Teks -- Ephesians 2:12 (NET)

2:12 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.

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per frasa)

Robertson: Eph 2:12 - Separate from Christ

Separate from Christ ( chōris Christou ).

Ablative case with adverbial preposition chōris , describing their former condition as heathen.

Robertson: Eph 2:12 - Alienated from the commonwealth of Israel

Alienated from the commonwealth of Israel ( apēllotriōmenoi tēs politeias tou Israēl ).

Perfect passive participle of apallotrioō , for which see note on Col 1:21. Here followed by ablative case politeias , old word from politeuō , to be a citizen (Phi 1:27) from politēs and that from polis (city). Only twice in N.T., here as commonwealth (the spiritual Israel or Kingdom of God) and Act 22:28 as citizenship.

Robertson: Eph 2:12 - Strangers from the covenants of the promise

Strangers from the covenants of the promise ( xenoi tōn diathēkōn tēs epaggelias ).

For xenos (Latin hospes ), as stranger see Mat 25:35, Mat 25:38, and Mat 25:43.; as guest-friend see note on Rom 16:23. Here it is followed by the ablative case diathēkōn .

Robertson: Eph 2:12 - Having no hope

Having no hope ( elpida mē echontes ).

No hope of any kind. In Gal 4:8 ouk (strong negative) occurs with eidotes theon , but here mē gives a more subjective picture (1Th 4:5).

Robertson: Eph 2:12 - Without God

Without God ( atheoi ).

Old Greek word, not in lxx, only here in N.T. Atheists in the original sense of being without God and also in the sense of hostility to God from failure to worship him. See Paul’ s words in Rom 1:18-32. "In the world"(en tōi kosmōi ) goes with both phrases. It is a terrible picture that Paul gives, but a true one.

Vincent: Eph 2:12 - Being aliens

Being aliens ( ἀπηλλοτριωμένοι )

Rev., better, giving the force of the verb, alienated . As they had once been otherwise. Paul speaks ideally of a spiritual commonwealth in which Jew and Gentile were together at peace with God, and of which the commonwealth of Israel is a type.

Vincent: Eph 2:12 - Israel

Israel

Selecting the most honorable title to describe the Jew. See on Act 3:12. The reference is to the spiritual rather than to the national distinction. In being separated from Christ, they were separated from that commonwealth in which, according to the promise, Christ would have been to them, as to the faithful Israelites, the object of their faith and the ground of their salvation.

Vincent: Eph 2:12 - Covenants

Covenants

The several renewals of God's covenant with the patriarchs.

Vincent: Eph 2:12 - Of promise

Of promise ( τῆς ἐπαγγελίας )

Better, the promise. The messianic promise, which was the basis of all the covenants.

Vincent: Eph 2:12 - Without God

Without God ( ἄθεοι )

God-forsaken. It might also mean godless or impious . The gentile gods were no gods.

Wesley: Eph 2:12 - Were at that time without Christ

Having no faith in, or knowledge of, him.

Wesley: Eph 2:12 - Being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel

Both as to their temporal privileges and spiritual blessings.

Wesley: Eph 2:12 - And strangers to the covenants of promise

The great promise in both the Jewish and Christian covenant was the Messiah.

Wesley: Eph 2:12 - Having no hope

Because they had no promise whereon to ground their hope.

Wesley: Eph 2:12 - And being without God

Wholly ignorant of the true God, and so in effect atheists. Such in truth are, more or less, all men, in all ages, till they know God by the teaching of his own Spirit.

Wesley: Eph 2:12 - In the world

The wide, vain world, wherein ye wandered up and down, unholy and unhappy.

JFB: Eph 2:12 - without Christ

Greek, "separate from Christ"; having no part in Him; far from Him. A different Greek word (aneu) would be required to express, "Christ was not present with you" [TITTMANN].

JFB: Eph 2:12 - aliens

Greek, "alienated from," not merely "separated from." The Israelites were cut off from the commonwealth of God, but it was as being self-righteous, indolent, and unworthy, not as aliens and strangers [CHRYSOSTOM]. The expression, "alienated from," takes it for granted that the Gentiles, before they had apostatized from the primitive truth, had been sharers in light and life (compare Eph 4:18, Eph 4:23). The hope of redemption through the Messiah, on their subsequent apostasy, was embodied into a definite "commonwealth" or polity, namely, that "of Israel," from which the Gentiles were alienated. Contrast Eph 2:13; Eph 3:6; Eph 4:4-5, with Psa 147:20.

