New King James Version
Acts 14:16
16who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways.
Acts 14:16 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways.
- New International Version (NIV)In the past, he let all nations go their own way.
- English Standard Version (ESV)In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways.
- New Living Translation (NLT)In the past he permitted all the nations to go their own ways,
Context of Acts 14:16
14But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out 15and saying, “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them, who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways. 17Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.” 18And with these sayings they could scarcely restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them.
Read all of Acts 14Acts 14:16 word by word
ὃς ἐν ταῖς παρῳχημέναις γενεαῖς εἴασεν πάντα τὰ ἔθνη πορεύεσθαι ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτῶν·Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Whoὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- timesγενεάgenea · generationG1074
- pastπαροίχομαιparoichomai · to pass byG3944
- sufferedἐάωeaō · to allowG1439
- allπᾶςpas · allG3956
- nationsὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- nationsἔθνοςethnos · GentilesG1484
- to walk inπορεύωporeuomai · to travelG4198
- their ownαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- waysὁδόςhodos · roadG3598
Cross-references for Acts 14:16
- Acts 17:30Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent,
- Psalms 81:12So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart, To walk in their own counsels.
- Psalms 147:20He has not dealt thus with any nation; And as for His judgments, they have not known them. Praise the Lord!
- Hosea 4:17“Ephraim is joined to idols, Let him alone.
- Romans 1:21because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
- Ephesians 2:12that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
- 1 Peter 4:3For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries.
Commentaries on Acts 14:16
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16Who in times past suffered all nations, etc. - The words , which we here translate, all nations, should be rendered, all the Gentiles, merely to distinguish them from the Jewish people: who having a revelation, were not left to walk in their own ways; but the heathens, who had not a revelation, were suffered to form their creed, and mode of worship, according to their own caprice.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16Who in times past - Previous to the gospel; in past ages. Suffered all nations - Permitted all nations; that is, all Gentiles, Acts 17:30. “And the times of this ignorance God winked at.” To walk in their own ways - To conduct themselves without the restraints and instructions of a written law. They were permitted to follow their own reason and passions, and their own system of religion. God gave them no written laws, and sent to them no messengers. Why…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 8-18Verses 8-18 All things are possible to those that believe. When we have faith, that most precious gift of God, we shall be delivered from the spiritual helplessness in which we were born, and from the dominion of sinful habits since formed; we shall be made able to stand upright and walk cheerfully in the ways of the Lord. When Christ, the Son of God, appeared in the likeness of men, and did many miracles, men were so far from doing sacrifice to him, that…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 13-18The apostles opposed the people's worship of idols and their attempt to offer sacrifices to them. They directed the people's worship to the living God. The apostles were representatives of God as they shared the good news of the Christian message.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 14-1814-18. when ... Barnabas and Paul heard--Barnabas is put first here, apparently as having been styled the "Jupiter" of the company. they rent their clothes and ran in--rather (according to the true reading), "ran forth." among the people, crying out ... Sirs, why do ye these things?--This was something more than that abhorrence of idolatry which took possession of the Jews as a nation from the time of the Babylonish captivity: it was that delicate…Read the comment
Topics related to Acts 14:16
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Acts 14
- 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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries