Acts 14:16
in Acts 14In past generations, He let all nations go their own way.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
who in the generations gone by suffered all the nations to walk in their own ways.
KJV
Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways.
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This verse in Acts 14
Commentary
12 notes on this verseWho in times past suffered all nations, etc. - The words παντα τα εθνη, 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.
This site's exposition
He let all nations
on Acts 14:16-18
To a crowd without Scripture Paul argues from what all can see, the method he widens at Athens in 17:22 to 31. God has not left Himself without testimony: He gives rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, a witness in harvest given to every nation.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
"Who in times past," etc. He names as witnesses even the years in their courses.
For they had learnt that one should study not so much to say somewhat worthy of God, as to say what is profitable for the hearers. What then? if He be Maker of all things, why does He not also attend to these things by His Providence? "Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways"-but wherefore He suffered them, this he does not say, for at present he keeps to the matter of immediate importance, nowhere bringing in the name of Christ. Observe, he does not wish to swell the accusation against them, but rather that they themselves should refer all to God.
The Medieval Church1 voice
"Who in past generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways." "Allowed," it is said, but why He allowed, the apostle does not yet say, since he dwells mainly on what was urgently necessary, and nowhere yet mentions the name of Christ.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Who in times past - He prevents their objection, "But if these things are so, we should have heard them from our fathers." Suffered - An awful judgment, all nations - The multitude of them that err does not turn error into truth, to walk in their own ways - The idolatries which they had chosen.
Who in times past,....
5 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
These idolaters, that were called from the service of other gods, might think, "Have we not served these gods hitherto, and our fathers before us, time out of mind; and why may we not as well go on to serve them still?"--No, your serving them was a trial of God's patience, and it was a miracle of mercy that you were not cut off for it.
The outrage of the people against Paul, at the instigation of the Jews, the effect of which was that they stoned him, as they thought, to death; but he was wonderfully restored to life,
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways--that is, without extending to them the revelation vouchsafed to the seed of Abraham, and the grace attending it; compare Ac 17:30; Yet not without guilt on their part was this privation (Ro 1:20, &c.).
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
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 . . .
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Who in times past - Previous to the gospel; in past ages. Suffered all nations - Permitted all nations; that is, all Gentiles, Act 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 he did this we cannot determine. It might have been, among other reasons, to show to the world conclusively: (1) The insufficiency of reason to guide people in the matters of religion. The experiment was made under the most favorable circumstances. The most enlightened nations, the Greeks and Romans, were left to pursue the inquiry, and failed no less than the most degraded tribes of people. The trial was made for four thousand years, and attended with the same results everywhere. (2) It showed the need of revelation to guide man. (3) It evinced, beyond the possibility of mistake, the depravity of man. In all nations, in all circumstances, people had shown the same alienation from God. By suffering them to walk in their own ways, it was seen that those ways were sin, and that some power more than human was necessary to bring people back to God.
The words behind it
13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ὃς | hos | who | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| ταῖς | tais | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| παρῳχημέναις | parochemenais | having past | G3944 → | |
| γενεαῖς | geneais | generations | G1074 → | 43 times |
| εἴασεν | eiasen | allowed | G1439 → | 11 times |
| πάντα | panta | all | G3956 → | 1235 times |
| τὰ | ta | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἔθνη | ethne | nations | G1484 → | 161 times |
| πορεύεσθαι | poreuesthai | to go | G4198 → | 147 times |
| ταῖς | tais | in the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ὁδοῖς | hodois | ways | G3598 → | 101 times |
| αὐτῶν· | auton | of them; | G846 → | 5565 times |
ὃςwho
hosG3739 →1405 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
ταῖςthe
taisG3588 →19766 times
παρῳχημέναιςhaving past
parochemenaisG3944 →
γενεαῖςgenerations
geneaisG1074 →43 times
εἴασενallowed
eiasenG1439 →11 times
πάνταall
pantaG3956 →1235 times
τὰthe
taG3588 →19766 times
ἔθνηnations
ethneG1484 →161 times
πορεύεσθαιto go
poreuesthaiG4198 →147 times
ταῖςin the
taisG3588 →19766 times
ὁδοῖςways
hodoisG3598 →101 times
αὐτῶν·of them;
autonG846 →5565 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
Psalms 81:12So I gave them up to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices.
it leads to
- Romans 1:24
Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to impurity for the dishonoring of their bodies with one another.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Jeremiah 7:24
Yet they did not listen or incline their ear, but they followed the stubborn inclinations of their own evil hearts. They went backward and not forward.
- Romans 1:24
Through
Romans 1:28Furthermore, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, He gave them up to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.
it leads to
- 2 Thessalonians 2:10–12
and with every wicked deception directed against those who are perishing, because they refused the love of the truth that would have saved them.
- Titus 1:16
They profess to know God, but by their actions they deny Him. They are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good deed.
- Romans 1:21
For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and darkened in their foolish hearts.
- Jeremiah 9:6
You dwell in the midst of deception; in their deceit they refuse to know Me,” declares the LORD.
- 2 Thessalonians 2:10–12
Through
Acts 17:30Although God overlooked the ignorance of earlier times, He now commands all people everywhere to repent.
it leads to
- Titus 2:11–12
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to everyone.
- Luke 24:47
and in His name repentance and forgiveness of sins will be proclaimed to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem.
- Titus 2:11–12
Where this verse is studied
About Acts
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Acts of the Apostles; 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 31; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.