Ephesians 2:8

Amplified Bible

For it is by grace [God's remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ] that you have been saved [actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life] through faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [not through your own effort], but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of God;

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
I mean that you have been saved by grace because you believed. You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God.

Revised Standard Version
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God--

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
For by grace are ye made safe thorowe fayth and that not of youre selves. For it is the gyfte of God

Hebrew Names Version
for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,

New American Standard Bible
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;

New Century Version
I mean that you have been saved by grace through believing. You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God.

Update Bible Version
for by grace have you been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, [it is] the gift of God;

Webster's Bible Translation
For by grace are ye saved, through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God:

English Standard Version
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

World English Bible
for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
For by grace ye are saved through faith; and this not of yourselves:

Weymouth's New Testament
For it is by grace that you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves. It is God's gift, and is not on the ground of merit--

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For bi grace ye ben sauyd bi feith, and this not of you; for it is the yifte of God,

English Revised Version
for by grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Berean Standard Bible
For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God,

Contemporary English Version
You were saved by faith in God, who treats us much better than we deserve. This is God's gift to you, and not anything you have done on your own.

American Standard Version
for by grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;

Bible in Basic English
Because by grace you have salvation through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is given by God:

Complete Jewish Bible
For you have been delivered by grace through trusting, and even this is not your accomplishment but God's gift.

Darby Translation
For ye are saved by grace, through faith; and this not of yourselves; it is God's gift:

International Standard Version
For by such grace you have been saved through faith. This does not come from you; it is the gift of GodMatthew 16:17; John 6:44,65; Romans 3:24; 4:16; Ephesians 1:19; 2:5; Philippians 1:29; 2 Timothy 1:9;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
For by his grace are we saved through faith, and this was not of you, but is the gift of Aloha,

Murdock Translation
For it is by his grace we are rescued, through faith; and this is not of yourselves, but it is the gift of God:

King James Version (1611)
For by grace are ye saued, through faith, and that not of your selues: it is the gift of God:

New Living Translation
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God.

New Life Bible
For by His loving-favor you have been saved from the punishment of sin through faith. It is not by anything you have done. It is a gift of God.

New Revised Standard
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—

Geneva Bible (1587)
For by grace are ye saued through faith, and that not of your selues: it is the gift of God,

George Lamsa Translation
For it is by grace that you are saved through faith; not of your doing: it is the gift of God:

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
For, by his favour, have ye been saved, through means of faith, and this hath come to pass - not from you, of God, the free-gift!

Douay-Rheims Bible
For by grace you are saved through faith: and that not of yourselves, for it is the gift of God.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
For by grace are ye made safe through fayth, and that not of your selues, it is the gyft of God:

Good News Translation
For it is by God's grace that you have been saved through faith. It is not the result of your own efforts, but God's gift, so that no one can boast about it.

Christian Standard Bible®
For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—

King James Version
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Lexham English Bible
For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God;

Literal Translation
For by grace you are saved, through faith, and this not of yourselves; it is the gift of God;

Young's Literal Translation
for by grace ye are having been saved, through faith, and this not of you -- of God the gift,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
For by grace are ye saued thorow faith, and that not of youre selues, For it is ye gifte of God,

Mace New Testament (1729)
for by grace are ye saved, thro' faith (and that not from us:

New English Translation
For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God;

New King James Version
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,

Simplified Cowboy Version
It's our faith in God's love for us that does the saving—and this is not from our rope, or our hand, or our horse, it is the gift of the Almighty.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;

Legacy Standard Bible
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;

Contextual Overview

⁴But God, being [so very] rich in mercy, because of His great and wonderful love with which He loved us, ⁵even when we were [spiritually] dead and separated from Him because of our sins, He made us [spiritually] alive together with Christ (for by His grace—His undeserved favor and mercy—you have been saved from God's judgment). ⁶And He raised us up together with Him [when we believed], and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, [because we are] in Christ Jesus, ⁷[and He did this] so that in the ages to come He might [clearly] show the immeasurable and unsurpassed riches of His grace in [His] kindness toward us in Christ Jesus [by providing for our redemption]. ⁸For it is by grace [God's remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ] that you have been saved [actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life] through faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [not through your own effort], but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of God;⁹not as a result of [your] works [nor your attempts to keep the Law], so that no one will [be able to] boast or take credit in any way [for his salvation]. ¹⁰For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us].

