Acts 17:25-27
New English Translation
25 nor is he served by human hands, as if he needed anything,[a] because he himself gives life and breath and everything to everyone.[b] 26 From one man[c] he made every nation of the human race[d] to inhabit the entire earth,[e] determining their set times[f] and the fixed limits of the places where they would live,[g] 27 so that they would search for God and perhaps grope around[h] for him and find him,[i] though he is[j] not far from each one of us.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Acts 17:25 tn L&N 57.45 has “nor does he need anything more that people can supply by working for him.”
- Acts 17:25 tn Grk “he himself gives to all [people] life and breath and all things.”
- Acts 17:26 sn The one man refers to Adam (the word “man” is understood).
- Acts 17:26 tn Or “mankind.” BDAG 276 s.v. ἔθνος 1 has “every nation of humankind Ac 17:26.”
- Acts 17:26 tn Grk “to live over all the face of the earth.”
- Acts 17:26 tn BDAG 884-85 s.v. προστάσσω has “(οἱ) προστεταγμένοι καιροί (the) fixed times Ac 17:26” here, but since the following phrase is also translated “fixed limits,” this would seem redundant in English, so the word “set” has been used instead.
- Acts 17:26 tn Grk “the boundaries of their habitation.” L&N 80.5 has “fixed limits of the places where they would live” for this phrase.
- Acts 17:27 tn See BDAG 1097-98 s.v. ψηλαφάω, which lists “touch, handle” and “to feel around for, grope for” as possible meanings.
- Acts 17:27 sn Perhaps grope around for him and find him. The pagans’ struggle to know God is the point here. Conscience alone is not good enough.
- Acts 17:27 tn The participle ὑπάρχοντα (huparchonta) has been translated as a concessive adverbial participle.
Acts 17:25-27
New International Version
25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.(A) 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.(B) 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.(C)
NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.