Ephesians 2:14

THE MESSAGE

The Messiah has made things up between us so that we're now together on this, both non-Jewish outsiders and Jewish insiders. He tore down the wall we used to keep each other at a distance. He repealed the law code that had become so clogged with fine print and footnotes that it hindered more than it helped. Then he started over. Instead of continuing with two groups of people separated by centuries of animosity and suspicion, he created a new kind of human being, a fresh start for everybody.

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
Christ is the reason we are now at peace. He made us Jews and you who are not Jews one people. We were separated by a wall of hate that stood between us, but Christ broke down that wall. By giving his own body,

Revised Standard Version
For he is our peace, who has made us both one, and has broken down the dividing wall of hostility,

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
For he is oure peace whych hath made of both one and hath broken doune the wall yt was a stoppe bitwene vs

Hebrew Names Version
For he is our shalom, who made both one, and broke down the middle wall of partition,

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,

New Century Version
Christ himself is our peace. He made both Jewish people and those who are not Jews one people. They were separated as if there were a wall between them, but Christ broke down that wall of hate by giving his own body.

Update Bible Version
For he is our peace, who made both one, and in his flesh broke down the middle wall of partition, the enmity.

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];

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

World English Bible
For he is our peace, who made both one, and broke down the middle wall of partition,

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
For he is our peace, he who hath made both one,

Weymouth's 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,

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For he is oure pees, that made bothe oon, and vnbyndynge the myddil wal of a wal with out morter, enmytees in his fleisch;

English Revised Version
For he is our peace, who made both one, and brake down the middle wall of partition,

Berean Standard Bible
For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has torn down the dividing wall of hostility

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

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],

American Standard Version
For he is our peace, who made both one, and brake down the middle wall of partition,

Bible in Basic English
For he is our peace, who has made the two into one, and by whom the middle wall of division has been broken down,

Complete Jewish Bible
For he himself is our shalom — he has made us both one and has broken down the m'chitzah which divided us

Darby Translation
For *he* is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of enclosure,

International Standard Version
For it is he who is our peace. In his flesh he made both groups one by tearing down the wall of hostility that divided them.the dividing wall of hostility">[fn]Micah 5:5; John 10:16; 16:33; Acts 10:36; Romans 5:1; Galatians 3:28; Colossians 1:20;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
For he is our peace, he who hath made the two one, and hath destroyed the wall which stood in the midst,

Murdock Translation
For he is himself our peace, who hath made the two [fn] one, and hath demolished the wall which stood in the midst, and the enmity, by his flesh;

King James Version (1611)
For hee is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken downe the middle wall of partition betweene vs:

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.

New Life Bible
We have peace because of Christ. He has made the Jews and those who are not Jews one people. He broke down the wall that divided them.

New Revised Standard
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.

Geneva Bible (1587)
For he is our peace, which hath made of both one, and hath broken the stoppe of the partition wall,

George Lamsa Translation
For he is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the fence of separation between them;

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
He, in fact, is our peace - who made both one, and, the enclosing middle-wall, took down,

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:

Bishop's Bible (1568)
For he is our peace, which hath made both one: and hath broken downe the wall that was a stoppe betwene vs,

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.

Christian Standard Bible®
For he is our peace, who made both groups one and tore down the dividing wall of hostility. In his flesh,

King James Version
For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

Lexham English Bible
For he himself is our peace, who made both one and broke down the dividing wall of the partition, the enmity, in his flesh,

Literal Translation
For He is our peace, He making us both one, and breaking down the middle wall of partition,

Young's Literal Translation
for he is our peace, who did make both one, and the middle wall of the enclosure did break down,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
For he is or peace, which of both hath made one, and hath broken downe the wall, that was a stoppe betwene vs,

Mace New Testament (1729)
for he is our peace-maker, who hath united both Jew and Gentile, and hath by his flesh broken down the middle wall of partition

New English Translation
For he is our peace, the one who made both groups into one and who destroyed the middle wall of partition, the hostility,

New King James Version
For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation,

Simplified Cowboy Version
Now there is peace throughout the land. Jesus has united the outsiders and the Jews together into one people. He broke down the barbed wire fence that separated us with his own body on the cross.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
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

