Ephesians Chapter 6 verse 15 Holy Bible

Ephesians 6 : 15 Bible Verse Songs

• Our Rescuer - Good News by Rend Collective
• Christ Be All Around Me by All Sons and Daughters

Pulpit Commentary

Pulpit CommentaryVerse 15. - And having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. The metaphor becomes somewhat difficult to follow; the feet have to be shod or armed as with military sandals, and the sandal is the ἑτοιμασία, or preparedness of, or caused by, the gospel of peace. The idea seems to be that the mind is to be steadied, kept from fear and flutter, by means of the good news of peace - the good news that we are at peace with God; and "if God be for us, who can be against us?" The Roman sandal was furnished with nails that gripped the ground firmly, even when it was sloping or slippery; so the good news of peace keeps us upright and firm.

Ellicott's Commentary

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(15) Shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.--This passage is one which even to the Greek interpreters (see Chrysostom) was obscure. What is "the preparation of the gospel of peace"? (1) It has seemed to many natural to illustrate this phrase by the celebrated passage (Isaiah 52:7; Romans 10:15), "How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace"; and to interpret, "shod in (or, for) preparing the way of the gospel of peace." But this is inappropriate to the whole context; for each piece of armour is a quality, and not a function. (2) Again, the word rendered "preparation," is found nowhere else in the New Testament; in the LXX. we find it used in its most obvious sense of "preparedness" or "readiness" (as in Psalm 10:17, "preparedness of heart," and Nehemiah 2:3); but this sense will not suit the passage, for "readiness of the gospel of peace" is hardly intelligible, and certainly is not a quality of the soul. (3) We come therefore, at last, to a derivative and improper sense, which, however, is most frequently used in the LXX., viz., "foundation" or "base," as in Daniel 11:7; Ezra 2:6; Ezra 3:3; Zechariah 5:10; Psalm 88:14. The context certainly suggests that we should explain the word here by this last Hellenistic use, as signifying simply the "footing" or "basis." The calig?, or sandals, of the Roman soldiers were heavy sandals studded with hobnails, to give a secure foothold to those who would stand firm. St. Paul identifies these with the firm "footing of the gospel of peace." Clearly the word "peace" is here emphatic. The gospel is looked upon as the declaration of "peace on earth, goodwill towards men." The firm stand on this message is the firm assurance of God's love. In this, and this alone, we stand. No doubt, this is in some sense faith, but faith of a wholly different character from the defensive faith of the next verse. . . .