Ephesians 3:18

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An Exegetical Analysis of Ephesians 3:18-19: The Grammatical Relationship of Infinitives and the Scope of Comprehension

This exegetical study of “An Exegetical Analysis of Ephesians 3:18-19: The Grammatical Relationship of Infinitives and the Scope of Comprehension” is based on a b-greek discussion from an unspecified date, initiated by an inquiry into the logical flow of Ephesians 3:14-19. The central question raised concerns the syntactic relationship between the main verb of ability and two subsequent infinitives within this passage.

The primary exegetical issue revolves around the scope of the verb ἐξισχύσητε (exischysēte, “that you may be able”). Specifically, it questions whether this verb governs both the infinitive καταλαβέσθαι (katalabesthai, “to comprehend”) and the subsequent infinitive γνῶναι (gnōnai, “to know”), or if the particle τε (te) following γνῶναι introduces an epexegetical clause, thereby suggesting a different grammatical dependency for the second infinitive. Understanding this relationship is crucial for accurately discerning Paul’s intent regarding the nature of the believer’s comprehension of Christ’s love.

Greek Text (Nestle 1904)

ἵνα ἐξισχύσητε καταλαβέσθαι σὺν πᾶσιν τοῖς ἁγίοις τί τὸ πλάτος καὶ μῆκος καὶ ὕψος καὶ βάθος,

γνῶναι τε τὴν ὑπερβάλλουσαν τῆς γνώσεως ἀγάπην τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἵνα πληρωθῆτε εἰς πᾶν τὸ πλήρωμα τοῦ Θεοῦ.

• Key differences with SBLGNT (2010): No substantive lexical or morphological differences exist between the Nestle 1904 text and the SBLGNT (2010) for Ephesians 3:18-19 that would impact the grammatical question under examination. Both critical editions present the same wording for the relevant terms and their arrangement.

Textual Criticism (NA28) and Lexical Notes

The textual tradition for Ephesians 3:18-19 is remarkably stable. The NA28 (Nestle-Aland, 28th edition) does not report any significant variants that would alter the specific words or their order pertinent to the grammatical query regarding ἐξισχύσητε, καταλαβέσθαι, γνῶναι, or τε. This stability allows the exegete to focus on grammatical and syntactical analysis without significant textual uncertainty.

• Lexical Notes:
• ἐξισχύω (exischyō, from ἐκ + ἰσχύω): According to BDAG, this verb means “to be strong enough, have strength enough, to be fully able.” It conveys the idea of having sufficient power or capacity for a task. In this context, it emphasizes the divine enablement for comprehension.
• καταλαμβάνω (katalambanō): BDAG defines this as “to grasp, apprehend, comprehend, understand.” It often implies seizing or taking hold of something, suggesting an active and perhaps intellectual apprehension of truth. Here, it is applied to the vast dimensions of God’s love.
• γιγνώσκω (ginōskō, aorist infinitive γνῶναι): BDAG provides a primary meaning of “to know, come to know, learn.” In theological contexts, it often denotes a deeper, experiential knowledge, beyond mere intellectual apprehension, implying intimacy or relationship.
• τε (te): This is a postpositive particle that primarily functions as a conjunctive, meaning “and,” often connecting two closely related or naturally successive elements. While it can introduce an epexegetical (explanatory) nuance in certain contexts, its fundamental role is to link. The question in this passage is whether it simply connects two infinitives governed by the same verb, or introduces a more independent explanatory clause.

Translation Variants and Grammatical & Rhetorical Analysis

The grammatical structure of Ephesians 3:18-19 is a purpose clause introduced by ἵνα (hina), which expresses the intention of Paul’s prayer in 3:14-17. The main verb of this purpose clause is ἐξισχύσητε (exischysēte), which means “that you may be able.” This verb of ability typically takes an infinitive to complete its meaning, indicating what one is able to do. The first infinitive is καταλαβέσθαι (“to comprehend”).

The crux of the exegetical issue lies with the second infinitive, γνῶναι (“to know”), and its relationship to ἐξισχύσητε, mediated by the particle τε. Grammatically, τε functions to connect two elements, often implying a close relationship or a slight intensification/elaboration of the first. In this passage, the most common and grammatically sound interpretation is that τε connects καταλαβέσθαι and γνῶναι as two parallel, coordinate infinitives, both governed by the preceding verb ἐξισχύσητε. This means that the believers are prayed to be able to “comprehend” AND “to know.”

Rhetorically, this interpretation suggests two facets of the believer’s experience of Christ’s love:

1. Comprehending the Dimensions (καταλαβέσθαι): This refers to intellectually grasping the vastness (“breadth, length, height, and depth”) of Christ’s love. It’s an attempt to rationally apprehend its immensity, perhaps through theological reflection or contemplation of its scope in redemptive history and creation.
2. Knowing the Love Itself (γνῶναι): This moves beyond intellectual comprehension to a deeper, more experiential and intimate knowledge of “the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge.” The use of γνῶναι often implies personal encounter and relational understanding. The paradox—knowing that which surpasses knowledge—highlights the ineffable and transcendent nature of divine love, which can only be truly apprehended through spiritual experience and divine revelation, not purely by human intellect.

The presence of τε connecting these two infinitives, rather than introducing a completely new, independent clause, strengthens the idea that these are two intimately linked aspects of the same spiritual endeavor. The second infinitive (γνῶναι) often serves to intensify or deepen the meaning of the first, making it implicitly epexegetical in *sense* (i.e., “to comprehend, and indeed, even to know experientially”), even if not introducing a strictly new grammatical clause independent of ἐξισχύσητε.

Therefore, the flow suggests that the ability (ἐξισχύσητε) extends to both grasping the intellectual dimensions of God’s love and experiencing its profound, transcendent reality. The prayer is not for two entirely separate abilities, but for the full capacity to engage with the multifaceted nature of Christ’s love.

Conclusions and Translation Suggestions

The grammatical analysis indicates that ἐξισχύσητε governs both καταλαβέσθαι and γνῶναι. The particle τε serves to connect these two infinitives in a parallel construction, with the second often offering an elaboration or intensification of the first. This structure underscores Paul’s desire for believers to engage with Christ’s love on both an intellectual (comprehension of dimensions) and an experiential (intimate knowledge) level. The final purpose clause, “that you may be filled to all the fullness of God,” suggests that this dual comprehension and knowledge of Christ’s love is the means by which believers attain spiritual maturity and completeness.

Based on this analysis, the following translation suggestions are offered, each emphasizing slightly different nuances of the connection:

1. that you may be empowered to grasp with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth—and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge—so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

   This translation emphasizes the coordinated action of “grasping” and “knowing,” both enabled by divine power, and linked by a simple “and.”

2. that you may be truly able with all the saints to comprehend the breadth and length and height and depth, and indeed, to intimately know the transcendent love of Christ, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

   This version uses “and indeed” to highlight the intensifying or elaborative nature of the second infinitive, moving from intellectual grasp to profound, experiential knowledge.

3. so that you may have the strength, along with all the saints, to apprehend the vast dimensions—the breadth, length, height, and depth—and to truly experience the love of Christ, which is too great for human knowledge, in order that you may be filled to the measure of all God’s fullness.

   This translation seeks to bring out the dynamic and experiential aspects of “knowing,” while also clarifying the paradox of “love that surpasses knowledge” within the overall enablement.

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