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

by: Ephesians 2:5, Romans 3:24, 2 Thessalonians 1:9

through: Mark 16:16, Luke 7:50, John 3:14-18, John 3:36, John 5:24, John 6:27-29, John 6:35, John 6:40, Acts 13:39, Acts 15:7-9, Acts 16:31, Romans 3:22-26, Romans 4:5, Romans 4:16, Romans 10:9, Romans 10:10, Galatians 3:14, Galatians 3:22, 1 John 5:10-12

that: Ephesians 2:10, Ephesians 1:19, Matthew 16:17, John 1:12, John 1:13, John 6:37, John 6:44, John 6:65, Acts 14:27, Acts 16:14, Romans 10:14, Romans 10:17, Philippians 1:29, Colossians 2:12, James 1:16-18

Reciprocal: Psalms 6:4 - for Psalms 27:13 - fainted Psalms 37:39 - salvation Psalms 105:45 - That Hosea 14:2 - receive Matthew 20:9 - they received Mark 2:5 - saw Mark 9:24 - help Luke 8:15 - in an John 4:10 - If Acts 13:43 - the grace Acts 18:27 - believed Acts 26:18 - faith Romans 3:12 - there is none Romans 3:20 - Therefore Romans 3:27 - Where Romans 4:6 - without Romans 5:15 - much Romans 6:15 - shall we 1 Corinthians 12:9 - faith 1 Corinthians 15:2 - ye are 1 Corinthians 15:10 - by 2 Corinthians 4:7 - that Philippians 2:13 - good 2 Thessalonians 2:13 - belief 2 Timothy 1:9 - hath Titus 1:1 - faith Titus 2:11 - the grace Titus 3:5 - by works Hebrews 6:4 - and have James 1:17 - good James 2:14 - can 1 Peter 1:5 - through Revelation 7:10 - Salvation

Cross-References

Genesis 2:8
And the LORD God planted a garden (oasis) in the east, in Eden (delight, land of happiness); and He put the man whom He had formed (created) there.

Genesis 2:9
And [in that garden] the LORD God caused to grow from the ground every tree that is desirable and pleasing to the sight and good (suitable, pleasant) for food; the tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the [experiential] knowledge (recognition) of [the difference between] good and evil.

Genesis 3:24
So God drove the man out; and at the east of the Garden of Eden He [permanently] stationed the cherubim and the sword with the flashing blade which turned round and round [in every direction] to protect and guard the way (entrance, access) to the tree of life.

Genesis 4:16
So Cain went away from the [manifested] presence of the LORD, and lived in the land of Nod [wandering in exile], east of Eden.

Genesis 13:10
So Lot looked and saw that the valley of the Jordan was well watered everywhere—this was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah; [it was all] like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as you go to Zoar [at the south end of the Dead Sea].

2 Kings 19:12
'Did the gods of the nations whom my forefathers destroyed rescue them—Gozan and Haran [of Mesopotamia] and Rezeph and the people of Eden who were in Telassar?

Isaiah 51:3
For the LORD will comfort Zion [in her captivity]; He will comfort all her ruins. And He will make her wilderness like Eden, And her desert like the garden of the LORD; Joy and gladness will be found in her, Thanksgiving and the voice of a melody.

Ezekiel 27:23
"Haran and Canneh and Eden [in Mesopotamia], the merchants of Sheba [on the Euphrates], Asshur and Chilmad traded with you.

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.

Ezekiel 31:16
"I made the nations quake at the sound of its fall when I cast it down to Sheol with those who descend into the pit; and all the well-watered trees of Eden, the choicest and the best of Lebanon, will be comforted in the earth beneath [at Assyria's downfall].

