Ephesians 2 · Verse 13

Ephesians 2:13

But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
Ephesians 2:13, King James Version

Ephesians 2:13 in other translations

BSBBut now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.
WEBBut now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off are made near in the blood of Christ.
ASVBut now in Christ Jesus ye that once were far off are made nigh in the blood of Christ.
YLTand now, in Christ Jesus, ye being once afar off became nigh in the blood of the Christ,
DARBYbut now in Christ Jesus ye who once were afar off are become nigh by the blood of the Christ.
BBEBut now in Christ Jesus you who at one time were far off are made near in the blood of Christ.
WebsterBut now, in Christ Jesus, ye, who formerly were far off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

What does Ephesians 2:13 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
13. now--in contrast to "at that time" (Ep 2:12). in Christ Jesus--"Jesus" is here added, whereas the expression before (Ep 2:12) had been merely "Christ," to mark that they know Christ as the personal Saviour, "Jesus." sometimes--Greek, "aforetime." far off--the Jewish description of the Gentiles. Far off from God and from the people of God (Ep 2:17; Is 57:19; Ac 2:39). are--Greek, "have been." by--Greek, "in." Thus "the blood of Christ" is made the seal of a covenant IN which their nearness to God consists. In Ep 1:7, where the blood is more directly spoken of as the instrument, it is "through His blood" [Alford].

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 13. But now in Christ Jesus. By the coming and atonement of the Lord Jesus, and by the gospel which he preached.

Ye who sometimes were far off. Who were formerly--ποτε. Tindal translates it, a whyle agoo. The phrase far off --μακραν--means that they were formerly far off from God and his people. The expression is derived from the custom of speaking among the Hebrews. God was supposed to reside in the temple. It was a privilege to be near the temple. Those who were remote from Jerusalem and the temple were regarded as far off from God, and hence as peculiarly irreligious and wicked. Isa 57:19.

Are made nigh. Are admitted to the favour of God, and permitted to approach him as his worshippers.

By the blood of Christ. The Jews came near to the mercy-seat on which the symbol of the Divine presence rested, Rom 3:25, by the blood that was offered in sacrifice; that is, the high priest approached that mercy-seat with blood, and sprinkled it before God. Now we are permitted to approach him with the blood of the atonement. The shedding of that blood has prepared the way by which Gentiles as well as Jews may approach God, and it is by that offering that we are led to seek God.

(*) "sometimes" "formerly" (a) "blood of Christ" Heb 9:12

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 13 Ye who sometimes were far off - To be far off, and to be near, are sayings much in use among the Jews; and among them, to be near signifies, 1. To be in the approbation or favor of God; and to be far off signifies to be under his displeasure. So a wicked Jew might be said to be far off from God when he was exposed to his displeasure; and a holy man, or a genuine penitent, might be said to be nigh to God, because such persons are in his favor. 2. Every person who offered a sacrifice to God was considered as having access to him by the blood of that sacrifice: hence the priests, whose office it was to offer sacrifices, were considered as being nigh to God; and all who brought gifts to the altar were considered as approaching the Almighty. 3. Being far off, signified the state of the Gentiles as contradistinguished from the Jews, who were nigh. And these expressions were used in reference to the tabernacle, God's dwelling-place among the Israelites, and the sacrifices there offered. All those who had access to this tabernacle, or were nigh to it or encamped about it, were said to be nigh to God; those who had no access to it were said to be far off. Hence the latter phrase is used to distinguish the Gentiles from the Jewish people; and this appears to be the meaning of the prophet, Isa 57:19 : I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the Lord; i.e. I give cause of praise and rejoicing to the Gentile as well as to the Jew. And to this scripture, and to this thing, the apostle seems here to allude. You Gentiles, who were unacquainted with God, and were even without God in the world, are brought to an acquaintance with him; and are now, through Christ Jesus, brought into the favor and fellowship of God. And as the Jews of old approached God by the blood of their sacrifices, so you approach him by the blood of Christ.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Ephesians 2:11-13

Christ and his covenant are the foundation of all the Christian's hopes. A sad and terrible description is here; but who is able to remove himself out of it? Would that this were not a true description of many baptized in the name of Christ. Who can, without trembling, reflect upon the misery of a person, separated for ever from the people of God, cut off from the body of Christ, fallen from the covenant of promise…

Read the full comment on Ephesians 2:11-13 →

Ephesians 2:13 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

νυνὶnuniNowG3570
δὲdehoweverG1161
ἐνeninG1722
ΧριστῷChristōChristG5547
ἸησοῦIēsouJesusG2424
ὑμεῖςhumeisyou yourselvesG4771
οἵoithe [ones]G3739
ποτεpoteonceG4218
ὄντεςontesbeingG1510
μακρὰνmakranfar offG3112
ἐγενήθητεegenēthētehave becomeG1096
ἐγγὺςengusnearG1451
ἐνenbyG1722
τῷtōtheG3588
αἵματιaimatibloodG129
τοῦtou<the>G3588
Χριστοῦ.Christouof Christ.G5547

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Ephesians 2:13

  • Acts 2:39

    For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

  • Colossians 1:20-22

    And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:

  • Colossians 1:13-14

    Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

  • Ephesians 2:19-22

    Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

  • 1 Corinthians 6:11

    And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

  • Isaiah 57:19

    I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the Lord; and I will heal him.

  • Romans 3:23-30

    For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. …

  • Isaiah 43:6

    I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;

  • Acts 26:18

    To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

  • Revelation 5:9

    And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;

  • Ephesians 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:

  • Ephesians 2:16-17

    And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
in.
Ro 8:1; 1Co 1:30; 2Co 5:17; Ga 3:28
were.
12,17,19-22; 3:5-8; Ps 22:7; 73:27; Isa 11:10; 24:15,16; 43:6; 49:12
Isa 57:19; 60:4,9; 66:19; Jer 16:19; Ac 2:39; 15:14; 22:21; 26:18
Ro 15:8-12
are.
16; 1:7; Ro 3:23-30; 5:9,10; 1Co 6:11; 2Co 5:20,21
Col 1:13,14,21,22; Heb 9:18; 1Pe 1:18,19; 3:18; Re 5:9

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Ephesians 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:

  • Ephesians 2:13

    But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

  • Ephesians 2:14

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

Read all of Ephesians 2

Ephesians 2:13 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Mas ahora en Cristo Jesús, vosotros que en otro tiempo estabais lejos, habéis sido hechos cercanos por la sangre de Cristo.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Mais maintenant, dans le christ Jésus, vous qui étiez autrefois loin, vous avez été approchés par le sang du Christ.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Jetzt aber, in Christo Jesu, seid ihr, die ihr einst fern waret, durch das Blut des Christus nahe geworden.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Nunc autem in Christo Jesu, vos, qui aliquando eratis longe, facti estis prope in sanguine Christi.