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Ephesians 3:14–19

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Prayer for Strengthened Love

3:14For this reason37 I kneel38 before the Father,393:15from40 whom every family41 in heaven and on the earth is named. 3:16I pray that42 according to the wealth of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner person, 3:17that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, so that, because you have been rooted and grounded in love, 3:18you may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,433:19and thus to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled up to44 all the fullness of God.

Read in Logos
Ephesians 3:17: … so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love …

Footnotes

  1. 37 For this reason resumes the point begun in v. 1, after a long parenthesis.
  2. 38 Grk “I bend my knees.”
  3. 39 Most Western and Byzantine witnesses, along with a few others (א2 D F G Ψ 0278 1881 𝔐 lat sy), have “of our Lord Jesus Christ” after “Father,” but such an edifying phrase cannot explain the rise of the reading that lacks it, especially when the shorter reading is attested by early and important witnesses such as 𝔓46 א* A B C P 6 33 81 365 1175 1739 co Or Hier.
  4. 40 Or “by.”
  5. 41 Or “the whole family.”
  6. 42 Grk “that.” In Greek v. 16 is a subordinate clause to vv. 14–15.
  7. 43 The object of these dimensions is not stated in the text. Interpreters have suggested a variety of referents for this unstated object, including the cross of Christ, the heavenly Jerusalem (which is then sometimes linked to the Church), God’s power, the fullness of salvation given in Christ, the Wisdom of God, and the love of Christ. Of these interpretations, the last two are the most plausible. Associations from Wisdom literature favor the Wisdom of God, but the immediate context favors the love of Christ. For detailed discussion of these interpretive options, see A. T. Lincoln, Ephesians (), , who ultimately favors the love of Christ.
  8. 44 Or “with.”

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

For this reason I kneel before the Father from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. I pray that he may grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power in your inner being through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, and to know Christ’s love that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

NLTNew Living Translation

When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

On account of this, I bend my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that he may grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner person, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith (you having been firmly rooted and established in love), in order that you may be strong enough to grasp together with all the saints what is the breadth, and length, and height, and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, in order that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

KJV 1900King James Version

For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.