Ephesians 3:18
New International Version
may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,

New Living Translation
And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.

English Standard Version
may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,

Berean Standard Bible
will have power, together with all the saints, to comprehend the length and width and height and depth

Berean Literal Bible
so that you may be fully able, with all the saints, to comprehend what is the breadth and length and height and depth,

King James Bible
May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

New King James Version
may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—

New American Standard Bible
may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and height and depth,

NASB 1995
may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,

NASB 1977
may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,

Legacy Standard Bible
may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,

Amplified Bible
be fully capable of comprehending with all the saints (God’s people) the width and length and height and depth of His love [fully experiencing that amazing, endless love];

Christian Standard Bible
may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love,

American Standard Version
may be strong to apprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,

Contemporary English Version
I pray that you and all God's people will understand what is called wide or long or high or deep.

English Revised Version
may be strong to apprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,

GOD'S WORD® Translation
This way, with all of God's people you will be able to understand how wide, long, high, and deep his love is.

Good News Translation
so that you, together with all God's people, may have the power to understand how broad and long, how high and deep, is Christ's love.

International Standard Version
you will be able to understand, along with all the saints, what is wide, long, high, and deep—

Majority Standard Bible
will have power, together with all the saints, to comprehend the length and width and depth and height

NET Bible
you may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,

New Heart English Bible
may be strengthened to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,

Webster's Bible Translation
May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and highth.

Weymouth New Testament
as it is grasped by all God's people, of the breadth and length, the height and depth--

World English Bible
may be strengthened to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and height and depth,
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
that you may be in strength to comprehend, with all the holy ones, what [is] the breadth, and length, and depth, and height,

Berean Literal Bible
so that you may be fully able, with all the saints, to comprehend what is the breadth and length and height and depth,

Young's Literal Translation
that ye may be in strength to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height,

Smith's Literal Translation
That ye might be fully able to comprehend with all the holy what the length, and breadth, and depth, and height;
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
You may be able to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth, and length, and height, and depth:

Catholic Public Domain Version
So may you be able to embrace, with all the saints, what is the width and length and height and depth

New American Bible
may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth,

New Revised Standard Version
I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
So that you may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the height and depth and length and breadth;

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
That you can discover with all the holy, what is the height and depth and length and breadth,
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
that, being rooted and founded in love, you may be fully able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and depth and hight,

Godbey New Testament
being rooted and grounded in divine love, in order that you may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height,

Haweis New Testament
ye may be strengthened to comprehend with all saints, what is the breadth and length, and height and depth;

Mace New Testament
Be ye rooted and grounded in social virtue, that you may be able to comprehend with all saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height of this mystery:

Weymouth New Testament
as it is grasped by all God's people, of the breadth and length, the height and depth--

Worrell New Testament
may be strong to apprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth, and length, and height, and depth,

Worsley New Testament
that ye may be able, with all the saints, to comprehend what is the breadth, and length, and depth,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Paul's Prayer for the Ephesians
17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. Then you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 will have power, together with all the saints, to comprehend the length and width and height and depth 19of the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.…

Cross References
Romans 8:39
neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Colossians 2:2
that they may be encouraged in heart, knit together in love, and filled with the full riches of complete understanding, so that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ,

1 Corinthians 2:10
But God has revealed it to us by the Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.

Philippians 1:9
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,

Romans 11:33
O, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and untraceable His ways!

1 John 4:16
And we have come to know and believe the love that God has for us. God is love; whoever abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

2 Corinthians 4:6
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

John 15:9
As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Remain in My love.

1 John 3:1
Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.

Psalm 103:11
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His loving devotion for those who fear Him.

Psalm 36:5
Your loving devotion, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, Your faithfulness to the clouds.

Psalm 139:7-10
Where can I go to escape Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? / If I ascend to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, You are there. / If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle by the farthest sea, ...

Isaiah 55:9
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.

Job 11:7-9
Can you fathom the deep things of God or discover the limits of the Almighty? / They are higher than the heavens—what can you do? They are deeper than Sheol—what can you know? / Their measure is longer than the earth and wider than the sea.


