Ephesians 6:1-4

Context

6:1 Children,¹ obey your parents in the Lord² for this is right. 6:2 “Honor your father and mother,”³ which is the first commandment accompanied by a promise, namely, 6:3 “that it may go⁴ well with you and that you will live⁵ a long time on the earth.”⁶

6:4 Fathers,⁷ do not provoke your children to anger,⁸ but raise them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

[6:1] ¹tn 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.

[6:1] ²tc B D* F G as well as a few versional and patristic representatives lack “in the Lord” (ἐν κυρίῳ, en kuriw), while the phrase is well represented in Ì⁴⁶ א A D¹ I^vid Ψ 0278 0285 33 1739 1881 Ï 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, since the form used to express such sentiment in this Haustafel is ὡς τῷ κυρίῳ/Χριστῷ (Jw" tw kuriw/Cristw, “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.

[6:2] ³sn A quotation from Exod 20:12 and Deut 5:16.

[6:3] ⁴tn Grk “be.”

[6:3] ⁵tn Grk “will be.”

[6:3] ⁶sn A quotation from Deut 5:16.

[6:4] ⁷tn Or perhaps “Parents” (so TEV, CEV). The plural οἱ πατέρες (Joi patere", “fathers”) can be used to refer to both the male and female parent (BDAG 786 s.v. πατήρ 1.b).

[6:4] ⁸tn Or “do not make your children angry.” BDAG 780 s.v. παροργίζω states “make angry.” The Greek verb in Col 3:21 is a different one with a slightly different nuance.