Acts 17:25

Acts 17:25 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;
• New International Version (NIV)And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.
• English Standard Version (ESV)nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things.

Context of Acts 17:25

23As I was going through your city and looking closely at the objects you worship, I noticed an altar with this written on it: ‘To an unknown god.’ I’m telling you about the unknown god you worship. 24The God who made the universe and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth. He doesn’t live in shrines made by humans, and he isn’t served by humans as if he needed anything. He gives everyone life, breath, and everything they have. 26From one man he has made every nation of humanity to live all over the earth. He has given them the seasons of the year and the boundaries within which to live. 27He has done this so that they would look for God, somehow reach for him, and find him. In fact, he is never far from any one of us.

Acts 17:25 word by word

οὐδὲ ὑπὸ χειρῶν ἀνθρωπίνων θεραπεύεται προσδεόμενός τινος, αὐτὸς διδοὺς πᾶσιν ζωὴν καὶ πνοὴν καὶ τὰ πάντα·Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Neitherοὐδέoude · norG3761
• is worshippedθεραπεύωtherapeuō · to serve/healG2323
• withὑπόhupo · by/under: byG5259
• men’sἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
• handsχείρcheir · handG5495
• as though he neededπροσδέωprosdeomai · to needG4326
• any thingτιςtis · oneG5100
• seeing heαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• givethδίδωμιdidōmi · to giveG1325
• to allπᾶςpas · allG3956
• lifeζωήzōē · lifeG2222
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• breathπνοήpnoē · wind/breathG4157
• all thingsὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588

Cross-references for Acts 17:25

• Job 22:2“Can a human be of any use to God when even a wise person is only useful to himself?
• Job 35:6If you’ve sinned, what effect can you have on God? If you’ve done many wrongs, what can you do to him?
• Psalms 16:2I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord. Without you, I have nothing good.”
• Psalms 50:8I am not criticizing you for your sacrifices or burnt offerings, which are always in front of me.
• Jeremiah 7:20“This is what the Almighty Lord says: My anger and fury will be poured out on this place, on humans and animals, and on trees and crops. My anger and fury will burn and not be put out.
• Amos 5:21I hate your festivals; I despise them. I’m not pleased with your religious assemblies.
• Matthew 9:13Learn what this means: ‘I want mercy, not sacrifices.’ I’ve come to call sinners, not people who think they have God’s approval.”
• Acts 17:28Certainly, we live, move, and exist because of him. As some of your poets have said, ‘We are God’s children.’
• Acts 14:17Yet, by doing good, he has given evidence of his existence. He gives you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons. He fills you with food and your lives with happiness.”
• Genesis 2:7Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the earth and blew the breath of life into his nostrils. The man became a living being.
• Numbers 16:22Immediately, they bowed with their faces touching the ground and said, “O God, you are the God who gives the breath of life to everyone! If one man sins, will you be angry with the whole community?”
• Numbers 27:16“Lord, you are the God who gives the breath of life to everyone. Please appoint someone over the community
• Job 12:10The life of every living creature and the spirit in every human body are in his hands.
• Job 27:3‘As long as there is one breath ⌞left⌟ in me and God’s breath fills my nostrils,
• Job 33:4“God’s Spirit has made me. The breath of the Almighty gives me life.
• Job 34:14If he thought only of himself and withdrew his Spirit and his breath,

Commentaries on Acts 17:25

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 25Neither is worshiped with men's hands - This is an indirect stroke against making of images, and offering of sacrifices: he is not worshipped with human hands, as if he needed any thing, or required to be represented under a particular form or attitude; nor has he required victims for his support; for it is impossible that he should need any thing who himself gives being, form, and life, to all creatures. Giveth - life, and breath, and all things - These…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 25Neither is worshipped with men‘s hands - The word here rendered “worshipped” ( ́ therapeuetai) denotes to “serve”; to wait upon; and then to render religious service or homage. There is reference here, undoubtedly, to a notion prevalent among the pagan, that the gods were fed or nourished by the offerings made to them. The idea is prevalent among the Hindus that the sacrifices which are made, and which are offered in the temples, are consumed by the gods…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 22-31Verses 22-31 Here we have a sermon to heathens, who worshipped false gods, and were without the true God in the world; and to them the scope of the discourse was different from what the apostle preached to the Jews. In the latter case, his business was to lead his hearers by prophecies and miracles to the knowledge of the Redeemer, and faith in him; in the former, it was to lead them, by the common works of providence, to know the Creator, and worship…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 22-31Paul’s sermon in Athens shows how well he could adapt his preaching of the good news (Romans 11:14; 1 Corinthians 9:19–23; 10:33; compare Acts 16:3; 17:2–3; 21:20–26). His Greek audience did not know the Scriptures or believe in one God like the Jews. However, they had a strong intellectual background. Paul connected with them using an Athenian inscription on an altar TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. He then explained God’s nature as the Creator (17:22–29), followed by…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 24-2524-25. 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…Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 17:25

• Athens
• Breath
• Gentiles
• God
• Life
• Paul
• Readings, Select
• Religion
• Worship
• Zeal, Religious

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Commentaries on Acts 17

• 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