Acts 3:25
in Acts 3And you are sons of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers when He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all the families of the earth will be blessed.’
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Ye are the sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
KJV
Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.
⋯
This verse in Acts 3
Commentary
18 notes on this verseSaying to Abraham: And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. From both this testimony, namely that which was given to Moses, and that which was proclaimed to Abraham by the Lord, both his severity and goodness are shown: goodness …
This site's exposition
all the prophets from Samuel
on Acts 3:24-26
Peter gives the promise to Abraham in Genesis 22:18 to an Israelite crowd as their own inheritance. God sent His Servant first to you, and the word first leaves room for the nations later in the book.
This site's exposition
sons of the prophets
Albert Barnes explains that sons of the prophets means their disciples, since Jewish teachers were called fathers and their pupils sons. John Wesley reads it as heirs of the prophecies, to whom the covenant first belongs. Bede identifies Abraham's offspring as Christ, blessing Jews and Gentiles alike.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
And He promised his seed, what? In your seed all nations will be blessed. His seed is Christ: because from Abraham Isaac, from Isaac Jacob, from Jacob the twelve, from the twelve the people of the Jews, from the people of the Jews the virgin Mary, from the virgin Mary our Lord Jesus Christ. And our Lord Jesus Christ became the seed of Abraham; and what was promised to Abraham we find fulfilled in us. In your seed, He says, all nations will be blessed. He believed this before he had seen anything; he believed, and he did not see what was promised. But we see what was promised to him; and whatever was promised to him was in the future.
"Ye," he says, "are the children of the Prophets, and of the covenant which God made." "Children of the covenant;" that is, heirs. For lest they should think that they received this offer from the favor of Peter, he shows, that of old it was due to them, in order that they may the rather believe that such also is the will of God.
Then also, on the other hand, he says, as matter of encomium (so that for this reason also ye ought to obey): "Ye are the children of the prophets and of the covenant:" i.e. heirs. Then why do you stand affected towards that which is your own, as if it were another's? True, you have done deeds worthy of condemnation; still you may yet obtain pardon.
"Ye are the children of the prophets": so that to you they spake, and for your sakes have all these things come to pass. For as they deemed that through their outrage they had become alienated (and indeed there is no parity of reason, that He Who now is crucified, should now cherish them as His own), he proves to them that both the one and the other are in accordance with prophecy. "Ye are the children," he says, "of the Prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, 'And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.'"
"You are the descendants of the prophets," instead of, Do not be discouraged nor think yourselves alienated from the promises. You are the descendants of the prophets, as I was telling you, and through you these things have come to pass. "You," he says, "are …
10 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church2 voices
And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. The seed of Abraham is indeed Christ, in whose faith the blessing was promised to all the families of the earth, that is, to Jews and Gentiles alike. The apostle soothes the …
"You are sons of the prophets." He says "sons of the prophets" instead of saying "you should neither despair nor think that you have been deprived of the promises." "You are sons of the prophets," so that they spoke "to you" and for your sake …
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
Ye are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant - That in, heirs of the prophecies. To you properly, as the first heirs, belong the prophecies and the covenant.
This refers to that promise made to Abraham ( Gen. xii. 3 ), which promise was long ere it was fulfilled, but now at length had its accomplishment in this Jesus, who was of the seed of Abraham, according to the flesh, and in him all the families of the earth are blessed, and not the families of Israel only; all have some benefits by him, and some have all benefits.
Ye are the children of the prophets,....
With reference to public worship, there must be a house of prayer and an hour of prayer: the ninth hour, that is, three o'clock in the afternoon, was one of the hours of prayer among the Jews; nine in the morning and twelve at noon were the other two.
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Ye are the children of the prophets - Greek: “Ye are the sons of the prophets.” The meaning is, not that they were literally the “descendants” of the prophets, but that they were their “disciples,” “pupils,” “followers.” They professed to follow the prophets as their teachers and guides. Teachers among the Jews were often spoken of under the appellation of fathers, and disciples as sons, Mat 12:27. See notes on Mat 1:1. As they were the professed disciples of the prophets, they should listen to them.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Ye are the children . . . of the covenant--and so the natural heirs of its promises. in thy seed, &c.--(See on Ga 3:8, &c.).
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Peter takes it for granted that, in the light of all he had just said, it would be seen at once that One only had any claim to be that Prophet. him shall ye hear in all things, &c.--This part of the prediction is emphatically added, in order to shut up the audience to the obedience of faith, on pain of being finally "cut off" from the congregation of the righteous (Ps 1:1).
