Acts 1:25
in Acts 1to take up this ministry and apostleship, which Judas abandoned to go to his rightful place.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas fell away, that he might go to his own place.
KJV
That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.
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This verse in Acts 1
Commentary
9 notes on this verseSpecifically, he says, "In this ministry," for there were also others. And he calls his own place the gallows, that is, the one for which Judas prepared himself by his betrayal. Or because Judas was cast out, he might have his own place, receiving the …
This site's exposition
So they proposed two men
on Acts 1:23-26
The prayer asks the Lord, who knows everyone’s heart, to show which of the two He has chosen, leaving the choice with God. The lot, a practice rooted in Proverbs 16:33, fell to Matthias, and Acts records no lot cast after this chapter.
This site's exposition
go to his rightful place
Albert Barnes notes that the Greek word behind this ministry means a lot or portion, the same word used for lots in the next verse. Oecumenius reads Judas's rightful place as the gallows he prepared by betrayal, while others cited by Adam Clarke take it as his punishment in hell.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"They appointed two," it is said, "Joseph called Barsabus, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. And they prayed, and said; Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, show whether of these two thou hast chosen, that he may take part of this ministry and Apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place." They do well to mention the sin of Judas, thereby showing that it is a witness they ask to have; not increasing the number, but not suffering it to be diminished. And they all pray in common saying, "Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, show. Thou," not "We." And very seasonably they use the epithet, "heart-knowing:" for by Him Who is this must the choice be made. So confident were they, that assuredly one of them must be appointed. They said not, Choose, but, "Show the chosen one;" knowing that all things were foreordained of God; "Whom Thou didst choose: one of these two," say they, "to have his lot in this ministry and apostleship." For there was besides another ministry.
The Medieval Church1 voice
"To go to his own place." The place which Matthias was worthy to occupy, Luke calls "his own" or "one's own," because just as Judas, even before he fell from it, from the time he became sick with the disease of love of money and …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship,.... Of the ministry of the apostles, or of the apostolical ministration; which lay in preaching the Gospel, administering ordinances, planting churches, and working miracles; and which part, lot, or inheritance, Judas had; see Act 1:
Theophilus is put in mind, and we in him, of St. Luke's gospel, which it will be of use for us to cast an eye upon before we enter upon the study of this book, that we may not only see how this begins where that breaks off, but that, as in water face answers to face, so do the acts of the apostles to the acts of their Master, the acts of his grace.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
That he may take part of this ministry - The word rendered “part” - κλῆρον klēron - is the same which in the next verse is rendered lots. It properly means a lot or portion the portion divided to a man, or assigned to him by casting lots; and also the instrument or means by which the lot is determined. The former is its meaning here; the office, or portion of apostolic work, which would fall to him by taking the place of Judas.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
That he may take part of this ministry, etc. - Instead of τον κληρον, the lot, which we translate part, τον τοπον, the place, is the reading of ABC*, Coptic, Vulgate, and the Itala in the Codex Bezae, and from them the verse may be read thus, That he may take the place of this ministry and apostleship, (from which Judas fell) and go to his own place; but instead of ιδιον, own, the Codex Alexandrinus, and one of Matthai’s MSS., read δικαιον, just - that he might go to his just or proper place. This verse has been variously expounded: 1. Some suppose that the words, that he might go to his own place, are spoken of Judas, and his punishment in hell, which they say must be the own place of such a person as Judas. 2. Others refer them to the purchase of the field, made by the thirty pieces of silver for which he had sold our Lord. So he abandoned the ministry and apostolate, that he might go to his own place, viz. that which he had purchased. 3. Others, with more seeming propriety, state that his own place means his own house, or former occupation; he left this ministry and apostleship that he might resume his former employment in conjunction with his family, etc. This is primarily the meaning of it in Num 24:25: And Balaam returned to His Own Place, i.e. to his own country, friends, and employment. 4. Others think it simply means the state of the dead in general, independently of either rewards or punishments; as is probably meant by Ecc 3:20: All go unto One Place: all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again. But, 5. Some of the best critics assert that the words (as before hinted) belong to Matthias - his own place being the office to which he was about to be elected. […]
The words behind it
18 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| λαβεῖν | labein | to take | G2983 → | 257 times |
| τὸν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| τόπον | topon | place | G5117 → | 94 times |
| τῆς | tes | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| διακονίας | diakonias | ministry | G1248 → | 34 times |
| ταύτης | tautes | this | G3778 → | 1381 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἀποστολῆς | apostoles | apostleship | G651 → | |
| ἀφ᾽ | aph᾽ | from | G575 → | 640 times |
| ἧς | hes | which | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| παρέβη | parebe | turned aside | G3845 → | |
| Ἰούδας | ioudas | Judas | G2455 → | 41 times |
| πορευθῆναι | poreuthenai | to go | G4198 → | 147 times |
| εἰς | eis | to | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| τὸν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| τόπον | topon | place | G5117 → | 94 times |
| τὸν | ton | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἴδιον. | idion | [his] own. | G2398 → | 114 times |
λαβεῖνto take
labeinG2983 →257 times
τὸνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
τόπονplace
toponG5117 →94 times
τῆςof the
tesG3588 →19766 times
διακονίαςministry
diakoniasG1248 →34 times
ταύτηςthis
tautesG3778 →1381 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἀποστολῆςapostleship
apostolesG651 →
ἀφ᾽from
aph᾽G575 →640 times
ἧςwhich
hesG3739 →1405 times
παρέβηturned aside
parebeG3845 →
ἸούδαςJudas
ioudasG2455 →41 times
πορευθῆναιto go
poreuthenaiG4198 →147 times
εἰςto
eisG1519 →1755 times
τὸνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
τόπονplace
toponG5117 →94 times
τὸν<the>
tonG3588 →19766 times
ἴδιον.[his] own.
idionG2398 →114 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
John 17:12While I was with them, I protected and preserved them by Your name, the name You gave Me. Not one of them has been lost, except the son of destruction, so that the Scripture…
it leads to
- Psalms 109:6–19
Set over him a wicked man; let an accuser stand at his right hand.
- John 10:27–28
My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me.
- John 18:9
This was to fulfill the word He had spoken: “I have not lost one of those You have given Me.”
- John 13:18
I am not speaking about all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But this is to fulfill the Scripture: ‘The one who shares My bread has lifted up his heel against Me.’
- Psalms 109:6–19
Through
Romans 1:5Through Him and on behalf of His name, we received grace and apostleship to call all those among the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith.
it leads to
- Acts 9:15
“Go!” said the Lord. “This man is My chosen instrument to carry My name before the Gentiles and their kings, and before the people of Israel.
- Romans 16:26
but now revealed and made known through the writings of the prophets by the command of the eternal God, in order to lead all nations to the obedience that comes from faith—
- Acts 6:7
So the word of God continued to spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem grew rapidly, and a great number of priests became obedient to the faith.
- Malachi 1:11
For My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place, incense and pure offerings will be presented in My name, because My name…
- Acts 9:15
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies16
On this verse
On this chapter
About Acts
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentary upon the Acts of the Apostles; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 3; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on Acts and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.