Ephesians Chapter 1 verse 12 Holy Bible
to the end that we should be unto the praise of his glory, we who had before hoped in Christ:
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So that his glory might have praise through us who first had hope in Christ:
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that we should be to [the] praise of his glory who have pre-trusted in the Christ:
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That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
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to the end that we should be to the praise of his glory, we who had before hoped in Christ:
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for our being to the praise of His glory, `even' those who did first hope in the Christ,
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Pulpit Commentary
Pulpit CommentaryVerse 12. - That we should be to the praise of his glory, we who had before hoped in Christ. The "we" which hitherto has been applied to the whole Church, Jewish and Gentile, begins to have a more limited reference, and to contrast with "you" in ver. 13. The first "we" in this verse embraces all, as in the preceding part of the chapter; the second (omitted in the A.V.) is conditioned by the words following, and is applicable to the Jewish Christians, who, through the promises given to the fathers, had seen Christ's day afar off, and had thus hoped in him. This special reference to ἡμᾶς is followed immediately by a reference to ὑμεῖς.
Ellicott's Commentary
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(12) That we . . . who first trusted in Christ.--That the reference here is to the first Christians, in contradistinction to the Gentiles of the next verse, is clear. But the meaning of the phrase "who first hoped" (or, more properly, who have hoped beforehand) is less obvious. Our version seems to interpret it simply of "believing before" the Gentiles, i.e., of being the "first believers;" and this interpretation may be defended by the analogy of certain cases in which the same prefix signifying "beforehand" has this sense (e.g., Acts 20:5; Acts 20:13; Romans 3:9; Romans 12:10; 1Corinthians 11:21). But the more general analogy strongly supports the other interpretation, "who have hoped in the Christ before He came"--that is, who, taught by prophecy, entering into that vision of a great future which pervades the older Covenant, looked forward "to the hope of Israel," and "waited for the consolation of Israel;" and who accordingly in due time became, on the Day of Pentecost, the firstfruits of His salvation.
