Acts 3:17

Acts 3:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.
• New International Version (NIV)“Now, fellow Israelites, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders.
• English Standard Version (ESV)"And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers.
• New King James Version (NKJV)“Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers.

Context of Acts 3:17

15But Jesus is the person who leads people to true life. When you refused him, it meant that you killed him. But God made him alive again and raised him up from death. We ourselves saw him alive after he had died and we are telling you about it. 16It is the power of Jesus that has made this man completely well again. We believe in him. We know that he has authority. You know this man. You saw that he had weak legs. Jesus has caused this man's legs to become strong. You can all see for yourselves what has happened. Yes, he is now well because we havetrusted Jesus and his power. Friends, when you did all this to Jesus, you did not really know what you were doing. Your leaders also did not understand. 18Jesus was God's Messiah. A long time ago, many of God's prophets spoke about him. They spoke God's message about what would happen to the Messiah. They said that he would suffer. God has now caused these things to happen. 19So you must stop doing wrong things. Change how you live and turn to God. Then God will forgive you for all the wrong things that you have done.

Acts 3:17 word by word

καὶ νῦν, ἀδελφοί, οἶδα ὅτι κατὰ ἄγνοιαν ἐπράξατε, ὥσπερ καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντες ὑμῶν·Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• nowνῦνnun · nowG3568
• brethrenἀδελφόςadelphos · brotherG80
• I wotεἴδωeidō · to perceive: understandG1492
• thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• throughκατάkata · according toG2596
• ignoranceἄγνοιαagnoia · ignoranceG52
• ye didπράσσωprassō · to do/requireG4238
• asὥσπερhōsper · just asG5618
• yourσύsu · youG4771
• rulersὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• rulersἄρχωνarchōn · rulerG758

Cross-references for Acts 3:17

• Acts 7:40So the people said to Aaron, “Please make us some gods that we can carry in front of us. Yes, that man Moses brought us out of Egypt. But now we do not know what has happened to him.”
• Genesis 21:26Abimelech said, ‘I do not know who has done this. You did not tell me before. I did not hear about it until today.’
• Genesis 39:8But Joseph refused to do that. He said, ‘My master does not need to think about anything in the house. I take care of everything that belongs to him.
• Genesis 44:15Joseph said, ‘Why have you done this bad thing? You should have known about an important man like me. I can use magic to find out what people do.’
• Exodus 32:1The people realized that Moses had been on the mountain for a long time. So they went in a group to Aaron. They said to him, ‘Do something! Make some gods for us who will lead us. This man, Moses, brought us here out of Egypt. But now we do not know what has happened to him.’
• Numbers 22:6They are more powerful than I am. Come here and put a curse on them. If you do that, maybe I will win against them. Then I can chase them away from our land. I know that you have the authority to bless people or to curse them.’
• Romans 11:2God chose who would be his people from the beginning. He has not turned against them now. Remember what the Bible tells us about Elijah. He wanted God to punish Israel's people. Elijah said:
• Philippians 1:22But if I continue to live, I will be able to do more good things to help people. I do not know whether it would be better to live or to die. I do not know which to choose.
• Acts 13:27The people who were living in Jerusalem, and their leaders, did not understand about Jesus. They did not know that he was God's special man. Every Jewish day of rest, someone reads aloud the messages of God's prophets. But the people in Jerusalem did not understand. Instead, they said that Jesus had done bad things. They said that he should die. In that way, they caused the message of the prophets to become true.
• Numbers 15:24Perhaps somebody does not know that they are not obeying one of my rules. When that happens, they must sacrifice a young bull as a burnt offering. The smell of the smoke from this sacrifice will please the Lord. Also, they must give a grain offering, a drink offering and a male goat as a sin offering.
• Luke 23:34Jesus said, ‘Father, these people do not know what they are doing. So please forgive them.’ The soldiers then picked up Jesus' clothes for themselves. They played a game to decide who would receive each piece of his clothes.
• John 7:26But look! He is speaking to the crowds, and the leaders are not saying anything against him! Perhaps they really think that he is the Messiah!
• John 16:3They will do these things to you because they have never known either the Father or me.
• 1 Corinthians 2:8None of the rulers of this world understood God's wise plan. If they had understood, they would not have killed Jesus on a cross. He is the Lord who rules heaven and earth.
• 2 Corinthians 3:14But those Israelite people could not think properly. Even today, they still do not understand the message of God's old agreement. When they read it, they are like people who have a cloth that covers their minds. It continues like that unless they believe in Christ. Then Christ removes the cloth so that they understand.
• 1 Timothy 1:13Before he chose me, I said bad things about him. I caused great trouble for his people. I was a cruel man, but God was very kind to me. He forgave me because I did not know what I was doing. That was because I did not believe in Jesus.

Commentaries on Acts 3:17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17I wot - , I know. Wot is from the Anglo-Saxon, to know; and hence wit, science or understanding. Through ignorance ye did it - This is a very tender excuse for them; and one which seems to be necessary, in order to show them that their state was not utterly desperate; for if all that they did to Christ had been through absolute malice, (they well knowing who he was), if any sin could be supposed to be unpardonable, it must have been theirs. Peter…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17And now, brethren - Though they had been guilty of a crime so enormous, yet Peter shows the tenderness of his heart in addressing them still as his brethren. He regarded them as of the same nation with himself; as having the same hopes, and as being entitled to the same privileges. The expression also shows that he was not disposed to exalt himself as being by nature more holy than they. This verse is a remarkable instance of tenderness in appealing to…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-18Verses 12-18 Observe the difference in the manner of working the miracles. Our Lord always spoke as having Almighty power, never hesitated to receive the greatest honour that was given to him on account of his Divine miracles. But the apostles referred all to their Lord, and refused to receive any honour, except as his undeserving instruments. This shows that Jesus was one with the Father, and co-equal with Him; while the apostles knew that they were…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17brothers: This was a common way to address each other (13:15, 26, 38; Genesis 27:29; Leviticus 10:6; 25:46; Numbers 20:3; Deuteronomy 1:28; 24:7; Joshua 22:3–4; 2 Samuel 2:26; Ezekiel 11:15). in ignorance: See Acts 17:30; 1 Timothy 1:12–14. The Christian message challenges this lack of knowledge. The gospel calls everyone to respond with faith and to repent (Acts 2:38).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 17-2117-21. And now, brethren--Our preacher, like his Master, "will not break the bruised reed." His heaviest charges are prompted by love, which now hastens to assuage the wounds it was necessary to inflict. I wot--"know." through ignorance ye did it--(See marginal references, Lu 23:34; Ac 13:27; 26:9).Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 3:17

• Blindness
• Courage
• Ignorance
• Minister, Christian
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• Alms
• Convert
• Foretell
• Glorify
• Peter
• Prince
• Repent
• Restitution
• Wonder
• Acts of the Apostles

Commentaries on Acts 3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings