Mazmur 135:6

135:6 He does whatever he pleases

in heaven and on earth,

in the seas and all the ocean depths.

Yesaya 46:10

46:10 who announces the end from the beginning

and reveals beforehand ¹  what has not yet occurred,

who says, ‘My plan will be realized,

I will accomplish what I desire,’

Daniel 4:35

4:35 All the inhabitants of the earth are regarded as nothing. ² 

He does as he wishes with the army of heaven

and with those who inhabit the earth.

No one slaps ³  his hand

and says to him, ‘What have you done?’

Roma 9:19

9:19 You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who has ever resisted his will?”

Efesus 1:11

1:11 In Christ ⁴  we too have been claimed as God’s own possession, ⁵  since we were predestined according to the one purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to the counsel of his will

[46:10]  ¹ tn Or “from long ago”; KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV “from ancient times.”

[4:35]  ² tc The present translation reads כְּלָא (kÿla’), with many medieval Hebrew MSS, rather than כְּלָה (kÿlah) of BHS.

[4:35]  ³ tn Aram “strikes against.”

[1:11]  ⁴ tn Grk “in whom,” as a continuation of the previous verse.

[1:11]  ⁵ tn Grk “we were appointed by lot.” The notion of the verb κληρόω (klhrow) in the OT was to “appoint a portion by lot” (the more frequent cognate verb κληρονομέω [klhronomew] meant “obtain a portion by lot”). In the passive, as here, the idea is that “we were appointed [as a portion] by lot” (BDAG 548 s.v. κληρόω 1). The words “God’s own” have been supplied in the translation to clarify this sense of the verb. An alternative interpretation is that believers receive a portion as an inheritance: “In Christ we too have been appointed a portion of the inheritance.” See H. W. Hoehner, Ephesians, 226-27, for discussion on this interpretive issue.

[1:11]  sn God’s own possession. Although God is not mentioned explicitly in the Greek text, it is clear from the context that he has chosen believers for himself. Just as with the nation Israel, the church is God’s chosen portion or possession (cf. Deut 32:8-9).