Contextual Overview

¹⁴The Messiah has made things up between us so that we're now together on this, both non-Jewish outsiders and Jewish insiders. He tore down the wall we used to keep each other at a distance. He repealed the law code that had become so clogged with fine print and footnotes that it hindered more than it helped. Then he started over. Instead of continuing with two groups of people separated by centuries of animosity and suspicion, he created a new kind of human being, a fresh start for everybody. ¹⁶Christ brought us together through his death on the cross. The Cross got us to embrace, and that was the end of the hostility. Christ came and preached peace to you outsiders and peace to us insiders. He treated us as equals, and so made us equals. Through him we both share the same Spirit and have equal access to the Father. ¹⁹That's plain enough, isn't it? You're no longer wandering exiles. This kingdom of faith is now your home country. You're no longer strangers or outsiders. You belong here, with as much right to the name Christian as anyone. God is building a home. He's using us all—irrespective of how we got here—in what he is building. He used the apostles and prophets for the foundation. Now he's using you, fitting you in brick by brick, stone by stone, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone that holds all the parts together. We see it taking shape day after day—a holy temple built by God, all of us built into it, a temple in which God is quite at home.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

our: Isaiah 9:6, Isaiah 9:7, Ezekiel 34:24, Ezekiel 34:25, Micah 5:5, Zechariah 6:13, Luke 1:79, Luke 2:14, John 16:33, Acts 10:36, Romans 5:1, Colossians 1:20, Hebrews 7:2, Hebrews 13:20

both: Ephesians 2:15, Ephesians 3:15, Ephesians 4:16, Isaiah 19:24, Isaiah 19:25, Ezekiel 37:19, Ezekiel 37:20, John 10:16, John 11:52, 1 Corinthians 12:12, Galatians 3:28, Colossians 3:11

the middle: Esther 3:8, Acts 10:28, Colossians 2:10-14, Colossians 2:20

Reciprocal: Genesis 9:27 - dwell Exodus 26:31 - a veil of Leviticus 9:18 - a sacrifice Leviticus 19:5 - a sacrifice Leviticus 23:20 - wave them Numbers 6:26 - give thee Job 22:21 - be at peace Psalms 72:7 - abundance Psalms 119:150 - draw nigh Psalms 120:7 - for peace Song of Solomon 2:9 - he standeth Song of Solomon 6:13 - As Isaiah 26:3 - wilt Isaiah 56:8 - Yet Isaiah 57:19 - Peace Haggai 2:9 - give Luke 19:38 - peace Luke 23:45 - and the veil John 14:27 - Peace I leave John 20:19 - Peace Acts 15:9 - put 2 Corinthians 3:13 - to the Ephesians 2:17 - that Colossians 2:14 - the handwriting 2 Thessalonians 3:16 - the Lord of

Cross-References

Genesis 10:22
The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram.

Daniel 10:4
"On the twenty-fourth day of the first month I was standing on the bank of the great river, the Tigris. I looked up and to my surprise saw a man dressed in linen with a belt of pure gold around his waist. His body was hard and glistening, as if sculpted from a precious stone, his face radiant, his eyes bright and penetrating like torches, his arms and feet glistening like polished bronze, and his voice, deep and resonant, sounded like a huge choir of voices.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For he is our peace,.... The author of peace between Jew and Gentile: there was a great enmity of the Jew against the Gentile, and of the Gentile against the Jew; and chiefly on account of circumcision, the one being without it, and the other insisting on it, and branding one another with nicknames on account of it; but Christ has made peace between them by abrogating the ceremonial law, which was the occasion of the difference, and by sending the Gospel of peace to them both, by converting some of each, and by granting the like privileges to them all, as may be observed in the following verses: and Christ is the author of peace between God and his people; there is naturally in man an enmity to God; sin has separated chief friends; nor can man make his peace with God; what he does, or can do, will not do it; and what will, he cannot do; Christ is the only fit and proper person for this work, being a middle person between both, and is only able to effect it, being God as well as man; and so could draw nigh to God, and treat with him about terms of peace, and agree to them, and perform them; and which he has brought about by his blood, his sufferings and death; and which is made on honourable terms, by a full satisfaction to the law and justice of God; and so is a lasting one, and attended with a train of blessings: moreover, Christ is the donor of peace, of external peace in his churches, and of internal peace of conscience, and of eternal peace in heaven: this is one of the names of the Messiah with the Jews b;

"says R. Jose the Galilean, even the name of the Messiah is called שלום, "peace"; as it is said, Isaiah 9:6 "the everlasting Father, the Prince of peace";''

see Micah 5:5 where it is said, "and this man shall be the peace"; which the Jewish c writers understand of the Messiah:

who hath made both one; Jews and Gentiles, one people, one body, one church; he united them together, and caused them to agree in one, and made them to be of one mind and judgment by the above methods; as well as he gathered them together in one, in one head, himself, who represented them all:

and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; the ceremonial law, which was made up of many hard and intolerable commands, and distinguished, and divided, and kept up a division between Jews and Gentiles: so the Jews call the law a wall, "if she be a wall", Song of Solomon 8:9 זו תורה, "this is the law", say they d: and hence we read of חומת התורה, "the wall of the law" e; and sometimes the phrase, a "partition wall", is used for a division or disagreement; so R. Benjamin says f, that between the Karaites and Rabbanites, who were the disciples of the wise men, there was מחיצה, "a middle wall of partition"; a great difference and distance; and such there was between the Jew and Gentile, by reason of the ceremonial law; but Christ removed it, and made up the difference: the allusion seems to be to the wall which divided the court of Israel from the court of the Gentiles, in the temple, and which kept them at a distance in worship.

b Perek Shalom, fol. 20. 1. Baal Hatturim in Numb. xxv. 12. c Vid. Kimchi in loc. d T. Bab. Pesachim, fol. 87. 1. e Caphtor, fol. 95. 1. & 101. 1. f Itinerar. p. 28.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For he is our peace - There is evident allusion here to Isaiah 57:19. See the notes at that verse. The “peace” here referred to is that by which a “union” in worship and in feeling has been produced between the Jews and the Gentiles Formerly they were alienated and separate. They had different objects of worship; different religious rites; different views and feelings. The Jews regarded the Gentiles with hatred, and the Gentiles the Jews with scorn. Now, says the apostle, they are at peace. They worship the same God. They have the same Saviour. They depend on the same atonement. They have the same hope. They look forward to the same heaven. They belong to the same redeemed family. Reconciliation has not only taken place with God, but with each other. “The best way to produce peace between alienated minds is to bring them to the same Saviour.” That will do more to silence contentions, and to heal alienations, than any or all other means. Bring people around the same cross; fill them with love to the same Redeemer, and give them the same hope of heaven, and you put a period to alienation and strife. The love at Christ is so absorbing, and the dependence in his blood so entire, that they will lay aside these alienations, and cease their contentions. The work of the atonement is thus designed not only to produce peace with God, but peace between alienated and contending minds. The feeling that we are redeemed by the same blood, and that we have the same Saviour, will unite the rich and the poor, the bond and the free, the high and the low, in the ties of brotherhood, and make them feel that they are one. This great work of the atonement is thus designed to produce peace in alienated minds every where, and to diffuse abroad the feeling of universal brotherhood.

Who hath made both one - Both Gentiles and Jews. He has united them in one society.

And hath broken down the middle wall - There is an allusion here undoubtedly to the wall of partition in the temple by which the court of the Gentiles was separated from that of the Jews; see the notes and the plan of the temple, in Matthew 21:12. The idea here is, that that was now broken down, and that the Gentiles had the same access to the temple as the Jews. The sense is, that in virtue of the sacrifice of the Redeemer they were admitted to the same privileges and hopes.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 14. For he is our peace — Jesus Christ has died for both Jews and Gentiles, and has become a peace-offering, shalom, to reconcile both to God and to each other.

Who hath made both one — Formed one Church out of the believers of both people.

The middle wall of partition — By abolishing the law of Jewish ordinances, he has removed that which kept the two parties, not only in a state of separation, but also at variance.

This expression, the middle wall, can refer only to that most marked distinction which the Jewish laws and customs made between them and all other nations whatsoever.

Some think it refers to their ancient manner of living among the Gentiles, as they always endeavoured to live in some place by themselves, and to have a river or a wall between them and their heathen neighbours. Indeed, wherever they went, their own rites, ordinances, and customs were a sufficient separation between them and others; and as Jesus Christ abolished those customs, admitting all into his Church, both Jews and Gentiles, by repentance and faith, he may be said to have broken down the middle wall of partition. When, at the death of Christ, the veil of the temple was rent from the top to the bottom, it was an emblem that the way to the holiest was laid open, and that the people at large, both Jews and Gentiles, were to have access to the holiest by the blood of Jesus.

Some think there is an allusion here to the wall called chel, which separated the court of Israel from the court of the Gentiles; but this was not broken down till the temple itself was destroyed: and to this transaction the apostle cannot be supposed to allude, as it did not take place till long after the writing of this epistle.