A.D. 220 – 1871 9 witnesses 10 excerpts
“" For the Creator's righteousness no less than His peace was announced in Christ, as we have often shown already. Therefore he says: "He is our peace, who hath made both one" -that is, the Jewish nation and the Gentile world.”
“In order, then, to show the time when He is to come whom the blessed Daniel desired to see, he says, "And after seven weeks there are other threescore and two weeks," which period embraces the space of 434 years. For after the return of the people from Babylon under the leadership of Jesus the son of Josedech, and Ezra the scribe, and Zerubbabel the son of Salathiel, of the tribe of David, there were 434 years unto the coming of Christ, in order that the Priest of priests might be manifested in the world, and that He who taketh away the sins of the world might be evidently set forth, as John speaks concerning Him: "Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world!" And in like manner Gabriel says: "To blot out transgressions, and make reconciliation for sins." But who has blotted out our transgressions? Paul the apostle teaches us, saying, "He is our peace who made both one; " and then, "Blotting out the handwriting of sins that was against us."”
“"For He is our peace, Who made both one." What is this, "both one?" He does not mean this, that He hath raised us to that high descent of theirs, but that he hath raised both us and them to a yet higher. Only that the blessing to us is greater, because to these it had been promised, and they were nearer than we; to us it had not been promised, and we were farther off than they. Therefore it is that he says, "And that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy." The promise indeed He gave to the Israelites, but they were unworthy; to us He gave no promise, nay, we were even strangers, we had nothing in common with them; yet hath He made us one, not by knitting us to them, but by knitting both them and us together into one. I will give you an illustration. Let us suppose there to be two statues, the one of silver, the other of lead, and then that both shall be melted down, and that the two shall come out gold. Behold, thus hath He made the two one. Or put the case again in another way. Let the two be, one a slave, the other an adopted son: and let both offend Him, the one as a disinherited child, the other as a fugitive, and one who never knew a father. Then let both be made heirs, both trueborn sons. Behold, they are exalted to one and the same dignity, the two are become one, the one coming from a longer, the other from a nearer distance, and the slave becoming more noble than he was before he offended.”
“"And brake down," he proceeds, "the middle wall of partition." What the middle wall of partition is, he interprets by saying, "the enmity having abolished in His flesh, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances." Some indeed affirm that he means the wall of the Jews against the Greeks, because it did not allow the Jews to hold intercourse with the Greeks. To me, however, this does not seem to be the meaning, but rather that he calls "the enmity in the flesh," a middle wall, in that it is a common barrier, cutting us off alike from God. As the Prophet says, "Your iniquities separate between you and Me;" for that enmity which He had both against Jews and Gentiles was, as it were, a middle wall. And this, whilst the law existed, was not only not abolished, but rather was strengthened; "for the law," saith the Apostle, "worketh wrath." Just in the same way then as when he says in that passage, "the law worketh wrath," he does not ascribe the whole of this effect to the law itself, but it is to be understood, that it is because we have transgressed it; so also in this place he calls it a middle wall, because through being disobeyed it wrought enmity. The law was a hedge, but this it was made for the sake of security, and for this reason was called "a hedge," to the intent that it might form an inclosure. For listen again to the Prophet, where he says, "I made a trench about it." And again, "Thou hast broken down her fences, so that all they which pass by the way do pluck her." Here therefore it means security and so again, "I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be trodden down." And again, "He gave them the law for a defence." And again, "The Lord executeth righteous acts and made known His ways unto Israel." It became, however, a middle wall, no longer establishing them in security, but cutting them off from God. Such then is the middle wall of partition formed out of the hedge. And to explain what this is, he subjoins, "the enmity in His flesh having abolished, the law of commandments." How so? In that He was slain and dissolved the enmity therein. And not in this way only but also by keeping it. But what then, if we are released from the former transgression, and yet are again compelled to keep it? Then were the case the same over again, whereas He hath destroyed the very law itself. For he says, "Having abolished the law of commandments contained in ordinances." Oh! amazing loving-kindness! He gave us a law that we should keep it, and when we kept it not, and ought to have been punished, He even abrogated the law itself. As if a man, who, having committed a child to a schoolmaster, if he should turn out disobedient, should set him at liberty even from the schoolmaster, and take him away. How great loving-kindness were this!”
