Acts 17:27

Acts 17:27 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
• English Standard Version (ESV)that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us,
• New King James Version (NKJV)so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;
• New Living Translation (NLT)“His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us.

Context of Acts 17:27

25And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 28‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ 29“Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill.

Acts 17:27 word by word

ζητεῖν τὸν θεόν, εἰ ἄρα γε ψηλαφήσειαν αὐτὸν καὶ εὕροιεν, καί γε οὐ μακρὰν ἀπὸ ἑνὸς ἑκάστου ἡμῶν ὑπάρχοντα.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• That they should seekζητέωzēteō · to seekG2212
• the Lordὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the Lordκύριοςkurios · lord: GodG2962
• ifεἰei · if: is(QUESTION)G1487
• ·ἆραara · no?G687
• haplyγέge · indeedG1065
• they might feel afterψηλαφάωpsēlaphaō · to touchG5584
• himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• findεὑρίσκωheuriskō · to find/meetG2147
• thoughκαίτοιγεkaitoige · and yet/althoughG2544
• he beὑπάρχωhuparchō · be alreadyG5225
• notοὐou · noG3756
• farμακράνmakran · farG3112
• fromἀπόapo · away fromG575
• everyἕκαστοςhekastos · eachG1538
• oneεἷςheis · oneG1520
• of usἐγώegō · I/weG1473

Cross-references for Acts 17:27

• Acts 15:17that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles who bear my name, says the Lord, who does these things’—
• Psalms 19:1The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
• Romans 1:20For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
• Romans 2:4Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?
• Acts 14:17Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.”
• 1 Kings 8:27“But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!
• Psalms 139:1You have searched me, Lord, and you know me.
• Jeremiah 23:23“Am I only a God nearby,” declares the Lord, “and not a God far away?

Commentaries on Acts 17:27

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 27That they should seek the Lord - This is a conclusion drawn from the preceding statement. God, who is infinitely great and self-sufficient, has manifested himself as the maker of the world, the creator, preserver, and governor of men. He has assigned them their portion, and dispensed to them their habitations, and the various blessings of his providence, to the end that they should seek him in all his works. Feel after him - , That they might grope after…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 27That they should seek the Lord - Greek: to seek the Lord. The design of thus placing them on the earth - of gang them their habitation among his works - was, that they should contemplate his wisdom in his works, and thus come to a knowledge of his existence and character. All nations, though living in different regions and climates, have thus the opportunity of becoming acquainted with God, Romans 1:19-20. The fact that the nations did not thus learn the…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. 26-2726-27. and hath made of one blood all nations of men to dwell on all the face of the earth--Holding with the Old Testament teaching, that in the blood is the life (Ge 9:4; Le 17:11; De 12:23), the apostle sees this life stream of the whole human race to be one, flowing from one source [Baumgarten]. and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation--The apostle here opposes both Stoical Fate and Epicurean Chance, ascribing…Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 17:27

• Athens
• Gentiles
• God Continued...
• Life
• Paul
• Readings, Select
• Religion
• Seekers
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• Appoint
• Areopagus
• Assurance
• Blood
• Determine
• Ignorantly
• James
• Manner
• Mars Hill
• Mind

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