Ephesians · Chapter 3 · Love

Ephesians 3:17 — Bible Verse Meaning & Context

Love is the centre of Scripture's story. Read this one slowly.

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Read in chapter context · Ephesians 3

Both translations, side by side

WEB · World English Bible

"that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; to the end that you, being rooted and grounded in love,"

KJV · King James Version

"That Christ5547 may dwell2730 in1722 your5216 hearts2588 by1223 faith4102; that2443 ye, being rooted4492 and2532 grounded2311 in1722 love26,"

How the translations differ: The WEB is a modern public-domain revision of the 1901 ASV; the KJV dates to 1611. the WEB renders these as through, the, end, you. Both translate the same underlying Greek or Hebrew text — the differences are stylistic, not theological.

In context

Ephesians 3:17 in Ephesians 3

A Bible verse rarely stands alone. Here is Ephesians 3:17 read with the verses immediately before and after — the surrounding flow of Ephesians 3. Read the full chapter →

v.15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
v.16 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;
v.17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; to the end that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
v.18 may be strengthened to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and height and depth,
v.19 and to know Christ’s love which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Book background

About the Book of Ephesians

Testament: New Testament
Genre: Pauline epistle
Author: Paul
Date written: c. 60–62 AD
Audience: The church at Ephesus (and likely a circular letter)
Chapters: 6

Ephesians is Paul's soaring meditation on the Christian's identity in Christ — chosen before creation, saved by grace through faith (2:8-9), united in one new humanity, called to walk in love, and equipped with the armour of God for spiritual warfare. Chapter 5 contains the classic teaching on marriage as a picture of Christ and the church.

Setting: Written from Roman imprisonment.

Key themes: unity · grace · church · spiritual warfare · identity

Read Ephesians from the beginning →

Memorisation aid

How to memorise Ephesians 3:17

Ephesians 3:17 contains 20 words in 3 clauses. Learn one clause at a time, then chain them. The first-letter mnemonic (FLM) under each clause is a memory hook — once you can speak the FLM from memory, the full clause follows.

1

that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith

TCMDIY
2

to the end that you

TTETY
3

being rooted and grounded in love,

BRAGIL

Frequently asked

FAQ about Ephesians 3:17

What does Ephesians 3:17 say?

Ephesians 3:17 reads: "that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; to the end that you, being rooted and grounded in love," — from the New Testament, Ephesians (Pauline epistle). The full verse is shown above with both the World English Bible (WEB) and King James Version (KJV) translations side by side.

What book of the Bible is Ephesians 3:17 in?

Ephesians 3:17 is in the book of Ephesians, traditionally attributed to Paul and written around c. 60–62 AD. Ephesians is pauline epistle in the New Testament, originally addressed to The church at Ephesus (and likely a circular letter). Best known for "by grace you have been saved through faith" and the armour of God.

What is Ephesians 3:17 about?

Ephesians 3:17 is primarily a Bible verse about Love. Within Ephesians, Ephesians is Paul's soaring meditation on the Christian's identity in Christ — chosen before creation, saved by grace through faith (2:8-9), united in one new humanity, called to walk in love, and equipped with the armour of God for spiritual warfare. Read the full passage above with surrounding context.

What is the difference between Ephesians 3:17 in WEB and KJV?

Ephesians 3:17 in the World English Bible (WEB) reads: "that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; to the end that you, being rooted and grounded in love,". The King James Version (KJV) reads: "That Christ5547 may dwell2730 in1722 your5216 hearts2588 by1223 faith4102; that2443 ye, being rooted4492 and2532 grounded2311 in1722 love26,". The WEB is a modern public-domain translation that updates the KJV's 1611 English while keeping a similar formal-equivalence style. Both render the same underlying Greek or Hebrew text.

How long is Ephesians 3:17?

Ephesians 3:17 is 20 words in the WEB translation (107 characters), broken into 3 clauses. It is short and well-suited to memorisation. Estimated reading time is about 6 seconds.

How can I memorise Ephesians 3:17?

To memorise Ephesians 3:17, split it into its 3 natural clauses and learn one at a time. Repeat the full verse out loud five times, then write it from memory. Saving the verse as a photo wallpaper using our verse image studio helps daily review — the visual association with a memorable background dramatically improves recall.

Why does Ephesians 3:17 matter in Ephesians?

How can I apply Ephesians 3:17 today?

Many readers use Ephesians 3:17 as a daily reminder verse — saving it as a phone wallpaper, sharing it on Pinterest, or memorising it for prayer. The verse studio on this page lets you download Ephesians 3:17 on 52 different backgrounds for free. Pair the verse with the surrounding chapter context shown above to understand its full meaning before applying it.

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