Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Acts 2:26
Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:
26. my tongue was glad ] The Heb. has my glory. Cp. Psa 108:1, where the A. V. has, according to the Hebrew, “I will give praise even with my glory,” while the Prayer-book Version renders “ with the best member that I have.”
shall rest ] Lit. shall tabernacle.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Therefore – Peter ascribes these expressions to the Messiah. The reason why he would exult or rejoice was, that he would be preserved amidst the sorrows that were coming on him, and could look forward to the triumph that awaited him. Thus, Paul says Heb 12:2 that Jesus …for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, etc. Throughout the New Testament, the shame and sorrow of his sufferings were regarded as connected with his glory and his triumph, Luk 24:26; Phi 2:6-9; Eph 1:20-21. In this our Saviour has left us an example that we should walk in his steps. The prospect of future glory and triumph should sustain us amidst all afflictions, and make us ready, like him, to lie down in even the corruptions of the grave.
Did my heart rejoice – In the Hebrew this is in the prescott tense, my heart rejoices. The word heart here expresses the person, and is the same as saying I rejoice. The Hebrews used the different members to express the person. And thus we say, every soul perished; the vessel had 40 hands; wise heads do not think so; hearts of steel will not flinch, etc. (Prof. Stuart on Psa 16:1-11). The meaning is, because God is near me in time of calamity, and will support and deliver me, I will not be agitated or fear, but will exult in the prospect of the future, in view of the joy that is set before me.
My tongue was glad – Hebrew, My glory or my honor exults. The word is used to denote majesty, splendor, dignity, honor. It is also used to express the heart or soul, either because that is the chief source of mans dignity, or because the word is also expressive of the liver, regarded by the Hebrews as the seat of the affections, Gen 49:6, Unto their assembly, mine honor, that is, my soul, or myself, be not thou united; Psa 57:8, Awake up, my glory, etc.; Psa 108:1, I will sing …even with my glory. This word the Septuagint translated tongue. The Arabic and Latin Vulgate have also done the same. Why they thus use the word is not clear. It may be because the tongue, or the gift of speech, was what chiefly contributes to the honor of man, or distinguishes him from the brutal creation. The word glory is used expressly for tongue in Psa 30:12; To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent.
Moreover also – Truly; in addition to this.
My flesh – My body. See Act 2:31; 1Co 5:5. It means here properly the body separate from the soul; the dead body.
Shall rest – Shall rest or repose in the grave, free from corruption.
In hope – In confident expectation of a resurrection. The Hebrew word rather expresses confidence than hope. The passage means, My body will I commit to the grave, with a confident expectation of the future, that is, with a firm belief that it will not see corruption, but will be raised up. It thus expresses the feelings of the dying Messiah; the assured confidence which he had that his repose in the grave would not be long, and would certainly come to an end. The death of Christians is also in the New Testament represented as a sleep, and as repose Act 7:60; 1Co 15:6, 1Co 15:18; 1Th 4:13, 1Th 4:15; 2Pe 3:4; and they may also, after the example of their Lord, commit their bodies to the dust, in hope. They will lie in the grave under the assurance of a happy resurrection; and though their bodies, unlike his, will moulder to their native dust, yet this corruptible will put on incorruption, and this mortal will put on immorality, 1Co 15:53.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 26. And my tongue was glad] In the Hebrew it is vaiyagel kebodi, “And my glory was glad:” but the evangelist follows the Septuagint, in reading , what all the other Greek interpreters in the Hexapla translate , my glory. And what is to be understood by glory here! Why the soul, certainly, and not the tongue; and so some of the best critics interpret the place.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Therefore, because of Gods nearness to or presence with him,
did my heart rejoice; Christs and his peoples joy is solid and true, real and inward, and may bear the test, res severa est verum gaudium.
My tongue; in Psa 16:9, it is my glory, as the tongue is frequently called; communicating our thoughts or apprehensions by speech, being the excellency of a reasonable creature.
My flesh; or my body.
Shall rest; or be in the grave, as in a tabernacle, ordinarily a movable, always no durable abiding place.
In hope; that is, of the resurrection, and going out of that tabernacle of the grave.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Therefore did my heart rejoice,…. Because that he had always the truth, faithfulness, and power of God in his view, and the presence and protection of God with him; and which are sufficient to make the hearts of his people, as well as of him, to rejoice:
and my tongue was glad: in the Hebrew text it is, “my glory”; and so the Syriac version renders it here; which Kimchi explains of the soul, because that is the glory of the body; but our apostle rightly interprets it of the tongue, which is so called, Ps 30:12 and
Ps 57:8 and Ps 108:1 because it is both the glory of man, for that being endowed with the faculty of speaking, gives him a glory above the brute creatures; and because it is that by which he glorifies God, by ascribing greatness to him, speaking of his marvellous works, and singing his praises, as Christ did, in the great congregation, among his apostles, a little before his death.
Moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope, or “safely”; meaning, that his body should lie quietly in the grave, as in its resting place from all toil and labour, pains and sorrows, and be secure from worms, or any corruption. Or this may be understood of his person being in a quiet, firm, and full hope of the resurrection of the dead, and of eternal life and glory.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Was glad (). First aorist (timeless here like the Hebrew perfect) passive indicative of (cf. Lu 15:32). Timeless also is “rejoiced” ().
Shall dwell (). Shall tabernacle, pitch a tent, make one’s abode (cf. Mt 13:32). See on Mt 8:20 about (nests)
In hope (‘ ). On hope, the hope of the resurrection.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Rejoiced [] . Rev., was glad. See on 1Pe 1:6.
Shall rest [] . See on nests, Mt 8:20. Better, as Rev., dwell. Lit., dwell in a tent or tabernacle. Rendered lodge, Mt 8:32; Mr 4:32; Luk 8:19. It is a beautiful metaphor. My flesh shall encamp on hope; pitch its tent there to rest through the night of death, until the morning of resurrection.
In hope [ ] . Lit., on hope : resting on the hope of resurrection; his body being poetically conceived as hoping.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “Therefore did my heart rejoice,” (doa touto euphranthe mou he kardia) “As a result my heart was glad;” The joy of Jesus in doing the will of His Father, even in going to the grave, should also fill the hearts of believers in full assurance that they too shall one day be brought forth to be with Him forever, Joh 15:11; Joh 16:24.
2) “And my tongue was glad; (kai egalliasato heglossa mou) “And my tongue was exulted,” witnessed in or with gladness, Luk 15:32; Joh 8:56; our Lord was glad and sad at the death of Lazarus- -sad from His affectionate attachment to His bereaved family, but glad that the Father thru Him might demonstrate His power in the resurrection of Lazarus from the dead, Joh 11:15; Joh 11:35; Joh 11:42.
3) “Moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: (eti de kai he sarks; mou kataskenosei ep’ elpidi) “And what is more my flesh will also tabernacle or dwell in a state of hope or expectance,” while I live without fear or anxiety of the coming hour of death, as expressed by the Psalmist, Psa 23:1-4. As our Lord faced the hour of death and the grave in triumphant and expectant joy, so should we know and love Him, Heb 12:2.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
26. For this my heart rejoiced Joy of the soul, gladness of the tongue, and quietness of all the whole body, do ensue upon sure hope and confidence; for unless men be quite past feeling, (118) they must needs be careful and sorrowful, and so, consequently, miserably tormented, so long as they feel themselves destitute of the help of God. But that sure trust which we repose in God doth not only deliver us from carefulness, (119) but doth also replenish our hearts with wonderful joy (and gladness.) That is the joy which Christ promised to his disciples should be full in them, and which he testified could not be taken from them, (Joh 16:22.) He expresseth the greatness of the joy when he saith, That it cannot be kept in, but that it will break forth into the gladness of the tongue. (120) כבוד, doth signify, indeed, glory, but it is taken in that place, as in many others, for the tongue And so the Grecians have truly translated the same. The rest of the flesh doth signify the quietness of the whole man, which we have through the protection of God. Neither is this any let, because the faithful are continually out of quiet and tremble; for as in the midst of sorrows they do nevertheless rejoice; so there are no troubles so great that can break them of their rest. If any man object, that the peace of the faithful doth consist in the spirit, and that it is not in the flesh: I answer, that the faithful do rest in body; not that they are free from troubles, but because they believe that God careth for them wholly, and that not only their soul shall be safe through his protection, but their body also.
(118) “ Stupeant,” be stupid or stunned.
(119) “ Anxietate,” anxiety.
(120) “ Quin erumpat in linguae exultationem,” but will burst forth into the language of exultation.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(26) My tongue was glad.The Hebrew gives my glory, a term which was applied to the mind of man, perhaps also to his faculty of speech (Psa. 57:8; Psa. 62:7), as that by which he excelled all other creatures of Gods hand. The LXX. had paraphrased the word by tongue, and St. Peter, or St. Luke reporting his speech, follows that version.
