What Does Ephesians 5:20 Mean?
Always giving thanks for all things to God and the Father, in the nature of our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One.
Key words are shown with the Hebrew or Greek and what each word meant.
Selah Decoded Version The Selah Decoded Version renders what the Hebrew and Greek words meant to the people who first heard them.
King James wording
King James Version
Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;THE KEY
The Greek word for giving thanks grows from the root of χάρις (charis, favor), so gratitude names the favor already received.
THE MEANING
Your gratitude reaches into every circumstance and is directed to God as Father. It takes its shape from the nature of Jesus, so thanksgiving is more than a phrase spoken at the end of a prayer.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The belief that gratitude belongs only to favorable circumstances is undone by “always” and “for all things.”
THE ROOT
εὐχαριστοῦντες
eucharistountes
GROWS FROM
χαρ
Favor, the stem shared by Greek words for favor, joy, and freely granting.
The word for giving thanks is built on the χαρ- stem carried by χάρις (charis, favor). English separates gratitude from favor and joy, while this Greek word-family holds them close: thanksgiving recognizes favor received and gives it voice.
ALSO GROWS
charis: favor; in some contexts, thanks
χάρις
The shared χαρ- stem links the verse’s thanksgiving with favor received.
chara: joy
χαρά
Its χαρ- consonants connect joy with thanksgiving in the same word-family.
charizomai: grant freely; show favor
χαρίζομαι
This related verb expresses favor as something granted, illuminating the received favor named in thanksgiving.
ὀνόματι
onomati
GROWS FROM
ὀνομ
Name or naming; the identifying designation of someone.
“in the nature” in this verse is onomati. “In the name” places this thanksgiving within the nature of Jesus. The phrase points to the character represented by the name, not a formula added to the words of thanks.
ALSO GROWS
onoma: name
ὄνομα
This is the noun appearing in the verse’s phrase “in the name.”
onomazō: name; call by name
ὀνομάζω
The related verb shows the root at work in the act of naming.
onomastos: named; renowned
ὀνομαστός
This related form connects naming with the recognized character of the one named.
THE PATTERN
Thanksgiving extends through every circumstance as a continual orientation toward God.
A Psalm of David, when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech; who drove him away, and he departed. I bless the LORD at all times, and his praise is continually in my mouth.In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Jesus, the Anointed One, toward you.And whatever you do, in word or in work, do all in the nature of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.THE THREAD
And whatever you do, in word or in work, do all in the nature of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.Both verses use εὐχαριστοῦντες (eucharistountes, giving thanks), from χαρ (char, favor), and connect thanksgiving with the name of Jesus. Colossians extends the phrase across every word and deed, showing how gratitude takes shape within his nature.
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