Treasury of Scripture

May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

able.

Ephesians 3:19
And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

Ephesians 1:18-23
The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, …

Job 11:7-9
Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? …

with.

Ephesians 1:10,15
That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: …

Deuteronomy 33:2,3
And he said, The LORD came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them…

2 Chronicles 6:41
Now therefore arise, O LORD God, into thy resting place, thou, and the ark of thy strength: let thy priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, and let thy saints rejoice in goodness.

what.

Romans 10:3,11,12
For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God…

Jump to Previous
Able Apprehend Breadth Christ Comprehend Deep Depth God's Grasp Grasped Height High Highth Length Order Power Saints Strength Strengthened Strong Together Wide
Jump to Next
Able Apprehend Breadth Christ Comprehend Deep Depth God's Grasp Grasped Height High Highth Length Order Power Saints Strength Strengthened Strong Together Wide
Ephesians 3
1. The hidden mystery that the Gentiles should be saved was made known to Paul by revelation;
8. and to him was that grace given, that he should preach it.
13. He desires them not to be discouraged over his tribulation;
14. and prays that they may perceive the great love of Christ toward them.














may have power
The phrase "may have power" is derived from the Greek word "ἐξισχύσητε" (exischysēte), which implies being fully able or having the strength to accomplish something. In the context of Ephesians, this power is not merely human strength but a divine enablement granted by the Holy Spirit. This empowerment is essential for believers to grasp the vastness of God's love, suggesting that understanding spiritual truths requires divine assistance. Historically, the early church faced numerous challenges, and this empowerment was crucial for maintaining faith and unity.

together with all the saints
The phrase "together with all the saints" emphasizes the communal aspect of the Christian faith. The Greek word for saints, "ἅγιοι" (hagioi), refers to those set apart for God, highlighting the holiness and distinctiveness of believers. This communal understanding is rooted in the early church's practice, where believers gathered in homes and shared their lives deeply. The phrase underscores that the comprehension of God's love is not an individual endeavor but a collective experience, reflecting the unity and fellowship that characterized the early Christian communities.

to comprehend
"To comprehend" comes from the Greek "καταλαβέσθαι" (katalabesthai), meaning to grasp or seize. This term suggests an active pursuit of understanding, not a passive reception. In the scriptural context, it implies a deep, experiential knowledge of God's love, beyond intellectual assent. The historical context of Ephesians, written to a diverse and often divided church, underscores the need for a profound, unifying understanding of God's love that transcends cultural and social barriers.

the length and width and height and depth
This phrase poetically describes the immeasurable dimensions of God's love. Each dimension—length, width, height, and depth—symbolizes the boundless and all-encompassing nature of divine love. Theologically, this reflects the infinite nature of God, whose love extends beyond human comprehension. Historically, the use of such spatial metaphors would resonate with the Ephesians, who lived in a city known for its grand architecture, including the Temple of Artemis. This imagery would help them visualize the vastness of God's love in a tangible way, encouraging them to explore its depths in their spiritual journey.

(18) May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height.--It has been asked, Of what? Various answers have been given; but as St. Paul has obviously of set purpose omitted all definition, leaving the phrase incomplete in absolute generality, no answer can be perfectly satisfactory. The early fathers delighted to refer it to the cross, and to trace in the four dimensions of the cross a symbol of this four-fold extension of the love of God in Christ. The clause following, "to know the love of Christ," though partly explanatory of this, hardly seems to be identical or co-extensive with it. The knowledge there described is a part--perhaps the chief part, but not the whole--of the comprehension here prayed for. If anything is to be supplied, it should probably be "of the mystery"--i.e., of the whole mystery on which St. Paul had been dwelling, including the predestination, the redemption, the call and union of Jews and Gentiles. The prayer is that we may know it every way, in every direction in which the soul can go forth towards God.

