Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, New Living Translation For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. English Standard Version For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility Berean Standard Bible For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has torn down the dividing wall of hostility Berean Literal Bible For He Himself is our peace, having made both one and having broken down the barrier of the partition of hostility, King James Bible For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; New King James Version For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, New American Standard Bible For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, NASB 1995 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, NASB 1977 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, Legacy Standard Bible For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups one and broke down the dividing wall of the partition Amplified Bible For He Himself is our peace and our bond of unity. He who made both groups—[Jews and Gentiles]—into one body and broke down the barrier, the dividing wall [of spiritual antagonism between us], Christian Standard Bible For he is our peace, who made both groups one and tore down the dividing wall of hostility. In his flesh, Holman Christian Standard Bible For He is our peace, who made both groups one and tore down the dividing wall of hostility. In His flesh, American Standard Version For he is our peace, who made both one, and brake down the middle wall of partition, Aramaic Bible in Plain English For he is our peace who made the two one, and he destroyed the wall that was standing in the middle. Contemporary English Version Christ has made peace between Jews and Gentiles, and he has united us by breaking down the wall of hatred that separated us. Christ gave his own body Douay-Rheims Bible For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and breaking down the middle wall of partition, the enmities in his flesh: English Revised Version For he is our peace, who made both one, and brake down the middle wall of partition, GOD'S WORD® Translation So 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. Good News Translation For Christ himself has brought us peace by making Jews and Gentiles one people. With his own body he broke down the wall that separated them and kept them enemies. International Standard Version For it is he who is our peace. Through his mortality he made both groups one by tearing down the wall of hostility that divided them. Literal Standard Version for He is our peace, who made both one, and broke down the middle wall of the partition of hostility, Majority Standard Bible For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has torn down the dividing wall of hostility New American Bible For he is our peace, he who made both one and broke down the dividing wall of enmity, through his flesh, NET Bible For he is our peace, the one who made both groups into one and who destroyed the middle wall of partition, the hostility, New Revised Standard Version For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. New Heart English Bible For he is our peace, who made both one, and broke down the middle wall of partition, Webster's Bible Translation For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Weymouth New Testament For He is our peace--He who has made Jews and Gentiles one, and in His own human nature has broken down the hostile dividing wall, World English Bible For he is our peace, who made both one, and broke down the middle wall of separation, Young's Literal Translation for he is our peace, who did make both one, and the middle wall of the enclosure did break down, Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context One in Christ…13But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. 14For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has torn down the dividing wall of hostility 15by abolishing in His flesh the law of commandments and decrees. He did this to create in Himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace… Cross References Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Micah 5:5 And He will be our peace when Assyria invades our land and tramples our citadels. We will raise against it seven shepherds, even eight leaders of men. 1 Corinthians 12:13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free, and we were all given one Spirit to drink. Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:15 by abolishing in His flesh the law of commandments and decrees. He did this to create in Himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace Ephesians 2:17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. Colossians 1:20 and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through the blood of His cross. Treasury of Scripture For he is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of partition between us; our. Isaiah 9:6,7 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace… Ezekiel 34:24,25 And I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the LORD have spoken it… Micah 5:5 And this man shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men. both. Ephesians 2:15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; Ephesians 3:15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, Ephesians 4:16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. the middle. Esther 3:8 And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they the king's laws: therefore it is not for the king's profit to suffer them. Acts 10:28 And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean. Colossians 2:10-14,20 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: … Jump to Previous Barrier Break Broke Broken Destroyed Dividing Enclosure Gentiles Groups Hostile Hostility Human Jews Middle Nature Partition Peace WallJump to Next Barrier Break Broke Broken Destroyed Dividing Enclosure Gentiles Groups Hostile Hostility Human Jews Middle Nature Partition Peace WallEphesians 2 1. By comparing what we were by nature, with what we are by grace,10. he declares that we are made for good works: and being brought near by Christ, 19. should not live as Gentiles and foreigners, but as citizens with the saints, and the family of God. (2 b.) Ephesians 2:14-18 pass on from the description of the call of the heathen to personal union with God in Christ, to dwell on the perfect unity and equality of Jew and Gentile with each other in Him, and the access of both to the Father. (14) He (Himself) is our peace.