Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Acts 13:23
Of this man’s seed hath God according to [his] promise raised unto Israel a Savior, Jesus:
23. Of this man’s seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus ] The word “his” has no place in the Greek text, and the oldest MSS. for “raised” read “brought.”
The promise alluded to here is preserved for us in Psa 132:11, “Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy seat,” and in many other similar declarations in the prophets. Cp. Zec 3:8-9.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Of this mans seed – Of his posterity.
According to his promise – See the notes on Act 2:30.
Raised unto Israel – See the notes on Act 2:30.
A Saviour, Jesus – See the notes on Mat 1:21.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 23. Of this man’s seed hath God – raised – a Saviour] That Jesus Christ came in a direct and indisputable line from David, according to both promise and prophecy, may be seen in the notes on Mt 1:1, c., and particularly in the notes at the end of Luke 3. And that the Messiah was promised to come from the family of David, see Isa 11:1-2, and Jer 23:5-6.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Christ was the Son of David, and so frequently called, Mat 1:1; Luk 18:38,39, with reference unto the promise made, Isa 11:1, spoken of, Act 2:30; Rom 1:3.
Raised unto Israel a Saviour; because he lived amongst the Jews, and salvation was first offered unto them by him, as Act 13:46.
Jesus; our Saviours name is added to show that he truly was according to his name, and what he was said to be, as Mat 1:21.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
23-25. Of this man’s seed hath God,according to . . . promise, raised unto Israel a Saviour, JesusTheemphasis on this statement lies: (1) in the seed from whichChrist sprangDavid’sand the promise to that effect,which was thus fulfilled; (2) on the character in which thispromised Christ was given of God”a SAVIOUR.”His personal name “JESUS”is emphatically added, as designed to express that very character.(See on Mt 1:21).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Of this man’s seed hath God, according to his promise,…. In 2Sa 7:12 raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus; even Jesus of Nazareth, whose name signifies a Saviour, who is the son of David, according to the flesh; the word “Jesus” is left out in some copies, and so it is in the Syriac and Ethiopic versions, which only read, “salvation” or “redemption”; the Alexandrian copy, and the Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions, read, “he hath brought forth unto Israel”, c. the sense is, that as God had promised that the Messiah should spring out of David’s loins, so in the fulness of time he had sent him, or caused him to come by the assumption of human nature, or by taking flesh of a virgin, who was of the house and lineage of David and who was sent, and came first to the people of Israel, though they for the most part slighted and rejected him; however, he was raised up for the mystical Israel of God, all the elect, whether Jews or Gentiles; and that to be the Saviour of them, from sin, Satan, and the law, and every enemy, with a spiritual and eternal salvation, and that both of body and soul; and a very able, willing, and suitable Saviour he is, as well as a perfect and complete one. This Saviour, Jehovah, in his infinite wisdom, found, and in his purposes appointed him to be his salvation, and in his covenant provided and settled him as such; and in the prophecies of the Old Testament spoke of him as the Saviour and Redeemer of his people; and in the fulness of time sent him, and raised him up of David’s seed, according to his promise to him. The first promise of a Saviour was made to our first parents, under the character of the seed of the woman; he was next promised to Abraham, that he should be of his seed; and then to Judah, that he should be of his tribe; and after that to David, that he should be of his family; and all this has been fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth, the true Messiah, who is sometimes called David and David’s son. Now it was for the sake of this, that the apostle begins with the choice of the Jewish fathers, and relates so many favours bestowed upon the people of Israel; his view was to lead on to observe this special mercy promised them, and now fulfilled, on which he intended to enlarge in his discourse, as follows.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Of this man’s seed ( ). Emphatic position of . Of this one from the (his) seed.
According to promise (‘ ). This phrase in Gal 3:29; 2Tim 1:1. See the promise in 2Sam 7:2; Ps 132:11; Isa 11:1; Isa 11:10; Jer 23:5; Zech 3:8. In Zec 3:8 the verb is used of the sending of the Messiah as here.
A Saviour Jesus ( ). Jesus is in apposition with Saviour (accusative case) and comes at the end of the sentence in contrast with “this man” (David) at the beginning. Paul goes no further than David because he suggests to him Jesus, descendant in the flesh from David. By “Israel” here Paul means the Jewish people, though he will later enlarge this promise to include the spiritual Israel both Gentile and Jew (Ro 9:6f.).
