Acts 13:22
in Acts 13After removing Saul, He raised up David as their king and testified about him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse a man after My own heart; he will carry out My will in its entirety.’
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king; to whom also he bare witness and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my heart, who shall do all my will.
KJV
And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.
⋯
This verse in Acts 13
Commentary
12 notes on this verseDavid - a man after mine own heart - That is, a man who would rule the kingdom according to God’s will. Dr. Benson’s observation on this point is very judicious: “When it is said that David was a man after God’s own heart, it should be understood, not of his private, but of his public, character. He was a man after God’s own heart, because he ruled the people according to the Divine will. He did not allow of idolatry; he did not set up for absolute power.
This site's exposition
After removing Saul
The testimony Paul quotes joins 1 Samuel 13:14 and Psalm 89:20: I have found David son of Jesse a man after My own heart. The phrase describes David's devotion to the Lord across a flawed life.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
"I have found David," and the following. It should be noted that nowhere are these words quoted word for word in the book of Kings, but they were spoken prophetically by Samuel to Saul, therefore: "And now your kingdom shall not continue; and the Lord …
A commentator
Philoxenus of Mabbug13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 4 -- On Faith: First Discourse on Simplicity · Written before 523.
proposed
And that also which was said by the Lord unto Samuel, "I have found a man according to My heart," testified unto the purity of David's heart, and it is well known that simplicity is born of purity of heart.
Does not the case of David instruct you, whom God "found a man after His heart," one faithful, faultless, pious, true? This same man saw the beauty of a woman— I mean of Bathsheba — when he saw her as she was cleansing herself and …
"And when he had removed him, He raised up unto them David to be their king: to whom also He gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after Mine own heart, which shall fulfil all My will. Of this man's seed hath God according to His promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus." This was no small thing that Christ should be from David. Observe how he twines the thread of his discourse alternately from things present, from the prophets. Thus, "from this man's seed according to the promise" - the name of David was dear to them; well then, is it not a thing to be desired that a son of his, he says, should be their king? - then he adduces John: then again the prophets, where he says, "By condemning they fulfilled," and again, "All that was written:" then the Apostles as witnesses of the Resurrection: then David bearing witness. For neither the Old Testament proofs seemed so cogent when taken by themselves as they are in this way, nor yet the latter testimonies apart from the former: wherefore he makes them mutually confirm each other. The Promise then, he says, the fathers received; ye, the reality. And observe, he nowhere mentions right deeds of theirs, but only benefits on God's part: "He chose: Exalted: Suffered their manners:" these are no matters of praise to them: "They asked, He gave." But David he does praise, and him only, because from him the Christ was to come. "I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after Mine own heart, which shall fulfil all My will." Observe also; it is with praise that he says of him, "David after that he had served the will of God:" just as Peter - seeing it was then the beginning of the Gospel - making mention of him, said, "Let it be permitted me to speak freely of the patriarch David." Also, he does not say, Died, but, "was added to his fathers."
A commentator
Apostolic ConstitutionsConstitutions of the Holy Apostles Book 6 · Written before 380.
proposed
And they both spake evil; Absalom of his father David, as of an unjust judge, saying to every one: "Thy words are good, but there is no one that will hear thee, and do thee justice. Who will make me a ruler?" But Abdadan: "I have no part in David, nor any inheritance in the son of Jesse." It is plain that he could not endure to be under David's government, of whom God spake: "I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my heart, who will do all my commands."
5 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
It should be noted that these words are not found in the Book of Kings in the same form as here; there it is only prophetically said by Samuel to Saul: "The Lord will find for Himself a man after His own heart, and the …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
This character was given of him before he was first anointed, 1 Sam. xiii. The Lord hath sought out a man after his own heart, such a one as he would have. Thirdly, That his conduct was divine, and under divine direction: He shall fulfil all my will.
And when he had removed him,....
