God’s Word Translation
Ephesians 2:12
12Also, at that time you were without Christ. You were excluded from citizenship in Israel, and the pledges ⌞God made in his⌟ promise were foreign to you. You had no hope and were in the world without God.
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
10God has made us what we are. He has created us in Christ Jesus to live lives filled with good works that he has prepared for us to do. 11Remember that once you were not Jewish physically. Those who called themselves “the circumcised” because of what they had done to their bodies called you “the uncircumcised.” Also, at that time you were without Christ. You were excluded from citizenship in Israel, and the pledges ⌞God made in his⌟ promise were foreign to you. You had no hope and were in the world without God. 13But now through Christ Jesus you, who were once far away, have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14So he is our peace. In his body he has made Jewish and non-Jewish people one by breaking down the wall of hostility that kept them apart.
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 10:16I also have other sheep that are not from this pen. I must lead them. They, too, will respond to my voice. So they will be one flock with one shepherd.
- John 15:5“I am the vine. You are the branches. Those who live in me while I live in them will produce a lot of fruit. But you can’t produce anything without me.
- Colossians 1:21Once you were separated from God. The evil things you did showed your hostile attitude.
- Ephesians 4:18They can’t understand because they are in the dark. They are excluded from the life that God approves of because of their ignorance and stubbornness.
- Ezra 4:3But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of Israel’s families told them, “It isn’t right for your people and our people to build a temple for our God together. We must build it alone for the Lord God of Israel, as King Cyrus of Persia ordered us to do.”
- Isaiah 61:5Foreigners will come forward and become shepherds for your flocks, and children of foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.
- Ezekiel 13:9I will use my power against the prophets who see false visions and predict things that don’t come true. They will not help my people make decisions or be recorded in the records of the nation of Israel. They won’t even enter Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
- Hebrews 11:34put out raging fires, and escaped death. They found strength when they were weak. They were powerful in battle and defeated other armies.
- Genesis 15:18At that time the Lord made a promise to Abram. He said, “I will give this land to your descendants. This is the land from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates.
- Genesis 17:7I will make my promise to you and your descendants for generations to come as an everlasting promise. I will be your God and the God of your descendants.
- Exodus 24:3Moses went and told the people all the Lord’s words and legal decisions. Then all the people answered with one voice, “We will do everything the Lord has told us to do.”
- Numbers 18:19I am giving you, your sons, and your daughters all the holy contributions the Israelites bring to the Lord. These contributions will always be yours. It is an everlasting promise of salt in the Lord’s presence for you and your descendants.”
- Psalms 89:3⌞You said,⌟ “I have made a promise to my chosen one. I swore this oath to my servant David:
- Jeremiah 31:31“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new promise to Israel and Judah.
- Jeremiah 33:20“This is what the Lord says: Suppose you could break my arrangement with day and night so that they wouldn’t come at their proper time.
- Ezekiel 37:26I will promise them peace. This promise will last forever. I will establish them, make them increase in number, and put my holy place among them permanently.
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries