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who is the pledge of our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession, to the praise of His glory.
Ephesians 1:14 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB who is a pledge of our inheritance, to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of his glory.
  • KJV Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
  • NKJV who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
  • NASB who is a first installment of our inheritance, in regard to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.
  • NLT The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

The Holy Spirit is the pledge guaranteeing our future inheritance until full redemption. It assures believers their salvation will surely be completed.

Overview

The Spirit is called a 'pledge' (a down-payment or deposit) guaranteeing the believer's full inheritance to come. The 'redemption of God's own possession' points to the final day when God's people are fully delivered. As with verses 6 and 12, this too is 'to the praise of his glory,' closing the eulogy with worship.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 16

  • 2 Cor 1:22placed His seal on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a pledge of what is to come.
  • 2 Cor 5:5And God has prepared us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a pledge of what is to come.
  • Eph 4:30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
  • Gal 4:6And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”
  • Rom 8:15–17For you did not receive a spirit of slavery that returns you to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
  • Rom 8:23Not only that, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
  • Eph 1:12in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, would be for the praise of His glory.
  • 1 Pet 2:9But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
  • Eph 1:6–7to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the Beloved One.
  • Acts 20:32And now I commit you to God and to the word of His grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all who are sanctified.
  • Ps 78:54He brought them to His holy land, to the mountain His right hand had acquired.
  • Lev 25:24–34Thus for every piece of property you possess, you must provide for the redemption of the land.
  • Jer 32:7–8Behold! Hanamel, the son of your uncle Shallum, is coming to you to say, ‘Buy for yourself my field in Anathoth, for you have the right of redemption to buy it.’
  • Ps 74:2Remember Your congregation, which You purchased long ago and redeemed as the tribe of Your inheritance—Mount Zion where You dwell.
  • Luke 21:28When these things begin to happen, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
  • Acts 20:28Keep watch over yourselves and the entire flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (6)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Ephesians videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Ephesians 1:14YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on EphesiansMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Every spiritual blessing is 'in Christ,' the head over all things for the church, in whom Jew and Gentile are made one new man by his blood.

How Ephesians 1:14 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.