KJV: For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
YLT: for he is our peace, who did make both one, and the middle wall of the enclosure did break down,
Darby: For he is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of enclosure,
ASV: For he is our peace, who made both one, and brake down the middle wall of partition,
Αὐτὸς | He Himself |
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Nominative Masculine 3rd Person Singular Root: αὐτός Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself. |
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εἰρήνη | peace |
Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Singular Root: εἰρήνη Sense: a state of national tranquillity. |
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ἡμῶν | of us |
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 1st Person Plural Root: ἐγώ Sense: I, me, my. |
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ὁ | - |
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular Root: ὁ Sense: this, that, these, etc. |
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ποιήσας | having made |
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular Root: ποιέω Sense: to make. |
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τὰ | - |
Parse: Article, Accusative Neuter Plural Root: ὁ Sense: this, that, these, etc. |
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ἀμφότερα | both |
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Neuter Plural Root: ἀμφότεροι Sense: both of two, both the one and the other. |
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ἓν | one |
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Neuter Singular Root: εἷς Sense: one. |
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μεσότοιχον | barrier |
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Singular Root: μεσότοιχον Sense: a partition wall. |
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τοῦ | of the |
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Singular Root: ὁ Sense: this, that, these, etc. |
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φραγμοῦ | fence |
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular Root: φραγμός Sense: a hedge, a fence. |
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λύσας | having broken down |
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular Root: λύω Sense: to loose any person (or thing) tied or fastened. |
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ἔχθραν | hostility |
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular Root: ἔχθρα Sense: enmity. |
Greek Commentary for Ephesians 2:14
He himself, not just what he did (necessary as that was and is). He is our peace with God and so with each other (Jews and Gentiles). [source]
“The both” (Jew and Gentile). Jesus had said “other sheep I have which are not of this fold” (John 10:16). One (εν hen) is neuter singular (oneness, unity, identity) as in Galatians 3:28. Race and national distinctions vanish in Christ. If all men were really in Christ, war would disappear. Brake down the middle wall of partition “Having loosened (first aorist active participle of λυω luō see note on John 2:19) the middle-wall (late word, only here in N.T., and very rare anywhere, one in papyri, and one inscription) of partition See the uproar when Paul was accused of taking Trophimus beyond this wall (Acts 21:28). [source]
(εν hen) is neuter singular (oneness, unity, identity) as in Galatians 3:28. Race and national distinctions vanish in Christ. If all men were really in Christ, war would disappear. [source]
“Having loosened (first aorist active participle of λυω luō see note on John 2:19) the middle-wall (late word, only here in N.T., and very rare anywhere, one in papyri, and one inscription) of partition See the uproar when Paul was accused of taking Trophimus beyond this wall (Acts 21:28). [source]
Christ is similarly described in abstract terms in 1 Corinthians 1:30; wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, redemption. So Colossians 1:27, hope of glory. Christ is thus not merely our peace-maker, but our very peace itself. [source]
Lit., the both. The neuter gender shows that Jews and Gentiles are conceived by the writer merely as two facts. The masculine is used in Ephesians 2:15, Ephesians 2:16. [source]
Lit, loosened or dissolved. Rev., giving the force of the aorist tense, brake down. The participle has an explanatory force, in that He brake down. [source]
Lit., the middle wall of the fence or hedge. The wall which pertained to the fence; the fact of separation being emphasized in wall, and the instrument of separation in fence. The hedge was the whole Mosaic economy which separated Jew from Gentile. Some suppose a reference to the stone screen which bounded the court of the Gentiles in the temple. [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Ephesians 2:14
Not merely “peaceable men” (Wycliff) but “makkers up o‘ strife” (Braid Scots). It is hard enough to keep the peace. It is still more difficult to bring peace where it is not. “The perfect peacemaker is the Son of God (Ephesians 2:14.)” (McNeile). Thus we shall be like our Elder Brother. [source]
The conjunction hōs is sometimes equivalent to hoti (that). The old form of athemitos was athemistos from themisto But there is no O.T. regulation forbidding such social contact with Gentiles, though the rabbis had added it and had made it binding by custom. There is nothing more binding on the average person than social custom. On coming from the market an orthodox Jew was expected to immerse to avoid defilement (Edersheim, Jewish Social Life, pp. 26-28; Taylor‘s Sayings of the Jewish Fathers, pp. 15, 26, 137, second edition). See also Acts 11:3; Galatians 2:12. It is that middle wall of partition between Jew and Gentile (Ephesians 2:14) which Jesus broke down. [source]