JFB: Eph 2:12 - covenants of promise

Rather, ". . . of the promise," namely, "to thee and thy seed will I give this land" (Rom 9:4; Gal 3:16). The plural implies the several renewals of the covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and with the whole people at Sinai [ALFORD]. "The promise" is singular, to signify that the covenant, in reality, and substantially, is one and the same at all times, but only different in its accidents and external circumstances (compare Heb 1:1, "at sundry times and in divers manners").

JFB: Eph 2:12 - having no . . . hope

Beyond this life (1Co 15:19). The CONJECTURES of heathen philosophers as to a future life were at best vague and utterly unsatisfactory. They had no divine "promise," and therefore no sure ground of "hope." Epicurus and Aristotle did not believe in it at all. The Platonists believed the soul passed through perpetual changes, now happy, and then again miserable; the Stoics, that it existed no longer than till the time of the general burning up of all things.

JFB: Eph 2:12 - without God

Greek, "atheists," that is, they had not "God" in the sense we use the word, the Eternal Being who made and governs all things (compare Act 14:15, "Turn from these vanities unto the living God who made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things therein"), whereas the Jews had distinct ideas of God and immortality. Compare also Gal 4:8, "Ye knew not God . . . ye did service unto them which are no gods" (1Th 4:5). So also pantheists are atheists, for an impersonal God is NO GOD, and an ideal immortality no immortality [THOLUCK].

JFB: Eph 2:12 - in the world

In contrast to belonging to "the commonwealth of Israel." Having their portion and their all in this godless vain world (Psa 17:14), from which Christ delivers His people (Joh 15:19; Joh 17:14; Gal 1:4).

Clarke: Eph 2:12 - That at that time ye were without Christ

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

Clarke: Eph 2:12 - Aliens from the commonwealth of Israel

Aliens from the commonwealth of Israel - Ye were by your birth, idolatry, etc., alienated from the commonwealth of Israel - from the civil and religious privileges of the Jewish people

Clarke: Eph 2:12 - Strangers from the covenants of promise

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

Clarke: Eph 2:12 - Having no hope

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

Clarke: Eph 2:12 - Without God in the world

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.

Calvin: Eph 2:12 - That at that time ye were without Christ // And without God in the world

12.That at that time ye were without Christ He now declares that the Ephesians had been excluded, not only from the outward badge, but from everything necessary to the salvation and happiness of men. As Christ is the foundation of hope and of all the promises, he mentions, first of all, that they were without Christ. But for him that is without Christ, there remains nothing but destruction. On Him the commonwealth of Israel was founded; and in whom, but in Himself, could the people of God be collected into one holy society?

A similar observation might be made as to the tables of the promise On one great promise made to Abraham all the others hang, and without it they lose all their value:

“In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.”
(Gen 22:18.)

Hence our apostle says elsewhere,

“All the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen.”
(2Co 1:20.)

Take away the covenant of salvation, and there remains no hope. I have translatedτῶν διαθηκῶν by the tables, or, in ordinary legal phrase, the instruments. By solemn ritual did God sanction His covenant with Abraham and his posterity, that he would be their God for ever and ever. (Gen 15:9.) Tables of this covenant were ratified by the hand of Moses, and intrusted, as a peculiar treasure, to the people of Israel, to whom, and not to the Gentiles, “pertain the covenants.” (Rom 9:4.)

And without God in the world But at no period were the Ephesians, or any other Gentiles, destitute of all religion. Why, then, are they styled (ἄθεοι) Atheists? for (ἄθεος) an Atheist, strictly speaking, is one who does not believe, and who absolutely ridicules, the being of a God. That appellation, certainly, is not usually given to superstitious persons, but to those who have no feeling of religion, and who desire to see it utterly destroyed. I answer, Paul was right in giving them this name, for he treated all the notions entertained respecting false gods as nothing; and with the utmost propriety do godly persons regard all idols as “nothing in the world.” (1Co 8:4.) Those who do not worship the true God, whatever may be the variety of their worship, or the multitude of laborious ceremonies which they perform, are without God: they adore what they know not. (Act 17:23.) Let it be carefully observed, that the Ephesians are not charged with (ἀθεϊσμὸς) Atheism, in the same degree as Diagoras, and others of the same stamp, who were subjected to that reproach. Persons who imagined themselves to be very religious are charged with that crime; for an idol is a forgery, an imposition, not a Divinity.

From what has been said, the conclusion will be easily drawn, that out of Christ there are none but idols. Those who were formerly declared to be without Christ, are now declared to be without God; ¹²⁵ as John says,

“Whosoever hath not the Son, hath not the Father,”
(1Jo 2:23;)

and again,

“Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God.”
(2Jo 1:9.)