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
,
1) “Of this man’s seed hath God according to His promise,” (toutou ho theos apo tou spermatos) “From the seed (offspring) or lineage of this man (David),” (kat’ epangelian) “According to, on the basis of, or in fulfillment of promise has God;” The seed-line or Davidic covenant is recounted as established, 2Sa 7:10-13; and further confirmed, Psa 89:27-37; Psa 132:10-12; Isa 11:1; Luk 1:32-33.
2) “Raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus:” (egagen to Israel sotera lesoun) “Brought forth to Israel Jesus, a Saviour or deliverer;” He is called the “horn of salvation,” the good news report of salvation, as the savior of the house of David, and for all men in a particular sense, Psa 132:17; Luk 1:69; Luk 1:77; Luk 2:4; Luk 2:10-11; Luk 2:38; Mat 1:21; Luk 19:10; Rom 11:26.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
23. According to promise. This clause doth also prove that which I have already said elsewhere, that in sending Christ, the Lord had respect only unto his own faithfulness and goodness; for he sent him because he had promised so to do. And as the promise doth testify that salvation was free, so it doth also purchase no small credit to the gospel; because it appeareth by this that Christ came not at a sudden, of whom there was never anything spoken; but that he who was promised from the beginning was now given in his time. But the promises which Luke here toucheth by the way are famous and well known. And they were so common among the Jews, that they called Christ commonly by no other name but the Son of David, (Mat 22:42; Mat 15:22.) He saith that Jesus was raised up to Israel; because, though salvation belong to the whole world, yet was he first a minister of circumcision to fulfill the promises made to the fathers, (Rom 15:8.) He translated the Hebrew name Jesus into σωτηρ in Greek. So that he uttered one thing twice, and yet here is no superfluous repetition; because he meant to declare that Christ is indeed and doth perform that which the name given him by God, by the voice of the angel, doth import.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(23) Raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus.It is, of course, probable that the names of Jesus and of John were not utterly unknown, even in those remote regions of Pisidia. No Jew could have gone up to keep a feast at Jerusalem for some years past without having heard something of the one or of the other. St. Pauls tone is clearly that of one who assumes that their story is already vaguely known, and who comes to offer knowledge of greater clearness.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
23. Of this man’s seed In this verse, which may have been uttered before the Gospels were written, it is remarkable that Paul gives his attestation beforehand to the truth of the genealogies which trace the time of Jesus up to the royal David, thus making Jesus a human prince and legal heir to the throne of Palestine.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
“Of this man’s seed has God according to promise brought to Israel a Saviour, Jesus, when John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. And as John was fulfilling his course, he said, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. But behold, there comes one after me the shoes of whose feet I am not worthy to unloose.”
And of the seed of this paragon among kings has arisen the One Whom Paul is here to announce. For of the seed of David, according to God’s promise to Israel (Isa 11:1-4), God has brought to Israel a Saviour, Jesus. And as God had borne witness to David (Act 13:22), so now He has borne witness to Him too, for He sent before Him John the Baptiser proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins who had declared concerning Him that he, John, was not worthy even to unloose His sandals (Luk 3:16). And when men had magnified John he had repudiated such magnification saying, ‘who am I? I am not the One.’ And had pointed forward to Jesus as the One to be magnified (Joh 1:19-27).
This detailed mention of John is suggestive. There had been no need to combat the belief in John as ‘the prophet’ while in Jerusalem and Judaea, for there they had all witnessed what had followed. John was history. But it was different here, out in the wider world, where news filtered through more slowly. Here in ‘the Dispersion’ were many who had been visitors to Jerusalem in past years whose last memory of it was of John’s ministry. They had been disturbed by it and had responded to it. Many still lived by it (Act 18:24-28). They needed to be made aware that the greater than John had come, the One to Whom he had pointed. This authenticates the words of this speech as spoken to people in the Gentile world who would still have remembered and have honoured John without being aware of Jesus (a touch not likely from an inventor). We can compare how John’s witness is still seen as having produced powerful speakers going around proclaiming his message (Act 18:24-28; Act 19:1-6).
There would be many present who had flocked to hear John when they had gone up to the feasts, for he had preached over a number of years, and they would remember what had been said, and still look back to him with reverence. Thus when Paul spoke of him it would quicken their hearts. (Some few would, of course, actually remember having heard Jesus. But people from these areas would not go up to the feasts every year so that those who had heard Jesus would not be as many as had heard only John).
