Ephesians 2:11

Ephesians 2:11 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
• New International Version (NIV)Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)—
• English Standard Version (ESV)Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called "the uncircumcision" by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands—
• New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands—

Context of Ephesians 2:11

9He has not saved you as a result of any good things that you have done. So nobody has any reason to be proud about it. 10It is God who has worked in us to make us what we are. He has given us a new life because we are united with Christ Jesus. He saved us so that now we can do good things in our lives. Those are good things that he has already prepared for us to do. So you who were born as Gentiles should remember what you were like before. Jews insulted you because nobody has circumcised you. They themselves are proud that men have circumcised them as God's people. 12At that time, you did not know about Christ, God's special Messiah. You did not belong to the nation of Israel's people. You did not know about the good things that God had promised to his people. You were living in this world with nothing good to hope for. You were living without God's help. 13You were far away from God. But now, God has brought you near to himself, because you belong to Christ Jesus. That is possible because of Christ's death on the cross as a sacrifice.

Ephesians 2:11 word by word

Διὸ μνημονεύετε ὅτι ποτὲ ὑμεῖς τὰ ἔθνη ἐν σαρκί, οἱ λεγόμενοι ἀκροβυστία ὑπὸ τῆς λεγομένης περιτομῆς ἐν σαρκὶ χειροποιήτου,Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Whereforeδιόdio · thereforeG1352
• rememberμνημονεύωmnēmoneuō · to rememberG3421
• thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• yeσύsu · youG4771
• in time pastποτέpote · once/whenG4218
• Gentilesὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Gentilesἔθνοςethnos · GentilesG1484
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• the fleshσάρξsarx · fleshG4561
• calledλέγωlegō · to say: callG3004
• Uncircumcisionἀκροβυστίαakrobustia · uncircumcisionG203
• byὑπόhupo · by/under: byG5259
• the Circumcisionπεριτομήperitomē · circumcisionG4061
• made by handsχειροποίητοςcheiropoiētos · hand-madeG5499

Cross-references for Ephesians 2:11

• Ephesians 5:8Once your minds were completely in the dark. But now you belong to the Lord. As a result, you have become full of light. So now you must live as people who belong to the light.
• Deuteronomy 5:15You must remember that you were slaves in Egypt. But I, the Lord your God, brought you out by my powerful authority. So the Lord your God has told you to make the Sabbath day a special day.
• Deuteronomy 8:2Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way across the desert. He took care of you for 40 years. He caused many troubles to come and to test you. He did that to see if you would trust him. He wanted to know whether you would continue to obey his commands.
• Deuteronomy 9:7Remember how you made the Lord your God angry when you were in the desert. Never forget that! Since you left Egypt, you have always turned against the Lord your God. You have continued to make him angry all the time until you arrived here.
• Deuteronomy 15:15Remember that you were once slaves in Egypt. But the Lord your God rescued you from there. This is why I am giving you this command today.
• Deuteronomy 16:12Remember that you were once slaves in Egypt. So be careful to obey these commands.
• Isaiah 51:1‘Listen to me, you people who want to do what is right. You people who want to serve the Lord, listen to me! Think about the rock that you are a part of. Think about the ground that they dug you out from.
• Ezekiel 16:61Then you will remember the wicked things that you have done and you will be ashamed. You will welcome again your sisters, Sodom and Samaria. I will make them like daughters for you. But they will not share in the same covenant that I make with you.
• Ezekiel 20:43You will remember all the wrong things that you did which made you unclean. You will be ashamed of yourselves because of all the evil things that you have done.
• Ezekiel 36:31Then you will remember the evil way that you lived. You will remember the bad things that you did. You will be ashamed of yourselves because of the sins and the disgusting things that you did.
• 1 Corinthians 6:11At one time, some of you were people like that. But God has now made you clean and pure, so that you belong to him. You have become right with God. Our God has done this with the power of his Spirit because you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
• 1 Corinthians 12:2You know how you lived before you came to know God. You let idols lead you in many wrong ways. And those idols cannot even speak!
• Galatians 4:8Before, when you did not know God, you served false gods. They were not gods at all, but you were their slaves.
• Romans 2:29No! A true Jew is someone who belongs to God in his spirit. He belongs to God because God's Spirit has changed his life. It is like God has circumcised him in his spirit, not in his body. The rules in God's Law cannot do that work in a person. Other people may not praise a person like that, but God will praise him.
• Galatians 2:15We were born as Jewish people. We are not Gentiles who have never obeyed God's rules.
• Galatians 6:12Do not agree with those people who want to make you obey the Jewish rules. They say that you must let someone circumcise you. They want other people to think that they are important. They do not want to receive any trouble from others. They are afraid to teach that Christ's death on the cross is enough to save us.

Commentaries on Ephesians 2:11

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 11Wherefore remember - That ye may ever see and feel your obligations to live a pure and holy life, and be unfeignedly thankful to God for your salvation, remember that ye were once heathens in the flesh - without the pure doctrine, and under the influence of your corrupt nature; such as by the Jew's (who gloried, in consequence of their circumcision, to be in covenant with God) were called uncircumcision; i.e. persons out of the Divine covenant, and having…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 11Wherefore remember - The design of this evidently is, to excite a sense of gratitude in their bosoms for that mercy which had called them from the errors and sins of their former lives, to the privileges of Christians. It is a good thing for Christians to “remember” what they were. No faculty of the mind can be better employed to produce humility, penitence, gratitude, and love, than the memory. It is well to recall the recollection of our former sins; to…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. 11Traditionally, Jews avoided Gentiles and did not consider them part of God’s people. They called them uncircumcised, meaning they had not received the sign of the covenant (see Genesis 17:9–14). But Paul taught that it is shallow to judge people based only on outward signs. What matters is a person’s heart and faith. In Christ, physical circumcision does not make someone part of God’s family (see Romans 2:28–29).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1111. The Greek order in the oldest manuscripts is, "That in time past (literally, once) ye," &c. Such remembrance sharpens gratitude and strengthens faith (Ep 2:19) [Bengel]. Gentiles in the flesh--that is, Gentiles in respect to circumcision. called Uncircumcision--The Gentiles were called (in contempt), and were, the Uncircumcision; the Jews were called, but were not truly, the Circumcision [Ellicott]. in the flesh made by hands--as opposed to the true…Read the comment

Topics related to Ephesians 2:11

• Circumcision
• Depravity of Man
• Uncircumcision

In the dictionaries

• Afar
• Alien
• Church
• Create
• Cross
• Desire
• Nigh
• Prince
• Quicken
• Reconcile

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