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Selected Verse: Acts 17:24 - Strong Concordance
| Verse |
Translation |
Text |
| Ac 17:24 |
Strong Concordance |
God [2316] that made [4160] the world [2889] and [2532] all things [3956] therein [1722] [846], seeing that he [3778] is [5225] Lord [2962] of heaven [3772] and [2532] earth [1093], dwelleth [2730] not [3756] in [1722] temples [3485] made with hands [5499]; |
| |
King James |
God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
| A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
God that made the world and all . . . therein--The most profound philosophers of Greece were unable to conceive any real distinction between God and the universe. Thick darkness, therefore, behooved to rest on all their religious conceptions. To dissipate this, the apostle sets out with a sharp statement of the fact of creation as the central principle of all true religion--not less needed now, against the transcendental idealism of our day.
seeing he is Lord--or Sovereign.
of heaven and earth--holding in free and absolute subjection all the works of His hands; presiding in august royalty over them, as well as pervading them all as the principle of their being. How different this from the blind Force or Fate to which all creatures were regarded as in bondage!
dwelleth not in temples made with hands--This thought, so familiar to Jewish ears (Kg1 8:27; Isa 66:1-2; Act 7:48), and so elementary to Christians, would serve only more sharply to define to his heathen audience the spirituality of that living, personal God, whom he "announced" to them. |
| Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
God that made the world - The main object of this discourse of Paul is to convince them of the folly of idolatry Act 17:29, and thus to lead them to repentance. For this purpose he commences with a statement of the true doctrine respecting God as the Creator of all things. We may observe here:
(1) That he speaks here of God as the Creator of the world, thus opposing indirectly their opinions that there were many gods.
(2) he speaks of him as the Creator of the world, and thus opposes the opinion that matter was eternal; that all things were controlled by Fate; and that God could be confined to temples. The Epicureans held that matter was eternal, and that the world was formed by a fortuitous concourse of atoms. To this opinion Paul opposed the doctrine that all things were made by one God. Compare Act 14:15.
Seeing that ... - Greek: "He being Lord of heaven and earth."
Lord of heaven and earth - Proprietor and Ruler of heaven and earth. It is highly absurd, therefore, to suppose that he who is present in heaven and in earth at the same time, and who rules over all, should be confined to a temple of an earthly structure, or dependent on man for anything.
Dwelleth not ... - See the notes on Act 7:48. |
| Vincent's Word Studies, by Marvin R. Vincent [1886] |
God
With the article: "the God."
The world (τὸν κόσμον)
Originally, order, and hence the order of the world; the ordered universe. So in classical Greek. In the Septuagint, never the world, but the ordered total of the heavenly bodies; the host of heaven (Deuteronomy 4:19; 17:3; Isaiah 24:21; 40:26). Compare, also, Pro 17:6, and see note on Jam 3:6. In the apocryphal books, of the universe, and mainly in the relation between God and it arising out of the creation. Thus, the king of the world (2 Maccabees 7:9); the creator or founder of the world (2 Maccabees 7:23); the great potentate of the world (2 Maccabees 12:15). In the New Testament: 1. In the classical and physical sense, the universe (Joh 17:5; Joh 21:25.; Rom 1:20; Eph 1:4, etc.). 2. As the order of things of which man is the centre (Mat 13:38; Mar 16:15; Luk 9:25; Joh 16:21; Eph 2:12; Ti1 6:7). 3. Humanity as it manifests itself in and through this order (Mat 18:7; Pe2 2:5; Pe2 3:6; Rom 3:19). Then, as sin has entered and disturbed the order of things, and made a breach between the heavenly and the earthly order, which are one in the divine ideal - 4. The order of things which is alienated from God, as manifested in and by the human race: humanity as alienated from God, and acting in opposition to him (Joh 1:10; Joh 12:31; Joh 15:18, Joh 15:19; Co1 1:21; Jo1 2:15, etc.). The word is used here in the classical sense of the visible creation, which would appeal to the Athenians. Stanley, speaking of the name by which the Deity is known in the patriarchal age, the plural Elohim, notes that Abraham, in perceiving that all the Elohim worshipped by the numerous clans of his race meant one God, anticipated the declaration of Paul in this passage ("Jewish Church," i., 25). Paul's statement strikes at the belief of the Epicureans, that the world was made by "a fortuitous concourse of atoms," and of the Stoics, who denied the creation of the world by God, holding either that God animated the world, or that the world itself was God.
