Acts 14:17
in Acts 14Yet He has not left Himself without testimony to His goodness: He gives you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And yet he left not himself without witness, in that he did good and gave you from heaven rains and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness.
KJV
Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.
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This verse in Acts 14
Commentary
11 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Nevertheless - Though he gave them no revelation. He left not himself without witness - He gave demonstration of his existence and of his moral character. In that he did good - By doing good. The manner in which he did it, Paul immediately specifies. Idols did not do good; they conferred no favors, and were, therefore, unworthy of confidence. And gave us rain from heaven - Rain from above - from the clouds, Mar 8:11; Luk 9:54; Luk 17:29; Luk 21:11; Joh 6:31-32. Rain is one of the evidences of the goodness of God.
This site's exposition
suffered all nations to walk in their own ways
on Acts 14:16-18
Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways: Paul's brief address to a Gentile crowd without Scripture argues from what all men can see rather than from the prophets he would cite in a synagogue, the same method he expands at Athens in chapter seventeen. He left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness, a witness in providence and harvest available to every nation regardless of covenant. Even this word from two men they had just called gods scarce restrains the people from sacrificing, the crowd's zeal outrunning its object even after correction.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
And yet He has not left them without a witness to Himself, that He was working for their good and taking thought for it beforehand, for He manifested to them some tokens of His goodness, some four hundred years or more before the coming of …
"Nevertheless, He left not Himself without witness, in that He did good, giving you rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness." See how covertly he puts the accusation "in that He did good," etc. And yet if God did this, He could not have "let them alone;" on the contrary, they ought to be punished, for that, enjoying so great benefits, they had not acknowledged Him, not even as their feeder. "From heaven," he says, "giving you rain." Thus also David said, "From the fruit of their corn and wine and oil were they made to abound" and in many places speaking of Creation, he brings forward these benefits: and Jeremiah mentions first Creation, then Providence shown by the rains, so that the Apostle here discourses as taught from those Scriptures. "Filling," he says, "with food and gladness." With large liberality the food is given, not merely for a frugal sufficiency, nor stinted by the need.
The Medieval Church1 voice
"Although He did not cease to bear witness about Himself." He says this because in every generation He performed such works as led people to the truth. Without forcing free will, the Lord allowed all people to walk according to their own judgment, but He …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Nevertheless, he left not himself without witness,....
God, having not left himself without witness, has not left us without a guide, and so has left us without excuse; for whatever is a witness for God is a witness against us, if we give that glory to any other which is due to him only.
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
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)
In Lycaonia, where, as ancient writers attest, rain is peculiarly scarce, this allusion would have all the greater effect. filling our hearts with food and gladness--a natural colloquialism, the heart being gladdened by the food supplied to the body.
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 . . .
He left not himself without witness - Though he gave the Gentiles no revelation of his will, yet he continued to govern them by his gracious providence; doing them good in general; giving then rain to fertilize their grounds, and fruitful seasons as the result; so that grass grew for the cattle and corn for the service of man. Filling our hearts with food - Giving as much food as could reasonably be wished, so that gladness, or general happiness, was the result. Such was the gracious provision made for man, at all times, that the economy and bounty of the Divine Being were equally evidenced by it. He never gives less than is necessary, nor more than is sufficient. His economy forbids men to waste, by going them in general no profusion. His bounty forbids them to want, by giving as much as is sufficient for all the natural wants of his creatures. By not giving too much, he prevents luxury and riot: by giving enough, he prevents discontent and misery. Thus he does mankind good, by causing his rain to descend upon the just and the unjust, and his sun to shine upon the evil, and the good. Thus he is said not to have left himself without witness: for his providential dealings are the witnesses of his being, his wisdom, and his bounty; and thus the invisible things of God, even his eternal power and Godhead, were clearly seen, being understood by the things which are made, Rom 1:20. Therefore those who continued to worship stocks and stones were without excuse. These were great and striking truths; and into what detail the apostles now went, we cannot say; but it is likely that they spoke much more than is here related, as the next verse states that, with all these sayings, they found it difficult to prevent the people from offering them sacrifice.
The words behind it
20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| καίτοι | kaitoi | and yet | G2532 →G5104 → | 9120 times |
| οὐκ | ouk | not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| ἀμάρτυρον | amarturon | without witness | G267 → | |
| αὐτὸν | auton | Himself | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ἀφῆκεν | apheken | He has left | G863 → | 143 times |
| ἀγαθουργῶν, | agathourgon | doing good, | G14 → | |
| οὐρανόθεν | ouranothen | from heaven | G3771 → | |
| ὑμῖν | humin | to you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| ὑετοὺς | hu'etous | rains | G5205 → | |
| διδοὺς | didous | giving | G1325 → | 412 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| καιροὺς | kairous | seasons | G2540 → | 84 times |
| καρποφόρους, | karpophorous | fruitful, | G2593 → | |
| ἐμπιπλῶν | empiplon | filling | G1705 → | |
| τροφῆς | trophes | with food | G5160 → | 16 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| εὐφροσύνης | euphrosunes | gladness | G2167 → | |
| τὰς | tas | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| καρδίας | kardias | hearts | G2588 → | 156 times |
| ὑμῶν. | humon | of you. | G4771 → | 2973 times |
καίτοιand yet
οὐκnot
oukG3756 →1664 times
ἀμάρτυρονwithout witness
amarturonG267 →
αὐτὸνHimself
autonG846 →5565 times
ἀφῆκενHe has left
aphekenG863 →143 times
ἀγαθουργῶν,doing good,
agathourgonG14 →
οὐρανόθενfrom heaven
ouranothenG3771 →
ὑμῖνto you
huminG4771 →2973 times
ὑετοὺςrains
hu'etousG5205 →
διδοὺςgiving
didousG1325 →412 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
καιροὺςseasons
kairousG2540 →84 times
καρποφόρους,fruitful,
karpophorousG2593 →
ἐμπιπλῶνfilling
empiplonG1705 →
τροφῆςwith food
trophesG5160 →16 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
εὐφροσύνηςgladness
euphrosunesG2167 →
τὰςthe
tasG3588 →19766 times
καρδίαςhearts
kardiasG2588 →156 times
ὑμῶν.of you.
humonG4771 →2973 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
Joel 2:23Be glad, O children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God, for He has given you the autumn rains for your vindication. He sends you showers, both autumn and spring rains, as…
it leads to
- Leviticus 26:4
I will give you rains in their season, and the land will yield its produce, and the trees of the field will bear their fruit.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- James 5:7–8
Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer awaits the precious fruit of the soil—how patient he is for the fall and spring rains.
- Philippians 4:4
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
- Deuteronomy 11:14
then I will provide rain for your land in season, the autumn and spring rains, that you may gather your grain, new wine, and oil.
- Hosea 6:3
So let us know—let us press on to know the LORD. As surely as the sun rises, He will appear; He will come to us like the rain, like the spring showers that water…
- Leviticus 26:4
Through
Deuteronomy 11:14then I will provide rain for your land in season, the autumn and spring rains, that you may gather your grain, new wine, and oil.
it leads to
- James 5:7
Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer awaits the precious fruit of the soil—how patient he is for the fall and spring rains.
- Ezekiel 34:26
I will make them and the places around My hill a blessing. I will send down showers in season—showers of blessing.
- Deuteronomy 28:12
The LORD will open the heavens, His abundant storehouse, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations, but borrow…
- James 5:7
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
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 Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Acts of the Apostles; Cosmas Indicopleustes, The Christian Topography, Book 12; 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); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.