The Greek word kurioi here means “masters”; it refers to the owners of the slaves. To translate in the context of contemporary culture “employers,” as do Jerusalem Bible and Phillips, seriously distorts the original cultural and historical setting.

It may be necessary to use a term such as “owners” instead of masters, if the term which translates “masters” primarily means “bosses” or “those who command.” The use of a term meaning “owner” is appropriate, not only for the relationship between masters and slaves, but also for the relationship between the Lord and those who put their trust in him.

Behave in the same way: that is, apply the same Christian standards to your treatment of your slaves as they are supposed to apply in their attitude toward you. Jerusalem Bible has “treat your slaves in the same spirit”; Robinson “act by them, as they are bound to act by you.”

The thought of the statement behave in the same way toward your slaves is quite clear, but the actual wording may be very misleading, for slaves are told specifically to “obey your masters,” and one would not want to translate behave in the same way in such a way as to suggest that masters were supposed to obey their slaves. Since, however, slaves are really instructed to treat their masters with proper consideration, it may be appropriate to translate the first part of verse 9 as “you masters should in the same way show proper consideration for your slaves” or “… should behave toward your slaves as you ought.”

The word translated threats occurs elsewhere in the New Testament only in Acts 4.29; 9.1; the related verb occurs only in Acts 4.17; 1 Peter 2.23. The term threats may be rendered as “promising that you will punish them” or “warning them that you will punish them.”

The term Remember does not imply that people have necessarily forgotten. A more satisfactory rendering may be “bear in mind that” or “continually be aware of the fact that.”

The singular Master translates kurios, which is usually translated “Lord” when referring to God or Christ; here Master is preferable so as to reproduce the wordplay with the human masters. Slave owners also have a Master, the one in heaven.

The same Master in heaven may be rendered as “the same one in heaven who owns you all.” The same word or expression should be used here that is used in the first part of the verse for masters.

Who judges everyone by the same standard translates “and there is no partiality with him,” the same noun used in Colossians 3.25. For the noun see Romans 2.11; James 2.1; see also Acts 10.34; 1 Peter 1.17; for a similar statement in the Old Testament see Deuteronomy 10.17; Psalm 62.12. At the Day of Judgment God will not show favoritism or partiality to anyone, but will apply the same standard to all.

Rather than translating more or less literally who judges everyone by the same standard, it is often much easier and more effective to translate “who shows no partiality when he judges” or “in the judgment does not play favorites.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert C. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1982. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .