Subject: could raised from the dead be spiritual |
Bible Note: Hi, Brother John... Often interpreters have used parenthesis as a way of marking what is called a gloss. A gloss is a note made in the margin to help explain the original text. They were generally added off to the side, but later people had such confidence in their value the gloss ended up drifting into the text itself. Examples of this sort of thing include Deuteronomy 3:9 and 1 Samuel 9:9. However, I don't believe anyone has ever suggested that that is what is happening in Ephesians 2:5. Instead, the parenthesis are, I think, simply added by the translators to help us understand Paul's sudden assertion. He does that throughout this epistle. It is as though he can barely contain his excitement about what God is doing. He suddenly shifts into praise and prayer. You almost get the impression of him pacing back and forth as he dictated to Tychicus, and almost becoming effusive at times! I hope that was helped a bit. In Him, Doc |