Ephesians 2 · Verse 4

Ephesians 2:4

But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Ephesians 2:4, King James Version

Ephesians 2:4 in other translations

BSBBut because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,
WEBBut God, being rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us,
ASVbut God, being rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
YLTand God, being rich in kindness, because of His great love with which He loved us,
DARBYbut God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love wherewith he loved us,
BBEBut God, being full of mercy, through the great love which he had for us,
WebsterBut God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us,

What does Ephesians 2:4 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
4. God, who is rich--Greek "(as) being rich in mercy." for--that is, "because of His great love." This was the special ground of God's saving us; as "rich in mercy" (compare Ep 2:7; Ep 1:7; Ro 2:4; 10:12) was the general ground. "Mercy takes away misery; love confers salvation" [Bengel].

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

Barnes' Notes
Verse 4. But God, who is rich in mercy. On the use of the word rich by Paul, Eph 1:7. It is a beautiful expression. "God is rich in mercy;" overflowing, abundant. Mercy is the riches or the wealth of God. Men are often rich in gold, and silver, and they pride themselves in these possessions; but God is rich in mercy. In that he abounds; and he is so rich in it he is willing to impart it to others; so rich that he can make all blessed.

For his great love. That is, his great love was the reason why he had compassion upon us. It is not that we had any claim, or deserved his favour; but it is, that God had for man original and eternal love, and that love led to the gift of a Saviour, and to the bestowment of salvation.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 4 But God, who is rich in mercy - As they were corrupt in their nature, and sinful in their practice, they could possess no merit, nor have any claim upon God; and it required much mercy to remove so much misery, and to pardon such transgressions. His great love - God's infinite love is the groundwork of our salvation; in reference to us that love assumes the form of mercy, and that mercy provides the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. And therefore the apostle adds, Eph 2:5 : By grace ye are saved - it is by God's free mercy in Christ that ye are brought into this state of salvation. See on Eph 2:8 (note).

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Ephesians 2:1-10

Sin is the death of the soul. A man dead in trespasses and sins has no desire for spiritual pleasures. When we look upon a corpse, it gives an awful feeling. A never-dying spirit is now fled, and has left nothing but the ruins of a man. But if we viewed things aright, we should be far more affected by the thought of a dead soul, a lost, fallen spirit. A state of sin is a state of conformity to this world. Wicked men…

Read the full comment on Ephesians 2:1-10 →

Ephesians 2:4 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.

ὉHo<the>G3588
δὲdeButG1161
θεὸςtheosGodG2316
πλούσιοςplousiosrichG4145
ὢνōnbeingG1510
ἐνeninG1722
ἐλέειeleeimercyG1656
διὰdiabecause ofG1223
τὴνtēntheG3588
πολλὴνpollēngreatG4183
ἀγάπηνagapēnloveG26
αὐτοῦautouof HimG846
ἣνhēnwith whichG3739
ἠγάπησενēgapēsenHe lovedG25
ἡμᾶς,hēmasus,G3165

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

Cross references for Ephesians 2:4

  • 1 Peter 1:3

    Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

  • Ephesians 1:7

    In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

  • Titus 3:4-7

    But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

  • Psalms 86:15

    But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.

  • Romans 5:8

    But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

  • Ephesians 2:7

    That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

  • Psalms 145:8

    The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.

  • Romans 10:12

    For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

  • John 3:14-17

    And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

  • 1 Timothy 1:14

    And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

  • Deuteronomy 7:7-8

    The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: But because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

  • Psalms 103:8-11

    The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Context

  • Ephesians 2:3

    Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

  • Ephesians 2:4

    But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

  • Ephesians 2:5

    Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

Read all of Ephesians 2

Ephesians 2:4 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Empero Dios, que es rico en misericordia, por su mucho amor con que nos amó,
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Mais Dieu, qui est riche en miséricorde, à cause de son grand amour dont il nous a aimés,)
German
Elberfelder 1871
Gott aber, der reich ist an Barmherzigkeit, wegen seiner vielen Liebe, womit er uns geliebt hat,
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Deus autem, qui dives est in misericordia, propter nimiam caritatem suam, qua dilexit nos,