Ephesians 5:2

The textual variants in Ephesians 5:2 concerning the pronouns exhibit significant manuscript divergence. The phrase “He loved you all” (ἠγάπησεν ὑμᾶς) and “gave himself up for you all” (παρέδωκεν ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν) appears in critical editions such as Nestle 1904, Westcott-Hort 1881, Tischendorf, and is favored by most modern critical texts (e.g., NA27, UBS4), reflecting a reading aligned with direct address to the Ephesian recipients. Conversely, the Byzantine Majority Text and the Greek Orthodox Church text have “He loved us” (ἠγάπησεν ἡμᾶς) and “handed over for us” (ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν), which universalizes the statement to include both author and audience.

Contextually, the second-person pronouns (ὑμᾶς, ὑμῶν) better harmonize with the hortatory tone of the passage. The first-person plural pronouns (ἡμᾶς, ἡμῶν) likely represent scribal altering aiming at theological inclusivity and are considered less original on text-critical grounds. Thus, the reading “you” is preferred in most modern critical editions for its coherence with the epistolary context and rhetorical purpose.