“That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:”
King James Version (KJV)
2:12 Were at that time without Christ - Having no faith in, or knowledge of, him. Being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel - Both as to their temporal privileges and spiritual blessings. And strangers to the covenants of promise - The great promise in both the Jewish and Christian covenant was the Messiah. Having no hope - Because they had no promise whereon to ground their hope. And being without God - Wholly ignorant of the true God, and so in effect atheists. Such in truth are, more or less, all men, in all ages, till they know God by the teaching of his own Spirit. In the world - The wide, vain world, wherein ye wandered up and down, unholy and unhappy.
Eph 2:12 That at that time ye were without Christ. The past state of the Gentile Christians is described when they had no knowledge of Christ. Being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel. Not being of the race of Abraham, who were in covenant relation with God. Strangers from the covenants of promise. The various covenants made with the patriarchs which contained the promise of Christ, of which they were ignorant, and hence not partakers of the hope. Having no hope. No hope in the promise or in Christ. And without God in the world. Walking without the knowledge of the true God.