Ephesians 2:12

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

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.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Ὅτι ἦτε ἐν τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ χωρὶς Χριστοῦ, ἀπηλλοτριωμένοι τῆς πολιτείας τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ ξένοι τῶν διαθηκῶν τῆς ἐπαγγελίας, ἐλπίδα μὴ ἔχοντες, καὶ ἄθεοι ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ:

Transliteration

That you were in the kairō ekeinō without Christou, apēllotriōmenoi of the politeias of the Israēl, and xenoi of the diathēkōn of the epangelias, elpida not echontes, and atheoi in the kosmō

Grammar Details

• *kairō*: dative singular masculine - time/season/opportunity
• *ekeinō*: dative singular masculine - that/remote
• *Christou*: genitive singular masculine - Christ/Anointed One
• *apēllotriōmenoi*: perfect passive participle, nominative plural masculine - having been alienated/estranged
• *politeias*: genitive singular feminine - citizenship/commonwealth
• *Israēl*: genitive singular - Israel
• *xenoi*: nominative plural masculine - strangers/foreigners
• *diathēkōn*: genitive plural feminine - covenants/testaments
• *epangelias*: genitive singular feminine - promise
• *elpida*: accusative singular feminine - hope/expectation
• *echontes*: present active participle, nominative plural masculine - having
• *atheoi*: nominative plural masculine - without God/godless
• *kosmō*: dative singular masculine - world/universe

Word Meanings

• *kairō*: time/season/appointed time
• *apēllotriōmenoi*: alienated/estranged/excluded
• *politeias*: citizenship/commonwealth/state
• *xenoi*: strangers/foreigners/aliens
• *diathēkōn*: covenants/testaments/contracts
• *epangelias*: promise/announcement/declaration
• *elpida*: hope/expectation/confidence
• *atheoi*: without God/godless/atheists
• *kosmō*: world/ordered system/universe

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard 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:

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  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:

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  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:

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  that{G3754} ye were{G2258} at{G1722} that{G1565} time{G2540} separate{G5565} from Christ,{G5547} alienated{G526} from the commonwealth{G4174} of Israel,{G2474} and{G2532} strangers{G3581} from the covenants{G1242} of the promise,{G1860} having{G2192} no{G3361} hope{G1680} and{G2532} without God{G112} in{G1722} the world.{G2889}

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  That{G3754} at{G1722} that{G1565} time{G2540} ye were{G2258}{(G5713)} without{G5565} Christ{G5547}, being aliens{G526}{(G5772)} from the commonwealth{G4174} of Israel{G2474}, and{G2532} strangers{G3581} from the covenants{G1242} of promise{G1860}, having{G2192}{(G5723)} no{G3361} hope{G1680}, and{G2532} without God{G112} in{G1722} the world{G2889}:

• Tyndale Bible (1526/1534)

  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.

• 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.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  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.

• Bishops' 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.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  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:

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  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.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  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;

• American Standard Version (1901)

  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.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  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 (1941)

  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.

• World English Bible (2000)

  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.

• NET Bible® (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.