Also my flesh shall rest in hope.Literally, shall tabernacle, or, dwell as in a tabernacle. We may, perhaps, trace an echo of the thought in 2Pe. 1:13-14.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Act 2:26 . Therefore my heart rejoiced and my tongue exulted . The aorists denote an act of the time described by . . ., the joyful remembrance of which is here expressed.
, : the heart, the centre of personal life, is also the seat of the moral feelings and determinations of the will: Delitzsch, Psych. p. 248 ff.
Instead of , the Hebrew has , i.e. my soul (Psa 7:6 ; Psa 30:12 , et al.; see Schoettgen, p. 415), in place of which the LXX. either found a different reading or gave a free rendering.
. . .] but moreover also my flesh (body) shall tabernacle, that is, settle itself by way of encampment, on hope, by which the Psalmist expresses his confidence that he shall not perish, but continue in life while, according to Peter, from the point of view of the fulfilment that has taken place in Christ, these words (Act 2:25 ) prophetically express that the body of Christ will tarry in the grave on hope, i.e. on the basis of the hope of rising from the dead. Thus what is divinely destined for Christ
His resurrection appears in poetic mould as the object of the hope of His body.
] Comp. Luk 14:26 ; Act 21:28 ; Soph.O. R. 1345.
] as in Rom 4:18 .
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
26 Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:
Ver. 26. My tongue ] Heb. “my glory.” With the tongue bless we God, Jas 3:9 , which is the best way of ennobling it.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
26. ] Heb. , ‘ my glory :’ so in Psa 108:1 , where our prayer-book version renders “I will give praise with the best member that I have.” Cf. also Psa 57:8 .
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Therefore = On account of (App-104. Act 2:2) this.
was glad = rejoiced exceedingly. See Mat 5:12. 1Pe 1:8; 1Pe 4:13.
also my flesh = my flesh also.
rest. Literally tabernacle. Greek. kataskenoo. Here; Mat 13:32. Mar 4:32. Luk 13:19.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
26. ] Heb. , my glory: so in Psa 108:1, where our prayer-book version renders I will give praise with the best member that I have. Cf. also Psa 57:8.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Act 2:26. , my tongue) So the LXX. have translated in Hebrew poetry; the signification of which may be gathered from Ps. 30:13, My glory (i.e. my tongue or my soul) may sing praise, with which comp. Act 2:9, where the words in antithesis are, dust and glory; just as in Psa 7:5, Lay mine honour in the dust; also, from Psa 57:7-8, My heart is fixed, etc. Awake up, my glory; awake up, psaltery and harp wherein glory stands midway between the heart and the instruments; also, from this very saying, Psa 16:9, wherein the glory is put midway between the heart and the flesh. Therefore it denotes the very flower of nature, which even especially puts itself forth through the tongue, the voice, or singing; for glory is to the flesh the same that the flower is to the grass or herb; 1Pe 1:24, All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass: or the beauty of its look, Jam 1:11, The sun withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace (or beauty) of the fashion (or look) of it ( ) perisheth.- , moreover indeed) also, so therefore. Epitasis [an emphatic addition to a previous enunciation. Append.].
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
my tongue: Psa 16:9, Psa 22:22-24, Psa 30:11, Psa 63:5, Psa 71:23
Reciprocal: Psa 57:8 – my glory Zec 10:7 – their heart Luk 1:42 – blessed is Gal 3:8 – In Heb 12:2 – for Jam 3:9 – Therewith
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
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Christ rejoiced because of a hope he had concerning his fleshly body. He knew that he must die, and that his fleshly body would be without its soul for a time. The usual result of such a separation of soul and body is for the latter to decay. Jesus not only had hope that involved his soul (inner .man), but also one that was favorable for his fleshly body. That twofold hope will be revealed in the next verse.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Act 2:26. Therefore did my heart rejoice. These words describe Messiahs glad consciousness on earth of His oneness with the Father; for an expression of this, compare the words of Jesus on the occasion of the raising of Lazarus (St. John, Joh 11:42), I know that Thou hearest me always.
And my tongue was glad, , LXX. The Hebrew has glory (that is, my soul), whose pre-eminent dignity in man the Hebrews recognised by this paraphrase. Wordsworth remarks that this paraphrase of the LXX. of my glory by my tongue, was very appropriate on that day of Pentecost, when, in a special manner, the tongues of the apostles were made instruments for declaring Gods glory in the world.
Moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope. Christ expresses His confidence that His very flesh would rest in the grave in sure and confident hope. The ground of this hope appears in the next verse.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
See notes on verse 25
Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)
God’s presence with David made him happy and hopeful. Likewise the fact that Jesus was now at God’s right hand made Peter happy and hopeful.