Ephesians 6:9

καὶ οἱ Κύριοι, τὰ αὐτὰ ποιεῖτε πρός αὐτούς : and ye masters [or lords, RV marg.], do the same things unto them. The καί has the same force as in Ephesians 6:4 above. The duty of the masters is a corresponding duty, essentially the same as that of the servants (τὰ αὐτά), and it is stated first in respect of what is to be done and then in respect of what is to be left undone. It is to put a forced sense, however, on the phrase ποιεῖτε τὰ αὐτά if it is made to refer only to the preceding δουλεύοντες (Chrys.), as if the point were that the masters had a service to render to the δοῦλοι as these had a service to render to them. Nor does it seem to look back simply to the more general idea in ποιοῦντες τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ. Probably the μετʼ εὐνοίας is more immediately in view, and the meaning is that the masters were to act to their servants in the same Christian way as the servants were called to act to them in the same spirit of consideration and goodwill. ἀνιέντες τὴν ἀπεολήν : giving up your threatening. The τήν, pointing to the too well-known habit of the masters, may be best rendered by “your”. ἀνίημι is used in the NT in the sense of loosening (Acts 16:26; Acts 27:40), and of leaving (Hebrews 13:5, from LXX). In classical Greek it is used metaphorically both of slackening, releasing (Aristoph., Vesp., 574), and giving up (Thuc., iii., 10, of ἔχθρα). The latter sense is most in point here. As Ell. rightly observes: “St. Paul singles out the prevailing vice and most customary exhibition of bad feeling on the part of the master, and in forbidding this, naturally includes every similar form of harshness”. This negative side of the master's duty is not noticed in the parallel passage in Colossians 4:1. εἰδότες ὅτι καὶ ὑμῶν αὐτῶν [αὐτῶν καὶ ὑμῶν] ὁ Κύροίς ἐστιν ἐν οὐρανοῖς : knowing as ye do that also your Master [that both their Master and yours] is in heaven. εἰδότες, as in Ephesians 6:8, expresses the reason or encouragement for such conduct on the part of masters, viz., the fact that masters themselves have a Master or Lord, whose seat is in heaven, not merely on earth, and who is Lord equally of master and of slave. The reading of the TR, καὶ ὑμῶν αὐτῶν, has the support of most cursives and such uncials as K. Some few MSS. give καὶ αὐτῶν ὑμῶν ([775] 3 [776]). But the best accredited reading is καὶ αὐτῶν καὶ ὑμῶν, “both theirs and yours,” given by B 1 [777] [778] *, also by [779] [780] (except that αὐτῶν becomes ἑαυτῶν), Syr., Boh., Vulg., Arm., etc., and accepted by LTTrWHRV. καὶ προσωποληψία οὐκ εστι παρʼ αὐτῷ : and respect of persons is not with Him. The form προσωποληψία is preferred by the best critics (LTTrWH). The noun and its cognates προσωπολημπτής (Acts 10:34), προσωπολημπτέω (James 2:9), ἀπροσωπολήμπτως (1 Peter 1:17), are Hellenistic forms, occurring only in biblical and ecclesiastical Greek. προσωπολημψία itself is found only four times in the NT (Romans 2:11; Ephesians 6:9; Colossians 3:25; James 2:1). Cf. also the phrases βλέπειν εἰς πρόσωπον (Matthew 26:16; Mark 12:14), λαμβάνειν πρόσωπον (Luke 20:21; Galatians 2:6), which in the NT have always a bad meaning, to judge partially, to have regard to the person in judging or treating one. In the LXX the phrase λαμβάνειν or θαυμάζειν πρόσωπον is also used in the sense of having respect to one's person, being partial (e.g., Job 32:21, where it is conjoined with giving flattering titles), but admits at the same time of the better sense of showing favour to one (Genesis 19:21).

[775] Codex Claromontanus (sæc. vi.), a Græco-Latin MS. at Paris, edited by Tischendorf in 1852.

[776] Codex Boernerianus (sæc. ix.), a Græco-Latin MS., at Dresden, edited by Matthæi in 1791. Written by an Irish scribe, it once formed part of the same volume as Codex Sangallensis (δ) of the Gospels. The Latin text, g, is based on the O.L. translation.

[777] Codex Alexandrinus (sæc. v.), at the British Museum, published in photographic facsimile by Sir E. M. Thompson (1879).

[778] Codex Claromontanus (sæc. vi.), a Græco-Latin MS. at Paris, edited by Tischendorf in 1852.

[779] Autograph of the original scribe of א.

[780] Autograph of the original scribe of א.