Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

Ephesians 1:22

καὶ πάντα ὑπέταξεν ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ. The phrase is taken from Psalms 8:7, where it describes man’s place in creation (cf. Genesis 1:27-30). The relation between the exaltation of Jesus and the ultimate realization of this part of the eternal purpose is indicated in Hebrews 2:9. The same passage is quoted in 1 Corinthians 15:27, where, as here, it is closely connected with a quotation from Psalms 110. Our Lord’s words in Matthew 11:27 πάντα μοι παρεδόθη, following on the thought of ‘a revelation to babes’ (cf. Psalms 8:3 ἐκ στόματος νηπίων), Matthew 21:16, perhaps suggested this application of the text. For the thought see Matthew 28:18.

καὶ αὐτὸν ἔδωκεν κεφαλὴν. With this use of ἔδωκεν cf. Ephesians 4:11. κεφαλὴν, ‘Head’ = ‘Chief.’ The figure is common in Hebrew, though not in Greek. See Hort, Proleg. to Eph., pp. 132 f. Cf. Ephesians 4:15; 1 Corinthians 11:3; Colossians 1:18; Colossians 2:10.

τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ, Ephesians 3:10; Ephesians 3:21; Ephesians 5:23 ff. See Hort, Christian Ecclesia, p. 138 ff., for the steps by which this conception of a single Universal Ecclesia was attained.

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Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

Ephesians 1:22

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