Ephesians 6:5

Slaves, ¹  obey your human masters ²  with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart as to Christ,

biblegateway Eph 6:5

Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.

biblegateway Eph 6:5

Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ;

biblegateway Eph 6:5

Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ.

biblegateway Eph 6:5

Servants, respectfully obey your earthly masters but always with an eye to obeying the [real] master, Christ.

SABDAweb Eph 6:5

Servants, do what is ordered by those who are your natural masters, having respect and fear for them, with all your heart, as to Christ;

bibleoremus Eph 6:5

Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, in singleness of heart, as you obey Christ;

biblegateway Eph 6:5

Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ;

biblegateway Eph 6:5

Slaves, ¹  obey your human masters ²  with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart as to Christ,

¹ tn Traditionally, “Servants” (KJV). Though δοῦλος (doulos) is often translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος), in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.

² tn Grk “the masters according to the flesh.” In the translation above, the article τοῖς (tois) governing κυρίοις (kuriois) is rendered in English as a possessive pronoun (i.e., “your”) and the prepositional phrase κατὰ σάρκα (kata sarka) is taken as modifying κυρίοις (indicating that the author is referring to human masters) and not modifying the imperative ὑπακούετε (Jupakouete, which would indicate that obedience was according to a human standard or limitation).