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Selected Verse: Acts 14:17 - Strong Concordance
| Verse |
Translation |
Text |
| Ac 14:17 |
Strong Concordance |
Nevertheless [2544] [2532] he left [863] not [3756] himself [1438] without witness [267], in that he did good [15], and gave [1325] us [2254] rain [5205] from heaven [3771], and [2532] fruitful [2593] seasons [2540], filling [1705] our [2257] hearts [2588] with food [5160] and [2532] gladness [2167]. |
| |
King James |
Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness. |
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] |
Nevertheless he left not himself without witness--Though the heinousness of idolatry is represented as so much less in the heathen, by how much they were outside the pale of revealed religion, he takes care to add that the heathen have divine "witness" enough to leave them "without excuse."
he did good--scattering His beneficence everywhere and in a thousand forms.
rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons--on which human subsistence and all human enjoyment depend. In Lycaonia, where, as ancient writers attest, rain is peculiarly scarce, this allusion would have all the greater effect.
filling our hearts with food and gladness--a natural colloquialism, the heart being gladdened by the food supplied to the body. |
| Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
Nevertheless - Though he gave them no revelation.
He left not himself without witness - He gave demonstration of his existence and of his moral character.
In that he did good - By doing good. The manner in which he did it, Paul immediately specifies. Idols did not do good; they conferred no favors, and were, therefore, unworthy of confidence.
And gave us rain from heaven - Rain from above - from the clouds, Mar 8:11; Luk 9:54; Luk 17:29; Luk 21:11; Joh 6:31-32. Rain is one of the evidences of the goodness of God. Man could not cause it; and without it, regulated at proper intervals of time and in proper quantities, the earth would soon be one wide scene of desolation. There is scarcely anything which more certainly indicates unceasing care and wisdom than the needful and refreshing showers of rain. The sun and stars move by fixed laws, whose operation we can see and anticipate. The falling of rain is regulated by laws which We cannot trace, and it seems, therefore, to be poured, as it were, directly from God's hollow hand, Psa 147:8, "Who covereth the heaven with clouds; who prepareth rain for the earth."
And fruitful seasons - Seasons when the earth produces abundance. It is remarkable, and a striking proof of the divine goodness, that so few seasons are unfruitful. The earth yields her increase; the labors of the farmer are crowned with success; and the goodness of God demands the expressions of praise. God does not forget his ancient covenant Gen 8:22, though man forgets it, and disregards his great Benefactor.
Filling our hearts with food - The word "hearts" is used here as a Hebraism, to denote "persons" themselves; filling us with food, etc. Compare Mat 12:40.
Gladness - Joy; comfort the comfort arising from the supply of our constantly returning needs. This is proof of everwatchful goodness. It is a demonstration at once that there is a God, and that he is good. It would be easy for God to withdraw these blessings, and leave us to want. A single word, or a single deviation from the fullness of benevolence, would blast all these comforts, and leave us to lamentation, woe, and death, Psa 104:27-29; Psa 145:15-16. |
| Vincent's Word Studies, by Marvin R. Vincent [1886] |
Rains
Jupiter was lord of the air. He dispensed the thunder and lightning, the rain and the hail, the rivers and tempests. "All signs and portents whatever, that appear in the air, belong primarily to him, as does the genial sign of the rainbow" (Gladstone, "Homer and the Homeric Age"). The mention of rain is appropriate, as there was a scarcity of water in Lycaonia.
Food
Mercury, as the god of merchandise, was also the dispenser of food.
"No one can read the speech without once more perceiving its subtle and inimitable coincidence with his (Paul's) thoughts and expressions. The rhythmic conclusion is not unaccordant with the style of his most elevated moods; and besides the appropriate appeal to God's natural gifts in a town not in itself unhappily situated, but surrounded by a waterless and treeless plain, we may naturally suppose that the 'filling our hearts with food and gladness' was suggested by the garlands and festive pomp which accompanied the bulls on which the people would afterward have made their common banquet" (Farrar, "Life and Work of Paul"). For the coincidences between this discourse and other utterances of Paul, compare Act 14:15, and Th1 1:9; Act 14:16, and Rom 3:25; Act 17:30; Act 14:17, and Rom 1:19, Rom 1:20. |
| Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
| He left not himself without witness - For the heathens had always from God himself a testimony both of his existence and of his providence; in that he did good - Even by punishments he testifies of himself; but more peculiarly by benefits; giving rain - By which air, earth, and sea, are, as it were, all joined together; from heaven - The seat of God; to which St. Paul probably pointed while he spoke, filling the body with food, the soul with gladness. |
| Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
He left not himself without witness - Though he gave the Gentiles no revelation of his will, yet he continued to govern them by his gracious providence; doing them good in general; giving then rain to fertilize their grounds, and fruitful seasons as the result; so that grass grew for the cattle and corn for the service of man.