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
The promise of the Messiah:
v. 23. Of this man’s seed hath God according to His promise raised unto Israel a Savior, Jesus;
v. 24. when John had first preached before His coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel
v. 25. And as John fulfilled his course, he said, Whom think ye that I am? I am not He. But, behold, there cometh One after me whose shoes of His feet I am not worthy to loose. With the mention of David, the great hero of Jewish history, Paul had opened the way to his main theme, the promise, the appearance, and the work of David’s promised Son. It was no longer necessary for the Jews or for any other nation in the world to look forward to the Messiah’s coming, since God had, according to His promise 2Sa 7:12, brought to Israel, out of the offspring of David, Jesus, the Savior. And this event had received further confirmation by the fact that John, in preparation for His coming, before the face of His entering in, had preached a baptism of repentance to the entire people of Israel. John’s was also a baptism of repentance; by coming to the baptism of John, the sinner made a public acknowledgment of the fact that he was a sinner, and that he sought remission of sins by the water of Baptism. And as John was fulfilling his course, near the end of his career as preacher of repentance, he had publicly testified in favor of Christ: Whom do you suppose me to be? I am not He; but He comes after me whose sandals I am not worthy to bear, Mat 3:11; Mar 1:7; Luk 3:16; Joh 1:19-27.
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
Act 13:23-25 . Paul now proceeds to his main point, the announcement of the Messiah, the Son of David , as having appeared in Jesus (Act 13:23 ), whom John already preached before His coming (Act 13:24-25 ).
] with great emphasis, placed first and standing apart.
] according to promise , an essential element for the awakening of faith. Comp. Act 13:32 .
] He brought (Zec 3:8 ) to the Israelites Jesus as deliverer (Messiah), John having previously preached before His coming a baptism of repentance (baptism obliging to change of mind) to all the people of Israel .
] , i.e. ante, and that in a temporal sense (Gesenius, Thes. II. p. 1111). With , according to the context, is meant the official (Messianic) emergence among the people. The Fathers strangely and erroneously refer it to the incarnation. See Suicer, Thes. I. p. 1042.
. . ] but when John fulfilled, was in the act of fulfilling (imperfect; see Bernhardy, p. 373), the course (without figure: the official work incumbent on him; comp. Act 20:24 ; 2Ti 4:7 ; Gal 2:2 ). Paul considers John’s definite pointing to the as that with which the course of the Baptist approached its termination; the of the forerunner was actually concluded as regards its idea and purpose, when Jesus Himself publicly appeared.
. ;] is, with Erasmus, Castalio, Calvin, Beza, and many others, to be taken as a question; not, with Luther, Grotius, Kuinoel, Lachmann, Buttmann, as a relative clause: “quem me esse putatis, non sum,” which, indeed, is linguistically justifiable (Mat 10:19 , al.; Winer, p. 159 [E. T. 210]; Buttmann, neut. Gr. p. 216 [E. T. 251], but detracts from the liveliness of the speech. Comp. Jas 3:15 .
] namely, the Messiah (Joh 1:20 ), as self-evidently the expected Person, who was vividly before the mind of John and of his hearers. Comp. Mar 13:6 ; Luk 21:8 ; Joh 13:19 .
On Act 13:25 generally, comp. Luk 3:15 f.
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
23 Of this man’s seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus:
Ver. 23. A Saviour, Jesus ] The Greek word here rendered Saviour is so emphatic, that other tongues can hardly find a fit word to express it, as Cicero noteth. Sotera inscriptum vidi Syracusis. Hoc quantum est? Ita magnum ut Latino nno verbo exprimi non possit.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
23. . ] viz. the promise in ref. Zech. (LXX), where the very word is used; not however excluding the many other promises to the same effect.
The reading has probably arisen from the contracted way of writing , thus: ; and then from Act 13:26 was adopted.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Act 13:23 . : phrase only found in Gal 3:29 , 2Ti 1:1 : the Messianic promises generally, or more specifically 2Sa 7:12 , Psa 132:11 , Isa 11:1 ; Isa 11:10 , Jer 23:5-6 , Zec 3:8 . In the last prophecy the LXX read the verb which is found in the verse before us, see critical notes. : emphatic at the end of the clause, as at the beginning of the verse.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Of = From. Greek. apo.
this man’s = this one’s.
according to. Greek. kata, as in Act 13:22.
promise. See 2Sa 7:12-16. Psa 132:11.
raised. Greek. egeiro, as in Act 13:22. But the texts read ago, led or brought.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
23. . ] viz. the promise in ref. Zech. (LXX), where the very word is used; not however excluding the many other promises to the same effect.