Let us know, therefore, that all who do not keep this way wander from the true God. We shall next be asked, Did God never reveal himself to any of the Gentiles? I answer, no manifestation of God without Christ was ever made among the Gentiles, any more than among the Jews. It is not to one age only, or to one nation, that the saying of our Lord applies,

“I am the way;” for he adds, “no man cometh
unto the Father but by me.” (Joh 14:6.)

Defender: Eph 2:12 - without God

"Without God" is the Greek atheos (equivalent to "atheist"). This is the only place in the New Testament where this word is used."

TSK: Eph 2:12 - without // aliens // the covenants // having // without

without : Joh 10:16, Joh 15:5; Col 1:21

aliens : Eph 4:18; Ezr 4:3; Isa 61:5; Eze 13:9; Heb 11:34

the covenants : Gen 15:18, Gen 17:7-9; Exo 24:3-11; Num 18:19; Psa. 89:3-18; Jer 31:31-34; Jer 33:20-26; Eze 37:26; Luk 1:72; Act 3:25; Rom 9:4, Rom 9:5, Rom 9:8; Gal 3:16, Gal 3:17

having : Jer 14:8, Jer 17:13; Joh 4:22; Act 28:20; Col 1:5, Col 1:27; 1Th 4:13; 2Th 2:16; 1Ti 1:1; Heb 6:18; 1Pe 1:3, 1Pe 1:21, 1Pe 3:15; 1Jo 3:3

without : 2Ch 15:3; Isa 44:6, Isa 45:20; Hos 3:4; Act 14:15, Act 14:16; Rom 1:28-32; 1Co 8:4-6, 1Co 10:19, 1Co 10:20; Gal 4:8; 1Th 4:5

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per Ayat)

Poole: Eph 2:12 - 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

That at that time ye were without Christ i.e. without knowledge of him, or interest in him. This is the foundation of all other miseries, as Christ is the foundation of all saving good, and therefore the apostle begins with this.

Being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel the church of God, confined formerly to the Israelites: their church and state was the same body, and God the founder of and lawgiver to them in both respects.

And strangers from the covenants of promise those covenants in which the great promise of Christ and salvation by him was made. The covenants were several, as that with Abraham, and that by Moses, and differ in some accidents, but the promise in them was one and the same, which was the substance of each.

Having no hope viz. beyond this life; as they could not but be who were without Christ, and without the promises.

And without God not without some general knowledge of a God, but without any saving knowledge of him, as not knowing him in Christ: or they lived as without God, neglecting him, and being neglected by him, and suffered to walk in their own ways.

In the world which is the congregation of the wicked, and is here opposed to the church.

Haydock: Eph 2:11-12 - Be mindful

Be mindful that as for you, who are Gentiles, who were called an uncircumcised people by the circumcised Jews, that you were without Christ, without the hopes or expectation of the Messias, alienated from the conversation of those who were God's elect people, and from the promises particularly made to them, that the Messias should be of their race: without God in this world, i.e. without the knowledge and the worship of God. But now by Christ, by believing in him, you who seemed to be far off, are made near by his blood, (ver. 13) by him who died for all; for he hath brought peace to all men, breaking down by his incarnation and death that wall of partition, that enmity betwixt the Jews and Gentiles, making them but one; abolishing that former law, of so many ordinances, [1] precepts, and ceremonies, by decrees, (which may signify by his divine decrees; or rather, as St. Jerome expounds it by the Greek, abolishing the old law and its precepts by the precepts and doctrine of the new law) that he might reconcile to God both the Jews and Gentiles, that now they might be one mystical body, to wit, the Church of Christ, of which he is the head. Remember then that you are no longer strangers and foreigners, as you wer when the Jews were the only elect people of God: now, by faith and hope, you are fellow-citizens with the saints and with all the elect people of God: you are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, (ver. 20) who, by their prophecies concerning the Messias, and by their teaching and preaching of the gospel, are as it were subordinate foundation-stones under Christ, the chief founder and the chief corner-stone of his Church; in whom you also (Christians, at Ephesus, and all the faithful) are built up together, (ver. 22) as parts of a spiritual edifice or temple, where God inhabits. (Witham)

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[BIBLIOGRAPHY]

Legem mandatorum decretis evacuans, Greek: ton nomon ton entolon dogmasi (dogmatibus) katargesas; i.e. says St. Jerome, (p. 344) præcepta legalia Evangelicis dogmatibus commutavit. See St. John Chrysostom, p. 879. Lat. edit. in Savil. p. 787.

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Gill: Eph 2:12 - That at that time ye were without Christ // being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel // strangers to the covenants of promise // having no hope of the promise // and without God in the world

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, Rom 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":''