Ephesians 4:2

Amplified Bible

with all humility [forsaking self-righteousness], and gentleness [maintaining self-control], with patience, bearing with one another in [unselfish] love.

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
Always be humble and gentle. Be patient and accept each other with love.

Revised Standard Version
with all lowliness and meekness, with patience, forbearing one another in love,

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
in all humblenes of mynde and meknes and longe sufferynge forbearinge one another thorowe love

Hebrew Names Version
with all lowliness and humility, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love;

New American Standard Bible
with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,

New Century Version
Always be humble, gentle, and patient, accepting each other in love.

Update Bible Version
with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love;

Webster's Bible Translation
With all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love;

English Standard Version
with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,

World English Bible
with all lowliness and humility, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love;

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
With all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering,

Weymouth's New Testament
with all lowliness of mind and unselfishness, and with patience, bearing with one another lovingly, and earnestly striving to maintain,

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
in which ye ben clepid, with al mekenesse and myldenesse, with pacience supportinge ech other in charite,

English Revised Version
with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

Berean Standard Bible
with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,

Contemporary English Version
Always be humble and gentle. Patiently put up with each other and love each other.

American Standard Version
with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

Bible in Basic English
With all gentle and quiet behaviour, taking whatever comes, putting up with one another in love;

Complete Jewish Bible
Always be humble, gentle and patient, bearing with one another in love,

Darby Translation
with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, bearing with one another in love;

International Standard Version
with all humility and gentleness, along with patience, accepting one another in love.Acts 20:19; Galatians 5:22-23; Colossians 3:12-13;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
in all lowliness of mind, and composedness, and long-suffering; and be patient towards one another in love.

Murdock Translation
with all lowliness of mind, and quietness, and long suffering; and that ye be forbearing one towards another, in love.

King James Version (1611)
With all lowlinesse and meekenesse, with long suffering, forbearing one another in loue.

New Living Translation
Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love.

New Life Bible
Live and work without pride. Be gentle and kind. Do not be hard on others. Let love keep you from doing that.

New Revised Standard
with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,

Geneva Bible (1587)
With all humblenesse of minde, and meekenesse, with long suffering, supporting one an other through loue,

George Lamsa Translation
With all humility and gentleness and with patience, forbearing one another in love,

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
With all lowliness and meekness, with long suffering, bearing one with another in love,

Douay-Rheims Bible
With all humility and mildness, with patience, supporting one another in charity.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
With all lowlynesse & mekenesse, with long sufferyng, forbearyng one another in loue.

Good News Translation
Be always humble, gentle, and patient. Show your love by being tolerant with one another.

Christian Standard Bible®
with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,

King James Version
With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

Lexham English Bible
with all humility and gentleness, with patience, putting up with one another in love,

Literal Translation
with all humility and meekness, with long-suffering, bearing with one another in love,

Young's Literal Translation
with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
with all humblenes off mynde and mekenes, and longe sufferinge, forbearinge one another in loue,

Mace New Testament (1729)
with all humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another in love;

New English Translation
with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,

New King James Version
with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love,

Simplified Cowboy Version
Don't look down your nose and help anyone who needs it or asks for it. Don't nitpick each other,

New American Standard Bible (1995)
with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love,

Legacy Standard Bible
with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,

Contextual Overview

²with all humility [forsaking self-righteousness], and gentleness [maintaining self-control], with patience, bearing with one another in [unselfish] love.³Make every effort to keep the oneness of the Spirit in the bond of peace [each individual working together to make the whole successful]. ⁴There is one body [of believers] and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when called [to salvation]— ⁵one Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶one God and Father of us all who is [sovereign] over all and [working] through all and [living] in all. ⁷Yet grace [God's undeserved favor] was given to each one of us [not indiscriminately, but in different ways] in proportion to the measure of Christ's [rich and abundant] gift. ⁸Therefore it says, "WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVITY CAPTIVE, AND HE BESTOWED GIFTS ON MEN." ⁹(Now this expression, "He ascended," what does it mean except that He also had previously descended [from the heights of heaven] into the lower parts of the earth? ¹⁰He who descended is the very same as He who also has ascended high above all the heavens, that He [His presence] might fill all things [that is, the whole universe]). ¹¹And [His gifts to the church were varied and] He Himself appointed some as apostles [special messengers, representatives], some as prophets [who speak a new message from God to the people], some as evangelists [who spread the good news of salvation], and some as pastors and teachers [to shepherd and guide and instruct],