The bond which is peace. Compare Ephesians 2:14, our peace - made both one. Christ, our peace, is thus a bond of peace. Others, however, treat in the bond as parallel with in love of Ephesians 4:2, and cite Colossians 3:14, “love the bond of perfectness.” [source]
The enmity immediately follows the middle wall of partition, and should be rendered in apposition with and as defining it, and as dependent on brake down, not on abolished: the middle wall which was the enmity. It is used abstractly, as peace in Ephesians 2:14. The enmity was the result and working of the law regarded as a separative system; as it separated Jew from Gentile, and both from God. See Romans 3:20; Romans 4:15; Romans 5:20; Romans 7:7-11. For abolished, see on cumbereth, Luke 13:7, and make without effect, see on Romans 3:3. [source]
The two men (masculine here, neuter in Ephesians 2:14), Jew and Gentile. One new man (εις ενα καινον αντρωπον eis hena kainon anthrōpon). Into one fresh man (Colossians 3:9-11) “in himself” (εν αυτωι en hautōi). Thus alone is it possible. Making peace Thus alone can it be done. Christ is the peace-maker between men, nations, races, classes. [source]
But it is very doubtful if την εχτραν tēn echthran (old word from εχτρος echthros hostile, Luke 23:12) is the object of καταργησας katargēsas It looks as if it is in apposition with to μεσοτοιχον mesotoichon and so the further object of λυσας lusas The enmity between Jew and Gentile was the middle wall of partition. And then it must be decided whether “in his flesh” Final clause with first aorist active subjunctive of κτιζω ktizō The twain The two men (masculine here, neuter in Ephesians 2:14), Jew and Gentile. One new man (εις ενα καινον αντρωπον eis hena kainon anthrōpon). Into one fresh man (Colossians 3:9-11) “in himself” (εν αυτωι en hautōi). Thus alone is it possible. Making peace Thus alone can it be done. Christ is the peace-maker between men, nations, races, classes. [source]
Which comes from Christ. See John 14:27; Ephesians 2:14. [source]
Freely ( χάρις gracefree gift ), as Luke 7:42; 2 Corinthians 2:7, 2 Corinthians 2:10; Colossians 3:13. Note the change of pronoun from you to us, believers generally, embracing himself. This change from the second to the first person, or, vice versa, is common in Paul's writings. See Colossians 1:10-13; Colossians 3:3, Colossians 3:4; Ephesians 2:2, Ephesians 2:3, Ephesians 2:13, Ephesians 2:14; Ephesians 4:31, Ephesians 4:32. [source]
Both words are emphatic. Ἔστιν is, is used as in John 8:58(see note), to express Christ's absolute existence. “He emphasizes the personality, is the preexistence ” (Lightfoot). For similar emphasis on the pronoun, see Ephesians 2:14; Ephesians 4:10, Ephesians 4:11; 1 John 2:2; Revelation 19:15. [source]
First aorist (effective, timeless) active indicative (a sort of parenthetical anacoluthon). Here B reads αποκαταλλαγητε apokatallagēte be ye reconciled like καταλλαγητε katallagēte in 2 Corinthians 5:20 while D has αποκαταλλαγεντες apokatallagentes Lightfoot prefers to follow B here (the hard reading), though Westcott and Hort only put it in the margin. On the word see Colossians 1:20. In the body of his flesh (εν τωι σωματι της σαρκος αυτου en tōi sōmati tēs sarkos autou). See the same combination in Colossians 2:11 though in Ephesians 2:14 only σαρκι sarki (flesh). Apparently Paul combines both σωμα sōma and σαρχ sarx to make plain the actual humanity of Jesus against incipient Docetic Gnostics who denied it. Through death The reconciliation was accomplished by means of Christ‘s death on the cross (Colossians 1:20) and not just by the Incarnation (the body of his flesh) in which the death took place. To present (παραστησαι parastēsai). First aorist active (transitive) infinitive (of purpose) of παριστημι paristēmi old verb, to place beside in many connections. See it used of presenting Paul and the letter from Lysias to Felix (Acts 23:33). Repeated in Colossians 1:28. See also 2 Corinthians 11:2; 2 Corinthians 4:14. Paul has the same idea of his responsibility in rendering an account for those under his influence seen in Hebrews 13:17. See note on Romans 12:1 for use of living sacrifice. Holy Positively consecrated, separated unto God. Common in N.T. for believers. Haupt holds that all these terms have a religious and forensic sense here. Without blemish (αμωμους amōmous). Without spot (Philemon 2:15). Old word α a privative and μωμος mōmos (blemish). Common in the lxx for ceremonial purifications. Unreproveable Old verbal adjective from α a privative and εγκαλεω egkaleō to call to account, to pick flaws in. These three adjectives give a marvellous picture of complete purity (positive and negative, internal and external). This is Paul‘s ideal when he presents the Colossians “before him” (κατενωπιον αυτου katenōpion autou), right down in the eye of Christ the Judge of all. [source]
See the same combination in Colossians 2:11 though in Ephesians 2:14 only σαρκι sarki (flesh). Apparently Paul combines both σωμα sōma and σαρχ sarx to make plain the actual humanity of Jesus against incipient Docetic Gnostics who denied it. [source]
The verb means to fence in; block up. Rare in N.T. See Romans 3:19; 2 Corinthians 11:10, and comp. φραγμός afence, Matthew 21:33; Ephesians 2:14. Occasionally in lxx, as Job 38:8; Proverbs 21:13; Zechariah 14:5. The reference is no doubt to Daniel, Daniel 6:22; comp. 1 Maccabees 2:60. [source]