Ephesians 2:3

Ephesians 2:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
• New International Version (NIV)All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.
• English Standard Version (ESV)among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
• New King James Version (NKJV)among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

Context of Ephesians 2:3

1Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 2You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. 4But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)

Ephesians 2:3 word by word

ἐν οἷς καὶ ἡμεῖς πάντες ἀνεστράφημέν ποτε ἐν ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις τῆς σαρκὸς ἡμῶν ποιοῦντες τὰ θελήματα τῆς σαρκὸς καὶ τῶν διανοιῶν καὶ ἤμεθα τέκνα φύσει ὀργῆς ὡς καὶ οἱ λοιποί.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Amongἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• whomὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• alsoκαίkai · andG2532
• weἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• allπᾶςpas · allG3956
• had our conversationἀναστρέφωanastrepho · to live/returnG390
• in times pastποτέpote · once/whenG4218
• the lustsἐπιθυμίαepithumia · desireG1939
• fleshσάρξsarx · fleshG4561
• fulfillingποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
• the desiresθέλημαthelēma · will/desireG2307
• of the mindδιάνοιαdianoia · mindG1271
• wereεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• by natureφύσιςphusis · natureG5449
• the childrenτέκνονteknon · childG5043
• of wrathὀργήorgē · wrathG3709
• asὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
• othersλοιπόςloipoi · remainingG3062

Cross-references for Ephesians 2:3

• Isaiah 53:6All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.
• Isaiah 64:6We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind.
• Daniel 9:5But we have sinned and done wrong. We have rebelled against you and scorned your commands and regulations.
• Romans 3:9Well then, should we conclude that we Jews are better than others? No, not at all, for we have already shown that all people, whether Jews or Gentiles, are under the power of sin.
• 1 Corinthians 6:9Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality,
• Galatians 2:15“You and I are Jews by birth, not ‘sinners’ like the Gentiles.
• Galatians 3:22But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ.
• 1 Peter 4:3You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy—their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols.
• 1 John 1:8If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth.
• Ephesians 4:17With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused.
• Acts 14:16In the past he permitted all the nations to go their own ways,
• Acts 17:30“God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him.
• Romans 11:30Once, you Gentiles were rebels against God, but when the people of Israel rebelled against him, God was merciful to you instead.
• 1 Peter 2:10“Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.”
• 1 John 2:8Yet it is also new. Jesus lived the truth of this commandment, and you also are living it. For the darkness is disappearing, and the true light is already shining.
• Ephesians 4:22throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception.

Commentaries on Ephesians 2:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3Among whom also we all had our conversation - We Jews, as well as you Gentiles, have lived in transgressions and sins; , this was the course of our life; we lived in sin, walked in sin, it was woven through our whole constitution, it tinged every temper, polluted every faculty, and perverted every transaction of life. The lusts - the evil, irregular, and corrupt affections of the heart, showed themselves in the perversion of the mind as well as in our…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3We all had our conversation - see the notes at 2 Corinthians 1:12; compare 1 Peter 4:3. In the lusts of our flesh - Living to gratify the flesh, or the propensities of a corrupt nature. It is observable here that the apostle changes the form of the address from “ye” to “we,” thus including himself with others, and saying that this was true of “all” before their conversion. He means undoubtedly to say, that whatever might have been the place of their…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3People who have not converted are naturally controlled by their strong desires and sinful nature (see Rom 3:9–20, 23). Because of their sin, they are subject to God’s anger, because God hates sin (see Ephesians 5:6; Romans 1:18; 2:5, 8; 3:5, 19; 4:15; 5:9; 9:22; 12:19; 13:4–5; Colossians 3:6; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 2:16; 5:9).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. also we--that is, we also. Paul here joins himself in the same category with them, passing from the second person (Ep 2:1, 2) to the first person here. all--Jews and Gentiles. our conversation--"our way of life" (2Co 1:12; 1Pe 1:18). This expression implies an outwardly more decorous course, than the open "walk" in gross sins on the part of the majority of Ephesians in times past, the Gentile portion of whom may be specially referred to in Ep 2:2. Paul…Read the comment

Topics related to Ephesians 2:3

• Depravity of Man
• Heredity
• Salvation
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• Afar
• Alien
• Conversation
• Create
• Cross
• Death
• Desire
• Ephesians, Epistle to
• Nigh
• Prince

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