Ephesians 1:9

Ephesians 1:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
• New International Version (NIV)he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ,
• English Standard Version (ESV)making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ
• New King James Version (NKJV)having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself,

Context of Ephesians 1:9

7When Christ died as a sacrifice on the cross, he paid the price to make us free. Because of Christ's death on our behalf, God has forgiven our sins. God is so very kind that he has done all this for us! 8Even more than that, God has shown how wise he is. He understands what we need. He has let us know his great purpose, which had been a secret before. That plan would make him very happy. It would be possible because of Christ. 10God will make that plan happen when the time is completely right. At that time, he will bring everything together so that Christ rules all of them. That includes the things that are in heaven, and the things that are on earth. 11God is able to make all things happen just like he decides. He chose us to be his own people, because we are united with Christ. In the beginning, God had already decided that this was his purpose.

Ephesians 1:9 word by word

γνωρίσας ἡμῖν τὸ μυστήριον τοῦ θελήματος αὐτοῦ κατὰ τὴν εὐδοκίαν αὐτοῦ, ἣν προέθετο ἐν αὐτῷRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Having made knownγνωρίζωgnōrizō · to make knownG1107
• unto usἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• the mysteryὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the mysteryμυστήριονmustērion · mysteryG3466
• of hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• willθέλημαthelēma · will/desireG2307
• according toκατάkata · according toG2596
• good pleasureεὐδοκίαeudokia · goodwillG2107
• whichὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• he hath purposedπροτίθημιprotithemai · to plan/presentG4388
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722

Cross-references for Ephesians 1:9

• Ephesians 1:17God is very great! He is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. I pray that his Holy Spirit will make you wise. I pray that his Holy Spirit will help you to understand what God is like. Then you will know God better and better.
• Ephesians 3:3God has clearly shown to me his true purpose. That was a secret before, but God has helped me to know it. I have written a few words about this already.
• Matthew 13:11Jesus replied, ‘God has let you know what these stories mean. You understand how God rules in the lives of his people. But these other people do not understand what the stories mean.
• Romans 16:25We praise God because he is great! He is able to make you strong in your spirits! That is the good news that I teach. That good news is the message about Jesus Christ that God has kept secret since long ago. But now he has shown this message to us.
• 1 Corinthians 2:10But God has sent his Spirit to show these secrets to us. God's Spirit looks carefully into everything. He even knows God's secret thoughts.
• Galatians 1:12Nobody on earth gave it to me. Nobody taught it to me. No, it was Jesus Christ himself who showed it to me clearly.
• Colossians 1:26That message is a secret that God hid from everyone before now. He hid it from all the people who lived in past times. But now he has shown this secret to his people.
• 1 Timothy 3:16Yes, the message that God has shown us about Jesus Christ is very great. We all agree to this: God showed him to us as a man. God's Spirit showed that he always did what was right. Angels saw him. People taught his message in many countries of the world. People in the world believed in him. God took him up to be with himself in heaven.
• Ephesians 1:5Long ago, he already decided to accept us into his family as his children, because of Jesus Christ. He chose us to belong to him because it made him very happy.
• Ephesians 1:11God is able to make all things happen just like he decides. He chose us to be his own people, because we are united with Christ. In the beginning, God had already decided that this was his purpose.
• Ephesians 3:11This had always been God's purpose, from the beginning of all things. And it was our Lord Christ Jesus who made it happen.
• Job 23:13But he is always true to himself. Nobody can change him. Whatever he wants to do, he does.
• Psalms 33:11But whatever the Lord decides to do will always happen. His thoughts will not change from one century to the next.
• Isaiah 14:24The Lord Almighty promises this: ‘It will happen exactly as I have decided. Yes, it will really happen like that.
• Isaiah 46:10From the beginning, I say what will happen at the end. Long ago, I spoke about future things that have not yet happened. I say this: “My purpose will not change. I will do everything that I want to do.”
• Jeremiah 2:29You cannot argue against me. You have all turned against me.’ That is what the Lord says.

Commentaries on Ephesians 1:9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9Having made known unto us the mystery - That the Gentiles should ever be received into the Church of God, and have all the privileges of the Jews, without being obliged to submit to circumcision, and perform the rites and ceremonies of the Jewish law was a mystery - a hidden thing which had never been published before; and now revealed only to the apostles. It was God's will that it should be so, but that will he kept hidden to the present time. A mystery…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9Having made known to us the mystery of his will - The word “mystery” ( ́ mustērion) means literally something into which one must be “initiated” before it is fully known (from ́ mueō to initiate, to instruct); and then anything which is concealed or hidden. We commonly use the word to denote that which is above our comprehension or unintelligible. But this is never the meaning of the word in the New Testament. It means there some doctrine or fact which…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-14Verses 9-14 Blessings were made known to believers, by the Lord's showing to them the mystery of his sovereign will, and the method of redemption and salvation. But these must have been for ever hidden from us, if God had not made them known by his written word, preached gospel, and Spirit of truth. Christ united the two differing parties, God and man, in his own person, and satisfied for that wrong which caused the separation. He wrought, by his Spirit…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8-10Wisdom and understanding come from God revealing his mysterious plan about Christ. In Paul's writings, mysterious will (traditionally mystery) often means a divine truth once hidden but now revealed in the good news (see 3:9). Here, it refers to how God will unite everything under Christ's authority, so he is universally recognized and respected as Lord (see Philippians 2:9–11; Colossians 1:16–20, 26–27; 2:2, 19; 4:3). Ephesians specifically highlights…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. "He hath abounded," or "made (grace) to abound toward us" (Ep 1:8), in that He made known to us, namely, experimentally, in our hearts. the mystery--God's purpose of redemption hidden heretofore in His counsels, but now revealed (Ep 6:19; Ro 16:25; Col 1:26, 27). This "mystery" is not like the heathen mysteries, which were imparted only to the initiated few. All Christians are the initiated. Only unbelievers are the uninitiated. according to his good…Read the comment

Topics related to Ephesians 1:9

• Atonement
• Grace of God
• Mysteries
• Predestination
• Salvation

In the dictionaries

• Blame
• Ephesians, Epistle to
• Eye
• Mystery
• Obtain
• Predestinate
• Purpose
• Redemption
• Riches
• Understanding

Commentaries on Ephesians 1

• 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