Referenced Verses

• Gal 4:8 : 8 But in the past, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those who by nature are not gods.
• Col 1:21 : 21 And you, who were once alienated and hostile in your minds because of your evil deeds,
• 1 Thess 4:5 : 5 not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God.
• 1 Thess 4:13 : 13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who have fallen asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who have no hope.
• Eph 4:18 : 18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts.
• Acts 28:20 : 20 For this reason, I have asked to see you and to speak with you. It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.
• John 15:5 : 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
• Gen 15:18 : 18 On that day, the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates River—
• Gen 17:7-9 : 7 I will establish My covenant as an everlasting covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. 8 And I will give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are now living as a foreigner—all the land of Canaan—as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. 9 Then God said to Abraham, "As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come.
• Ps 89:3-9 : 3 For I have said, 'Your steadfast love is established forever; in the heavens, you will make your faithfulness firm.' 4 I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David, my servant: 5 'I will establish your offspring forever and build your throne for all generations.' Selah 6 The heavens praise your wonders, LORD, and also your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones. 7 For who in the skies can be compared to the LORD? Who among the heavenly beings is like the LORD? 8 God is greatly feared in the council of the holy ones, more awesome than all who surround him. 9 LORD God of Hosts, who is mighty like you, LORD? Your faithfulness surrounds you. 10 You rule over the swelling sea; when its waves rise, you still them. 11 You crushed Rahab like one of the slain; with your strong arm, you scattered your enemies. 12 The heavens are yours, and also the earth; the world and everything in it, you established them. 13 The north and the south, you created them; Mount Tabor and Mount Hermon sing for joy at your name. 14 Your arm is endowed with power; your hand is strong, your right hand is exalted. 15 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before your face. 16 Blessed are the people who know the joyful shout; LORD, they walk in the light of your presence. 17 In your name, they rejoice all day long, and in your righteousness, they are exalted. 18 For you are the glory of their strength, and by your favor, our horn is exalted.
• Jer 17:13 : 13 O LORD, the hope of Israel, all who forsake You will be put to shame. Those who turn away from You will be written in the earth, for they have abandoned the fountain of living water, the LORD.
• Ezek 37:26 : 26 I will make a covenant of peace with them, an everlasting covenant. I will establish them and increase their numbers, and I will set My sanctuary among them forever.
• 1 Pet 1:3 : 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in His great mercy has caused us to be born again into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
• Gal 3:16-17 : 16 Now to Abraham the promises were spoken, and to his seed. It does not say, 'and to seeds,' as if referring to many, but, 'and to your seed,' meaning one, who is Christ. 17 This is what I mean: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus cancel the promise.
• 1 Pet 1:21 : 21 Through Him you believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
• 1 Pet 3:15 : 15 But honor the Lord as holy in your hearts. Always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.
• Hos 3:4 : 4 For the children of Israel will live many days without a king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, and without ephod or household idols.
• Luke 1:72 : 72 He has shown mercy to our ancestors and remembered His holy covenant—
• John 4:22 : 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, because salvation is from the Jews.
• John 10:16 : 16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheepfold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. Then there will be one flock and one shepherd.
• Jer 31:31-34 : 31 Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 32 It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant they broke, though I was a husband to them, declares the LORD. 33 This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34 No longer will anyone teach their neighbor or their brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity and remember their sin no more.
• Jer 33:20-26 : 20 This is what the Lord says: If you could break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night so that day and night would not come at their appointed time, 21 then my covenant with David my servant and my covenant with the Levitical priests who minister before me could also be broken, so that David would no longer have a descendant to reign on his throne. 22 Just as the stars in the sky cannot be counted and the sand on the seashore cannot be measured, so will I multiply the descendants of David my servant and the Levites who minister before me. 23 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 24 Have you not noticed what these people are saying: 'The Lord has rejected the two families he chose'? So they despise my people and no longer regard them as a nation. 25 This is what the Lord says: If I have not established my covenant with day and night and the fixed laws of heaven and earth, 26 then I will reject the descendants of Jacob and my servant David and will not choose one of his descendants to rule over the offspring of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But I will restore their fortunes and have compassion on them.
• Ezek 13:9 : 9 My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and utter lying divinations. They will not belong to the council of my people, nor be recorded in the register of the house of Israel, nor enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord GOD.
• Isa 44:6 : 6 This is what the LORD, the King of Israel and His Redeemer, the LORD of Hosts, says: 'I am the first, and I am the last; apart from Me, there is no God.'
• Isa 45:20 : 20 Gather together and come; assemble, you fugitives from the nations. Ignorant are those who carry about idols of wood, who pray to gods that cannot save.
• Isa 61:5 : 5 Strangers will stand and shepherd your flocks, and foreigners will be your plowmen and vinedressers.
• Jer 14:8 : 8 O Hope of Israel, its Savior in times of distress, why are You like a stranger in the land, like a traveler who stays only for a night?
• Exod 24:3-9 : 3 Moses came and told the people all the LORD's words and laws. The people responded with one voice, saying, "We will do everything the LORD has said." 4 Moses wrote down all the words of the LORD. Early the next morning, he built an altar at the base of the mountain and set up twelve pillars representing the twelve tribes of Israel. 5 Then he sent young men of the Israelites, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed bulls as fellowship offerings to the LORD. 6 Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and the other half he sprinkled on the altar. 7 Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. They said, "We will do everything the LORD has said; we will obey." 8 Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, "This is the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you concerning all these words." 9 Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up. 10 They saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement of sapphire stone, as clear as the sky itself. 11 But God did not raise his hand against the leaders of the Israelites; they saw God, and they ate and drank.
• Num 18:19 : 19 All the holy contributions the Israelites present to the LORD, I give to you, your sons, and your daughters with you as a perpetual ordinance. It is an everlasting covenant of salt before the LORD for you and your descendants with you.
• 2 Chr 15:3 : 3 For a long time Israel was without the true God, without a teaching priest, and without the law.
• Ezra 4:3 : 3 But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of the families of Israel said to them, "You have no part with us in building a temple to our God. We alone will build it for the LORD, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus, king of Persia, has commanded us."
• Acts 3:25 : 25 You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers when He said to Abraham: 'Through your offspring, all the families of the earth will be blessed.'
• Acts 14:15-16 : 15 They cried out, 'Men, why are you doing these things? We are also humans with the same nature as you, proclaiming the good news to you, that you should turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and everything in them.' 16 In past generations, he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways.
• 1 Cor 8:4-6 : 4 So then, concerning eating food sacrificed to idols: we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and there is no God but one. 5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth—just as there are many 'gods' and many 'lords'— 6 Yet for us there is only one God, the Father, from whom all things come and for whom we exist; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things were made and through whom we live.
• 1 Cor 10:19-20 : 19 What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or that food sacrificed to idols is anything? 20 No, but what the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to become participants with demons.
• Rom 1:28-32 : 28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, He gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, and malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant, and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they are senseless, faithless, unloving, unforgiving, and unmerciful. 32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things are worthy of death, they not only continue to do these things but also approve of those who practice them.
• Rom 9:4-5 : 4 They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. 5 To them belong the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, came Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.
• Col 1:5 : 5 This faith and love spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven, which you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel.
• Col 1:27 : 27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
• 2 Thess 2:16 : 16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by His grace,
• 1 Tim 1:1 : 1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and Christ Jesus our hope,
• Heb 6:18 : 18 So that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.
• Heb 11:34 : 34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, gained strength out of weakness, became mighty in battle, and routed foreign armies.
• Rom 9:8 : 8 This means it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.
• 1 John 3:3 : 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.