“Having recalled the benefits conferred on the Ephesians in general through Christ, here he recalls them in particular. Concerning this he does two things. First he shows how they drew near to the Jewish people; second, how they were made nearer to God, there, "that he might reconcile both," etc. The first is again divided into three, because first he shows the cause of the drawing-near, second the manner, third the end. The second is there, "and the middle wall," etc. The third is there, "that the two," etc. Now the cause of the drawing-near is Christ, on account of which he says, "for he himself is our peace," etc. And this is an emphatic manner of speaking, for the greater expression of the matter, as if he were to say: I say well that you have been made near, but this was done through Christ, because he himself is our peace, that is, the cause of our peace. Hence he was saying, John 14:27: "My peace I give to you." Now this manner of speaking is accustomed to occur when the whole that is in the effect depends on the cause, just as when we say of God that he himself is our salvation, because whatever there is of salvation in us is caused by God. Since, therefore, whatever there is of peace in us is caused by Christ, and consequently whatever there is of drawing-near — because when a man has been made peaceful with another, he can securely walk or draw near to him — therefore he says that he is our peace. For at his nativity the Angels announced peace. Luke 2:14: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace," etc. Also, with Christ himself existing in the body, the world had the greatest peace, such as it had not had before. Psalm 71:7: "In his days shall justice arise," etc. He also, rising again, announced peace. Luke, the last chapter: "he said to them: Peace be to you." There follows, "who made both one," namely because Christ joined both peoples into one — that is, the Jews who worshipped the true God, and the Gentiles, who were alienated from this worship of God. John 10:16: "I have other sheep that are not of this fold," etc., up to there: "and there shall be one fold and one shepherd." Ezekiel 37:22: "one king shall rule over all," etc. Now the manner of the drawing-near is shown when he adds, "and the middle wall," etc. Now this manner is through the removal of that which divided. For the understanding of the letter we ought to imagine one great field, and many men gathered there, in which indeed there is stretched out and raised up through the middle one wall dividing them, so that there is not seen to be one people, but two. Whoever, therefore, should remove the wall, would join the gathering of those men into one crowd, and one people would be made. Thus is what is said here to be understood. For this world is like a field — Matthew 13:38: "the field is the world." Now this field, namely the world, is full of men — Genesis 1:28: "increase, and multiply, and fill the earth." Now in this field there is a wall, because some are on one side, some on the other; and this wall can be called the old law according to its carnal observances, in which the Jews were kept shut up, as is said in Galatians 3:23: "we were kept under the law, shut up unto that faith which was to be revealed." Song of Songs 2:9: "he stands behind our wall"; namely because Christ was prefigured through the old law. But Christ removed this wall, and thus, since no gap remained, one people of Jews and Gentiles was made. And this is what he says: I say that he made both one, in this manner, namely by loosing the middle wall. I say a wall of loose stone, not of a mortared wall. For a wall is then a wall of loose stone, when the stones in it are not glued together with mortar, and it is not erected for this purpose, that it endure forever, but until a predetermined time. The old law, therefore, is a wall of loose stone on account of two things. First, because it was not glued together by charity, which is, as it were, the mortar gluing each one to another, and all together to Christ. Below, 4:3: "careful to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace." For the old law is a law of fear, inducing men through punishments and threats to the observance of the commandments. And if any, in that time of the law, observed it out of charity, they already belonged to the New Testament, as Augustine says, which is the law of love. Romans 8:15: "For you have not received the spirit of bondage again in fear," etc. Second, the old law is a wall of loose stone because it was not given to last forever, but until a predetermined time. Galatians 4:1ff: "As long as the heir is a child, he differs nothing from a servant, though he is lord of all, but is under tutors and guardians until the time predetermined by the father: so we also, when we were," etc. But here a question arises, because he says "loosing the wall of loose stone," yet the contrary is said, Matthew 5:17: "I have not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it." I respond. It must be said that in the old law there were moral precepts and ceremonial precepts. The moral precepts indeed Christ did not destroy, but fulfilled, by adding counsels over and above, and by expounding those things which the Scribes and Pharisees understood badly. Hence he was saying, Matthew 5:19: "unless your