to stand (transitively or intransitively) · verb — second aorist active imperative, 2nd person plural
therefore
οὖνoun
G3767
(adverbially) certainly · conjunction
having
περιζωσάμενοιperizōsamenoi
G4024
to gird all around · verb — aorist middle participle, nominative plural masculine
your
ὑμῶνhymōn
G5216
of (from or concerning) you
loins
ὀσφὺνosphun
G3751
the loin (externally) · noun — accusative singular feminine
about
περιζώννυμιperizṓnnymi
G4024
to gird all around
with
ἐνen
G1722
"in · preposition
truth
ἀληθείᾳalētheia
G225
truth · noun — dative singular feminine
and
καὶkai
G2532
and · conjunction
on
ἐνδυσάμενοιendusamenoi
G1746
to invest with clothing (literally or figuratively) · verb — aorist middle participle, nominative plural masculine
breastplate
θώρακαthōraka
G2382
the chest ("thorax") · noun — accusative singular masculine
righteousness
δικαιοσύνηςdikaiosunēs
G1343
equity (of character or act) · noun — genitive singular feminine
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
Isaiah 59:17 For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing…
1 Thessalonians 5:8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
Isaiah 11:5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.
Luke 12:35 Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;
2 Corinthians 6:7 By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,
1 Peter 1:13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Je…
Ephesians 5:9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
Revelation 9:17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the head…
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Ephesians 6:10-18
Here is a general exhortation to constancy in our Christian course, and to encourage in our Christian warfare. Is not our life a warfare? It is so; for we struggle with the common calamities of human life. Is not our religion much more a warfare? It is so; for we struggle with the opposition of the powers of darkness, and with many enemies who would keep us from God and heaven. We have enemies to fight against, a captain to fight for, a banner to fight under, and certain rules of war by which we are to govern ourselves. "Finally, my brethren (Eph 6:10), it yet remains that you apply yourselves to your work and duty as Christian soldiers." Now it is requisite that a soldier be both stout-hear…
Stand--The repetition in Eph 6:11, Eph 6:14, shows that standing, that is, maintaining our ground, not yielding or fleeing, is the grand aim of the Christian soldier. Translate as Greek, "Having girt about your loins with truth," that is, with truthfulness, sincerity, a good conscience (Co2 1:12; Ti1 1:5, Ti1 1:18; Ti1 3:9). Truth is the band that girds up and keeps together the flowing robes, so as that the Christian soldier may be unencumbered for action. So the Passover was eaten with the loins girt, and the shoes on the feet (Exo 12:11; compare Isa 5:27; Luk 12:35). Faithfulness (Septuagint, "truth") is the girdle of Messiah (Isa 11:5) : so truth of His followers.
having on--Greek, "ha…
Stand therefore - Prepare yourselves for combat, having your loins girt about with truth. He had told them before to take the whole armor of God, Eph 6:13, and to put on this whole armor. Having got all the pieces of it together, and the defensive parts put on, they were then to gird them close to their bodies with the ζωμα or girdle, and instead of a fine ornamented belt, such as the ancient warriors used, they were to have truth. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the truth of God; unless this be known and conscientiously believed no man can enter the spiritual warfare with any advantage or prospect of success. By this alone we discover who our enemies are, and how they come on to attack us; an…
The Church Fathers
Faith lives in righteousness. Faith remains the fountain of all the virtues, as Paul has often stated. Righteousness is not as strong as faith because "righteousness lives by faith." But the effect of righteousness is accomplished by faith. So in this battle we must strive toward righteousness. Faith is proven to be true faith when we live righteously. Then faith is seen to be useful to us, as the righteousness that accompanies faith is useful.
If, however, you will not acknowledge John, you have our common master Paul, who "girds our loins about with truth, and puts on us the breastplate of righteousness, and shoes us with the preparation of the gospel of peace, not of war; who bids us take the shield of faith, wherewith we may be able to quench all the fiery darts of the devil, and the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which (he says) is the word of God." This sword the Lord Himself came to send on earth, and not peace.
