He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.
Parallel translations
- WEB He came and preached peace to you who were far off and to those who were near.
- KJV And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
- NKJV And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near.
- NASB And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near;
- NLT He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near.
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
Christ came and preached peace to those far off and those near. It announces the gospel of peace proclaimed to all alike.
Overview
Echoing Isaiah, Paul says Christ 'came and preached peace' both to Gentiles ('far off') and Jews ('near'). This preaching extends through the apostolic gospel. The good news of reconciliation is for all without distinction, fulfilling the prophetic hope of peace for the nations.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 19
- Isa 57:19–21bringing praise to their lips. Peace, peace to those far and near,” says the LORD, “and I will heal them.”
- Acts 10:36He has sent this message to the people of Israel, proclaiming the gospel of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.
- Rom 5:1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
- Acts 2:39This promise belongs to you and your children and to all who are far off—to all whom the Lord our God will call to Himself.”
- Ps 148:14He has raised up a horn for His people, the praise of all His saints, of Israel, a people near to Him. Hallelujah!
- Deut 4:7For what nation is great enough to have a god as near to them as the LORD our God is to us whenever we call on Him?
- Eph 2:13–14But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.
- Zech 9:10And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem, and the bow of war will be broken. Then He will proclaim peace to the nations. His dominion will extend from sea to sea, and from the Euphrates to the ends of the earth.
- Ps 147:19–20He declares His word to Jacob, His statutes and judgments to Israel.
- Isa 52:7How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!”
- 2 Cor 5:20Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ: Be reconciled to God.
- Ps 76:1–2For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments. A Psalm of Asaph. A song. God is known in Judah; His name is great in Israel.
- Matt 10:13If the home is worthy, let your peace rest on it; but if it is not, let your peace return to you.
- Ps 75:1For the choirmaster: To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A Psalm of Asaph. A song. We give thanks to You, O God; we give thanks, for Your Name is near. The people declare Your wondrous works.
- Isa 27:5Or let them lay claim to My protection; let them make peace with Me—yes, let them make peace with Me.”
- Luke 2:14“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests!”
- Ps 85:10Loving devotion and faithfulness have joined together; righteousness and peace have kissed.
- Luke 10:9–11Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God is near you.’
- Luke 15:5–6And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders,
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
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 2:17 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.