American Standard Version
Ephesians 6:6
6not in the way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers; but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;
Ephesians 6:6 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;
- New International Version (NIV)Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart.
- English Standard Version (ESV)not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,
- New King James Version (NKJV)not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,
Context of Ephesians 6:6
4And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but nurture them in the chastening and admonition of the Lord. 5Servants, be obedient unto them that according to the flesh are your masters, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; not in the way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers; but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; 7with good will doing service, as unto the Lord, and not unto men: 8knowing that whatsoever good thing each one doeth, the same shall he receive again from the Lord, whether he be bond or free.
Read all of Ephesians 6Ephesians 6:6 word by word
μὴ κατ᾽ ὀφθαλμοδουλίαν ὡς ἀνθρωπάρεσκοι ἀλλ᾽ ὡς δοῦλοι Χριστοῦ ποιοῦντες τὸ θέλημα τοῦ θεοῦ ἐκ ψυχῆςRead the interlinear
Cross-references for Ephesians 6:6
- Philippians 2:12So then, my beloved, even as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;
- Colossians 3:22Servants, obey in all things them that are your masters according to the flesh; not with eye-service, as men-pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing the Lord:
- 1 Thessalonians 2:4but even as we have been approved of God to be intrusted with the gospel, so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God who proveth our hearts.
- Ephesians 5:17Wherefore be ye not foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
- Matthew 7:21Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven.
- Matthew 12:50For whosoever shall do the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.
- Colossians 1:9For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray and make request for you, that ye may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
- Colossians 4:12Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, saluteth you, always striving for you in his prayers, that ye may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:3For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye abstain from fornication;
- Hebrews 10:36For ye have need of patience, that, having done the will of God, ye may receive the promise.
- Hebrews 13:21make you perfect in every good thing to do his will, working in us that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be the glory for ever and ever. Amen.
- 1 Peter 2:15For so is the will of God, that by well-doing ye should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:
- 1 Peter 4:2that ye no longer should live the rest of your time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.
- 1 John 2:17And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
- Jeremiah 3:10And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not returned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith Jehovah.
- Jeremiah 24:7And I will give them a heart to know me, that I am Jehovah: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God; for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.
Commentaries on Ephesians 6:6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6Not with eye-service - Not merely in their presence, when their eye is upon you, as unfaithful and hypocritical servants do, without consulting conscience in any part of their work. Doing the will of God - Seeing that you are in the state of servitude, it is the will of God that you should act conscientiously in it.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6Nor with eye-service - That is, not with service rendered only under the eye of the master, or when his eye is fixed on you. The apostle has here adverted to one of the evils of involuntary servitude as it exists everywhere. It is, that the slave will usually obey only when the eye of the master is upon him. The freeman who agrees to labor for stipulated wages may be trusted when the master is out of sight; but not the slave. Hence the necessity where…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 5-9Verses 5-9 The duty of servants is summed up in one word, obedience. The servants of old were generally slaves. The apostles were to teach servants and masters their duties, in doing which evils would be lessened, till slavery should be rooted out by the influence of Christianity. Servants are to reverence those over them. They are to be sincere; not pretending obedience when they mean to disobey, but serving faithfully. And they must serve their masters…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6-7as servants of Christ: Believers have been bought by Christ's sacrifice. Because of this, believers do not belong to themselves anymore (see 1 Corinthians 6:19–20; 7:22; compare Romans 1:1; Galatians 1:10; Philippians 1:1). For Christian slaves, God's will is for them to honor him by serving their human masters faithfully and with entusiasm.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 66. (Col 3:22). Seeking to please their masters only so long as these have their eyes on them: as Gehazi was a very different man in his master's presence from what he was in his absence (2Ki 5:1-18). men-pleasers--not Christ-pleasers (compare Ga 1:10; 1Th 2:4). doing the will of God--the unseen but ever present Master: the best guarantee for your serving faithfully your earthly master alike when present and when absent. from the heart--literally, soul…Read the comment
Topics related to Ephesians 6:6
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Ephesians 6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
Commentaries