Ephesians 3:15

New King James Version

from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

Parallel Translations

New American Standard Bible (1995)
from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name,

Legacy Standard Bible
from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,

Simplified Cowboy Version
He is the Creator of all things in heaven and on earth.

Bible in Basic English
From whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,

Darby Translation
of whom every family in [the] heavens and on earth is named,

Christian Standard Bible®
from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named.

World English Bible
from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
(Of whom the whole

Weymouth's New Testament
from whom the whole family in Heaven and on earth derives its name,

King James Version (1611)
Of whom the whole family in heauen and earth is named,

Literal Translation
of whom every family in Heaven and on earth is named,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
which is the true father, ouer all that is called father in heauen and in earth,

Mace New Testament (1729)
from whom the whole family in heaven and earth are denominated his children:

Amplified Bible
from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name [God—the first and ultimate Father].

American Standard Version
from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,

Revised Standard Version
from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
which is father over all that ys called father In heven and in erth

Update Bible Version
from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,

Webster's Bible Translation
Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

Young's Literal Translation
of whom the whole family in the heavens and on earth is named,

New Century Version
from whom every family in heaven and on earth gets its true name.

New English Translation
from whom every family in heaven and on the earth is named.

Berean Standard Bible
from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name,

Contemporary English Version
All beings in heaven and on earth receive their life from him.

Complete Jewish Bible
from whom every family in heaven and on earth receives its character.

English Standard Version
from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,

Geneva Bible (1587)
(Of whom is named the whole familie in heauen and in earth)

George Lamsa Translation
For whom all fatherhood in heaven and in earth is named,

Hebrew Names Version
from whom every family in heaven and on eretz is named,

International Standard Version
from whom every familyall fatherhood">[fn] in heaven and on earth receives its name.Ephesians 1:10; Philippians 2:9-11;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
from whom is named the whole family [fn] who are in heaven and in earth;

Murdock Translation
from whom the whole family in heaven and on earth is named;

New Living Translation
the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.

New Life Bible
It is from Him that every family in heaven and on earth has its name.

English Revised Version
from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,

New Revised Standard
from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
From whom every fatherhood in the heavens and upon the earth is named, -

Douay-Rheims Bible
Of whom all paternity in heaven and earth is named:

King James Version
Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

Lexham English Bible
from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Of who all the famyly in heauen and earth is named:

Easy-to-Read Version
Every family in heaven and on earth gets its true name from him.

New American Standard Bible
from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name,

Good News Translation
from whom every family in heaven and on earth receives its true name.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
of whom ech fadirhod in heuenes and in erthe is named,

Contextual Overview

¹⁴ For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, [fn] ¹⁵ from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, ¹⁶ that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, ¹⁷ that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸ may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height-- ¹⁹ to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. ²⁰ Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, ²¹ to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the whole: Ephesians 1:10, Ephesians 1:21, Philippians 2:9-11, Colossians 1:20, Revelation 5:8-14, Revelation 7:4-12

is: Isaiah 65:15, Jeremiah 33:16, Acts 11:26, Revelation 2:17, Revelation 3:12

Reciprocal: Genesis 4:26 - Enos Zechariah 14:9 - and Matthew 23:8 - all Galatians 6:10 - especially Ephesians 2:14 - both Ephesians 2:19 - household 2 Timothy 2:19 - Let James 2:7 - by

Cross-References

Genesis 3:1
Romans 5:12-21">[xr] Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, "You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?"

Genesis 3:3
but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, "You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die."'

Genesis 3:4
Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die.

Genesis 3:6
So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.

Genesis 3:7
Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.

Genesis 3:8
And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.

Genesis 3:10
So he said, "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself."

Genesis 3:13
And the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."

Genesis 3:14
So the LORD God said to the serpent: "Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust All the days of your life.