It may be noted that comprehension is placed after love, just as in Philippians 1:9, "I pray that your love may abound (that is, overflow) in knowledge and in all judgment." The spiritual order of revelation differs from that of the "wisdom of the world." It has first faith, next love, and finally knowledge, because its object is a person, not an abstract principle. That knowledge must, even here, "grow from more to more;" but St. Paul's prayer can never be perfectly realised till we "know even as we are known."

Verse 18. - May be made strong to comprehend with all the saints. The subject to be comprehended is not only beyond man's natural capacity, but beyond the ordinary force of his spiritual capacity. The thing to be grasped needs a special strength of heart and soul; the heart needs to be enlarged, the mental "hands of the arms" need to be made strong (Genesis 49:24). But the attainment is not impossible - it is the experience of "all the saints;" all God's children are enabled to grasp something of this (comp. 2 Corinthians 4:3-6). What is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height. No genitive being given, it has been a difficult point to settle to what these dimensions must be held to be applicable. Some think that the love of Christ in the following clause must be meant; but surely when that is made the subject of a separate part of the prayer, and is not in the genitive but the objective case, governed by a verb of its own, this explanation is not to be enter-rained. Others, with more reason, think that the idea of a temple was in the mind of the writer, as it certainly was in Ephesians 2:21, 22, and that it is the dimensions of the temple he had here in his eye, the prayer being that the Ephesians might comprehend the vastness and glory of that spiritual temple which is constituted by all believers, and in which God dwells by the Spirit. Even this, however, would not divest the construction of abruptness, and it would fit in but poorly with the context, in which the tenor o f the apostle's prayer is that a profusion of Divine blessing might be enjoyed by the Ephesians. If a genitive must be supplied, may we not conceive the apostle to have had in his view the entire provision God has made in Christ for the good of his people, so that the dimensions would be those of the gospel storehouse, the vast reservoir out of which the Church is filled? "Breadth" might denote the manifoldness of that provision; "length," its eternal duration; its "depth" might be represented by the profundity of Christ's humiliation; and its "height" by the loftiness of the condition to which his people are to be raised. To comprehend this, to understand its existence and its richness, is to get our faith enlarged, our expectations expanded; it is through this comprehension that "all the saints" have got their wants supplied, and their souls filled as with marrow and fatness.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
may have power,
ἐξισχύσητε (exischysēte)
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 1840: From ek and ischuo; to have full strength, i.e. Be entirely competent.

together with
σὺν (syn)
Preposition
Strong's 4862: With. A primary preposition denoting union; with or together.

all
πᾶσιν (pasin)
Adjective - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3956: All, the whole, every kind of. Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole.

the
τοῖς (tois)
Article - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

saints,
ἁγίοις (hagiois)
Adjective - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 40: Set apart by (or for) God, holy, sacred. From hagos; sacred.

to comprehend
καταλαβέσθαι (katalabesthai)
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Middle
Strong's 2638: From kata and lambano; to take eagerly, i.e. Seize, possess, etc.

the
τὸ (to)
Article - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

length
μῆκος (mēkos)
Noun - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3372: Length. Probably akin to megas; length length.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

width
πλάτος (platos)
Noun - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 4114: Breadth. From platus; width.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

height
ὕψος (hypsos)
Noun - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 5311: Height, heaven; dignity, eminence. From a derivative of huper; elevation, i.e. altitude, the sky, or dignity.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

depth [of His love],
βάθος (bathos)
Noun - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 899: From the same as bathus; profundity, i.e. extent; mystery.


Links
Ephesians 3:18 NIV
Ephesians 3:18 NLT
Ephesians 3:18 ESV
Ephesians 3:18 NASB
Ephesians 3:18 KJV

Ephesians 3:18 BibleApps.com
Ephesians 3:18 Biblia Paralela
Ephesians 3:18 Chinese Bible
Ephesians 3:18 French Bible
Ephesians 3:18 Catholic Bible

NT Letters: Ephesians 3:18 May be strengthened to comprehend with all (Ephes. Eph. Ep)
Ephesians 3:17
Top of Page
Top of Page