以弗所书 6:5

Chinese Union (Simplified)

你 们 作 仆 人 的 ， 要 惧 怕 战 兢 ， 用 诚 实 的 心 听 从 你 们 肉 身 的 主 人 ， 好 像 听 从 基 督 一 般 。

Parallel Translations

Chinese NCV (Simplified)
主人和僕人你們作僕人的，要存著敬畏、戰兢和真誠的心，聽從世上的主人，好像聽從基督一樣。

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

be: Genesis 16:9, Psalms 123:2, Malachi 1:6, Matthew 6:24, Matthew 8:9, Acts 10:7, Acts 10:8, Colossians 3:22, 1 Timothy 6:1-3, Titus 2:9, Titus 2:10, 1 Peter 2:18-21

according: Philemon 1:16

with: 1 Corinthians 2:3, 2 Corinthians 7:15, Philippians 2:12, 1 Peter 3:2

in: Ephesians 6:24, Joshua 24:14, 1 Chronicles 29:17, Psalms 86:11, Matthew 6:22, Acts 2:46, 2 Corinthians 1:12, 2 Corinthians 11:2, 2 Corinthians 11:3

as: Ephesians 1:1-23, 1 Corinthians 7:22, Colossians 3:17-24

Reciprocal: Genesis 16:8 - Sarai's maid Genesis 24:33 - General Genesis 30:29 - General Genesis 31:6 - General Luke 11:34 - single Romans 12:8 - with simplicity Romans 12:11 - serving Romans 13:7 - fear to Ephesians 5:22 - as Ephesians 6:1 - in Ephesians 6:7 - as Ephesians 6:9 - the same Hebrews 10:22 - a true

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Servants, be obedient to them that are [your] masters,.... The apostle enlarges on the duty of servants, as well as frequently inculcates it in his epistles; because, generally speaking, they were more rude and ignorant, and less pains were taken with them to instruct them; they were apt to be impatient and weary of the yoke; and scandal was like to arise from servants in the first ages of Christianity through some libertines, and the licentiousness of the false teachers, who insinuated, that servitude was inconsistent with Christian freedom: the persons exhorted are "servants", bond servants, and hired servants; who are to be subject to, and obey their "masters", of each sex, whether male or female, of every condition, whether poor or rich, believers or unbelievers, good or bad humoured, gentle or froward: such as are their masters

according to the flesh; or "carnal masters", as the Vulgate Latin version renders it; even though they are unregenerate men, and are in a state of nature, and only mind the things of the flesh, yet they are to be obeyed in their lawful commands; or "in things pertaining to the flesh", as the Arabic version renders it; in things temporal, which concern the body, and this temporal life; not in things spiritual and religious, or that belong to conscience, and which are contrary to them: or "according to your flesh", as the Ethiopic version renders it; signifying that they are only masters over their bodies, not their consciences; and that their power only extends to corporeal things, and can last no longer than while they are in the flesh; see Job 3:19; and obedience is to be yielded to them

with fear and trembling; with great humility and respect, with reverence of them, and giving honour to them, with carefulness not to offend them, with submission to their reproofs and corrections, and with fear of punishment; but more especially with the fear of God, being by that influenced and constrained to obedience;

in singleness of heart; with readiness and cheerfulness, without hypocrisy and dissimulation, and with all integrity and faithfulness:

as unto Christ; it being agreeable to his will, and what makes for his glory, and serves to adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Servants - οἵ δοῦλοι hoi douloi. The word used here denotes one who is bound to render service to another, whether that service be free or voluntary, and may denote, therefore, either a slave, or one who binds himself to render service to another. It is often used in these senses in the New Testament, just as it is elsewhere. It cannot be demonstrated that the word here necessarily means “slaves;” though, if slavery existed among those to whom this Epistle was written - as there can be little doubt that it did - it is a word which would apply to those in this condition; compare notes on 1 Corinthians 7:21; Galatians 3:28, note. On the general subject of slavery, and the Scripture doctrine in regard to it; see notes on Isaiah 58:6. Whether the persons here referred to were slaves, or were those who had bound themselves to render a voluntary servitude, the directions here given were equally appropriate. It was not the design of the Christian religion to produce a rude sundering of the ties which bind man to man, but to teach all to perform their duties aright in the relations in which Christianity found them, and gradually to modify the customs of society, and to produce ultimately the universal prevalence of that which is right.

Be obedient to them - This is the uniform direction in the New Testament; see 1 Peter 2:18; 1 Timothy 6:1-3; notes 1 Corinthians 7:21. The idea is that they were to show in that relation the excellence of the religion which they professed. If they could be made free, they were to prefer that condition to a state of bondage 1 Corinthians 7:21, but while the relation remained, they were to be kind, gentle, and obedient, as became Christians. In the parallel place in Colossians Colossians 3:22, it is said that they were to obey their masters “in all things.” But evidently this is to be understood with the limitations implied in the case of wives and children (see the notes on Ephesians 5:24; Ephesians 6:1, note), and a master would have no right to command that which was morally wrong.

According to the flesh - This is designed, evidently, to limit the obligation to obedience. The meaning is, that they had control over “the body, the flesh.” They had the power to command the service which the body could render; but they were not lords of the spirit. The soul acknowledged God as its Lord, and to the Lord they were to be subject in a higher sense than to their masters.

With fear and trembling - With reverence and with a dread of offending them. They have authority and power over you, and you should be afraid to incur their displeasure. Whatever might be true about the propriety of slavery, and whatever might be the duty of the master about setting the slave free, it would be more to the honor of religion for the servant to perform his task with a willing mind than to be contumacious and rebellions. He could do more for the honor of religion by patiently submitting to even what he felt to be wrong, than by being punished for what would be regarded as rebellion. It may be added here, that it was presumed that servants then could read. These directions were addressed to them, not to their masters. Of what use would be directions like these addressed to American slaves - scarce any of whom can read?

In singleness of your heart - With a simple, sincere desire to do what ought to be done.

As unto Christ - Feeling that by rendering proper service to your masters, you are in fact serving the Lord, and that you are doing that which will be well-pleasing to him; see the notes on 1 Corinthians 7:22. Fidelity, in whatever situation we may be in life, is acceptable service to the Lord. A Christian may as acceptably serve the Lord Jesus in the condition of a servant, as if he were a minister of the gospel, or a king on a throne. Besides, it will greatly lighten the burdens of such a situation, and make the toils of an humble condition easy, to remember that we are then “serving the Lord.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ephesians 6:5. Servants, be obedient — Though δουλος frequently signifies a slave or bondman, yet it often implies a servant in general, or any one bound to another, either for a limited time, or for life. Even a slave, if a Christian, was bound to serve him faithfully by whose money he was bought, howsoever illegal that traffic may be considered. In heathen countries slavery was in some sort excusable; among Christians it is an enormity and a crime for which perdition has scarcely an adequate state of punishment.

According to the flesh — Your masters in secular things; for they have no authority over your religion, nor over your souls.

With fear and trembling — Because the law gives them a power to punish you for every act of disobedience.

In singleness of your heart — Not merely through fear of punishment, but from a principle of uprightness, serving them as you would serve Christ.