justice abound more than that of the Scribes," etc. And again: "It was said to the ancients: You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy. But I say to you: love your enemies," etc. But the ceremonial precepts he indeed destroyed as to their substance, but fulfilled as to that which they prefigured, applying the thing prefigured to the figure. It is therefore to be understood that here he says "loosing," namely as to the observance of the carnal law. And to loose this, namely the wall of loose stone, is to dissolve the enmities that were between the Jews and the Gentiles: because these wished to keep the law, but those not at all, from which arose between them anger and envy. But certainly Christ dissolved these enmities in his flesh which he assumed. For at his nativity, peace was immediately announced to men. Luke 2:14. Or "in his flesh," namely as immolated, because, as is said below, 5:2: "he delivered himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God." In which sacrifice indeed all those sacrifices were fulfilled, and ceased. Hebrews 10:14: "For by one oblation he has perfected forever those who are sanctified." Now what this wall is he intimates, saying that it is "the law of commandments," as if he were to say: loosing the wall, that is, the law of commandments, etc. Now the old law is called "the law of commandments," not because other laws lack commandments; for the new law also has commandments. John 13:34: "A new commandment I give to you." But it is called so on account of two things: first indeed on account of the great number of the legal commandments, to such an extent that they cannot be kept by men, according to that word, Acts 15:10: "this is a burden which neither we nor our fathers were able to bear." Job 11:6: "that his law is manifold," etc. Or it is called "of commandments," that is, of works. Romans 3:27: "Where then is your boasting? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith." Hence, just as the Baptism of John is called the Baptism of water, because it only cleansed outwardly, but did not sanctify inwardly, so also the old law is called the law of works, because it only prescribed what they ought to do, but did not confer grace, by which they might be helped to fulfill the law. But the new law directs in what is to be done, by prescribing, and helps toward fulfilling it, by conferring grace. I say "making void," just as the imperfect is made void by the perfect, and the shadow by the truth. 1 Corinthians 13:10: "But when that which is perfect has come, that which is in part shall be made void," namely the imperfection and shadow of the old law, concerning which, Hebrews 10:1: "for the law, having a shadow of the good things to come," etc. And this "by decrees," that is, by the precepts of the New Testament, through which the law is excluded. Leviticus 26:10: "You shall eat the oldest of the old," that is, the precepts of the law of nature together with the new law; and, its precepts having been taken up, "you shall cast away the old," that is, the ceremonial precepts of the old law as to their substance, as has been said. Now he shows the end of the drawing-near, saying, "that he might create the two in himself," etc. Which end indeed is that the two said peoples be made one people. Now the things that are united must be united in some one thing, and because the law divided, they could not be united in the law; but Christ, succeeding in place of the law, and faith in him — as the truth succeeds the figure — created them in himself. John 17:22: "that they may be one, as we also are one." Matthew 18:20: "For where there are two or three gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." And this, "making peace," in one new man, that is, in Christ himself, who is called the new man on account of the new manner of his conception. Jeremiah 31:22: "The Lord has created a new thing upon the earth: a woman shall compass a man." Likewise, on account of the newness of grace which he conferred. Galatians, the last chapter: "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision avails anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature." Below, 4:23: "be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new man, who," etc. Likewise, on account of the new commandments which he brought. John 13:34: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another," etc. And although this seems to be the intention of the Apostle, nevertheless in the Gloss the wall is doubled: because on the part of the Jews the law is posited as a kind of obstacle, but on the part of the Gentiles it is idolatry. Consequently, when he says, "that he might reconcile both," etc., he shows how they drew near to God. Concerning this he does two things. First he manifests their reconciliation to God; second he sets forth the manifestation of the reconciliation, there, "and coming, he preached," etc. It must be known that the love of neighbor is the way to the peace of God; because, as is said, 1 John 4:20: "for he who does not love his brother whom he sees, how can he love God whom he does not see?" And Augustine says that no one should think he has peace with Christ, if he is at discord with a Christian. First, therefore, he sets forth the peace of men with one another made through Christ, and from that the peace of men with God. On account of which he says, "that he might reconcile both," now united, in the one body of the Church, namely in Christ. Romans 12:5: "we, being many, are one body in Christ." He might reconcile them, I say, to God through faith and charity. 