Ye are the children of the prophets - This is the argumentum ad hominem: as ye are the children or disciples of the prophets, ye are bound to believe their predictions, and obey their precepts; and not only so, but ye are entitled to their promises. Your duty and your interest go hand in hand; and there is not a blessing contained in the covenant which was made with your fathers but belongs to you. Now, as this covenant respected the blessings of the Gospel, you must believe in Jesus Christ, in order to be put in possession of all those blessings.
The words behind it
31 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ὑμεῖς | humeis | You yourselves | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| ἐστε | este | are | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| οἱ | hoi | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| υἱοὶ | huioi | sons | G5207 → | 377 times |
| τῶν | ton | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| προφητῶν | propheton | prophets | G4396 → | 144 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| τῆς | tes | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| διαθήκης | diathekes | covenant | G1242 → | |
| ἧς | hes | that | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| διέθετο | dietheto | made | G1303 → | |
| ὁ | ho | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θεὸς | theos | God | G2316 → | 1312 times |
| πρὸς | pros | with | G4314 → | 700 times |
| τοὺς | tous | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πατέρας | pateras | fathers | G3962 → | 410 times |
| ὑμῶν | humon | of you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| λέγων | legon | saying | G3004 → | 1325 times |
| πρὸς | pros | to | G4314 → | 700 times |
| Ἀβραάμ· | abraam | Abraham; | G11 → | 73 times |
| καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| τῷ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| σπέρματί | spermati | seed | G4690 → | 43 times |
| σου | sou | of you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| ἐνευλογηθήσονται | eneulogethesontai | will be blessed | G1757 → | |
| πᾶσαι | pasai | all | G3956 → | 1235 times |
| αἱ | hai | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πατριαὶ | patriai | families | G3965 → | |
| τῆς | tes | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γῆς. | ges | earth.’ | G1093 → | 248 times |
ὑμεῖςYou yourselves
humeisG4771 →2973 times
ἐστεare
esteG1510 →2333 times
οἱthe
hoiG3588 →19766 times
υἱοὶsons
huioiG5207 →377 times
τῶνof the
tonG3588 →19766 times
προφητῶνprophets
prophetonG4396 →144 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
τῆςof the
tesG3588 →19766 times
διαθήκηςcovenant
diathekesG1242 →
ἧςthat
hesG3739 →1405 times
διέθετοmade
diethetoG1303 →
ὁ<the>
hoG3588 →19766 times
θεὸςGod
theosG2316 →1312 times
πρὸςwith
prosG4314 →700 times
τοὺςthe
tousG3588 →19766 times
πατέραςfathers
paterasG3962 →410 times
ὑμῶνof you
humonG4771 →2973 times
λέγωνsaying
legonG3004 →1325 times
πρὸςto
prosG4314 →700 times
Ἀβραάμ·Abraham;
abraamG11 →73 times
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
τῷthe
toG3588 →19766 times
σπέρματίseed
spermatiG4690 →43 times
σουof you
souG4771 →2973 times
ἐνευλογηθήσονταιwill be blessed
eneulogethesontaiG1757 →
πᾶσαιall
pasaiG3956 →1235 times
αἱthe
haiG3588 →19766 times
πατριαὶfamilies
patriaiG3965 →
τῆςof the
tesG3588 →19766 times
γῆς.earth.’
gesG1093 →248 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
Galatians 3:8The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and foretold the gospel to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.”
it leads to
- Genesis 12:3
I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you; and all the families of the earth will be blessed through you.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Genesis 22:18
And through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”
- Genesis 12:3
Through
Genesis 22:18And through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”
it leads to
- Genesis 18:18
Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and through him all the nations of the earth will be blessed.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Galatians 3:16
The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say, “and to seeds,” meaning many, but “and to your seed,” meaning One, who is Christ.
- Genesis 26:4–5
I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, and I will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed,
- Genesis 18:18
Through
Acts 2:39This promise belongs to you and your children and to all who are far off—to all whom the Lord our God will call to Himself.”
it leads to
- Isaiah 44:3
For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and currents on the dry ground. I will pour out My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring.
- Romans 8:30
And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified.
- Genesis 17:7–8
I will establish My covenant as an everlasting covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.
- Isaiah 44:3
Where this verse is studied
About Acts
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 12 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); Augustine of Hippo, Sermon 113A; Bede, Retractions on Acts; Bede, Commentary on Acts; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 9; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on Acts and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.