Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
Having the eyes of your heart enlightened (pefwtismenouv touv ofqalmouv thv kardiav umwn). A beautiful figure, the heart regarded as having eyes looking out toward Christ. But the grammar is difficult. There are three possible interpretations. One is an anacoluthon, the case of pefwtismenouv being changed from the dative umin (to you) to the accusative because of the following infinitive like eklecamenouv (Acts 15:22) after apostoloiv. Another way of explaining it is to regard it as a tertiary predicate of dwh, a loose expansion of pneuma. The third way is to regard the construction as the accusative absolute, a rare idiom possible in Acts 26:3; I Corinthians 16:3; I Timothy 2:6. In this case, the participle merely agrees with touv ofqalmouv, not with umin, "the eyes of your heart having been enlightened." Otherwise touv ofqalmouv is the accusative retained after the passive participle.
That ye may know (eiv to eidenai). Final use of eiv to and the infinitive (second perfect of oida) as in verse Ephesians 1:12. Note three indirect questions after eidenai (what the hope tiv h elpiv, what the riches tiv o ploutov, and what the surpassing greatness kai ti to uperballon megeqov). When the Holy Spirit opens the eyes of the heart, one will be able to see all these great truths.
In the saints (en toiv agioiv). Our riches is in God, God's is in his saints.
Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing Ephesians 1:18:
Acts 20:32
Acts 26:3
1 Corinthians 2:15
Ephesians 3:9
Ephesians 3:16
2 Timothy 1:10
Hebrews 6:4
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