2 Corinthians 5:19: "God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself." And this he did through the cross, "killing the enmities in himself," because he killed the enmities of the Jews and the Gentiles, which were through the law, fulfilling the figures of the Old Testament; but the enmities that were between God and men through sin, he killed in himself, when through the death of the cross he blotted out sin. Galatians 1:4: "who gave himself for our sins." Hebrews 9:28: "Christ was offered once to exhaust the sins of many." He says therefore: "killing the enmities," that is, sins, "in himself," in the immolation of his own body. Colossians 1:20: "making peace through the blood of his cross, whether the things that are in the heavens, or the things that are on the earth." Romans 5:10: "when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son." Likewise Colossians 1:19: "it pleased that in Christ all fullness should dwell, and through him to reconcile all things in himself." Since, therefore, Christ satisfied sufficiently for our sins, it followed that, the price having been paid, reconciliation should come about. Now he sets forth the manifestation of this reconciliation, saying: "and coming, he preached," etc. Now he sets forth, first, the announcement of the peace or reconciliation; second, the cause and reason of the peace, there: "for through him we have access," etc. The reconciliation of God to man through Christ is therefore manifest, because Christ himself not only reconciled us to God, and killed the enmities, but also, "coming," namely in the flesh, "preached," that is, announced, "peace." Or "coming" after the resurrection, when he stood in the midst of the disciples, and said to them: "Peace be to you," Luke, the last chapter. Isaiah 61:1: "he has sent me to announce to the meek," etc. And Isaiah 52:7: "how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who announces and preaches peace, who announces good, who preaches salvation," etc. "He preached," I say, not to one people only, but "to you Gentiles who were far off," to whom, even if not in his own person, yet through his apostles he announced peace. Matthew, the last chapter: "Going therefore, teach all nations, baptizing," etc. Isaiah 33:13: "Hear, you who are far off, what I have done, and acknowledge," etc. And "peace to those who were near" — supply: Christ announced it in his own person. Romans 15:8: "For I say that Christ Jesus was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers." Isaiah 54:15: "Behold, a sojourner shall come who was not with me; he who was formerly your stranger shall be joined to you." Now he shows the cause and form of the peace, saying, "for through him we both have access," that is, the two peoples, "in one Spirit," that is, united by the union of the Holy Spirit. Below, 4:3: "careful to keep the unity of the spirit," etc. 1 Corinthians 12:11: "But all these things one and the same Spirit works," etc. Now in this way we have access to the Father through Christ, because Christ works through the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:9: "But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not his." And therefore whatever is done through the Holy Spirit is also done through Christ. Also, by this that he says, "to the Father," it is to be understood that it also pertains to the whole Trinity, because on account of the unity of essence, in the Father is the Son and the Holy Spirit, and in the Holy Spirit is the Father and the Son. Therefore, when he says "to the Father," he specially shows that whatever the Son has, he has from the Father, and also acknowledges that he has it from him.”
“We have now come to the last part of the chapter, which contains an account of the great and mighty privileges that converted Jews and Gentiles both receive from Christ. The apostle here shows that those who were in a state of enmity are reconciled. Between the Jews and the Gentiles there had been a great enmity; so there is between God and every unregenerate man. Now Jesus Christ is our peace, Eph 2:14. He made peace by the sacrifice of himself; and came to reconcile, 1. Jews and Gentiles to each other. He made both one, by reconciling these two divisions of men, who were wont to malign, to hate, and to reproach each other before. He broke down the middle wall of partition, the ceremonial law, that made the great feud, and was the badge of the Jews' peculiarity, called the partition-wall by way of allusion to the partition in the temple, which separated the court of the Gentiles from that into which the Jews only had liberty to enter. Thus he abolished in his flesh the enmity, Eph 2:15. By his sufferings in the flesh, to took away the binding power of the ceremonial law (so removing that cause of enmity and distance between them), which is here called the law of commandments contained in ordinances, because it enjoined a multitude of external rites and ceremonies, and consisted of many institutions and appointments about the outward parts of divine worship. The legal ceremonies were abrogated by Christ, having their accomplishment in him. By taking these out of the way, he formed one church of believers, whether they had been Jews or Gentiles. Thus he made in himself of twain one new man. He framed both these parties into one new society, or body of God's people, uniting them to himself as their common head, they being renewed by the Holy Ghost, and now concurring in a new way of gospel worship, so making peace between these two parties, who were so much at variance before. 