God’s Word Translation
Acts 3:17
17“And now, brothers, I know that like your rulers you didn’t know what you were doing.
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
15and you killed the source of life. But God brought him back to life, and we are witnesses to that. 16We believe in the one named Jesus. Through his power alone this man, whom you know, was healed, as all of you saw. “And now, brothers, I know that like your rulers you didn’t know what you were doing. 18But in this way God made the sufferings of his Messiah come true. God had predicted these sufferings through all the prophets. 19So change the way you think and act, and turn ⌞to God⌟ to have your sins removed.
Read all of Acts 3Acts 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 7:40They told Aaron, ‘We don’t know what has happened to this Moses, who led us out of Egypt. So make gods who will lead us.’
- Genesis 21:26Abimelech replied, “I don’t know who did this. You didn’t tell me, and I didn’t hear about it until today.”
- Genesis 39:8But Joseph refused and said to her, “My master doesn’t concern himself with anything in the house. He trusts me with everything he owns.
- Genesis 44:15Joseph asked them, “What have you done? Don’t you know that a man like me can find things out because he knows the future?”
- Exodus 32:1When the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron. They said to him, “We don’t know what has happened to this Moses, who led us out of Egypt. Make gods who will lead us.”
- Numbers 22:6Please come and curse these people for me, because they are too strong for me. Maybe then I’ll be able to defeat them and force them out of the country. I know that whomever you bless is blessed and whomever you curse is cursed.”
- Romans 11:2God has not rejected his people whom he knew long ago. Don’t you know what Elijah says in the Scripture passage when he complains to God about Israel? He says,
- Philippians 1:22If I continue to live in this life, my work will produce more results. I don’t know which I would prefer.
- Acts 13:27The people who live in Jerusalem and their rulers didn’t know who Jesus was. They didn’t understand the prophets’ messages, which are read every day of rest—a holy day. So they condemned Jesus and fulfilled what the prophets had said.
- Numbers 15:24If it was unintentional and no one else knows about it, the whole community must sacrifice a young bull as a burnt offering, a soothing aroma to the Lord, along with the proper grain and wine offerings, and a male goat as an offering for sin.
- Luke 23:34Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them. They don’t know what they’re doing.” Meanwhile, the soldiers divided his clothes among themselves by throwing dice.
- John 7:26But look at this! He’s speaking in public, and no one is saying anything to him! Can it be that the rulers really know that this man is the Messiah?
- John 16:3They will do these things to you because they haven’t known the Father or me.
- 1 Corinthians 2:8Not one of the rulers of this world has known it. If they had, they wouldn’t have crucified the Lord of glory.
- 2 Corinthians 3:14However, their minds became closed. In fact, to this day the same veil is still there when they read the Old Testament. It isn’t removed, because only Christ can remove it.
- 1 Timothy 1:13In the past I cursed him, persecuted him, and acted arrogantly toward him. However, I was treated with mercy because I acted ignorantly in my unbelief.
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
In the dictionaries
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
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