Filling our hearts with food - Giving as much food as could reasonably be wished, so that gladness, or general happiness, was the result. Such was the gracious provision made for man, at all times, that the economy and bounty of the Divine Being were equally evidenced by it. He never gives less than is necessary, nor more than is sufficient. His economy forbids men to waste, by going them in general no profusion. His bounty forbids them to want, by giving as much as is sufficient for all the natural wants of his creatures. By not giving too much, he prevents luxury and riot: by giving enough, he prevents discontent and misery. Thus he does mankind good, by causing his rain to descend upon the just and the unjust, and his sun to shine upon the evil, and the good. Thus he is said not to have left himself without witness: for his providential dealings are the witnesses of his being, his wisdom, and his bounty; and thus the invisible things of God, even his eternal power and Godhead, were clearly seen, being understood by the things which are made, Rom 1:20. Therefore those who continued to worship stocks and stones were without excuse. These were great and striking truths; and into what detail the apostles now went, we cannot say; but it is likely that they spoke much more than is here related, as the next verse states that, with all these sayings, they found it difficult to prevent the people from offering them sacrifice. |
15 The eyes [05869] of all wait [07663] upon thee; and thou givest [05414] them their meat [0400] in due season [06256].
16 Thou openest [06605] thine hand [03027], and satisfiest [07646] the desire [07522] of every living thing [02416].
27 These wait [07663] all upon thee; that thou mayest give [05414] them their meat [0400] in due season [06256].
28 That thou givest [05414] them they gather [03950]: thou openest [06605] thine hand [03027], they are filled [07646] with good [02896].
29 Thou hidest [05641] thy face [06440], they are troubled [0926]: thou takest away [0622] their breath [07307], they die [01478], and return [07725] to their dust [06083].
40 For [1063] as [5618] Jonas [2495] was [2258] three [5140] days [2250] and [2532] three [5140] nights [3571] in [1722] the whale's [2785] belly [2836]; so [3779] shall the Son [5207] of man [444] be [2071] three [5140] days [2250] and [2532] three [5140] nights [3571] in [1722] the heart [2588] of the earth [1093].
22 While the earth [0776] remaineth [03117], seedtime [02233] and harvest [07105], and cold [07120] and heat [02527], and summer [07019] and winter [02779], and day [03117] and night [03915] shall not cease [07673].
8 Who covereth [03680] the heaven [08064] with clouds [05645], who prepareth [03559] rain [04306] for the earth [0776], who maketh grass [02682] to grow [06779] upon the mountains [02022].
31 Our [2257] fathers [3962] did eat [5315] manna [3131] in [1722] the desert [2048]; as [2531] it is [2076] written [1125], He gave [1325] them [846] bread [740] from [1537] heaven [3772] to eat [5315].
32 Then [3767] Jesus [2424] said [2036] unto them [846], Verily [281], verily [281], I say [3004] unto you [5213], Moses [3475] gave [1325] you [5213] not [3756] that bread [740] from [1537] heaven [3772]; but [235] my [3450] Father [3962] giveth [1325] you [5213] the true [228] bread [740] from [1537] heaven [3772].
11 And [5037] great [3173] earthquakes [4578] shall be [2071] in [2596] divers places [5117], and [2532] famines [3042], and [2532] pestilences [3061]; and [5037] fearful sights [5400] and [2532] great [3173] signs [4592] shall there be [2071] from [575] heaven [3772].
29 But [3739] [1161] the same day [2250] that Lot [3091] went [1831] out of [575] Sodom [4670] it rained [1026] fire [4442] and [2532] brimstone [2303] from [575] heaven [3772], and [2532] destroyed [622] them all [537].
54 And [1161] when his [846] disciples [3101] James [2385] and [2532] John [2491] saw [1492] this, they said [2036], Lord [2962], wilt thou [2309] that we command [2036] fire [4442] to come down [2597] from [575] heaven [3772], and [2532] consume [355] them [846], even [2532] as [5613] Elias [2243] did [4160]?
11 And [2532] the Pharisees [5330] came forth [1831], and [2532] began [756] to question [4802] with him [846], seeking [2212] of [3844] him [846] a sign [4592] from [575] heaven [3772], tempting [3985] him [846].
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]:
19 Because [1360] that which may be known [1110] of God [2316] is [2076] manifest [5318] in [1722] them [846]; for [1063] God [2316] hath shewed [5319] it unto them [846].
17 Nevertheless [2544] [2532] he left [863] not [3756] himself [1438] without witness [267], in that he did good [15], and gave [1325] us [2254] rain [5205] from heaven [3771], and [2532] fruitful [2593] seasons [2540], filling [1705] our [2257] hearts [2588] with food [5160] and [2532] gladness [2167].
30 And [3303] [3767] the times [5550] of this ignorance [52] God [2316] winked at [5237]; but now [3569] commandeth [3853] all [3956] men [444] every where [3837] to repent [3340]:
25 Whom [3739] God [2316] hath set forth [4388] to be a propitiation [2435] through [1223] faith [4102] in [1722] his [846] blood [129], to [1519] declare [1732] his [846] righteousness [1343] for [1223] the remission [3929] of sins [265] that are past [4266], through [1722] the forbearance [463] of God [2316];
16 Who [3739] in [1722] times [1074] past [3944] suffered [1439] all [3956] nations [1484] to walk [4198] in their own [846] ways [3598].
9 For [1063] they [518] themselves [846] shew [518] of [4012] us [2257] what manner [3697] of entering in [1529] we had [2192] [2192] unto [4314] you [5209], and [2532] how [4459] ye turned [1994] to [4314] God [2316] from [575] idols [1497] to serve [1398] the living [2198] and [2532] true [228] God [2316];
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]:
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]: