Ephesians 3:8

Ephesians 3:8 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
• New International Version (NIV)Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ,
• English Standard Version (ESV)To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,
• New King James Version (NKJV)To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,

Context of Ephesians 3:8

6namely, that through the gospel the Gentiles are fellow heirs, fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus. 7I became a servant of this gospel according to the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the exercise of his power. To me – less than the least of all the saints – this grace was given, to proclaim to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ 9and to enlighten everyone about God’s secret plan – a secret that has been hidden for ages in God who has created all things. 10The purpose of this enlightenment is that through the church the multifaceted wisdom of God should now be disclosed to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly realms.

Ephesians 3:8 word by word

ἐμοὶ τῷ ἐλαχιστοτέρῳ πάντων ἁγίων ἐδόθη ἡ χάρις αὕτη, τοῖς ἔθνεσιν εὐαγγελίσασθαι τὸ ἀνεξιχνίαστον πλοῦτος τοῦ ΧριστοῦRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Unto meἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• less than the leastἐλαχιστότεροςelachistoteros · leastG1647
• of allπᾶςpas · allG3956
• saintsἅγιοςhagios · holy: saintG40
• isδίδωμιdidōmi · to giveG1325
• thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• graceχάριςcharis · graceG5485
• that I should preachεὐαγγελίζομαιeuaggelizō · to speak good newsG2097
• amongἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• the Gentilesἔθνοςethnos · GentilesG1484
• the unsearchableἀνεξιχνίαστοςanexichniastos · unsearchableG421
• richesπλοῦτοςploutos · richesG4149
• of ChristΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547

Cross-references for Ephesians 3:8

• Proverbs 30:2Surely I am more brutish than any other human being, and I do not have human understanding;
• Romans 12:10Be devoted to one another with mutual love, showing eagerness in honoring one another.
• 1 Corinthians 15:9For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
• Philippians 2:3Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself.
• 1 Timothy 1:13even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor, and an arrogant man. But I was treated with mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief,
• 1 Peter 5:5In the same way, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.
• 1 Chronicles 17:16David went in, sat before the Lord, and said: “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my family, that you should have brought me to this point?
• 1 Chronicles 29:14“But who am I and who are my people, that we should be in a position to contribute this much? Indeed, everything comes from you, and we have simply given back to you what is yours.
• Acts 5:41So they left the council rejoicing because they had been considered worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name.
• Romans 15:15But I have written more boldly to you on some points so as to remind you, because of the grace given to me by God
• Ephesians 3:2if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you,
• Galatians 1:16to reveal his Son in me so that I could preach him among the Gentiles, I did not go to ask advice from any human being,
• Galatians 2:8(for he who empowered Peter for his apostleship to the circumcised also empowered me for my apostleship to the Gentiles)
• 1 Timothy 2:7For this I was appointed a preacher and apostle – I am telling the truth; I am not lying – and a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
• 2 Timothy 1:11For this gospel I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher.
• Ephesians 3:16I pray that according to the wealth of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner person,

Commentaries on Ephesians 3:8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8Less than the least of all saints - ͅ ̔ . As the design of the apostle was to magnify the grace of Christ in the salvation of the world, he uses every precaution to prevent the eyes of the people from being turned to any thing but Christ crucified; and although he was obliged to speak of himself as the particular instrument which God had chosen to bring the Gentile world to the knowledge of the truth, yet he does it in such a manner as to show that the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints - This is one of the class of expressions unique to Paul. The ordinary terms of language do not express the idea which he wishes to convey, and a word is therefore coined to convey an idea more emphatically; compare the notes at 2 Corinthians 4:17. The word used here - ̓́ elachistoteros- does not occur elsewhere in the New Testament. It is a comparative made from the superlative. Similar expressions are…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 8-12Verses 8-12 Those whom God advances to honourable employments, he makes low in their own eyes; and where God gives grace to be humble, there he gives all other needful grace. How highly he speaks of Jesus Christ; the unsearchable riches of Christ! Though many are not enriched with these riches; yet how great a favour to have them preached among us, and to have an offer of them! And if we are not enriched with them it is our own fault. The first creation…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8Paul thought he was the least deserving of all God's people because he once strongly persecuted believers (see 1 Corinthians 15:9; 1 Timothy 1:12–16). unsearchable riches of Christ: See Ephesians 1:3–14.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. am--Not merely was I in times past, but I still am the least worthy of so high an office (compare 1Ti 1:15, end). least of all saints--not merely "of all apostles" (1Co 15:9, 10). is--Greek, "has been given." among--omitted in the oldest manuscripts Translate, "to announce to the Gentiles the glad tidings of the unsearchable (Job 5:9) riches," namely, of Christ's grace (Ep 1:7; 2:7). Ro 11:33, "unsearchable" as a mine inexhaustible, whose treasures can…Read the comment

Topics related to Ephesians 3:8

• Gentiles
• Gospel
• Humility
• Jesus Continued
• Minister, Christian
• Salvation

In the dictionaries

• Christ
• Christ, Messiah
• Boldness
• Effectual
• Grace
• Ground
• Inner
• Mystery
• Purpose
• Revelation

Commentaries on Ephesians 3

• 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