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For by grace are ye saved,.... This is to be understood, not of temporal salvation, nor of preservation in Christ, nor of providential salvation in order to calling, and much less of being put in a way of salvation, or only in a salvable state; but of spiritual salvation, and that actual; for salvation was not only resolved upon, contrived and secured in the covenant of grace, for the persons here spoken to, but it was actually obtained and wrought out for them by Christ, and was actually applied unto them by the Spirit; and even as to the full enjoyment of it, they had it in faith and hope; and because of the certainty of it, they are said to be already saved; and besides, were representatively possessed of it in Christ their head: those interested in this salvation, are not all mankind, but particular persons; and such who were by nature children of wrath, and sinners of the Gentiles; and it is a salvation from sin, Satan, the law, its curse and condemnation, and from eternal death, and wrath to come; and includes all the blessings of grace and glory; and is entirely owing to free grace: for by grace is not meant the Gospel, nor gifts of grace, nor grace infused; but the free favour of God, to which salvation in all its branches is ascribed; as election, redemption, justification, pardon, adoption, regeneration, and eternal glory: the Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions read, "by his grace", and so some copies; and it may refer to the grace of all the three Persons; for men are saved by the grace of the Father, who drew the plan of salvation, appointed men to it, made a covenant with his Son, in which it is provided and secured, and sent him into the world to obtain it; and by the grace of the Son, who engaged as a surety to effect it, assumed human nature, obeyed and suffered in it for that purpose, and has procured it; and by the grace of the Spirit, who makes men sensible of their need of it, brings it near, sets it before them, and applies it to them, and gives them faith and hope in it: hence it follows,

through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; salvation is through faith, not as a cause or condition of salvation, or as what adds anything to the blessing itself; but it is the way, or means, or instrument, which God has appointed, for the receiving and enjoying it, that so it might appear to be all of grace; and this faith is not the produce of man's free will and power, but it is the free gift of God; and therefore salvation through it is consistent with salvation by grace; since that itself is of grace, lies entirely in receiving grace and gives all the glory to the grace of God: the sense of this last clause may be, that salvation is not of ourselves; it is not of our desiring nor of our deserving, nor of our performing, but is of the free grace of God: though faith is elsewhere represented as the gift of God, John 6:65 and it is called the special gift of faith, in the Apocrypha:

"And blessed is the eunuch, which with his hands hath wrought no iniquity, nor imagined wicked things against God: for unto him shall be given the "special gift of faith", and an inheritance in the temple of the Lord more acceptable to his mind.'' (Wisdom 3:14)

----- (I asked the following question from a Greek and Hebrew professor:

"In this verse, to what does the word "that" refer to? Adam Clarke, Wesley & company say that it is neuter plural and "Faith" is feminine hence it cannot refer to faith, (Such an admission would destroy their theological system.) However "Grace" is also feminine as is "Salvation".''

His reply was:

"Here you ask a wonderful theological/exegetical question to which I can only give an opinion, and not a definitive answer. The problem is that there is NO precise referent. Grace is feminine. Faith is feminine. And even Salvation (as a noun) is feminine. Yet it must be one of these three at least, and maybe more than one, or all three in conjunction. Since all three come from God and not from man, the latter might seem the more likely. However, it is a tautology to say salvation and grace are "nor of yourselves," and in that case it certainly looks more like the passage is really pointing out that man cannot even take credit for his own act of faith, but that faith was itself created by God and implanted in us that we might believe (i.e. the normal Calvinistic position). In which regard the whole theological issue of "regeneration preceding faith" comes into play. So, that is basically my opinion, though others obviously disagree strenuously, but from an exegetical standpoint, the other positions have to explain away the matter of the tautology.''

Whether you accept the reply or not, it is sufficient to show that the Greek is not as definitive in this verse as some scholars would have you believe. Editor)

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For by grace are ye saved - By mere favor. It is not by your Own merit; it is not because you have any claim. This is a favorite doctrine with Paul, as it is with all who love the Lord Jesus in sincerity; compare the notes at Romans 1:7; Romans 3:24, note.

Through faith - Grace bestowed through faith, or in connection with believing; see the notes at Romans 1:17; Romans 4:16, note.

