What Does Ephesians 3:14 Mean in the King James?

For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Ephesians 3:14 · KJV

The analysis reads the King James wording.

King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.

THE KEY

In Greek, “Father” and “family” share one root, so the one addressed here is also the source of belonging named in the next verse.

THE MEANING

The verse gives address a bodily form: your knees bend toward the Father. It places that relation beside Jesus, whose name carries deliverance, and the anointed one.

THE ROOT

πατέρα

patéra

GROWS FROM

πατρ-

patr-

Father, parent, source

English gives “Father” and “family” unrelated word-shapes, while Greek links ⁨πατήρ⁩ (patēr, “father”) and ⁨πατριά⁩ (patriá, “family, lineage”) through ⁨πατρ-⁩ (patr-, “father, source”). The next verse continues the same seed, so the address widens into the source-name of belonging.

ALSO GROWS

patriá: family, lineage

πατριά

Ephesians 3:15 uses this form for “family,” binding those named to the same father-source stem.

patrōos: ancestral, belonging to one’s fathers

πατρῷος

The same stem reaches what is ancestral, showing how fatherhood can name a source from which identity and inheritance extend.

κάμπτω

kamptō

GROWS FROM

καμπ-

kamp-

Bend, curve, bring into a bent posture

“bow” in this verse is kamptō. This verb names the body’s bend, and the same stem recurs in the universal knee-bowing of Philippians 2:10 and Romans 14:11. The verse holds a personal act of prayer inside a wider image of recognition.

ALSO GROWS

kampsē: should bend, should bow

κάμψῃ

Philippians 2:10 uses this form for every knee, carrying the same bodily movement into a universal scene.

kampsei: will bend, will bow

κάμψει

Romans 14:11 repeats the verb for every knee, extending the image beyond one person’s posture.

יֵשׁוּעַ

Yeshua

GROWS FROM

ישע

Deliver, bring out of narrowness into spaciousness

The Greek name ⁨Ἰησοῦ⁩ (Iēsou, “Jesus”) carries the Hebrew name ⁨יֵשׁוּעַ⁩ (Yeshua, “deliverance”), from ⁨יָשַׁע⁩ (yasha, “deliver, bring into spaciousness”). The title ⁨Χριστός⁩ (Christos, “anointed one”) names an identity beside that deliverance.

ALSO GROWS

yeshuʿah: deliverance

יְשׁוּעָה

This noun carries the name’s deliverance sense as the act or state of being brought out.

moshiaʿ: deliverer, one who brings out

מוֹשִׁיעַ

This form names the one who brings out, showing the name’s action as nature.

THE PATTERN

Bending the knees gives bodily form to recognition directed toward God.

Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.

Daniel 6:10 · KJVPrayer becomes visible in the body’s repeated kneeling.

And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,

Luke 22:41 · KJVThe bent body again gives physical shape to prayer.

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

Philippians 2:10 · KJVThe same bending grows from one person’s posture into a vision of every knee.

THE THREAD

Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

Ephesians 3:15 · KJV

English moves from “Father” to “family,” while Greek carries ⁨πατέρα⁩ (patéra, “Father”) into ⁨πατριά⁩ (patriá, “family, lineage”), with the shared ⁨πατρ-⁩ (patr-, “father, source”) stem. The next verse opens the address into a wider belonging: every family bears the name of the same source.

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