Acts 13:47

For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.

King James Version · Read in your translation · Open the Explore console

Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
For	γὰρ gar	G1063	properly · conjunction
so	οὕτως houtōs	G3779	in this way (referring to what precedes or follows) · adverb
hath	ἐντέταλται entetaltai	G1781	to enjoin · verb — perfect middle or passive deponent indicative, 3rd person singular
Lord	κύριος· kurios	G2962	supreme in authority · noun — nominative singular masculine, a title
commanded	ἐντέλλομαι entéllomai	G1781	to enjoin
us	ἡμῖν hēmîn	G2254	to (or for
set	τέθεικά tetheika	G5087	to place (in the widest application · verb — perfect active indicative, 1st person singular
thee	σέ sé	G4571	thee
be	εἰς eis	G1519	to or into (indicating the point reached or entered) · preposition
light	φῶς phōs	G5457	compare G5316 (φαίνω) · noun — accusative singular neuter
Gentiles	ἐθνῶν ethnōn	G1484	a race (as of the same habit) · noun — genitive plural neuter
thou	σέ sé	G4571	thee
be	εἶναί einai	G1511	to exist · verb — present active infinitive
for	εἰς eis	G1519	to or into (indicating the point reached or entered) · preposition
salvation	σωτηρίαν sōtērian	G4991	rescue or safety (physically or morally) · noun — accusative singular feminine
unto	ἕως he'ōs	G2193	a conjunction · preposition
ends	ἐσχάτου eschatou	G2078	farthest · adjective — genitive singular neuter
earth	γῆς.¶ gēs	G1093	soil · noun — genitive singular feminine

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 49:6 And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel:…
Isaiah 42:6 I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for…
Luke 2:32 A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.
Isaiah 45:22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.
Zechariah 8:20-23 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities:
Psalms 72:7-8 In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.
Psalms 98:2-3 The LORD hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen.
Psalms 117:1-2 O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Acts 13:42–end

The design of this story being to vindicate the apostles, especially Paul (as he doth himself at large, Rom. 11), from the reflections of the Jews upon him for preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, it is here observed that he proceeded therein with all the caution imaginable, and upon due consideration, of which we have here an instance. I. There were some of the Jews that were so incensed against the preaching of the gospel, not to the Gentiles, but to themselves, that they would not bear to hear it, but went out of the synagogue while Paul was preaching (Act 13:42), in contempt of him and his doctrine, and to the disturbance of the congregation. It is probable they whispered among themselv…

Read the whole note in the console

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Acts 13:47

For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, &c.--These and other predictions must have been long before this brought vividly home to Paul's mind in connection with his special vocation to the Gentiles. I have set thee--that is, Messiah; from which Paul inferred that he was but following out this destination of his Lord, in transferring to the Gentiles those "unsearchable riches" which were now by the Jews rejected and despised.

Adam Clarke on Acts 13:47

For so the Lord commanded us - The apostles could quote a pertinent scripture for every thing they did; because the outlines of the whole Gospel dispensation are founded in the law and the prophets; and they were now building the Church of God according to the pattern shown them in the Mount. In the things of God, no man nor minister should go farther than he can say, Thus it is written, and thus it behoves me to do; and let him see that his quotations are fairly made, and not a detached passage or member of a sentence produced, because it seems to look like the system he wishes to establish. I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles - This quotation is from Isa 49:6, and was most fully…

Read the whole note in the console

John Gill on Acts 13:47

The Church Fathers

For the Lord has commanded us: I have set you as a light to the Gentiles. What was specifically said to the Lord Christ, the apostles now consider said to themselves, remembering that they are his members, just as he himself, because of the unity of the same body, said: "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" (Acts 9:4).
— Bede, Commentary on Acts

"Then why have ye not done this?" It was indeed needful that the Gentiles should hear, and this not before you: it is your own doing, the "before you." "For so hath the Lord commanded us: I have set thee for a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation," i.e. for knowledge which is unto salvation, and not merely of the Gentiles, but of all men, "unto the ends of the earth."
— John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 30

Now who was it that said; "Let there be light? " And who was it that said to Christ concerning giving light to the world: "I have set Thee as a light to the Gentiles" -to them, that is, "who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death? " (None else, surely, than He), to whom the Spirit in the Psalm answers, in His foresight of the future, saying, "The light of Thy countenance, O Lord, hath been displayed upon us.
— Tertullian, Against Marcion Book V

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
Gentiles · CONVERSION OF — CONVERSION OF
Missions · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning

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).

Acts 13:47

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Acts 13:42–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Acts 13:47

Adam Clarke on Acts 13:47

John Gill on Acts 13:47

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Acts 13:47

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Acts 13:42–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Acts 13:47

Adam Clarke on Acts 13:47

John Gill on Acts 13:47

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on Acts 13:46–end

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Acts 13:44-49