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Robertson's Word Pictures of the NT

Ephesians 1:21

Far above all rule

(υπερανω πασης αρχης). Late compound adverbial preposition (υπερ, ανω) with the ablative case. In N.T. only here and Hebrews 9:5. As in Colossians 1:16, so here Paul claims primacy for Jesus Christ above all angels, aeons, what not. These titles all were used in the Gnostic speculations with a graduated angelic hierarchy.World

(αιων). "Age." See this identical expression in Matthew 12:32 for the present time (Galatians 1:4; 1 Timothy 6:17) and the future life (Ephesians 2:7; Luke 20:35). Both combined in Mark 10:30; Luke 18:30.

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See also Ephesians 1:21 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse 21. _FAR ABOVE ALL PRINCIPALITY_] The difficulty in this verse does not arise from the _words_ themselves, the meaning of each being easily understood, but from the _sense_ in which the apostle...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    FAR ABOVE ALL PRINCIPALITY - The general sense in this verse is, that the Lord Jesus was exalted to the highest conceivable dignity and honor; compare Philippians 2:9; Colossians 2:10. In this beautif...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    ANALYSIS AND ANNOTATIONS I. THE MASTERWORK OF GOD (1-3) 1. The Godhead at Work CHAPTER 1 _ 1. The introduction (Ephesians 1:1)_ 2. The great doxology (Ephesians 1:3) 3. The work of the Father ...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    A PARAGRAPH OF PRAYER. The writer, who has been informed (by letter?) of the Christian faith and love of his correspondents, reciprocates their thanksgiving and prayers (Ephesians 1:15 f.); he beseech...

  • Barclay Daily Study Bible (NT)

    THE PURPOSE OF GOD (Ephesians 1:1-14)...

  • Barclay Daily Study Bible (NT)

    It is because I have heard of your faith in Jesus Christ, and your love to all God's consecrated people, that I never cease to give thanks for you, as I remember you in my prayers. It is the aim of my...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    FAR ABOVE. Greek. _huperano._ Here; Ephesians 4:10; Hebrews 9:5 ALL. every. principality. Greek. _arche_. See Romans 8:38, and App-172. POWER. App-172. MIGHT. power. Greek. dunamis,

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Prayer, that the Saints may fully realize their Divine privileges and prospects in Christ 15. _Wherefore_, &c.. The Apostle now passes from the adoring view of Divine Redemption to prayer that its tre...

  • Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges Commentary

    ὙΠΕΡΆΝΩ ΠΆΣΗΣ�.Τ.Λ. Cf. Ephesians 3:10; Colossians 1:16; 1 Peter 3:22. St Paul is using names that were current in Rabbinic speculation with regard to different orders of Angels. See esp. Enoch lxi. 1...

  • Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges Commentary

    Ephesians 1:15 to Ephesians 2:10. THANKSGIVING PASSING INTO PRAYER FOR SPIRITUAL INSIGHT This section corresponds to the section of thanksgiving which in all St Paul’s Epistles except Gal., 1 Tim. and...

  • Charles Rose Commentaries

    ΎΠΕΡΆΝΩ (G5231) высоко, превыше, ΆΡΧ (G746) начало, правитель, ΚΥΡΙΌΤΗΣ (G2963) господство, владение. В иудейских писаниях эти термины определяли ангельские силы и их ранги (SB, 3:581; Abbott; Barth...

  • Charles Simeon's Horae Homileticae

    DISCOURSE: 2096 CHRIST THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH Ephesians 1:20. He raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, a...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    ALL PRINCIPALITY, &C.— These abstract names are frequently used in the New Testament, according to the stile of theeastern languages, for "those vested with power and dominion, &c. and that not only h...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    _PREVIEWING IN OUTLINE FORM_ (EPHESIANS 1:15-23) B. Paul's prayer for his readers-' enlightenment. Ephesians 1:15-23. 1. Basis of the prayer. Ephesians 1:15. a. The

  • Combined Bible Commentary

    (1:21,22) Look, says Paul, on the basis of that power, Christ has been installed by the Father as supreme ruler "above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given." T...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: [ Huperanoo (G5231)] 'Far (or high) above al...

