Ephesians 2:12

Amplified Bible

remember that at that time you were separated from Christ [excluded from any relationship with Him], alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise [with no share in the sacred Messianic promise and without knowledge of God's agreements], having no hope [in His promise] and [living] in the world without God.

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
Remember that in the past you were without Christ. You were not citizens of Israel, and you did not know about the agreements with the promises that God made to his people. You had no hope, and you did not know God.

Revised Standard Version
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.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Remeber I saye yt ye were at that tyme wt oute Christ and were reputed aliantes from the comen welth of Israel and were straugers fro the testamentes of promes and had no hope and were with out god in this worlde.

Hebrew Names Version
that you were at that time separate from Messiah, alienated from the commonwealth of Yisra'el, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

New American Standard Bible
remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the people of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

New Century Version
Remember that in the past you were without Christ. You were not citizens of Israel, and you had no part in the agreements with the promise that God made to his people. You had no hope, and you did not know God.

Update Bible Version
that you were at that time separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

Webster's Bible Translation
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:

English Standard Version
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.

World English Bible
that you were at that time separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise; having no hope, and without God in the world.

Weymouth's New Testament
At that time you were living apart from Christ, estranged from the Commonwealth of Israel, with no share by birth in the Covenants which are based on the Promises, and you had no hope and no God, in all the world.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and ye weren in that time with out Crist, alienyd fro the lyuyng of Israel, and gestis of testamentis, not hauynge hope of biheest, and with outen God in this world.

English Revised Version
that ye were at that time separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

Berean Standard Bible
remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.

Contemporary English Version
At that time you did not know about Christ. You were foreigners to the people of Israel, and you had no part in the promises that God had made to them. You were living in this world without hope and without God,

American Standard Version
that ye were at that time separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

Bible in Basic English
That you were at that time without Christ, being cut off from any part in Israel's rights as a nation, having no part in God's agreement, having no hope, and without God in the world.

Complete Jewish Bible
at that time had no Messiah. You were estranged from the national life of Isra'el. You were foreigners to the covenants embodying God's promise. You were in this world without hope and without God.

Darby Translation
that ye were at that time without Christ, aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

International Standard Version
At that time you were without Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel,from the commonwealth of Israel">[fn] and strangers to the covenants of promise. You had no hope and were in the world without God.Ezekiel 13:9; John 10:16; Romans 9:4,8; Galatians 4:8; Ephesians 4:18; Colossians 1:21; Romans 9:4,8, 1 Thessalonians 4:5,13;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
and were at that time without the Meshiha, and were aliens from the polity [fn] of Israel, and strangers to the covenant of the promise, and, without hope, were without Aloha in the world.

Murdock Translation
And ye were, at that time, without the Messiah; and were aliens from the regulations of Israel; and strangers to the covenant of the promise; and were without hope, and without God, in the world.

King James Version (1611)
That at that time yee were without Christ, being aliens from the common wealth of Israel, and strangers from the couenants of promise, hauing no hope, & without God in the world.

New Living Translation
In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope.

New Life Bible
You were living without Christ then. The Jewish people who belonged to God had nothing to do with you. The promises He gave to them were not for you. You had nothing in this world to hope for. You were without God.

New Revised Standard
remember that you were at that time without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

Geneva Bible (1587)
That ye were, I say, at that time without Christ, and were alients from the common wealth of Israel, and were strangers from the couenants of promise, and had no hope, and were without God in the world.

George Lamsa Translation
At that time you were without Christ, being aliens to the customs of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the promise, without hope, and without God in the world.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
That ye were, in that season, separate from Christ, alienated from the citizenship of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and godless in the world;

Douay-Rheims Bible
That you were at that time without Christ, being aliens from the conversation of Israel and strangers to the testament, having no hope of the promise and without God in this world.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
That at that tyme ye were without Christe, beyng aliauntes from the common wealth of Israel, and straungers fro the testamentes of promise, hauyng no hope, & without God in this worlde.

Good News Translation
At that time you were apart from Christ. You were foreigners and did not belong to God's chosen people. You had no part in the covenants, which were based on God's promises to his people, and you lived in this world without hope and without God.

Christian Standard Bible®
At that time you were without Christ, excluded from the citizenship of Israel, and foreigners to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God in the world.

King James Version
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:

Lexham English Bible
that you were at that time apart from Christ, alienated from the citizenship of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, not having hope, and without God in the world.

Literal Translation
that at that time you were without Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers of the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

Young's Literal Translation
that ye were at that time apart from Christ, having been alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the promise, having no hope, and without God, in the world;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
that ye at the same tyme were without Christ, and reputed aleauntes from the comen welth of Israel, and were straungers from the Testamentes of promes, therfore had ye no hope, and were without God in this worlde.