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

lowliness: Numbers 12:3, Psalms 45:4, Psalms 138:6, Proverbs 3:34, Proverbs 16:19, Isaiah 57:15, Isaiah 61:1-3, Zephaniah 2:3, Zechariah 9:9, Matthew 5:3-5, Matthew 11:29, Acts 20:19, 1 Corinthians 13:4, 1 Corinthians 13:5, Galatians 5:22, Galatians 5:23, Colossians 3:12, Colossians 3:13, 1 Timothy 6:11, 2 Timothy 2:25, James 1:21, James 3:15-18, 1 Peter 3:15

forbearing: Mark 9:19, Romans 15:1, 1 Corinthians 13:7, Galatians 6:2

Reciprocal: Genesis 13:8 - brethren Exodus 36:10 - General Exodus 36:29 - coupled Isaiah 29:19 - meek Matthew 5:5 - the meek Mark 9:50 - have peace Acts 4:32 - the multitude 2 Corinthians 6:6 - knowledge Ephesians 1:4 - love Ephesians 5:2 - walk Philippians 2:3 - but Colossians 1:11 - unto 1 Thessalonians 5:14 - be 2 Timothy 2:24 - patient Titus 3:2 - gentle Titus 3:6 - abundantly James 3:13 - with meekness 1 Peter 3:4 - a meek

Cross-References

Genesis 3:23
therefore the LORD God sent Adam away from the Garden of Eden, to till and cultivate the ground from which he was taken.

Genesis 4:25
Adam knew [Eve as] his wife again; and she gave birth to a son, and named him Seth, for [she said], "God has granted another child for me in place of Abel, because Cain killed him."

Genesis 4:26
To Seth, also, a son was born, whom he named Enosh (mortal man, mankind). At that [same] time men began to call on the name of the LORD [in worship through prayer, praise, and thanksgiving].

Genesis 9:20
And Noah began to farm and cultivate the ground and he planted a vineyard.

Genesis 37:13
Israel (Jacob) said to Joseph, "Are not your brothers pasturing [the flock] at Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them." And he said, "Here I am [ready to obey you]."

Genesis 47:3
And Pharaoh said to his brothers [as Joseph expected], "What is your occupation?" And they said to Pharaoh, "Your servants are shepherds, both we and our fathers [before us]."

Exodus 3:1
Now Moses was keeping the flock of Jethro (Reuel) his father-in-law, the priest of Midian; and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb (Sinai), the mountain of God.

Psalms 127:3
Behold, children are a heritage and gift from the LORD, The fruit of the womb a reward.

Amos 7:15
"But the LORD took me as I followed the flock and the LORD said to me, 'Go, prophesy to My people Israel.'

Luke 11:51
from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah [the priest], who was murdered between the altar and the house of God. Yes, I tell you, charges will be brought against this generation.'

Gill's Notes on the Bible

With all lowliness and meekness,..... In the exercise of humility, which shows itself in believers, in entertaining and expressing the meanest thoughts of themselves, and the best of others; in not envying the gifts and graces of others, but rejoicing at them, and at every increase of them; in a willingness to receive instruction from the meanest saints; in submission to the will of God in all adverse dispensations of Providence; and in ascribing all they have, and are, to the grace of God: and so to behave, is to walk agreeably to their calling of God; and what the consideration of that may engage them to, when they serve the low estate and condition out of which they are called, in which they were before calling: and that in effectual calling they have nothing but what they have received; and that others are called with the same calling that they are: and to walk humbly before God and man, is to walk according to the will of God that calls; and it is walking as Christ walked, who is meek, and lowly; and is agreeable to the blessed Spirit, one of whose fruits is meekness; and is what is very ornamental to the saints, and is well pleasing in the sight of God.

With longsuffering; bearing much and long with the infirmities of each other; without being easily provoked to anger by any ill usage; and not immediately meditating and seeking revenge for every affront given, or injury done; and so to walk, is to walk worthy of the grace of calling, or agreeable to it, to God that calls by his grace, who is longsuffering both with wicked men, and with his own people.