  • Concordant Commentary on the New Testament by A. E. Knoch

    1 The title "Christ Jesus" is the token of His exaltation; "Jesus Christ" refers us to His humiliation. "Christ Jesus" is used by Paul, especially in his later ministries. The words "in Ephesus" seem...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    The Apostle partly adopts and partly rejects Jewish phraseology about unseen powers. 'Call them what you please, Christ is above them all.' 22. An echo of Psalms 8:5. If that could be said of man, how...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THANKSGIVING FOR BLESSINGS AND PRAYER FOR WISDOM 1, 2. The salutation. I. In the Salutations to the Colossians and to Philemon, written at the same time, 'Timothy the brother' is coupled with St. Paul...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    CHRISTIAN BELIEF AND BEHAVIOUR EPHESIANS _LES PAINTER (BIBLE TEXT BY CYNTHIA GREEN)_ ABOUT THIS LETTER The *apostle Paul wrote this letter when he was in a prison in Rome. He wrote it to people i...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    FAR ABOVE ALL PRINCIPALITY, AND POWER, AND MIGHT, AND DOMINION. — The words here used are intended to include all possible forms of power, corresponding to the exhaustive enumeration in Philippians 2:...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    [1. Introduction to the Epistle (Ephesians 1:1). (1) SALUTATION (Ephesians 1:1). (2) THANKSGIVING TO GOD FOR — (_a_) _The election of the whole Church before the world began, by the predestinating...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CHAPTER 6 THE DOCTRINE. WHAT GOD WROUGHT IN THE CHRIST Ephesians 1:20 The division that we make at Ephesians 1:20, marking off at this point the commencement of the Doctrine of the epistle, may appe...

  • Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

    ὑπεράνω πάσης ἀρχῆς καὶ ἐξουσίας καὶ δυνάμεως καὶ κυριότητος : _over above all rule, and authority, and power, and lordship_. The intensive force “ _far_ above” is given to the ὑπεράνω by Chrys., Theo...

  • Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

    SECOND SECTION OF THE EPISTLE: in which the writer expresses his own feelings and desires towards the Ephesians, and in doing so leads them to the highest conception both of Christ's own supremacy and...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    WHAT THE HEART MAY RECEIVE Ephesians 1:15 It is well to go over the successive links of this golden chain when we are in our secret chamber, appropriating them one by one and asking whether we have r...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    The theme of this letter is pre-eminently of the Church as the medium for the accomplishment of the divine purpose. Those addressed are described as "saints," and as "the faithful in Christ Jesus." Th...

  • Gary Hampton Commentaries

    God's Greatness To show God's ability to accomplish his purpose, Paul uses six different Greek words in describing his power. The word "exceeding" and "greatness" come from the original huperbalo and...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every (a) name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: (a) Everything, whatever it may be, or abo...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _All principality. The Fathers agree that there are nine orders of blessed spirits, of which some are specified here, in the Epistle to the Colossians we have the order of thrones, to which if we add...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    (15) В¶ Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, (16) Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; (17) That the God of...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    In this epistle we have the unfolding of the grace of God in all its fulness, not merely the application of His righteousness to man's need on His part, but God from out of Himself, and for Himself, a...

  • John Brown Commentaries Selected Books of the Bible

    The Chosen I. INTRODUCTION A. A Little History! 1. Written approx. 61 AD by the Apostle Paul during his Roman imprisonment. 2. There are several indications that this was a "circular" letter writt...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    21._Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion. _All these names, there can be no doubt, are applied to angels, who are so denominated, because, by means of them, God exercises his...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places in Christ, having chosen us in Him. Chapter 1 unfolds (Ephesians 1:4-7) these blessings,...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    FAR ABOVE ALL PRINCIPALITY AND POWER,.... Good angels and bad angels, and civil magistrates, who also may be intended by the following words: AND MIGHT AND DOMINION; good angels may be so called, bec...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: Ver. 21. _Far above all principality_] _Quantu...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _The eyes of your understanding being enlightened_ That is, I pray that God would do this for you by the discoveries of his gospel, and the operation of his grace. Observe, reader, it is by the eyes o...

  • Justin Edwards' Family Bible New Testament (1851)

    PRINCIPALITY, AND POWER-EVERY NAME THAT IS NAMED; these terms describe every order of intelligent beings in heaven and on earth; every creature that bears a name....

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    SALUTATION (vs.1-2) As an apostle of Jesus Christ, Paul writes this epistle as an authoritative communication from God. Indeed, his apostleship is "by the will of God." Nothing of his own or of any...

  • Manly Luscombe Commentary on New Testament

    CHAPTER 1 The author of this letter is ___________. He is an apostle. The word apostle means ____________________. He states that he is not an apostle by his own choice. He is an apostle by the will o...

  • Mark Dunagan Commentaries

    “FAR ABOVE ALL RULE, AND AUTHORITY, AND POWER, AND DOMINION, AND EVERY NAME THAT IS NAMED, NOT ONLY IN THIS WORLD, BUT ALSO IN THAT WHICH IS TO COME” “Far above all rule, and authority, and power, and...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    15-23 God has laid up spiritual blessings for us in his Son the Lord Jesus; but requires us to draw them out and fetch them in by prayer. Even the best Christians need to be prayed for: and while we...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    PRINCIPALITY, AND POWER, AND MIGHT, AND DOMINION: these terms are sometimes applied to magistrates and men in authority here in the world, TITUS 3:1 JUDGES 1:8 sometimes to angels; to good ones, COLOS...