2. There is an enmity between God and sinners, whether Jews and Gentiles; and Christ came to slay that enmity, and to reconcile them both to God, Eph 2:16. Sin breeds a quarrel between God and men. Christ came to take up the quarrel, and to bring it to an end, by reconciling both Jew and Gentile, now collected and gathered into one body, to a provoked and an offended God: and this by the cross, or by the sacrifice of himself upon the cross, having slain the enmity thereby. He, being slain or sacrificed, slew the enmity that there was between God and poor sinners. The apostle proceeds to illustrate the great advantages which both parties gain by the mediation of our Lord Jesus Christ, Eph 2:17. Christ, who purchased peace on the cross, came, partly in his own person, as to the Jews, who are here said to have been nigh, and partly in his apostles, whom he commissioned to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, who are said to have been afar off, in the sense that has been given before. And preached peace, or published the terms of reconciliation with God and of eternal life. Note here, When the messengers of Christ deliver his truths, it is in effect the same as if he did it immediately himself. He is said to preach by them, insomuch that he who receiveth them receiveth him, and he who despiseth them (acting by virtue of his commission, and delivering his message) despiseth and rejecteth Christ himself. Now the effect of this peace is the free access which both Jews and Gentiles have unto God (Eph 2:18): For through him, in his name and by virtue of his mediation, we both have access or admission into the presence of God, who has become the common reconciled Father of both: the throne of grace is erected for us to come to, and liberty of approach to that throne is allowed us. Our access is by the Holy Spirit. Christ purchased for us leave to come to God, and the Spirit gives us a heart to come and strength to come, even grace to serve God acceptably. Observe, We draw nigh to God, through Jesus Christ, by the help of the Spirit. The Ephesians, upon their conversion, having such an access to God, as well as the Jews, and by the same Spirit, the apostle tells them, Now therefore you are no more strangers and foreigners, Eph 2:19. This he mentions by way of opposition to what he had observed of them in their heathenism: they were now no longer aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and no longer what the Jews were wont to account all the nations of the earth besides themselves (namely, strangers to God), but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God, that is, members of the church of Christ, and having a right to all the privileges of it. Observe here, The church is compared to a city, and every converted sinner is free of it. It is also compared to a house, and every converted sinner is one of the domestics, one of the family, a servant and a child in God's house. In Eph 2:20 the church is compared to a building. The apostles and prophets are the foundation of that building. They may be so called in a secondary sense, Christ himself being the primary foundation; but we are rather to understand it of the doctrine delivered by the prophets of the Old Testament and the apostles of the New. It follows, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone. In him both Jews and Gentiles meet, and constitute one church; and Christ supports the building by his strength: In whom all the building, fitly framed together, etc., Eph 2:21. All believers, of whom it consists, being united to Christ by faith, and among themselves by Christian charity, grow unto a holy temple, become a sacred society, in which there is much communion between God and his people, as in the temple, they worshipping and serving him, he manifesting himself unto them, they offering up spiritual sacrifices to God and he dispensing his blessings and favours to them. Thus the building, for the nature of it, is a temple, a holy temple; for the church is the place which God hath chosen to put his name there, and it becomes such a temple by grace and strength derived from himself - in the Lord. The universal church being built upon Christ as the foundation-stone, and united in Christ as the corner-stone, comes at length to be glorified in him as the top-stone: In whom you also are built together, etc., Eph 2:22. Observe, Not only the universal church is called the temple of God, but particular churches; and even every true believer is a living temple, is a habitation of God through the Spirit. God dwells in all believers now, they having become the temple of God through the operations of the blessed Spirit, and his dwelling with them now is an earnest of their dwelling together with him to eternity.”
