Acts 2:31
in Acts 2Foreseeing this, David spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that He was not abandoned to Hades, nor did His body see decay.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
he foreseeing this spake of the resurrection of the Christ, that neither was he left unto Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption.
KJV
He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.
⋯
This verse in Acts 2
Commentary
12 notes on this verse"To raise up Christ in the flesh." He says this because according to His Divinity He has from eternity and always sat together with the Father; and he ascribes everything to the Father, so that the listeners might more easily accept what is being said.
This site's exposition
the patriarch David
on Acts 2:29-32
David's tomb is with us to this day, so the psalm's Holy One who does not see decay cannot be David. As a prophet who knew God's oath of 2 Samuel 7, David spoke about the resurrection of the Christ.
This site's exposition
the resurrection of the Christ
Albert Barnes concludes that David saw the Messiah's resurrection ahead of time by the spirit of prophecy. Clarke reports that the oldest manuscripts lack the words his soul, so Peter's sentence says only that He was not abandoned to Hades. Theophylact notes that Peter gives the Father the credit throughout.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
These and similar passages clearly point out that God the Word assumed not only a body but also a soul.
Then - and even so he does not come to the mention of Christ, but what next? - he goes on with his encomium upon David, "Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that with an oath God had sworn unto him." But this he says, that were it but on account of the honor shown to David, and the descent from him, they may accept what is said concerning Christ's resurrection, as seeing that it would be an injury to the prophecy, and a derogating from their honor, if this were not the fact. "And knowing," he says, "that with an oath God had sworn unto him" - he does not say simply "promised" - "of the fruit of his loins after the flesh to raise up Christ, to seat Him upon his throne." Observe how he has again only hinted at what is sublime. For now that he has soothed them with his expression, he confidently adds this: The prophet saith it "of His resurrection, that neither was His soul left in hell, nor did His flesh see corruption." This again is wonderful: it shows that His resurrection was not like that of other men. For though death laid hold on Him, yet it did not its own work then.
"Therefore being a Prophet, and knowing," etc. Do you observe how he now interprets the prophecy, and does not give it bare of comment? How did He "seat Him upon" David's "throne?" For the kingdom after the Spirit is in heaven. Observe how, along with the resurrection, he has also declared the kingdom in the fact of His rising again. He shows that the Prophet was under constraint: for the prophecy was concerning Him. Why does he say, not, Concerning His kingdom (it was a great matter), but "Concerning His resurrection?" And how did He seat Him upon his (David's) throne? Why, He reigns as King over Jews also, yea, what is much more, over them that crucified Him. "For His flesh saw no corruption." This seems to be less than resurrection, but it is the same thing.
And even so it did not apply to Christ; rather David is praised again by the phrase "Being therefore a prophet," so that through the honor paid to him and his offspring the one from him, they may accept the account concerning the resurrection of …
The Medieval Church1 voice
Therefore, being a prophet and knowing that God had sworn to him with an oath that of the fruit of his loins one would sit on his throne, he spoke foresightfully about the resurrection of Christ, etc. In the Greek it is more: To raise …
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
He seeing this before,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
The Psalm is then affirmed to have had its only proper fulfilment in JESUS, of whose resurrection and ascension they were witnesses, while the glorious effusion of the Spirit by the hand of the ascended One, setting an infallible seal upon all, was even then witnessed by the thousands who stood listening to Him.
That his soul was not left in hell - The words ἡ ψυχη αυτου, his soul, are omitted by ABCD, Syriac, Coptic, Ethiopic, and Vulgate. Griesbach has left them out of the text, and Professor White says again, certissime delenda. The passage may be thus read: “He spake of the resurrection of Christ, that he was not left in hades, neither did his flesh see corruption.” For the various readings in this and the preceding verse, see Griesbach.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
He, seeing this before ... - By the spirit of prophecy. From this it appears that David had distinct views of the great doctrines pertaining to the Messiah. Spake ... - See Psa 16:1-11. That his soul ... - See the notes on Act 2:27.