The reading has probably arisen from the contracted way of writing , thus: ; and then from Act 13:26 was adopted.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Act 13:23. , according to His promise) 2Sa 7:12, When thy days be fulfilled-I will set up thy seed after thee-and I will establish his kingdom. The mention of the promise gives a handle for faith in relation to these hearers.-, hath brought) So the best MSS.[76] Many have , which evidently comes from Act 13:22. But is rendered by the LXX. , in Isa 48:15, I have brought Him, and He shall make His way prosperous; Dan 9:24, To bring in everlasting righteousness. Especially let the passage, Zec 3:8, be well weighed, Behold I bring forth, (I bring to you), My servant the Day-spring (or else the Branch).-, a Saviour) So , of salvation, Act 13:26. He alludes to the signification of the name Jesus, which is expressed also in Act 13:32.
[76] ABEe Vulg. Memph. read . CDd and Rec. Text have .-E. and T.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Saviour
(See Scofield “Rom 1:16”).
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
this: Act 2:30, 2Sa 7:12, Psa 89:35-37, Psa 132:11, Isa 7:13, Isa 11:1, Isa 11:10, Jer 23:5, Jer 23:6, Jer 33:15-17, Amo 9:11, Mat 1:1, Mat 21:9, Mat 22:42, Luk 1:31-33, Luk 1:69, Joh 7:42, Rom 1:3, Rev 22:16
raised: Act 2:32-36, Act 3:26, Act 4:12, Act 5:30, Act 5:31, Isa 43:11, Isa 45:21, Zec 9:9, Mat 1:21, Luk 2:10, Luk 2:11, Joh 4:42, Rom 11:26, Tit 1:4, Tit 2:10-14, Tit 3:3-6, 2Pe 1:1, 2Pe 1:11, 2Pe 2:20, 2Pe 3:2, 2Pe 3:18, 1Jo 4:14, Jud 1:25
Reciprocal: Psa 69:6 – O God of Israel Isa 45:15 – O God Mat 1:6 – Jesse Mar 10:47 – thou Luk 3:32 – was the son of Jesse Act 19:4 – John 2Ti 1:10 – our 2Ti 2:8 – Jesus
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
3
Act 13:23. The importance of David was due to the fact that he was to become the ancestor, both fleshly and spiritually, of the Saviour of Israel and all the world.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Second Division of the Sermon.Of the Promised Messiah, Jesus, the Son of David, 23-37.
Act 13:23. Of this mans seed. This was the first requisite, for unless He were descended from David, Jesus could not be the Messiah foretold by the prophets.
God, according to his promise, raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus. The first part of the Antioch sermon spoke of the history of Israel under the protection and guidance of the unseen Messiah; the second part of the discourse tells of this Messiahs appearance on earth.
According to His promise. Paul returns to and speaks of the long looked-for promise in the thirty-second verse. Instead of the word translated raised (unto Israel), the word contained in the older Mss. here signifies brought (unto Israel). It is the very word used in the Messianic prophecy of Zec 3:8 : Behold, I will bring forth my servant the Branch.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Act 13:23-25. Of this mans seed From that rod out of the stem of Jesse, that branch out of his roots; hath God, according to his promise, (Isa 9:6-7; Isa 11:1; Jer 23:5-6,) raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus So long foretold in the sacred oracles. When John had first preached, before his coming Greek, , to introduce his appearance: (so Doddridge:) the baptism of repentance Even that baptism which, in token of their repentance, they were commanded by God to receive. Of Johns preaching, see the notes on Mat 3:1, &c.; Luk 3:7-17. He mentions the preaching of John in this incidental manner as a thing already known to them. And so, doubtless, it was: for it gave so loud an alarm to the whole Jewish nation, as could not but be heard in foreign countries, at least as remote as Pisidia. As John fulfilled his course His work was quickly finished, and, therefore, might well be termed, a course, or race: he said, Who think ye that I am? I am not he I am not the person whom you suppose me to be, that is, the Messiah. See the notes on Joh 1:20; Joh 1:27.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
See notes one verse 17
Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)
23-25. John the Baptist, the greatest of the prophets, disclaimed the Messiahship and testified to the Christhood of Jesus.
Fuente: William Godbey’s Commentary on the New Testament
Verse 23
Seed; posterity.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
13:23 {9} Of this man’s seed hath God according to [his] promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus:
(9) He proves by the witness of John that Jesus is the Saviour who would come from David.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Paul then announced that the promised Messiah had come and that He was Jesus. The promise in view seems to be the one in Isa 11:1-16, which speaks of Messiah coming from David’s descendants.