Ephesians 2:14

“For he is our peace, &c.] The author of peace between Jew and Gentile: there was a great enmity of the Jew against the Gentile, and of the Gentile against the Jew; and chiefly on account of circumcision, the one being without it, and the other insisting on it, and branding one another with nicknames on account of it; but Christ has made peace between them by abrogating the ceremonial law, which was the occasion of the difference, and by sending the Gospel of peace to them both, by converting some of each, and by granting the like privileges to them all, as may be observed in the following verses: and Christ is the author of peace between God and his people; there is naturally in man an…”

“he--Greek, "Himself" alone, pre-eminently, and none else. Emphatical. our peace--not merely "Peacemaker," but "Himself" the price of our (Jews' and Gentiles' alike) peace with God, and so the bond of union between "both" in God. He took both into Himself, and reconciled them, united, to God, by His assuming our nature and our penal and legal liabilities (Eph 2:15; Isa 9:5-6; Isa 53:5; Mic 5:5; Col 1:20). His title, "Shiloh," means the same (Gen 49:10). the middle wall of partition--Greek, ". . . of the partition" or "fence"; the middle wall which parted Jew and Gentile. There was a balustrade of stone which separated the court of the Gentiles from the holy place, which it was death for a…”

“For he is our peace - There is evident allusion here to Isaiah 57:19. See the notes at that verse. The “peace” here referred to is that by which a “union” in worship and in feeling has been produced between the Jews and the Gentiles Formerly they were alienated and separate. They had different objects of worship; different religious rites; different views and feelings. The Jews regarded the Gentiles with hatred, and the Gentiles the Jews with scorn. Now, says the apostle, they are at peace. They worship the same God. They have the same Saviour. They depend on the same atonement. They have the same hope. They look forward to the same heaven. They belong to the same redeemed family.…”

“For he is our peace - Not only as he purchased it, but as he is the very bond and centre of union. He who hath made both - Jews and gentiles, one church. The apostle describes, The conjunction of the gentiles with Israel, Eph 2:14-15. And, The conjunction of both with God, Eph 2:15-18. Each description is subdivided into two parts. And the former part of the one, concerning abolishing the enmity, answers the former part of the other; the latter part of the one, concerning the evangelical decrees, the latter part of the other. And hath broken down the middle wall of partition - Alluding to that wall of old, which separated the court of Israel from the court of the gentiles. Such a wall was…”

“2:14 Christ himself has brought peace to us: Peace with God (2:16-17; Rom 5:1, 10-11, 18-21; Col 1:20-22) and between Jews and Gentiles (see Eph 2:15-16; 4:3). • the wall of hostility that separated us: Social and religious practices traditionally divided Jews from Gentiles. A low wall around the Temple in Jerusalem marked the boundary beyond which Gentiles were not allowed to step. It symbolized the distinction Jews drew between themselves and Gentiles.”

“our: Isa 9:6, Isa 9:7; Eze 34:24, Eze 34:25; Mic 5:5; Zac 6:13; Luk 1:79, Luk 2:14; Joh 16:33; Act 10:36; Rom 5:1; Col 1:20; Heb 7:2, Heb 13:20 both: Eph 2:15, Eph 3:15, Eph 4:16; Isa 19:24, Isa 19:25; Eze 37:19, Eze 37:20; Joh 10:16, Joh 11:52; Co1 12:12; Gal 3:28; Col 3:11 the middle: Est 3:8; Act 10:28; Col 2:10-14, Col 2:20 Ephesians 2:15”