Acts 13:34 — meaning, Hebrew and Greek word study, commentary
Acts 13:34
And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David.
and from G40 (ἅγιος) · adjective — accusative plural neuter
David
ΔαυὶδDauid
G1138
Dabid (i.e. David) · noun — genitive singular masculine, a proper name
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
Isaiah 55:3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies…
Psalms 89:2-4 For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever: thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens.
Romans 6:9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
Psalms 89:19-37 Then thou spakest in vision to thy holy one, and saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the peop…
2 Samuel 7:14-16 I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the chi…
Jeremiah 33:15-17 In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteous…
Jeremiah 33:26 Then will I cast away the seed of Jacob, and David my servant, so that I will not take any of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham…
Ezekiel 34:23-24 And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Acts 13:14-41
Perga in Pamphylia was a noted place, especially for a temple there erected to the goddess Diana, yet nothing at all is related of what Paul and Barnabas did there, only that thither they came (Act 13:13), and thence they departed, Act 13:14. But the history of the apostles' travels, as that of Christ's, passes by many things worthy to have been recorded, because, if all had been written, the world could not have contained the books. But the next place we find them in is another Antioch, said to be in Pisidia, to distinguish it from that Antioch in Syria from which they were sent out. Pisidia was a province of the Lesser Asia, bordering upon Pamphylia; this Antioch, it is likely, was the met…
now no more to return to corruption--that is, to the grave where death reigns; and compare Rom 6:9, "Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more, death hath no more dominion over him."
I will give you the sure mercies of David-- (Isa 55:3). The word rendered "mercies" is peculiar, denoting the sanctity of them, as comprehending the whole riches of the new covenant; while the other word, "sure," points to the certainty with which they would, through David's Seed, be at length all substantiated. See on Joh 1:14. But how do these words prove the resurrection of Christ? "They presuppose it; for since an eternal kingdom was promised to David, the Ruler of this kingdom could not remain under…
No more to return to corruption - To the grave, to death, the place and state of corruption; for so we should understand the word διαφθοραν in the text.
The sure mercies of David - Τα ὁσια Δαβιδ τα πιϚα. These words are quoted literatim from the Septuagint version of Isa 55:3; where the Hebrew is חסדי דוד הנאמנים chasdey David ha-neemanim, of which the Greek is a faithful translation; and which sure mercies of David St. Paul considers as being fulfilled in the resurrection of Christ. From this application of the words, it is evident that the apostle considered the word David as signifying the Messiah; and then the sure or faithful mercies, being such as relate to the new covenant, and the v…
The Church Fathers
Note, then, that it is not necessary to say that the body of our Savior and God Jesus Christ, after the resurrection, is passible, that is, susceptible to suffering, nor imperishable and immortal before the resurrection. For the incorruption according to sinlessness was noticeably present from that very time of the Incarnation. [SEVERUS THE HOLY ARCHBISHOP OF ANTIOCH FROM THE EPISTLE ADDRESSED TO TIMOTHY, ARCHBISHOP OF ALEXANDRIA]
Because I will give you the holy and faithful promises of David, that is, whatever I promised David, I will surely and faithfully fulfill to you, namely, that Christ would be born from his lineage. For Isaiah, tasting the mysteries of the New Testament in this way, says: "And I will make with you an everlasting covenant, the holy and sure blessings of David" (Isaiah 55:3). This is read in the Hebrew truth: "And I will make with you an eternal covenant, the faithful mercies of David."
"And as concerning that He raised Him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, He said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David." "The faithful mercies," the abiding mercies, those which never perish. Paul loved them exceedingly. And observe, he does not enlarge on the ingratitude of the fathers, but puts before them what they must fear. For Stephen indeed with good reason does this, seeing he was about to be put to death, not teaching them; and showing them, that the Law is even now on the point of being abolished: but not so Paul; he does but threaten and put them in fear. And he does not dwell long on these, as taking it for granted that the word is of course believed; nor enlarge upon the greatness of their punishment, and assail that which they affectionately love, by showing the Law about to be cast out: but dwells upon that which is for their good, telling them that great shall be the blessings for them being obedient, and great the evils being disobedient.
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Dictionary and topics
Antioch · 2. A city of Pisidia. Persecutes Paul — 2. A city of Pisidia. Persecutes Paul
Corruption · .After — .After
Preaching · .By Paul — .By Paul
Resurrection Of Christ, The · Foretold by the prophets — Foretold by the prophets
Synagogue · The Scriptures were read and expoun — The Scriptures were read and expoun
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead,.... This, as it is differently expressed from the raising him up, spoken of in the preceding verse, so seems to be a distinct article from it, and is supported by other passages of Scripture: the apostle having shown that God had fulfilled his promise to the fathers, concerning the raising up, or sending the Messiah into the world, who is no other than the eternal Son of God, proceeds to prove his resurrection from the dead, as man, which was in such sort, as
now no more to return to corruption; so as not to die any more, and be laid in the grave, and there corrupted; as was the case of those who were raised from the dead by the prophet…
Acts 13:32-37
32. And we preach to you glad tidings, that the promise made to the fathers, 33. Hath God fulfilled to their children: having raised up Jesus, as it is written in the second Psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. 34. And in that he hath raised him up from the dead, not to return hereafter to corruption, he hath said thus, I will give you the holy things of David. 35. Therefore he saith also in another place, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. 36. David, indeed, when he had served his time, by the counsel of God he fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption. 37. But he whom God raised saw no corruption.
32. We preach t…