Made with hands (χιεροποιήτοις)
Probably pointing to the magnificent temples above and around him. Paul's epistles abound in architectural metaphors. He here employs the very words of Stephen, in his address to the Sanhedrim, which he very probably heard. See Act 7:48. |
| Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
| God who made the world - Thus is demonstrated even to reason, the one true, good God; absolutely different from the creatures, from every part of the visible creation. |
| Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
God that made the world, etc. - Though the Epicureans held that the world was not made by God, but was the effect of a fortuitous concourse of atoms, yet this opinion was not popular; and the Stoics held the contrary:
1. St. Paul assumes, as an acknowledged truth, that there was a God who made the world and all things.
2. That this God could not be confined within temples made with hands, as he was the Lord or governor of heaven and earth.
3. That, by fair consequence, the gods whom they worshipped, which were shut up in their temples could not be this God; and they must be less than the places in which they were contained. This was a strong, decisive stroke against the whole system of the Grecian idolatry. |
48 Howbeit [235] the most High [5310] dwelleth [2730] not [3756] in [1722] temples [3485] made with hands [5499]; as [2531] saith [3004] the prophet [4396],
1 Thus saith [0559] the LORD [03068], The heaven [08064] is my throne [03678], and the earth [0776] is my footstool [07272] [01916]: where is the house [01004] that ye build [01129] unto me? and where is the place [04725] of my rest [04496]?
2 For all those things hath mine hand [03027] made [06213], and all those things have been, saith [05002] the LORD [03068]: but to this man will I look [05027], even to him that is poor [06041] and of a contrite [05223] spirit [07307], and trembleth [02730] at my word [01697].
27 But will God [0430] indeed [0552] dwell [03427] on the earth [0776]? behold, the heaven [08064] and heaven [08064] of heavens [08064] cannot contain [03557] thee; how much less [0637] this house [01004] that I have builded [01129]?
48 Howbeit [235] the most High [5310] dwelleth [2730] not [3756] in [1722] temples [3485] made with hands [5499]; as [2531] saith [3004] the prophet [4396],
15 And [2532] saying [3004], Sirs [435], why [5101] do ye [4160] these things [5130]? We [2249] also [2532] are [2070] men [444] of like passions [3663] with you [5213], and preach [2097] unto you [5209] that ye should turn [1994] from [575] these [5023] vanities [3152] unto [1909] the living [2198] God [2316], which [3739] made [4160] heaven [3772], and [2532] earth [1093], and [2532] the sea [2281], and [2532] all things [3956] that are therein [1722] [846]:
29 Forasmuch then [3767] as we are [5225] the offspring [1085] of God [2316], we ought [3784] not [3756] to think [3543] that the Godhead [2304] is [1511] like [3664] unto gold [5557], or [2228] silver [696], or [2228] stone [3037], graven [5480] by art [5078] and [2532] man's [444] device [1761].
48 Howbeit [235] the most High [5310] dwelleth [2730] not [3756] in [1722] temples [3485] made with hands [5499]; as [2531] saith [3004] the prophet [4396],
15 Love [25] not [3361] the world [2889], neither [3366] the things that are in [1722] the world [2889]. If [1437] any man [5100] love [25] the world [2889], the love [26] of the Father [3962] is [2076] not [3756] in [1722] him [846].
21 For [1063] after [1894] that in [1722] the wisdom [4678] of God [2316] the world [2889] by [1223] wisdom [4678] knew [1097] not [3756] God [2316], it pleased [2106] God [2316] by [1223] the foolishness [3472] of preaching [2782] to save [4982] them that believe [4100].
19 If [1487] ye were [2258] of [1537] the world [2889], the world [2889] would [302] love [5368] his own [2398]: but [1161] because [3754] ye are [2075] not [3756] of [1537] the world [2889], but [235] I [1473] have chosen [1586] you [5209] out of [1537] the world [2889], therefore [5124] [1223] the world [2889] hateth [3404] you [5209].
18 If [1487] the world [2889] hate [3404] you [5209], ye know [1097] that [3754] it hated [3404] me [1691] before [4412] it hated you [5216].
31 Now [3568] is [2076] the judgment [2920] of this [5127] world [2889]: now [3568] shall [1544] the prince [758] of this [5127] world [2889] be cast [1544] out [1854].