Mace New Testament (1729)
that at that time ye were without all knowledge of the Messiah, being aliens from the common-wealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope, and living in the world without any true knowledge of God.

New English Translation
that you were at that time without the Messiah, alienated from the citizenship of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

New King James Version
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.

Simplified Cowboy Version
Back in them days, y'all didn't have a spot with Jesus on the ranch. Y'all had no part in the promise of God because you weren't his people. You rode through this world without God and without hope.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

Legacy Standard Bible
remember that you were at that time without Christ, alienated from the citizenship of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

Contextual Overview

¹¹Therefore, remember that at one time you Gentiles by birth, who are called "Uncircumcision" by those who called themselves "Circumcision," [itself a mere mark] which is made in the flesh by human hands— ¹²remember that at that time you were separated from Christ [excluded from any relationship with Him], alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise [with no share in the sacred Messianic promise and without knowledge of God's agreements], having no hope [in His promise] and [living] in the world without God.¹³But now [at this very moment] in Christ Jesus you who once were [so very] far away [from God] have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

without: John 10:16, John 15:5, Colossians 1:21

aliens: Ephesians 4:18, Ezra 4:3, Isaiah 61:5, Ezekiel 13:9, Hebrews 11:34

the covenants: Genesis 15:18, Genesis 17:7-9, Exodus 24:3-11, Numbers 18:19, Psalms 89:3-18, Jeremiah 31:31-34, Jeremiah 33:20-26, Ezekiel 37:26, Luke 1:72, Acts 3:25, Romans 9:4, Romans 9:5, Romans 9:8, Galatians 3:16, Galatians 3:17

having: Jeremiah 14:8, Jeremiah 17:13, John 4:22, Acts 28:20, Colossians 1:5, Colossians 1:27, 1 Thessalonians 4:13, 2 Thessalonians 2:16, 1 Timothy 1:1, Hebrews 6:18, 1 Peter 1:3, 1 Peter 1:21, 1 Peter 3:15, 1 John 3:3

without: 2 Chronicles 15:3, Isaiah 44:6, Isaiah 45:20, Hosea 3:4, Acts 14:15, Acts 14:16, Romans 1:28-32, 1 Corinthians 8:4-6, 1 Corinthians 10:19, 1 Corinthians 10:20, Galatians 4:8, 1 Thessalonians 4:5

Reciprocal: Exodus 12:43 - There shall Exodus 12:45 - General Leviticus 22:25 - because Numbers 9:10 - be unclean Numbers 23:9 - shall not Deuteronomy 4:7 - who hath Deuteronomy 5:15 - remember Deuteronomy 6:21 - General Deuteronomy 8:2 - remember Deuteronomy 15:15 - General Deuteronomy 23:8 - enter into Joshua 5:9 - I rolled away Joshua 6:23 - left them 1 Samuel 14:6 - uncircumcised 1 Chronicles 22:2 - the strangers 2 Chronicles 6:32 - the stranger Job 7:6 - without hope Psalms 10:4 - God Psalms 14:1 - no Psalms 147:2 - he Psalms 147:20 - not dealt so Proverbs 15:29 - far Song of Solomon 8:8 - she hath Isaiah 14:1 - the strangers Isaiah 45:4 - though Isaiah 49:8 - to cause Isaiah 51:1 - look Isaiah 56:3 - the son Isaiah 63:19 - are thine Isaiah 65:1 - I am sought Ezekiel 16:61 - when Ezekiel 47:22 - and to the strangers Matthew 3:9 - God Matthew 15:26 - It is not Matthew 20:7 - Because Mark 7:27 - Let Mark 7:28 - yet Acts 17:23 - To Acts 19:35 - Ye men Acts 27:20 - all Romans 2:14 - which Romans 2:25 - circumcision Romans 9:30 - the Gentiles Romans 11:30 - as ye Romans 15:8 - truth 1 Corinthians 10:18 - Israel 1 Corinthians 12:2 - that Galatians 2:15 - sinners Ephesians 1:13 - ye also Ephesians 1:18 - is Ephesians 2:13 - were Ephesians 2:19 - strangers Ephesians 5:8 - ye were Colossians 3:15 - the peace 1 Peter 1:1 - the

Cross-References

Exodus 28:20
and the fourth row a beryl and an onyx and a jasper; they shall be set in gold filigree.

Exodus 39:13
and the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper; they were mounted in settings of gold filigree.

Numbers 11:7
The manna was like coriander seed, and it looked like bdellium.

