Ephesians 1:5

BSB · Public Domain (CC0)

“He predestined us for adoption as His sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will,”

What this verse means

A short, plain-language explanation of Ephesians 1:5 goes here — the kind of answer a reader (or an AI assistant) can quote in one breath. Original meaning coming soon.

Compare translations
BSBPD

“He predestined us for adoption as His sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will,”

Berean Standard Bible · Public Domain (CC0)
KJVPD

“Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,”

King James Version · Public Domain
ASVPD

“having foreordained us unto adoption as sons through Jesus Christ unto himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,”

American Standard Version · Public Domain
YLTPD

“having foreordained us to the adoption of sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,”

Young's Literal Translation · Public Domain
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Cross references

Other passages that echo Ephesians 1:5 — 24 related verses from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

  1. Jeremiah 3:4Have you not just called to Me, ‘My Father, You are my friend from youth.
  2. Jeremiah 3:19Then I said, ‘How I long to make you My sons and give you a desirable land, the most beautiful inheritance of all the nations!’ I thought you would call Me ‘Father’ and never turn away from following Me.
  3. Daniel 4:35All the peoples of the earth are counted as nothing, and He does as He pleases with the army of heaven and the peoples of the earth. There is no one who can restrain His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’”
  4. Hosea 1:10Yet the number of the Israelites will be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or counted. And it will happen that in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’
  5. Matthew 1:25But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a Son. And he gave Him the name Jesus.
  6. Matthew 11:26Yes, Father, for this was well-pleasing in Your sight.
  7. Luke 10:21At that time Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and declared, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was well-pleasing in Your sight.
  8. Luke 11:32The men of Nineveh will stand at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now One greater than Jonah is here.
  9. John 1:12But to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God—
  10. John 11:52and not only for the nation, but also for the scattered children of God, to gather them together into one.
  11. John 20:17“Do not cling to Me,” Jesus said, “for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go and tell My brothers, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God.’”
  12. Romans 8:14For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
  13. Romans 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.
  14. Romans 8:29For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers.
  15. Romans 9:11Yet before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad, in order that God’s plan of election might stand,
  16. 1 Corinthians 1:1Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,
  17. 1 Corinthians 1:21For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know Him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.
  18. 2 Corinthians 6:18And: “I will be a Father to you, and you will be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”
  19. Galatians 3:26You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
  20. Galatians 4:5to redeem those under the law, that we might receive our adoption as sons.
  21. Ephesians 1:9And He has made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ
  22. Ephesians 1:11In Him we were also chosen as God’s own, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything by the counsel of His will,
  23. Philippians 2:13For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose.
  24. 2 Thessalonians 1:11To this end, we always pray for you, that our God will count you worthy of His calling, and that He will powerfully fulfill your every good desire and work of faith,

Cross-reference data: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain) via OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0).

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