--There is clearly allusion, as to the many promises in the Old Testament of the "Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:5-6, et al.), so still more to the "Peace of Earth" of the angelic song of Bethlehem, and to the repeated declarations of our Lord, such as, "Peace I leave with you: My peace I give unto you." Here, however, only is our Lord called not the giver of peace, but the peace itself--His own nature being the actual tie of unity between God and mankind, and between man and man. Through the whole passage thus introduced there runs a double meaning, a declaration of peace in Christ between Jew and Gentile, and between both and God; though it is not always easy to tell of any particular expression, whether it belongs to this or that branch of the meaning, or to both. It is well to compare it with the obvious parallel in Colossians 2:13-14, where (in accordance with the whole genius of that Epistle) there is found only the latter branch of the meaning, the union of all with the Head, not the unity of the various members of the Body. Who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us.--In this verse the former subject is begun. The reunion of Jew and Gentile is described in close connection with the breaking down of "the middle wall of the partition" (or, hedge). The words "between us" are not in the original, and Chrysostom interprets the partition as being, not between Jew and Gentile, but between both and God. But the former idea seems at any rate to predominate in this clause. Whether "the middle wall of the hedge" refers to the wall separating the court of the Gentiles from the Temple proper (Jos. Ant. xv. ? 5), and by an inscription denouncing death to any alien who passed it (see Lewin's St. Paul, vol. ii., p. 133), or to the "hedge" set about the vineyard of the Lord (Isaiah 5:2; comp. Matthew 22:33)--to which probably the Jewish doctors alluded when they called their ceremonial and legal subtleties "the hedge" of the Law--has been disputed. It may, however, be noted that the charge of bringing Trophimus, an Ephesian, beyond that Temple wall had been the cause of St. Paul's apprehension at Jerusalem (Acts 21:29), and nearly of his death. Hence the Asiatic churches might well be familiar with its existence. It is also notable that this Temple-partition suits perfectly the double sense of this passage: for, while it was primarily a separation between Jew and Gentile, it was also the first of many partitions--of which the "veil of the Temple" was the last--cutting all men off from the immediate presence of God. At our Lord's death the last of these partitions was rent in twain; how much more may that death be described as breaking down the first! . . . Verse 14. - For he is our peace. Explanatory of the preceding verse - of the way by which we are brought nigh. Christ is not only our Peacemaker, but our Peace, and that in the fullest sense, the very substance and living spring of it, establishing it at the beginning, keeping it up to the end; and the complex notion of peace is here not only peace between Jew and Gentile, but between God and both. Consult Old Testament predictions of peace in connection with Messiah (Isaiah 9:5, 6; Micah 5:5; Zechariah 9:10, etc.). Who made both one; literally, both things, both elements; so that there is now no ground for separating between a Jewish element and a Gentile; they are unified. And broke down the middle wall of the partition. The general idea is obvious; the particular allusion is less easily seen. Some think it is to the veil that separated the holy of holies from the holy place (Hebrews 10:20); but that could hardly be called a wall. Others the wall that separated the court of the Jew from that of the Gentiles; but that wall was literally standing when the apostle wrote, and besides, the Ephesians could not be supposed to be so familiar with it as to make it a suitable illustration for them. In the absence of any specific allusion, it is best to understand the words generally, "broke down that which served as a middle wall of partition" - what is mentioned immediately in the following verse.Parallel Commentaries ... Greek Forγάρ (gar) Conjunction Strong's 1063: For. A primary particle; properly, assigning a reason. He Himself Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative Masculine 3rd Person Singular Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons. is ἐ Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist. our ἡ Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Plural Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I. peace, Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular Strong's 1515: Probably from a primary verb eiro; peace; by implication, prosperity. who ὁ (ho) Article - Nominative Masculine Singular Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the. has made ποιήσας (poiēsas) Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular Strong's 4160: (a) I make, manufacture, construct, (b) I do, act, cause. Apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary; to make or do. the two ἀμφότερα (amphotera) Adjective - Accusative Neuter Plural Strong's 297: Both (of two). Comparative of amphi; both. one ἓ Adjective - Accusative Neuter Singular Strong's 1520: One. (including the neuter Hen); a primary numeral; one. and Conjunction Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely. has torn down λύσας (lysas) Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular Strong's 3089: A primary verb; to 'loosen'. the Article - Accusative Neuter Singular Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the. dividing μεσότοιχον (mesotoichon) Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular Strong's 3320: A middle wall, partition wall, barrier. From mesos and toichos; a partition. wall φραγμοῦ (phragmou) Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular Strong's 5418: A hedge, fence, partition. From phrasso; a fence, or inclosing barrier. of hostility ἔχθραν (echthran) Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular Strong's 2189: Enmity, hostility, alienation. Feminine of echthros; hostility; by implication, a reason for opposition. Links Ephesians 2:14 NIVEphesians 2:14 NLT Ephesians 2:14 ESV Ephesians 2:14 NASB Ephesians 2:14 KJV Ephesians 2:14 BibleApps.com Ephesians 2:14 Biblia Paralela Ephesians 2:14 Chinese Bible Ephesians 2:14 French Bible Ephesians 2:14 Catholic Bible NT Letters: Ephesians 2:14 For he is our peace who made (Ephes. Eph. Ep) |