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I ask that out of the riches of His glory He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being,
Ephesians 3:16 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, that you may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inward man;
  • KJV That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
  • NKJV that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,
  • NASB that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner self,
  • NLT I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Paul prays God would strengthen them inwardly with power through his Spirit. It asks for Spirit-given inner strength.

Overview

Paul's first petition is that God, 'according to the riches of his glory,' would grant them to be 'strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inward man.' The need is for inner, spiritual strength supplied by the Holy Spirit. This empowering prepares for the indwelling of Christ and the grasp of his love that follow.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 26

  • Col 1:11being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have full endurance and patience, and joyfully
  • Phil 4:13I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.
  • Isa 40:29–31He gives power to the faint and increases the strength of the weak.
  • Isa 41:10Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My right hand of righteousness.
  • Zech 10:12I will strengthen them in the LORD, and in His name they will walk,” declares the LORD.
  • 2 Tim 4:17But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message would be fully proclaimed, and all the Gentiles would hear it. So I was delivered from the mouth of the lion.
  • 2 Cor 4:16Therefore we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, yet our inner self is being renewed day by day.
  • Eph 6:10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.
  • 2 Cor 12:9But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me.
  • Ps 28:8The LORD is the strength of His people, a stronghold of salvation for His anointed.
  • Phil 4:19And my God will supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
  • Rom 7:22For in my inner being I delight in God’s law.
  • 1 Cor 16:13Be on the alert. Stand firm in the faith. Be men of courage. Be strong.
  • Ps 138:3On the day I called, You answered me; You emboldened me and strengthened my soul.
  • Rom 9:23What if He did this to make the riches of His glory known to the vessels of His mercy, whom He prepared in advance for glory—
  • Col 1:27To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
  • Matt 6:13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’
  • Eph 3:8Though I am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,
  • Eph 1:18I ask that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know the hope of His calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints,
  • Eph 1:7In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace
  • Heb 11:34quenched the raging fire, and escaped the edge of the sword; who gained strength from weakness, became mighty in battle, and put foreign armies to flight.
  • Jer 31:33“But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD. I will put My law in their minds and inscribe it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people.
  • 1 Pet 3:4but from the inner disposition of your heart, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in God’s sight.
  • Rom 2:29No, a man is a Jew because he is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man’s praise does not come from men, but from God.
  • Eph 2:7in order that in the coming ages He might display the surpassing riches of His grace, demonstrated by His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
  • Job 23:6Would He contend with me in His great power? No, He would certainly take note of me.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (6)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Ephesians videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Ephesians 3:16YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on EphesiansMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Every spiritual blessing is 'in Christ,' the head over all things for the church, in whom Jew and Gentile are made one new man by his blood.

How Ephesians 3:16 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.