Ephesians 6:9
in Ephesians 6And masters, do the same for your slaves. Give up your use of threats, because you know that He who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with Him.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, and forbear threatening: knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no respect of persons with him.
KJV
And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.
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This verse in Ephesians 6
Commentary
15 notes on this verseServing is to be done "in singleness of heart." One is called to "do the will of God" and to do it "with a good will," that is, with benevolence from the heart. Everyone will finally receive just judgment from the Lord for whatever good he has done. If he has served as a lowly one in the household, he will be judged justly according to his responsibility. The master of the household is not to be overbearing, not quick to punish.
This site's exposition
Give up your use of threats
Masters are told to do the same for your slaves, which turns the mutuality on them, and to give up your use of threats, the one instrument Roman law left unregulated. The ground is that He who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with Him, so both ranks of the household stand alike before Him. Philemon is this verse worked out in a single case.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
But the freemen shall be tried by penance for three years, both for their dissimulation, and for having compelled their fellow-servants to offer sacrifice, inasmuch as they have not obeyed the apostle, who would have the masters do the same things unto the servant, forbearing …
For each individual lives by his own faith, nor is there exception of persons with God; since it is not hearers of the law who are justified by the Lord, but doers, according to what the apostle withal says. Therefore, if you have the right of a priest in your own person, in cases of necessity, it behoves you to have likewise the discipline of a priest whenever it may be necessary to have the fight of a priest.
A commentator
CyprianTreatise XII Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews · Written before 258.
proposed
Moreover, that masters should be the more gentle. Also in the same place: "And, ye masters, do the same things to them, forbearing anger: knowing that both your Master and theirs is in heaven; and there is no choice of persons with Him."
"And ye masters," he continues, "do the same things unto them." The same things. What are these? "With good-will do service." However he does not actually say, "do service," though by saying, "the same things," he plainly shows this to be his meaning. For the master himself is a servant. "Not as men-pleasers," he means, "and with fear and trembling": that is, toward God, fearing lest He one day accuse you for your negligence toward your slaves. "And forbear threatening;" be not irritating, he means, nor oppressive. "Knowing that both their Master and yours is in Heaven." Ah! How mighty a Master does he hint at here! How startling the suggestion! It is this. "With what measure thou metest, it shall be measured unto thee again"; lest thou hear the sentence, "Thou wicked servant. I forgave thee all that debt." "And there is no respect of persons," he saith, "with Him." Think not, he would say, that what is done towards a servant, He will therefore forgive, because done to a servant. Heathen laws indeed as being the laws of men, recognize a difference between these kinds of offenses. But the law of the common Lord and Master of all, as doing good to all alike, and dispensing the same rights to all, knows no such difference. But should any one ask, whence is slavery, and why it has found entrance into human life, (and many I know are both glad to ask such questions, and desirous to be informed of them,) I will tell you. Slavery is the fruit of covetousness, of degradation, of savagery; since Noah, we know, had no servant, nor had Abel, nor Seth, no, nor they who came after them. The thing was the fruit of sin, of rebellion against parents. Let children hearken to this, that whenever they are undutiful to their parents, they deserve to be servants. […]
The Medieval Church1 voice
"In the same way." How? Serve willingly and not as people-pleasers, but with fear and trembling, that is, in relation to God. For although he did not express this directly in words, he desires it. For the master also serves the slave, caring for him …
8 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
Then he goes on to give advice to masters. He states, therefore, And you, masters, do the same, namely, with a proportional identity: as servants act from the heart and with a good will, so also should you act. "If you have a faithful servant, …
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; Here is a general exhortation to constancy in our Christian course, and to encourage in our Christian warfare. Is not our life a warfare?
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-run:39w-of-63
Do the same things to them - That is, act toward them from the same principle. Forbearing threatening - Behaving with gentleness and humanity, not in a harsh or domineering way.
And ye masters do the same things unto them,....
He exhorts and directs Christians how to behave themselves in the spiritual warfare with the enemies of their souls; and to the exercise of several Christian graces, which he proposes to them as so many pieces of spiritual armour, to preserve and defend them in the conflict,
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
And, ye masters - The object of this is, to secure for servants a proper treatment. It is evident, from this, that there were in the Christian church those who were “masters;” and the most obvious interpretation is, that they were the owners of slaves. Some such persons would be converted, as such are now. Paul did not say that they could not be Christians. He did not say that they should he excluded at once from the communion. He did not hold them up to reproach, or use harsh and severe language in regard to them.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Equality of nature and faith is superior to distinctions of rank [BENGEL]. Christianity makes all men brothers: compare Le 25:42, 43; Jer 34:14 as to how the Hebrews were bound to treat their brethren in service; much more ought Christians to act with love. threatening--Greek, "the threatening" which masters commonly use.