Genesis 3:15
And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named. This may refer either to God, the Father of Christ; who is the Father of the whole family in heaven and in earth; not only the Father of Christ, but the Father of spirits, of angelic spirits, as well as of the souls of men; and the Father of all the saints by adopting grace, whether above or below; they are all the household of God: or else to Jesus Christ, who is the everlasting Father, the Son over his own house, and the firstborn among many brethren: and this family consists either of elect angels and elect men, who are both under one head, Christ, and are in one family, only with this difference, the one are servants, the other sons; or else only of elect men, of saints in heaven and in earth, who all make up but one family; and that part of it, which is on earth, consists of persons of various sizes and growth, as fathers, young men, and children, though they are all the children of God, and partake of the same privileges: and this family is named of Christ; they are called Christians from him, and he is the master and governor of them; they have their laws, directions, and instructions from him; and he is the great provider for them, and the support of them; they have their food and clothing from him, as well as are called by his name. Frequent mention is made in the Jewish writings o of the family of the holy angels, and of the family above, and the family below, to which here may be some reference.

o Targ. in Cant. i. 15. T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 17. 1. Zohar in Exod. fol. 105. 4. Raziel, fol. 42. 1. & 45. 2. Caphtor, fol. 58. 2. Shaare Orn, fol. 14. 3.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Of whom the whole family - This expression “of whom,” may refer either to “the Father,” or to the Lord Jesus. Commentators have been divided in opinion in regard to it. Bloomfield, Chandler, Erasmus, Koppe, and some others, refer it to the Father. Locke, Doddridge, Calvin, and some others, refer it to the Lord Jesus. This is the more natural interpretation. The whole “family of God,” means all his children; and the idea is, that they all bear the same name, derived from the Redeemer; all are Christians. No matter where they are, in heaven or in earth; no matter from what nation they are converted, whether Jews or Gentiles, they all have one name, and one Redeemer, and all belong to one family; see Ephesians 4:4-6.

In heaven - Spirits of just people made perfect. It does not properly refer to angels, for he is not speaking of them but of the family of the redeemed. If the phrase “in heaven,” could “ever” be taken to denote the Jews as contradistinguished from the Gentiles, I should think that this was one of the places. Many expositors have supposed that it is frequently so used in this Epistle, but I see no clear evidence of it, and no instance where it seems very probable, unless this should be one. And it is not necessary here, for it may mean “all” the redeemed, whether in heaven or earth, though the connection would seem rather to have suggested a reference to the Jews and the Gentiles. An expression similar to this occurs in Colossians 1:20. “To reconcile all things to himself, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.” The passage before us is one that is commonly explained by a reference to Jewish opinions. The Jews were accustomed to call the angels in heaven God’s “upper family,” and his people on earth his “lower family.” See the passages cited from the rabbinical writers in Wetstein.

Is named - This means substantially the same as is. They are all of one family. They all have one father, and are all of one community. The expression is taken from the custom in a family, where all bear the name of the “head” of the family; and the meaning is, that all in heaven and on earth are united under one head, and constitute one community. It does not mean that all are “called” by the same name, or that the name “Christian” is given to the angels, but that they all pertain to the same community, and constitute the same great and glorious brotherhood. Part are in heaven, near his throne; part in distant worlds; part are angels of light; part redeemed and happy spirits; part are in the church on earth; but they are all united as one family, and have one head and Father. This glorious family will yet be gathered together in heaven, and will encompass the throne of their common Father rejoicing.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 15. Of whom the whole family — Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ on earth, the spirits of just men made perfect in a separate state, and all the holy angels in heaven, make but one family, of which God is the Father and Head. St. Paul does not say, of whom the families, as if each order formed a distinct household; but he says family, because they are all one, and of one. And all this family is named-derives its origin and being, from God, as children derive their name from him who is the father of the family: holy persons in heaven and earth derive their being and their holiness from God, and therefore his name is called upon them. Christ gives the name of Christians to all the real members of his Church upon earth; and to all the spirits of just men (saved since his advent, and through his blood) in heaven. They are all the sons and daughters of God Almighty.