The preaching of the gospel to the Gentiles at their request, and upon the Jews' refusal of it, wherein the apostles justified themselves against the displeasure which the Jews conceived at it, and God owned them,
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
And when he had removed him - This was done because he rebelled against God in sparing the sheep and oxen and valuable property of Amalek, together with Agag the king, when he was commanded to destroy all, 1 Sam. 15:8-23. He was put to death in a battle with the Philistines, 1Sa 31:1-6. The phrase “when he removed him” refers probably to his rejection as a king, and not to his death; for David was anointed king before the death of Saul, and almost immediately after the rejection of Saul on account of his rebellion in the business of Amalek. See 1Sa 16:12-13. He gave testimony - He bore witness, 1Sa 13:14. I have found David ... - This is not quoted literally, but contains the substance of what is expressed in various places. Compare 1Sa 13:14, with Psa 89:20, and 1Sa 16:1, 1Sa 16:12. A man after mine own heart - This expression is found in 1Sa 13:14. The connection shows that it means simply a man who would not be rebellious and disobedient as Saul was, but would do the will of God and keep his commandments. This refers, doubtless, rather to the public than to the private character of David; to his character as a king. It means that he would make the will of God the great rule and law of his reign, in contradistinction from Saul, who, as a king, had disobeyed God. At the same time it is true that the prevailing character of David, as a pious, humble, devoted man, was that he was a man after God’s own heart, and was beloved by him as a holy man. He had faults; he committed sin; but who is free from it? He was guilty of great offences; but he also evinced, in a degree equally eminent, repentance (see Ps. 51); and not less in his private than his public character did he evince those traits which were prevailingly such as accorded with the heart, that is, the earnest desires, of God. Which shall fulfill all my will - Saul had not done it. […]
The words behind it
29 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| μεταστήσας | metastesas | having removed | G3179 → | |
| αὐτὸν | auton | him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ἤγειρεν | egeiren | He raised up | G1453 → | 142 times |
| τὸν | ton | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Δαυὶδ | dauid | David | G1138 → | 59 times |
| αὐτοῖς | autois | to them | G846 → | 5565 times |
| εἰς | eis | as | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| βασιλέα, | basilea | king, | G935 → | 114 times |
| ᾧ | ho | to whom | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| καὶ | kai | also | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| εἶπεν | eipen | He said | G2036 → | 925 times |
| μαρτυρήσας· | marturesas | having carried witness: | G3140 → | 76 times |
| εὗρον | heuron | I have found | G2147 → | 175 times |
| Δαυὶδ | dauid | David | G1138 → | 59 times |
| τὸν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| τοῦ | tou | [son of] | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Ἰεσσαί, | iessai | Jesse | G2421 → | |
| ἄνδρα | andra | a man | G435 → | 216 times |
| κατὰ | kata | according to | G2596 → | 468 times |
| τὴν | ten | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| καρδίαν | kardian | heart | G2588 → | 156 times |
| μου, | mou | of Mine, | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| ὃς | hos | who | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| ποιήσει | poiesei | will do | G4160 → | 569 times |
| πάντα | panta | all | G3956 → | 1235 times |
| τὰ | ta | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θελήματά | thelemata | will | G2307 → | 62 times |
| μου. | mou | of Mine. | G3165 → | 1936 times |
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
μεταστήσαςhaving removed
metastesasG3179 →
αὐτὸνhim
autonG846 →5565 times
ἤγειρενHe raised up
egeirenG1453 →142 times
τὸν<the>
tonG3588 →19766 times
ΔαυὶδDavid
dauidG1138 →59 times
αὐτοῖςto them
autoisG846 →5565 times
εἰςas
eisG1519 →1755 times
βασιλέα,king,
basileaG935 →114 times
ᾧto whom
hoG3739 →1405 times
καὶalso
kaiG2532 →9120 times
εἶπενHe said
eipenG2036 →925 times
μαρτυρήσας·having carried witness:
marturesasG3140 →76 times
εὗρονI have found
heuronG2147 →175 times
ΔαυὶδDavid
dauidG1138 →59 times
τὸνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
τοῦ[son of]
touG3588 →19766 times
Ἰεσσαί,Jesse
iessaiG2421 →
ἄνδραa man
andraG435 →216 times
κατὰaccording to
kataG2596 →468 times
τὴνthe
tenG3588 →19766 times
καρδίανheart
kardianG2588 →156 times
μου,of Mine,
mouG3165 →1936 times
ὃςwho
hosG3739 →1405 times
ποιήσειwill do
poieseiG4160 →569 times
πάνταall
pantaG3956 →1235 times
τὰthe
taG3588 →19766 times
θελήματάwill
thelemataG2307 →62 times
μου.of Mine.
mouG3165 →1936 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
1 Samuel 16:13So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward. Then Samuel set out and…
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 10:6
Then the Spirit of the LORD will rush upon you, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be transformed into a different person.
- Hebrews 1:9
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You above Your companions with the oil of joy.”
- 1 Samuel 10:6
Through
1 Samuel 16:1Now the LORD said to Samuel, “How long are you going to mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending…
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 15:23
For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance is like the wickedness of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has rejected you as king.”
- 2 Kings 9:1
Now Elisha the prophet summoned one of the sons of the prophets and said to him, “Tuck your cloak under your belt, take this flask of oil, and go to Ramoth-gilead.
- 1 Samuel 15:35
And to the day of his death, Samuel never again visited Saul. Samuel mourned for Saul, and the LORD regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.
- Psalms 78:68–71
But He chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which He loved.
- 1 Samuel 15:26
“I will not return with you,” Samuel replied. “For you have rejected the word of the LORD, and He has rejected you as king over Israel.”
- 1 Samuel 15:23
Through
1 Kings 15:5For David had done what was right in the eyes of the LORD and had not turned aside from anything the LORD commanded all the days of his life, except in the matter of…
it leads to
- 1 Kings 14:8
I tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you. But you were not like My servant David, who kept My commandments and followed Me with all his heart,…
- 1 Kings 14:8
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies21
About Acts
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonUnited MonarchyDavidSecond king of united Israel, shepherd-turned-monarch, ancestor of the Messiah, and traditional author of many Psalms.
- PersonUnited monarchySaulIsrael's first king, head and shoulders above the people; began in humility, ended in rejection — sparing what God devoted, consul…
This page draws on 11 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); Apostolic Constitutions, Constitutions of the Holy Apostles Book 6; John Calvin, Commentary upon the Acts of the Apostles; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 29; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on Acts; Philoxenus of Mabbug, 13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 4 -- On Faith: First Discourse on Simplicity; Pseudo-Clement, Two Epistles on Virginity and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.