Forbearing one another in love; overlooking the infirmities of one another, forgiving injuries done, sympathizing with, and assisting each other in distressed circumstances, the spring of all which should be love; by that saints should be moved, influenced, and engaged to such a conduct, and which should be so far attended to, as is consistent with love; for so to forbear one another, as to suffer sin to be on each other, without proper, gentle, and faithful rebukes for it, is not to act in love.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

With all lowliness - Humility; see the notes on Acts 20:19, where the same Greek word is used; compare also the following places, where the same Greek word occurs: Philippians 2:3, “in lowliness of mind, let each esteem other better than themselves;” Colossians 2:18, “in a voluntary humility;” Colossians 2:23; Col 3:12; 1 Peter 5:5. The word does not elsewhere occur in the New Testament. The idea is, that humility of mind becomes those who are “called” Ephesians 4:1, and that we walk worthy of that calling when we evince it.

And meekness - see the notes on Matthew 5:5. Meekness relates to the manner in which we receive injuries. We are to bear them patiently, and not to retaliate, or seek revenge. The meaning here is, that; we adorn the gospel when we show its power in enabling us to bear injuries without anger or a desire of revenge, or with a mild and forgiving spirit; see 2 Corinthians 10:1; Galatians 5:23; Galatians 6:1; 2 Timothy 2:25; Titus 3:2; where the same Greek word occurs.

With longsuffering, ... - Bearing patiently with the foibles, faults, and infirmities of others; see the notes on 1 Corinthians 13:4. The virtue here required is that which is to be manifested in our manner of receiving the provocations which we meet with from our brethren. No virtue, perhaps, is more frequently demanded in our contact with others. We do not go far with any fellow-traveler on the journey of life, before we find there is great occasion for its exercise. He has a temperament different from our own. He may be sanguine, or choleric, or melancholy; while we may be just the reverse. He has peculiarities of taste, and habits, and disposition, which differ much from ours. He has his own plans and purposes of life, and his own way and time of doing things. He may be naturally irritable, or he may have been so trained that his modes of speech and conduct differ much from ours. Neighbors have occasion to remark this in their neighbors; friends in their friends; kindred in their kindred; one church-member in another.

A husband and wife - such is the imperfection of human nature - can find enough in each other to embitter life, if they choose to magnify imperfections, and to become irritated at trifles; and there is no friendship that may not be marred in this way, if we will allow it. Hence, if we would have life move on smoothly, we must learn to bear and forbear. We must indulge the friend that we love in the little peculiarities of saying and doing things which may be important to him, but which may be of little moment to us. Like children, we must suffer each one to build his play-house in his own way, and not quarrel with him because he does not think our way the best. All usefulness, and all comfort, may be prevented by an unkind, a sour, a crabbed temper of mind - a mind that can bear with no difference of opinion or temperament. A spirit of fault-finding; an unsatisfied temper; a constant irritability; little inequalities in the look, the temper, or the manner; a brow cloudy and dissatisfied - your husband or your wife cannot tell why - will more than neutralize all the good you can do, and render life anything but a blessing.

It is in such gentle and quiet virtues as meekness and forbearance, that the happiness and usefulness of life consist, far more than in brilliant eloquence, in splendid talent, or illustrious deeds, that shall send the name to future times. It is the bubbling spring which flows gently; the little rivulet which glides through the meadow, and which runs along day and night by the farmhouse, that is useful, rather than the swollen flood or the roaring cataract. Niagara excites our wonder; and we stand amazed at the power and greatness of God there, as he “pours it from his hollow hand.” But one Niagara is enough for a continent or a world; while that same world needs thousands and tens of thousands of silver fountains, and gently flowing rivulets, that shall water every farm, and every meadow, and every garden, and that shall flow on, every day and every night, with their gentle and quiet beauty. So with the acts of our lives. It is not by great deeds only, like those of Howard - not by great sufferings only, like those of the martyrs - that good is to be done; it is by the daily and quiet virtues of life - the Christian temper, the meek forbearance, the spirit of forgiveness in the husband, the wife, the father, the mother, the brother, the sister, the friend, the neighbor - that good is to be done; and in this all may be useful.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ephesians 4:2. With all lowliness — It is by acting as the apostle here directs that a man walks worthy of this high vocation; ταπεινοφροσυνη signifies subjection or humility of mind.

Meekness — The opposite to anger and irritability of disposition.

Long-suffering — μακροθυμια. Long-mindedness-never permitting a trial or provocation to get to the end of your patience.

Forbearing one another — ανεχομενοι αλληλων. Sustaining one another-helping to support each other in all the miseries and trials of life: or, if the word be taken in the sense of bearing with each other, it may mean that, through the love of God working in our hearts, we should bear with each other's infirmities, ignorance, &c., knowing how much others have been or are still obliged to bear with us.