Acts 13:41
in Acts 13‘Look, you scoffers, wonder and perish! For I am doing a work in your days that you would never believe, even if someone told you.’”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish; For I work a work in your days, A work which ye shall in no wise believe, if one declare it unto you.
KJV
Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.
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This verse in Acts 13
Commentary
11 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Behold, ye despisers - Hebrew, “Behold, ye among the pagan.” The change from this expression to “ye despisers” was made by the Septuagint translators by a very slight alteration in the Hebrew word - probably from a variation in the copy which they used. It arose from reading בּוגדים bowgadiym instead of בגּוים bagowyim. The Syriac, the Arabic, as well as the Septuagint, follow this reading. And wonder - Hebrew, “And regard, and wonder marvelously.” And perish - Thin is not in the Hebrew, but is in the Septuagint and the Arabic.
This site's exposition
Watch out, then
on Acts 13:40-41
Paul closes with Habakkuk 1:5, Look, you scoffers, wonder and perish, a warning to Judah of the Chaldean invasion now applied to the gospel. The citation follows the Septuagint, which reads scoffers where the Hebrew reads among the nations.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
Then too he adds the terrifying words: "Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets; Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you." And this he hints in the conclusion, saying, "Look, ye despisers, and behold." And observe how, this being harsh, he cuts it short. Let not that, he says, come upon you, which was spoken for the others, that "I work a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though one declare it unto you." Marvel not that it seems incredible: this very thing was foretold from the first - that it would not be believed. "Behold, ye despisers," as regards those who disbelieve in the Resurrection. This too might with reason be said to us: "Behold ye despisers." For the Church indeed is in very evil case, although ye think her affairs to be in peace. For the mischief of it is, that while we labor under so many evils, we do not even know that we have any.
The Medieval Church2 voices
"Look, despisers, and be amazed, and perish." In Greek it is written thus: "Listen, despisers, and be amazed; look, and perish."
The prophet Habakkuk exclaims: "Look, you scoffers, marvel and perish," and God answers the people of lawlessness that misfortunes threaten them both now and in the future. And it was worthy of great wonder how Israel, enrolled among the company of the children of God …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
I work a work which ye will in nowise believe - This was originally spoken to those, who would not believe that God would ever deliver them from the power of the Chaldeans. But it is applicable to any who will not believe the promises, or the works of God.
Behold, ye despisers,....
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
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 Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
"And after the breaking up of the synagogue, many of" both classes, Jews and religious; proselytes, followed Paul and Barnabas (observe, from this time forward, the inverted order of these names; except Ac 14:14; 12:25; see on Ac 14:14; These names evidently been won to the Gospel by what they had heard, and felt a clinging to their spiritual benefactors.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
the forgiveness of sins--the first necessity of the sinner, and so the first experienced blessing of the Gospel.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
Behold, ye despisers - There is a remarkable difference here between the Hebrew text in Habakkuk, and that in the Septuagint, which is a little abridged here by St. Paul. I shall exhibit the three texts. Heb: - ראו בגוים והביטו והתמהו תמהו כי פעל פעל בימיכם לא תאמינו כי יספר Reu bagoyim vehabitu vehitammehu; temehu; ki poal poel bimeycem, lo teaminu hi yesupar. Behold, ye among the heathen, (nations), and regard, and be astonished; be astonished, for I am working a work in your days, which; when it shall be told, ye will not credit. See Houbigant. Sept. Ιδετε οἱ καταφρονηται, και επιβλεψατε, και θαυμασατε θαυμασια, και αφανισθητε· διοτι εργον εγω εργαζομαι εν ταις ἡμεραις ὑμων, ὁ ου μη πιϚευσητε, εαν τις εκδιηγηται ὑμιν. See, ye despisers, and look attentively, and be astonished, (or hide yourselves), for I work a work in your days, which, if any one will tell to you, ye will not believe. St. Luke. Ιδετε οἱ καταφρονηται, [και επιβλεψατε], και θαυμασατε, [θαυμασια], και αφανισθητε· ὁτι εργον εγω εργαζομαι εν ταις ἡμεραις ὑμων, εργον ᾡ ου μη πιϚευσητε, εαν τις εκδιηγηται ὑμιν. Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and be astonished, (or hide yourselves), for I work a work in your days, which, if any one will tell unto you, ye will not believe. I have taken Luke’s quotation from the best MSS., and I have quoted the Septuagint according to the Codex Alexandrinus; and the quotations are exactly the same, not only in words, but almost in letters, with the exception of επιβλεψατε and θαυμασια which the evangelist omits, and which I have included in crotchets in the text of St. Luke, merely that the place of the omission may be the better seen. It may now be necessary to inquire how St. […]
The words behind it
24 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἴδετε, | idete | Behold! | G1492 → | 374 times |
| οἱ | hoi | you | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| καταφρονηταί, | kataphronetai | scoffers, | G2707 → | |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| θαυμάσατε | thaumasate | do wonder | G2296 → | 43 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἀφανίσθητε, | aphanisthete | do perish | G853 → | |
| ὅτι | hoti | for | G3754 → | 1292 times |
| ἔργον | ergon | a work | G2041 → | 168 times |
| ἐργάζομαι | ergazomai | am working | G2038 → | 41 times |
| ἐγὼ | ego | I myself | G1473 → | 839 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| ταῖς | tais | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἡμέραις | hemerais | days | G2250 → | 389 times |
| ὑμῶν, | humon | of you, | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| ἔργον | ergon | a work | G2041 → | 168 times |
| ὃ | ho | that | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| οὐ | ou | certainly | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| μὴ | me | not | G3361 → | 1066 times |
| πιστεύσητε | pisteusete | you may believe | G4100 → | 237 times |
| ἐάν | ean | even if | G1437 → | 352 times |
| τις | tis | one | G5100 → | 528 times |
| ἐκδιηγῆται | ekdiegetai | shall declare it | G1555 → | |
| ὑμῖν.¶ | humin | to you.’ | G4771 → | 2973 times |
ἴδετε,Behold!
ideteG1492 →374 times
οἱyou
hoiG3588 →19766 times
καταφρονηταί,scoffers,
kataphronetaiG2707 →
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
θαυμάσατεdo wonder
thaumasateG2296 →43 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἀφανίσθητε,do perish
aphanistheteG853 →
ὅτιfor
hotiG3754 →1292 times
ἔργονa work
ergonG2041 →168 times
ἐργάζομαιam working
ergazomaiG2038 →41 times
ἐγὼI myself
egoG1473 →839 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
ταῖςthe
taisG3588 →19766 times
ἡμέραιςdays
hemeraisG2250 →389 times
ὑμῶν,of you,
humonG4771 →2973 times
ἔργονa work
ergonG2041 →168 times
ὃthat
hoG3739 →1405 times
οὐcertainly
ouG3756 →1664 times
μὴnot
meG3361 →1066 times
πιστεύσητεyou may believe
pisteuseteG4100 →237 times
ἐάνeven if
eanG1437 →352 times
τιςone
tisG5100 →528 times
ἐκδιηγῆταιshall declare it
ekdiegetaiG1555 →
ὑμῖν.¶to you.’
huminG4771 →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
1 Peter 4:17For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who disobey the gospel of God?
it leads to
- Jeremiah 25:29
For behold, I am beginning to bring disaster on the city that bears My Name, so how could you possibly go unpunished? You will not go unpunished, for I am calling down a sword…
- 2 Thessalonians 1:8
in blazing fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
- Romans 2:9
There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil, first for the Jew, then for the Greek;
- Ezekiel 9:6
Slaughter the old men, the young men and maidens, the women and children; but do not go near anyone who has the mark. Now begin at My sanctuary.” So they began with the elders…
- 1 Peter 2:8
and, “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word—and to this they were appointed.
- Jeremiah 25:29
Through
Habakkuk 1:5“Look at the nations and observe—be utterly astounded! For I am doing a work in your days that you would never believe even if someone told you.
it leads to
- Acts 13:40–41
Watch out, then, that what was spoken by the prophets does not happen to you:
- Isaiah 29:14
Therefore I will again confound these people with wonder upon wonder. The wisdom of the wise will vanish, and the intelligence of the intelligent will be hidden.”
- Lamentations 4:12
The kings of the earth did not believe, nor any people of the world, that an enemy or a foe could enter the gates of Jerusalem.
- Acts 13:40–41
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies21
On this chapter
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 on Acts; Bede, Retractions on Acts; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 29; 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.