"Having girded your loins," saith he, "with truth." What can be the meaning of this? I have stated in the preceding discourse, that he ought to be lightly accoutered, in order that there should be no impediment whatever to his running. "And having on," he continues, "the breastplate of righteousness." As the breastplate is impenetrable, so also is righteousness, and by righteousness here he means a life of universal virtue. Such a life no one shall ever be able to overthrow; it is true, many wound him, but no one cuts through him, no, not the devil himself. It is as though one were to say, "having righteous deeds fixed in the breast"; of these it is that Christ saith, "Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled." (Matt. v. 6.) Thus is he firm and strong like a breastplate. Such a man will never be put out of temper.
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Dictionary and topics
Armour — Is employed in the English Bible to denote military equipment, both offensive and defensive. (1.) The offensive weapons were different at different periods of history. The “rod of iron” (Ps. 2:9) is…
Breastplate — (1.) That piece of ancient armour that protected the breast. This word is used figuratively in Eph. 6:14 and Isa. 59:17. (See ARMOUR.) (2.) An ornament covering the breast of the high priest, first…
Rome — The most celebrated city in the world at the time of Christ. It is said to have been founded B.C. 753. When the New Testament was written, Rome was enriched and adorned with the spoils of the world,…
War — The Israelites had to take possession of the Promised Land by conquest. They had to engage in a long and bloody war before the Canaanitish tribes were finally subdued. Except in the case of Jericho…
Commandments · PRECEPTS OF PAUL. EXPLICITLY STATED OR IMPLIED IN DIDACTIC EPISTLES — PRECEPTS OF PAUL. EXPLICITLY STATED OR IMPLIED IN DIDACTIC EPISTLES
Devil, The · Saints: Should be armed against — Saints: Should be armed against
Girdle · FIGURATIVE — FIGURATIVE
Girdles · Illustrative of: Truth — Illustrative of: Truth
Stand therefore,.... Keep your ground, do not desert the army, the church of Christ, nor his cause; continue in the station in which you are placed, keep your post, be upon your watch, stand upon your guard:
having your loins girt about with truth; by which is meant the Gospel, and the several doctrines of it; see Ephesians 1:13; and to have the loins girt with it, shows, that it should be near and close to the saints, and never departed from; and that it is a means of keeping them close to God and Christ, and of strengthening them against the assaults and attacks of Satan; and is of great use in the Christians' spiritual conflict with their enemies; the girdle is a part of armour, and so c…
Ephesians 6:14-20
14. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
14. State igitur succincti lumbos veritate, et induti thoracem justitiae,
15. And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
15. Et calceati pedes praeparatione evangelii pacis;
16. Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
16. In omnibus assumpto scuto fidei, quo possitis omnia tela maligni ignita exstinguere.
17. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
17. Et galeam salutaris accipite, et gladium Spiritus, qui est verbum De…
Paul uses the physical armor worn by Roman soldiers as imagery for spiritual armor used by believers. Most of this equipment is to defend, not to attack. Paul’s focus is not on the precise functions of each piece but on God’s gifts. Grounding in Christ and Scripture provides protection and ability to stand your ground (cp. Jas 4:7; 1 Pet 5:8-9).
6:14 God’s righteousness: Either the righteousness God credits to those who believe in Christ, or the righteous way of life brought about by the transforming work of the Spirit of God in believers’ lives. The one implies the other.
Paschal Lamb, Typical Nature Of · Eaten with the loins girt — Eaten with the loins girt
Righteousness · Saints: Should have on the breast-plate of — Saints: Should have on the breast-plate of
Roman Empire, The · Allusions to military affairs of: Use of the panoply or defensive armour — Allusions to military affairs of: Use of the panoply or defensive armour
Soldiers · .Of the Christian — .Of the Christian
Temptation · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Truth · Is part of Christian armour — Is part of Christian armour
Warfare Of Saints · Saints: Must stand firm in — Saints: Must stand firm in
Zeal, Religious · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
