Passage

Ephesians 2.15

Book: Ephesians · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

Immediate context (±2 verses)

ASV (ASV)

"13. But now in Christ Jesus ye that once were far off are made nigh in the blood of Christ. 14. For he is our peace, who made both one, and brake down the middle wall of partition,"

"15. having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; that he might create in himself of the two one new man, so making peace;"

"16. and might reconcile them both in one body unto God through the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: 17. and he came and preached peace to you that were far off, and peace to them that were nigh:" (Ephesians 2:13-17, ASV)

WEB (WEB)

"13. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off are made near in the blood of Christ. 14. For he is our peace, who made both one, and broke down the middle wall of partition,"

"15. having abolished in his flesh the hostility, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man of the two, making peace;"

"16. and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, having killed the hostility thereby. 17. He came and preached peace to you who were far off and to those who were near." (Ephesians 2:13-17, WEB)

KJV (KJV)

"13. But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 14. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;"

"15. Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;"

"16. And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: ^{thereby: or, in himself} 17. And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh." (Ephesians 2:13-17, KJV)

YLT (YLT)

"13. and now, in Christ Jesus, ye being once afar off became nigh in the blood of the Christ, 14. for he is our peace, who did make both one, and the middle wall of the enclosure did break down,"

"15. the enmity in his flesh, the law of the commands in ordinances having done away, that the two he might create in himself into one new man, making peace,"

"16. and might reconcile both in one body to God through the cross, having slain the enmity in it, 17. and having come, he did proclaim good news, peace to you, the far-off and the nigh," (Ephesians 2:13-17, YLT)

Setting

Speaker: Paul the Apostle (imprisonment)
Audience: Christian believers in Ephesus (and circular to other Asian churches)
Location: composed during Roman imprisonment
Time period: composed c. AD 60-62

Theological reading

Key words

G1520 - heis, heis (Strong's G1520). Also appears in: Matthew 5.17-18, Matthew 6.24, Matthew 6.25-34.
G2673 - katargeo, katargeo (Strong's G2673). Also appears in: Luke 13.6-9, Romans 7, 1 Corinthians 6.
G2936 - ktizo, ktizo (Strong's G2936). Also appears in: Romans 1, 1 Corinthians 11, Ephesians 2.10.
G3551 - nomos, nomos (Strong's G3551). Also appears in: Matthew 5.17, Matthew 5.17-18, Matthew 22.37-40.
G4561 - sarx, sarx (Strong's G4561). Also appears in: Matthew 19, Matthew 26.41, Mark 14.

Quoted in

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.