And that not of yourselves - That is, salvation does not proceed from yourselves. The word rendered “that” - τοῦτο touto - is in the neuter gender, and the word “faith” - πίστις pistis - is in the feminine. The word “that,” therefore, does not refer particularly to faith, as being the gift of God, but to “the salvation by grace” of which he had been speaking. This is the interpretation of the passage which is the most obvious, and which is now generally conceded to be the true one; see Bloomfield. Many critics, however, as Doddridge, Beza, Piscator, and Chrysostom, maintain that the word “that” (τοῦτο touto) refers to “faith” (πίστις pistis); and Doddridge maintains that such a use is common in the New Testament. As a matter of grammar this opinion is certainly doubtful, if not untenable; but as a matter of theology it is a question of very little importance.

Whether this passage proves it or not, it is certainly true that faith is the gift of God. It exists in the mind only when the Holy Spirit produces it there, and is, in common with every other Christian excellence, to be traced to his agency on the heart. This opinion, however, does not militate at all with the doctrine that man himself “believes.” It is not God that “believes” for him, for that is impossible. It is his own mind that actually believes, or that exercises faith; see the notes at Romans 4:3. In the same manner “repentance” is to be traced to God. It is one of the fruits of the operation of the Holy Spirit on the soul. But the Holy Spirit does not “repent” for us. It is our “own mind” that repents; our own heart that feels; our own eyes that weep - and without this there can he no true repentance. No one can repent for another; and God neither can nor ought to repent; for us. He has done no wrong, and if repentance is ever exercised, therefore, it must be exercised by our own minds. So of faith. God cannot believe for us. “We” must believe, or “we” shall be damned. Still this does not conflict at all with the opinion, that if we exercise faith, the inclination to do it is to be traced to the agency of God on the heart. I would not contend, therefore, about the grammatical construction of this passage, with respect to the point of the theology contained in it; still it accords better with the obvious grammatical construction, and with the design of the passage to understand the word “that” as referring not to “faith” only, but to “salvation by grace.” So Calvin understands it, and so it is understood by Storr, Locke, Clarke, Koppe, Grotius, and others.

It is the gift of God - Salvation by grace is his gift. It is not of merit; it is wholly by favor.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 8. For by grace are ye saved, through faith — As ye are now brought into a state of salvation, your sins being all blotted out, and you made partakers of the Holy Spirit; and, having a hope full of immortality, you must not attribute this to any works or merit of yours; for when this Gospel reached you, you were all found dead in trespasses and dead in sins; therefore it was God's free mercy to you, manifested through Christ, in whom ye were commanded to believe; and, having believed by the power of the Holy Spirit, ye received, and were sealed by, the Holy Spirit of promise; so that this salvation is in no sense of yourselves, but is the free gift of God; and not of any kind of works; so that no man can boast as having wrought out his own salvation, or even contributed any thing towards it. By grace are ye saved, through faith in Christ. This is a true doctrine, and continues to be essential to the salvation of man to the end of the world.

But whether are we to understand, faith or salvation as being the gift of God? This question is answered by the Greek text: τῃ γαρ χαριτι εστε σεσωσμενοι δια της πιστεως· και τουτο ουκ εξ ὑμων· Θεου το δωρον, ουκ εξ εργων· ἱνα μη τις καυχησηται· "By this grace ye are saved through faith; and THIS (τουτο, this salvation) not of you; it is the gift of God, not of works: so that no one can boast." "The relative τουτο, this, which is in the neuter gender, cannot stand for πιστις, faith, which is the feminine; but it has the whole sentence that goes before for its antecedent." But it may be asked: Is not faith the gift of God? Yes, as to the grace by which it is produced; but the grace or power to believe, and the act of believing, are two different things. Without the grace or power to believe no man ever did or can believe; but with that power the act of faith is a man's own. God never believes for any man, no more than he repents for him: the penitent, through this grace enabling him, believes for himself: nor does he believe necessarily, or impulsively when he has that power; the power to believe may be present long before it is exercised, else, why the solemn warnings with which we meet every where in the word of God, and threatenings against those who do not believe? Is not this a proof that such persons have the power but do not use it? They believe not, and therefore are not established. This, therefore, is the true state of the case: God gives the power, man uses the power thus given, and brings glory to God: without the power no man can believe; with it, any man may.