Ye masters, do the same things unto them - Act in the same affectionate, conscientious manner towards your slaves and servants, as they do towards you. Forbearing threatening - If they should transgress at any time, lean more to the side of mercy than justice; and when ye are obliged to punish, let it be as light and as moderate as possible; and let revenge have no part in the chastisement, for that is of the devil, and not of God. The words, forbearing threatening; ανιεντες την απειλην, signify to mitigate, relax, or not exact threatening; that is, the threatened punishment. The sense is given above. In Shemoth Rabba, sect. 21, fol. 120, there is a good saying concerning respect of persons: “If a poor man comes to a rich man to converse with him, he will not regard him; but if a rich man comes he will hear and rehear him. The holy and blessed God acts not thus; for all are alike before him, women, slaves, the poor, and the rich.” Knowing that your Master also is in heaven - You are their masters, God is yours. As you deal with them, so God will deal with you; for do not suppose, because their condition on earth is inferior to yours, that God considers them to be less worthy of his regard than you are; this is not so, for there is no respect of persons with Him.
The words behind it
28 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| οἱ | hoi | you who [are] | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| κύριοι, | kurioi | masters, | G2962 → | 711 times |
| τὰ | ta | the [same things] | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| αὐτὰ | auta | them | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ποιεῖτε | poieite | do perform | G4160 → | 569 times |
| πρὸς | pros | toward | G4314 → | 700 times |
| αὐτοὺς | autous | them | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ἀνιέντες | anientes | giving up | G447 → | |
| τὴν | ten | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀπειλήν, | apeilen | threatening, | G547 → | |
| εἰδότες | eidotes | knowing | ||
| ὅτι | hoti | that | G3754 → | 1292 times |
| καὶ | kai | also | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| αὐτῶν | auton | of them | G846 → | 5565 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ὑμῶν | humon | of you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| ὁ | ho | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| κύριός | kurios | master | G2962 → | 711 times |
| ἐστιν | estin | is | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| οὐρανοῖς | ouranois | [the] heavens | G3772 → | 272 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| προσωπολημψία | prosopolempsia | partiality | G4382 → | |
| οὐκ | ouk | not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| ἔστιν | estin | there is | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| παρ᾽ | par᾽ | with | G3844 → | |
| αὐτῷ.¶ | auto | Him. | G846 → | 5565 times |
ΚαὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
οἱyou who [are]
hoiG3588 →19766 times
κύριοι,masters,
kurioiG2962 →711 times
τὰthe [same things]
taG3588 →19766 times
αὐτὰthem
autaG846 →5565 times
ποιεῖτεdo perform
poieiteG4160 →569 times
πρὸςtoward
prosG4314 →700 times
αὐτοὺςthem
autousG846 →5565 times
ἀνιέντεςgiving up
anientesG447 →
τὴνthe
tenG3588 →19766 times
ἀπειλήν,threatening,
apeilenG547 →
εἰδότεςknowing
eidotes
ὅτιthat
hotiG3754 →1292 times
καὶalso
kaiG2532 →9120 times
αὐτῶνof them
autonG846 →5565 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ὑμῶνof you
humonG4771 →2973 times
ὁthe
hoG3588 →19766 times
κύριόςmaster
kuriosG2962 →711 times
ἐστινis
estinG1510 →2333 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
οὐρανοῖς[the] heavens
ouranoisG3772 →272 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
προσωπολημψίαpartiality
prosopolempsiaG4382 →
οὐκnot
oukG3756 →1664 times
ἔστινthere is
estinG1510 →2333 times
παρ᾽with
par᾽G3844 →
αὐτῷ.¶Him.
autoG846 →5565 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Romans 2:11For God does not show favoritism.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 10:17
For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, mighty, and awesome God, showing no partiality and accepting no bribe.
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- Acts 10:34
Then Peter began to speak: “I now truly understand that God does not show favoritism,
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- 2 Chronicles 19:7
And now, may the fear of the LORD be upon you. Be careful what you do, for with the LORD our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Galatians 2:6
But as for the highly esteemed—whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not show favoritism—those leaders added nothing to me.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Galatians 6:7–8
Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return.
- Deuteronomy 10:17
Through
Acts 10:34Then Peter began to speak: “I now truly understand that God does not show favoritism,
it leads to
- Romans 2:11
For God does not show favoritism.
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- Colossians 3:25
Whoever does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism.
- Job 34:19
who is not partial to princes and does not favor rich over poor? For they are all the work of His hands.
- Romans 2:11
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies7
About Ephesians
This page draws on 13 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Cyprian, Treatise XII Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Ephesians 6:9; John Chrysostom, Homily on Ephesians 22; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Peter of Alexandria, Peter of Alexandria Canonical Epistle; Tertullian, On Exhortation to Chastity; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Ephesians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Ephesians.