Job 28:16
"It cannot be valued in [terms of] the gold of Ophir, In the precious onyx or beryl, or the sapphire.

Ezekiel 28:13
"You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The ruby, the topaz, and the diamond; The beryl, the onyx, and the jasper; The lapis lazuli, the turquoise, and the emerald; And the gold, the workmanship of your settings and your sockets, Was in you. They were prepared On the day that you were created.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

That at that time ye were without Christ,.... Or separate from him: they were chosen in him and were preserved in him, and were redeemed by him before; but they were without any knowledge of him, faith in him, love to him, communion with him, or subjection to him, his Gospel, government, laws, and ordinances; and particularly they were without any promises of him, or prophecies concerning him, which were peculiar to the Jews; hence the Messiah is called משיחא דישראל, "the Christ of Israel" w, and who as he was promised, so he was sent only to the lost sheep of the house, of Israel: hence it follows,

being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel; both from their civil and church state; the Gentiles might not dwell among them, nor have any dealings with them in things civil, unless they conformed to certain laws; nor might the Jews go into any, nor eat or converse with any, that were uncircumcised; so great an alienation and distance were there between these two people; and much less might they eat the passover and join with them in religious worship; the word for "commonwealth" here used, Harpocratian says x, is commonly used by Greek writers for a "democracy" though the original constitution of the Israelites was properly a "theocracy":

strangers to the covenants of promise; to the covenant of circumcision given to Abraham; and to the covenant at Mount Sinai, made with Israel; and to the dispensation of the covenant of grace to that people, sometimes called the first covenant and the old covenant, and which peculiarly belonged to them, Romans 9:4 one copy reads, "strangers to the promises of the covenant"; which is natural enough; the Vulgate Latin version joins the word "promise" to the next clause, and reads,

having no hope of the promise of the promised Messiah: "having no hope"; of the Messiah and salvation by him, of the resurrection of the dead, of a future state, and of eternal life; none that is sure and steadfast, that is purifying, and makes not ashamed; or which is a good hope through grace, is the gift of God, the fruit of his love, and the effect of his power; and this is to be in a miserable condition: Philo, the Jew y, observes, that

"the Chaldeans call a man Enos, as if he only was truly a man that expects good things, and supports himself with good hopes; and adds, hence it is manifest that one without hope is not reckoned a man, but a beast in an human form; since he is destitute of hope, which is the property of the human soul;''

and without God in the world; without the knowledge of God in Christ; without the image of God, which was defaced by sin; without the grace and fear of God; and without communion with him, and the worship of him; and while they were so they were in the world, among the men of it, and were a part of it, not being yet called out of it: the word signifies "atheists": so some of the Gentiles were in "theory", as they all were in practice; and they were by the Jews reckoned no other than "atheists"; it is a common saying with them z that

"he that dwells without the land (of Israel) is like one

שאין לו אלוה, "who has no God":''

w Targum in Isa. xvi. 1. 5. x Lex. Decem Orator. p. 246. y De Abrahamo, p. 350, 351. z T. Bab. Cetubot, fol. 110. 2. Zohar in Exod. fol. 33. 1. Cosri, par. 2. sect. 22. fol. 85. 2. Tzeror Hammor, fol. 129. 4. & 135. 2. & 153. 3. & 168. 3.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Ye 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. They knew of no atonement for sin. They had no assurance of pardon. They had no well-founded hope of eternal life. They were in a state of darkness and condemnation, from which nothing but a knowledge of Christ could deliver them. All Christians may in like manner be reminded of the fact that, before their conversion, they were “without Christ.” Though they had heard of him, and were constantly under the instruction which reminded them of him, yet they were without any true knowledge of him, and without any of the hopes which result from having embraced him. Many were infidels. Many were scoffers. Many were profane, sensual, corrupt. Many rejected Christ with scorn; many, by simple neglect. All were without any true knowledge of him; all were destitute of the peace and hope which result from a saving acquaintance with him. We may add, that there is no more affecting description of the state of man by nature than to say, he is without a Saviour. Sad would be the condition of the world without a Redeemer - sad is the state of that portion of mankind who reject him. Reader, are you without Christ?