  • NT Verse References in the Ante-Nicene Fathers

    Irenaeus Against Heresies Book IV h understand His hand,-that hand which measures immensity; that hand which, by its own measure, spreads out the measure of the heavens, and which comprises in its hol...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Ephesians 1:21 above G5231 all G3956 principality G746 and G2532 power G1849 and G2532 might G1411 and G2532 domi

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    ‘The exceeding greatness of his power towards us who believe, according to that working of the strength of His might which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead, and made him to sit at...

  • Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary on the NT (4 vols)

    I. THE CHURCH CHOSEN IN CHRIST, THE HEAD OF THE BODY. This chapter is made up of two parts: the _first_ (Ephesians 1:3-14), an ascription of praise for spiritual blessings in Christ; the _second_ (Eph...

  • Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary on the NT (4 vols)

    2. _Thanksgiving and Supplication for the Church as the Body of Christ, who is the Head._ The Apostle naturally passes from praise to thanksgiving, on behalf of the Church, which as naturally becomes...

  • Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary on the NT (4 vols)

    Ephesians 1:21. FAR ABOVE. Simply local (Ellicott: ‘over above'); the ideas of dominion and eminence are, however, suggested by the context. The verse is to be connected with ‘making him sit,' as an e...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Ephesians 1:19 I. The Apostle desires that the Ephesian Christians may know what is "the exceeding greatness of His power to usward who believe." I can easily imagine that a person who has been wont t...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    Ephesians 1:1. _Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God,_ He was not made an apostle by man, neither did he take the office upon himself, but he was made an apostle by the will of God. E...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    Ephesians 1:1. _Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    Ephesians 1:1. _Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    Ephesians 1:1. _Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints, which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Believer's position in grace. The prayer for knowledge and power. CHARACTERS: Christ, God, Holy Spirit, Paul. CONCLUSION: The believer is vitally united to Jesus Christ by the indwelling S...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Ephesians 1:4. _According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy, and without blame before him in_ _love._ What words of consolation! The full soul of t...

  • The Bible Study New Testament

    ABOVE ALL. Both Judaism and the mystery religions viewed God as unapproachable with angels arranged in layers as go-betweens. Heavenly rulers, authorities, powers, and lords were names they gave to di...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    EPHESIANS—NOTE ON EPHESIANS 1:15 Paul’s Prayer of Thanksgiving. This section, like vv. Ephesians 1:3, is a single sentence in the original Greek. Paul prays that th

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    _CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES_ Ephesians 1:18. THE EYES OF YOUR UNDERSTANDING BEING ENLIGHTENED … TO US-WARD WHO BELIEVE.—Three pictures for heaven-illumined eyes: 1. THE HOPE OF HIS CALLING.—Meyer...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION EPHESIANS 1:1, EPHESIANS 1:2 ADDRESS AND SALUTATION. EPHESIANS 1:1...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Let's turn in our Bibles to Ephesians. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God (Ephesians 1:1), Now, if you were writing this epistle, take out the name Paul, and insert your name and the...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Peter 3:22; Acts 4:12; Colossians 1:15; Colossians 1:16; Colos

  • Vincent's Word Studies in the New Testament (4 Volume Set)

    Far above [υ π ε ρ α ν ω]. Lit., over above. See on ver. 19. Connect with made Him to sit. Principality, power, etc. These words usually refer to angelic powers; either good, as ch. 3 10; Colossians 1...

  • Wells of Living Water Commentary

    THE HOLY SPIRIT IN EPHESIANS Ephesians 1:13 INTRODUCTORY WORDS There are distinct lines of teaching relative to the Holy Spirit in several of Paul's Epistles. The Book of Ephesians has seven outstan...

  • Wells of Living Water Commentary

    A PRAYER FOR CONVERTS Ephesians 1:15 INTRODUCTORY WORDS I want you to allow me to divide up this prayer for you, so that you may be able to get a bird's-eye view of it all at once. 1. We have two...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion — That is, God hath invested him with uncontrollable authority over all demons in hell, all angels in heaven, and all the princes and pot...

  • William Burkitt's Expository Notes

    The apostle expresses more plainly what he has said in the former verse figuratively; God hath exalted Christ FAR ABOVE ALL PRINCIPALITIES AND POWERS, MIGHT AND DOMINION, AND EVERY NAME THAT IS NAMED;...

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Old Testament