Christian Standard Bible
Ephesians 2:12
12At that time you were without Christ, excluded from the citizenship of Israel, and foreigners to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God in the world.
Ephesians 2:12 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
- New International Version (NIV)remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.
- English Standard Version (ESV)remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
- New King James Version (NKJV)that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
Context of Ephesians 2:12
10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do. 11So, then, remember that at one time you were Gentiles in the flesh — called “the uncircumcised” by those called “the circumcised,” which is done in the flesh by human hands. At that time you were without Christ, excluded from the citizenship of Israel, and foreigners to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14For he is our peace, who made both groups one and tore down the dividing wall of hostility. In his flesh,
Read all of Ephesians 2Ephesians 2:12 word by word
ὅτι ἦτε τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ χωρὶς Χριστοῦ ἀπηλλοτριωμένοι τῆς πολιτείας τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ καὶ ξένοι τῶν διαθηκῶν τῆς ἐπαγγελίας, ἐλπίδα μὴ ἔχοντες καὶ ἄθεοι ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ·Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Thatὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
- atἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- thatἐκεῖνοςekeinos · thatG1565
- timeκαιρόςkairos · time/right timeG2540
- ye wereεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- withoutχωρίςchōris · withoutG5565
- ChristΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547
- being aliensἀπαλλοτριόωapallotrioō · to alienateG526
- from the commonwealthπολιτείαpoliteia · citizenshipG4174
- of IsraelἸσραήλIsraēl · IsraelG2474
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- strangersξένοςxenos · foreignG3581
- from the covenantsδιαθήκηdiathēkē · covenantG1242
- of promiseἐπαγγελίαepaggelia · promiseG1860
- havingἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
- noμήmē · notG3361
- hopeἐλπίςelpis · hopeG1680
- without Godἄθεοςatheos · without GodG112
- the worldκόσμοςkosmos · worldG2889
Cross-references for Ephesians 2:12
- John 10:16But I have other sheep that are not from this sheep pen; I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. Then there will be one flock, one shepherd.
- John 15:5I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me.
- Colossians 1:21Once you were alienated and hostile in your minds as expressed in your evil actions.
- Ephesians 4:18They are darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them and because of the hardness of their hearts.
- Ezra 4:3But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the other heads of Israel’s families answered them, “You may have no part with us in building a house for our God, since we alone will build it for the Lord, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia has commanded us.”
- Isaiah 61:5Strangers will stand and feed your flocks, and foreigners will be your plowmen and vinedressers.
- Ezekiel 13:9My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and speak lying divinations. They will not be present in the council of my people or be recorded in the register of the house of Israel, and they will not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord God.
- Hebrews 11:34quenched the raging of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, gained strength in weakness, became mighty in battle, and put foreign armies to flight.
- Genesis 15:18On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “I give this land to your offspring, from the Brook of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates River:
- Genesis 17:7I will confirm my covenant that is between me and you and your future offspring throughout their generations. It is a permanent covenant to be your God and the God of your offspring after you.
- Exodus 24:3Moses came and told the people all the commands of the Lord and all the ordinances. Then all the people responded with a single voice, “We will do everything that the Lord has commanded.”
- Numbers 18:19“I give to you and to your sons and daughters all the holy contributions that the Israelites present to the Lord as a permanent statute. It is a permanent covenant of salt before the Lord for you as well as your offspring.”
- Psalms 89:3The Lord said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn an oath to David my servant:
- Jeremiah 31:31“Look, the days are coming” — this is the Lord’s declaration — “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.
- Jeremiah 33:20“This is what the Lord says: If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night so that day and night cease to come at their regular time,
- Ezekiel 37:26I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be a permanent covenant with them. I will establish and multiply them and will set my sanctuary among them forever.
Commentaries on Ephesians 2:12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12That at that time ye were without Christ - Not only were not Christians, but had no knowledge of the Christ or Messiah, and no title to the blessings which were to proceed from him. Aliens from the commonwealth of Israel - Ye were by your birth, idolatry, etc., alienated from the commonwealth of Israel - from the civil and religious privileges of the Jewish people. Strangers from the covenants of promise - Having no part in the promise of the covenant…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12Ye were without Christ - You were without the knowledge of the Messiah. You had not heard of him; of course you had not embraced him. You were living without any of the hopes and consolations which you now have, from having embraced him. The object of the apostle is to remind them of the deplorable condition in which they were by nature; and nothing would better express it than to say they were “without Christ,” or that they had no knowledge of a Saviour…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 11-13Verses 11-13 Christ and his covenant are the foundation of all the Christian's hopes. A sad and terrible description is here; but who is able to remove himself out of it? Would that this were not a true description of many baptized in the name of Christ. Who can, without trembling, reflect upon the misery of a person, separated for ever from the people of God, cut off from the body of Christ, fallen from the covenant of promise, having no hope, no…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12Before non-Jewish people (Gentiles) became believers in Jesus Christ, they had no part in God’s people or the covenant promises God had made to them. They were without God and without hope (see 4:18; Colossians 1:21).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. without Christ--Greek, "separate from Christ"; having no part in Him; far from Him. A different Greek word (aneu) would be required to express, "Christ was not present with you" [Tittmann]. aliens--Greek, "alienated from," not merely "separated from." The Israelites were cut off from the commonwealth of God, but it was as being self-righteous, indolent, and unworthy, not as aliens and strangers [Chrysostom]. The expression, "alienated from," takes it…Read the comment
Topics related to Ephesians 2:12
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Ephesians 2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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