The words behind it
18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| προϊδὼν | proidon | Having foreseen | G4308 → | 4 times |
| ἐλάλησεν | elalesen | he spoke | G2980 → | 294 times |
| περὶ | peri | concerning | G4012 → | 332 times |
| τῆς | tes | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀναστάσεως | anastaseos | resurrection | G386 → | 42 times |
| τοῦ | tou | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Χριστοῦ | christou | Christ | G5547 → | 523 times |
| ὅτι | hoti | that | G3754 → | 1292 times |
| οὔτε | oute | neither | G3777 → | 87 times |
| ἐγκατελείφθη | egkateleiphthe | was He left behind | G1459 → | |
| εἰς | eis | into | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| ᾅδην | haden | Hades | G86 → | |
| οὔτε | oute | nor | G3777 → | 87 times |
| ἡ | he | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| σὰρξ | sarx | flesh | G4561 → | 146 times |
| αὐτοῦ | autou | of Him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| εἶδεν | eiden | saw | G1492 → | 374 times |
| διαφθοράν. | diaphthoran | decay. | G1312 → | 6 times |
προϊδὼνHaving foreseen
proidonG4308 →4 times
ἐλάλησενhe spoke
elalesenG2980 →294 times
περὶconcerning
periG4012 →332 times
τῆςthe
tesG3588 →19766 times
ἀναστάσεωςresurrection
anastaseosG386 →42 times
τοῦof the
touG3588 →19766 times
ΧριστοῦChrist
christouG5547 →523 times
ὅτιthat
hotiG3754 →1292 times
οὔτεneither
outeG3777 →87 times
ἐγκατελείφθηwas He left behind
egkateleiphtheG1459 →
εἰςinto
eisG1519 →1755 times
ᾅδηνHades
hadenG86 →
οὔτεnor
outeG3777 →87 times
ἡthe
heG3588 →19766 times
σὰρξflesh
sarxG4561 →146 times
αὐτοῦof Him
autouG846 →5565 times
εἶδενsaw
eidenG1492 →374 times
διαφθοράν.decay.
diaphthoranG1312 →6 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 16:10For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol, nor will You let Your Holy One see decay.
it leads to
- Acts 2:27–31
because You will not abandon my soul to Hades, nor will You let Your Holy One see decay.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Revelation 1:18
the Living One. I was dead, and behold, now I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of Death and of Hades.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Acts 13:35–38
So also, He says in another Psalm: ‘You will not let Your Holy One see decay.’
- Psalms 49:15
But God will redeem my life from Sheol, for He will surely take me to Himself. Selah
- Isaiah 14:9
Sheol beneath is eager to meet you upon your arrival. It stirs the spirits of the dead to greet you—all the rulers of the earth. It makes all the kings of the nations rise…
- Acts 2:27–31
Through
Acts 2:27because You will not abandon my soul to Hades, nor will You let Your Holy One see decay.
it leads to
- Psalms 16:10
For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol, nor will You let Your Holy One see decay.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Revelation 20:13
The sea gave up its dead, and Death and Hades gave up their dead, and each one was judged according to his deeds.
- John 11:39
“Take away the stone,” Jesus said. “Lord, by now he stinks,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man. “It has already been four days.”
- Psalms 16:10
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies54
On this verse
On this chapter
- Afterlife Vocabulary
- Baptism in the Holy Spirit (the Acts Evidence)
- The Twelve
- Bread
- David
- Dreams in Scripture and in Egypt
Show the next 6 titles
- The Fall Feasts
- The Hebrew Feasts
- Fire
- Father, Forgive Them
- God and the Nations, from Abraham to the New Jerusalem
- Head Coverings
Show the next 6 titles
- The Words Tiqvah and Elpis
- How Prophecy Works
- Infant Baptism and Believers' Baptism
- Jesus on the Holy Spirit
- Joel, the Study Guide
- Joel 2:28-32 in Acts 2
Show the next 6 titles
Show the next 6 titles
- Prophecy as a Gift Today
- Providence
- Speaking in Tongues
- The Suffering Servant
- The Table of Nations
- The Appointed Times Read as a Calendar of Prophecy
Show the next 6 titles
By subject
Resurrection34 verses
About Acts
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
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 Acts of the Apostles; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Retractions on Acts; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 6; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Oecumenius, Commentary on Acts; Theodoret of Cyrus, DIALOGUE 2 and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.