiah Targum: Introduction, Translation, Apparatus and Notes, ArBib 11 (Wilmington, DE: Michael Glazier, 1987), 121.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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Isaiah 63:6 and Ephesians 4:9 and Jonathan Isaiah 63:6

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