“For he is our peace,.... 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 enmity to God; sin has separated chief friends; nor can man make his peace with God; what he does, or can do, will not do it; and what will, he cannot do; Christ is the only fit and proper person for this work, being a middle person between both, and is only able to effect it, being God as well as man; and so could draw nigh to God, and treat with him about terms of peace, and agree to them, and perform them; and which he has brought about by his blood, his sufferings and death; and which is made on honourable terms, by a full satisfaction to the law and justice of God; and so is a lasting one, and attended with a train of blessings: moreover, Christ is the donor of peace, of external peace in his churches, and of internal peace of conscience, and of eternal peace in heaven: this is one of the names of the Messiah with the Jews (b); "says R. Jose the Galilean, even the name of the Messiah is called "peace"; as it is said, Isa 9:6 "the everlasting Father, the Prince of peace";'' see Mic 5:5 where it is said, "and this man shall be the peace"; which the Jewish (c) writers understand of the Messiah: who hath made both one; Jews and Gentiles, one people, one body, one church; he united them together, and caused them to agree in one, and made them to be of one mind and judgment by the above methods; as well as he gathered them together in one, in one head, himself, who represented them all: and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; the ceremonial law, which was made up of many hard and intolerable commands, and distinguished, and divided, and kept up a division between Jews and Gentiles: so the Jews call the law a wall, "if she be a wall", Sol 8:9 , "this is the law", say they (d): and hence we read of , "the wall of the law" (e); and sometimes the phrase, a "partition wall", is used for a division or disagreement; so R. Benjamin says (f), that between the Karaites and Rabbanites, who were the disciples of the wise men, there was "a middle wall of partition"; a great difference and distance; and such there was between the Jew and Gentile, by reason of the ceremonial law; but Christ removed it, and made up the difference: the allusion seems to be to the wall which divided the court of Israel from the court of the Gentiles, in the temple, and which kept them at a distance in worship. (b) Perek Shalom, fol. 20. 1. Baal Hatturim in Numb. xxv. 12. (c) Vid. Kimchi in loc. (d) T. Bab. Pesachim, fol. 87. 1. (e) Caphtor, fol. 95. 1. & 101. 1. (f) Itinerar. p. 28.”
“For he is our peace - Jesus Christ has died for both Jews and Gentiles, and has become a peace-offering, שלום shalom, to reconcile both to God and to each other. Who hath made both one - Formed one Church out of the believers of both people. The middle wall of partition - By abolishing the law of Jewish ordinances, he has removed that which kept the two parties, not only in a state of separation, but also at variance. This expression, the middle wall, can refer only to that most marked distinction which the Jewish laws and customs made between them and all other nations whatsoever. Some think it refers to their ancient manner of living among the Gentiles, as they always endeavored to live in some place by themselves, and to have a river or a wall between them and their heathen neighbors. Indeed, wherever they went, their own rites, ordinances, and customs were a sufficient separation between them and others; and as Jesus Christ abolished those customs, admitting all into his Church, both Jews and Gentiles, by repentance and faith, he may be said to have broken down the middle wall of partition. When, at the death of Christ, the veil of the temple was rent from the top to the bottom, it was an emblem that the way to the holiest was laid open, and that the people at large, both Jews and Gentiles, were to have access to the holiest by the blood of Jesus. Some think there is an allusion here to the wall called chel, which separated the court of Israel from the court of the Gentiles; but this was not broken down till the temple itself was destroyed: and to this transaction the apostle cannot be supposed to allude, as it did not take place till long after the writing of this epistle.”
“Christ destroyed the enmity which, like a wall of separation, stood between Jew and Gentile, and united them into one people. He did this in his flesh, by his own blood, or the sacrifice he made of his flesh on the cross. (Calmet)”
“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 Gentile to pass. But this, though incidentally alluded to, was but a symbol of the partition itself, namely, "the enmity" between "both" and God (Eph 2:15), the real cause of separation from God, and so the mediate cause of their separation from one another. Hence there was a twofold wall of partition, one the inner wall, severing the Jewish people from entrance to the holy part of the temple where the priests officiated, the other the outer wall, separating the Gentile proselytes from access to the court of the Jews (compare Eze 44:7; Act 21:28). Thus this twofold wall represented the Sinaitic law, which both severed all men, even the Jews, from access to God (through sin, which is the violation of the law), and also separated the Gentiles from the Jews. As the term "wall" implies the strength of the partition, so "fence" implies that it was easily removed by God when the due time came.”
The in-app commentary runs from the Fathers to the early-modern record, then stops — that's where the public-domain sources end, not where the reading does. For the modern reading, follow the sources directly.