Being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel - This is the second characteristic of their state before their conversion to Christianity. This means more than that they were not Jews. It means that they were strangers to that “polity” - πολιτεία politeia - or arrangement by which the worship of the true God had been kept up in the world, and of course were strangers to the true religion The arrangements for the public worship of Yahweh were made among the Jews. They had his law, his temple, his sabbaths, and the ordinances of his religion; see the notes at Romans 3:2. To all these the pagans had been strangers, and of course they were deprived of all the privileges which resulted from having the true religion. The word rendered here as “commonwealth” - πολιτεία politeia - means properly citizenship, or the right of citizenship, and then a community, or state. It means here that arrangement or organization by which the worship of the true God was maintained. The word “aliens” - ἀπηλλοτριωμένοι apēllotriōmenoi - here means merely that they were strangers to. It does not denote, of necessity, that they were hostile to it; but that they were ignorant of it, and were, therefore, deprived of the benefits which they might have derived from it, if they had been acquainted with it.

And strangers - This word - ξένος xenos - means properly a guest, or a stranger, who is hospitably entertained; then a foreigner, or one from a distant country; and here means that they did not belong to the community where the covenants of promise were enjoyed; that is, they were strangers to the privileges of the people of God.

The covenants of promise - see the notes at Romans 9:4. The covenants of promise were those various arrangements which God made with his people, by which he promised them future blessings, and especially by which he promised that the Messiah should come. To be in possession of them was regarded as a high honor and privilege; and Paul refers to it here to show that, though the Ephesians had been by nature without these, yet they had now been brought to enjoy all the benefits of them. On the word covenant, see the notes on Galatians 3:15. It may be remarked, that Walton (Polyglott) and Rosenmuller unite the word “promise” here with the word “hope” - “having no hope of the promise.” But the more obvious and usual interpretation is that in our common version, meaning that they were not by nature favored with the covenants made with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, etc., by which there was a promise of future blessings under the Messiah.

Having no hope - The apostle does not mean to affirm that they did not cherish any hope, for this is scarcely true of any man; but that they were without any proper ground of hope. It is true of perhaps nearly all people that they cherish some hope of future happiness. But the ground on which they do this is not well understood by themselves, nor do they in general regard it as a matter worth particular inquiry. Some rely on morality; some on forms of religion; some on the doctrine of universal salvation; all who are impenitent believe that they do not “deserve” eternal death, and expect to be saved by “justice.” Such hopes, however, must be unfounded. No hope of life in a future world can be founded on a proper basis which does not rest on some promise of God, or some assurance that he will save us; and these hopes, therefore, which people take up they know not why, are delusive and vain.

And without God in the world - Greek ἄθεοι atheoi - “atheists;” that is, those who had no knowledge of the true God. This is the last specification of their miserable condition before they were converted; and it is an appropriate crowning of the climax. What an expression! To be without God - without God in his own world, and where he is all around us! To have no evidence of his favor, no assurance of his love, no hope of dwelling with him! The meaning, as applied to the pagan Ephesians, was, that they had no knowledge of the true God. This was true of the pagan, and in an important sense also it is true of all impenitent sinners, and was once true of all who are now Christians. They had no God. They did not worship him, or love him, or serve him, or seek his favors, or act with reference to him and his glory. Nothing can be a more appropriate and striking description of a sinner now than to say that he is “without God in the world.”

He lives, and feels, and acts, as if there were no God. He neither worships him in secret, nor in his family, nor in public. He acts with no reference to his will. He puts no confidence in his promises, and fears not when he threatens; and were it announced to him that there “is no God,” it would produce no change in his plan of life, or in his emotions. The announcement that the emperor of China, or the king of Siam, or the sultan of Constantinople, was dead, would produce some emotion, and might change some of his commercial arrangements; but the announcement that there is no God would interfere with none of his plans, and demand no change of life. And, if so, what is man in this beautiful world without a God? A traveler to eternity without a God! Standing over the grave without a God! An immortal being without a God! A man - fallen, sunk, ruined, with no God to praise, to love, to confide in; with no altar, no sacrifice, no worship, no hope; with no Father in trial, no counselor in perplexity, no support in death! Such is the state of man by nature. Such are the effects of sin.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 12. That 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, c., 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 made with Abraham, whether considered as relating to his natural or spiritual seed and no part in that of the covenant made at Horeb with the Israelites, when a holy law was given them, and God condescended to dwell among them, and to lead them to the promised land.

Having no hope — Either of the pardon of sin or of the resurrection of the body, nor indeed of the immortality of the soul. Of all these things the Gentiles had no rational or well-grounded hope.

Without God in the world — They had gods many, and lords many; but in no Gentile nation was the true God known: nor indeed had they any correct notion of the Divine nature. Their idols were by nature no gods-they could neither do evil nor good, and therefore they were properly without God, having no true object of worship, and no source of comfort. He who has neither God nor Christ is in a most deplorable state; he has neither a God to worship, nor a Christ to justify him. And this is the state of every man who is living without the grace and Spirit of Christ. All such, whatever they may profess, are no better than practical atheists.