10 He was [2258] in [1722] the world [2889], and [2532] the world [2889] was made [1096] by [1223] him [846], and [2532] the world [2889] knew [1097] him [846] not [3756].
19 Now [1161] we know [1492] that [3754] what things soever [3745] the law [3551] saith [3004], it saith [2980] to them who are under [1722] the law [3551]: that [2443] every [3956] mouth [4750] may be stopped [5420], and [2532] all [3956] the world [2889] may become [1096] guilty [5267] before God [2316].
6 Whereby [1223] [3739] the world [2889] that then was [5119], being overflowed [2626] with water [5204], perished [622]:
5 And [2532] spared [5339] not [3756] the old [744] world [2889], but [235] saved [5442] Noah [3575] the eighth [3590] person, a preacher [2783] of righteousness [1343], bringing in [1863] the flood [2627] upon the world [2889] of the ungodly [765];
7 Woe [3759] unto the world [2889] because of [575] offences [4625]! for [1063] it must needs [318] be [2076] that offences [4625] come [2064]; but [4133] woe [3759] to that man [444] by [1565] whom [1223] [3739] the offence [4625] cometh [2064] !
7 For [1063] we brought [1533] nothing [3762] into [1519] this world [2889], and it is certain [1212] [3754] we can [1410] carry [1627] nothing [3761] [5100] out [1627].
12 That [3754] at [1722] that [1565] time [2540] ye were [2258] without [5565] Christ [5547], being aliens [526] from the commonwealth [4174] of Israel [2474], and [2532] strangers [3581] from the covenants [1242] of promise [1860], having [2192] no [3361] hope [1680], and [2532] without God [112] in [1722] the world [2889]:
21 A woman [1135] when [3752] she is in travail [5088] hath [2192] sorrow [3077], because [3754] her [846] hour [5610] is come [2064]: but [1161] as soon as [3752] she is delivered [1080] of the child [3813], she remembereth [3421] no more [3765] the anguish [2347], for [1223] joy [5479] that [3754] a man [444] is born [1080] into [1519] the world [2889].
25 For [1063] what [5101] is [5623] a man [444] advantaged [5623], if he gain [2770] the whole [3650] world [2889], and [1161] lose [622] himself [1438], or [2228] be cast away [2210]?
15 And [2532] he said [2036] unto them [846], Go ye [4198] into [1519] all [537] the world [2889], and preach [2784] the gospel [2098] to every [3956] creature [2937].
38 [1161] The field [68] is [2076] the world [2889]; [1161] the good [2570] seed [4690] are [3778] [1526] the children [5207] of the kingdom [932]; but [1161] the tares [2215] are [1526] the children [5207] of the wicked [4190] one;
4 According as [2531] he hath chosen [1586] us [2248] in [1722] him [846] before [4253] the foundation [2602] of the world [2889], that we [2248] should be [1511] holy [40] and [2532] without blame [299] before [2714] him [846] in [1722] love [26]:
20 For [1063] the invisible things [517] of him [846] from [575] the creation [2937] of the world [2889] are clearly seen [2529], being understood [3539] by the things that are made [4161], even [5037] his [846] eternal [126] power [1411] and [2532] Godhead [2305]; so [1519] that they [846] are [1511] without excuse [379]:
25 And [1161] there are [2076] also [2532] many [4183] other things [243] which [3745] Jesus [2424] did [4160], the which [3748], if [1437] they should be written [1125] every [2596] one [1520], I suppose [3633] that even [3761] the world [2889] itself [846] could not [3761] contain [5562] the books [975] that should be written [1125]. Amen [281].
5 And [2532] now [3568], O Father [3962], glorify [1392] thou [4771] me [3165] with [3844] thine own self [4572] with the glory [1391] which [3739] I had [2192] with [3844] thee [4671] before [4253] the world [2889] was [1511].
6 And [2532] the tongue [1100] is a fire [4442], a world [2889] of iniquity [93]: so [3779] is [2525] the tongue [1100] among [1722] our [2257] members [3196], that it defileth [4695] the whole [3650] body [4983], and [2532] setteth on fire [5394] the course [5164] of nature [1078]; and [2532] it is set on fire [5394] of [5259] hell [1067].
6 Children's [01121] children [01121] are the crown [05850] of old men [02205]; and the glory [08597] of children [01121] are their fathers [01].