Acts 13:34

“And that he raised him from the dead, no longer destined to return to decay, he has spoken in this way: ‘I will give you the holy things of David, the sure ones.’”

Acts 13:34 · direct translation from the Greek
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With the Greek beneath

34

Quotation · Isaiah 55:3

Go to Isaiah 55:3

Paul quotes Isaiah 55:3 in shortened form: “the holy things of David, the sure ones” (in the Hebrew, “the faithful loyal love to David”).

Formula: οὕτως εἴρηκεν ὅτι “he has spoken in this way” (Acts 13:34)

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: ὅτι δὲ ἀνέστησεν αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν μηκέτι μέλλοντα ὑποστρέφειν εἰς διαφθοράν οὕτως εἴρηκεν ὅτι Δώσω ὑμῖν τὰ ὅσια Δαυὶδ τὰ πιστά

Hebrew (Masoretic text): הַטּוּ אָזְנְכֶם וּלְכוּ אֵלַי שִׁמְעוּ וּתְחִי נַפְשְׁכֶם וְאֶכְרְתָה לָכֶם בְּרִית עוֹלָם חַסְדֵי דָוִד הַנֶּאֱמָנִים

Septuagint (Isaiah 55:3 in the Septuagint numbering): προσέχετε τοῖς ὠτίοις ὑμῶν καὶ ἐπακολουθήσατε ταῖς ὁδοῖς μου· ἐπακούσατέ μου, καὶ ζήσεται ἐν ἀγαθοῖς ἡ ψυχὴ ὑμῶν, καὶ διαθήσομαι ὑμῖν διαθήκην αἰώνιον, τὰ ὅσια Δαυεὶδ τὰ πιστά.

In the Septuagint verse that most resembles it, at most 2 consecutive words match the Greek of the NT. The transcription has reading errors, so a match may not show.

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Acts 13:34, word by word

he raisedἀνέστησενanestēsen

rise

To come back to life.

Where else “anestēsen” appears
the deadνεκρῶνnekrōn

dead

Someone who no longer has life, whose body has no breath left.

Where else “nekrōn” appears
no longerμηκέτιmēketi

no longer

No longer, never again.

Where else “mēketi” appears
destinedμέλλονταmellonta

be about to

Something on the point of happening.

Where else “mellonta” appears
to returnὑποστρέφεινhypostrephein

return, turn back

Return, turn back, go back to where one came from.

Where else “hypostrephein” appears
decayδιαφθοράνdiaphthoran

decay, corruption

Decay, corruption: the decomposition of the body after death.

Where else “diaphthoran” appears
he has spokenεἴρηκενeirēken

say

To express something in words to others.

Where else “eirēken” appears
‘I will giveΔώσωDōsō

give

To hand something to another freely, as a gift.

Where else “Dōsō” appears
the holyὅσιαhosia

holy, devout

Holy, devout, faithful to God; of God, the Holy One; "the holy things" promised.

Where else “hosia” appears
of DavidΔαυὶδDauid

David

David, the king of Israel from whose line God promised a king forever (2 Samuel 7:12-16).

Where else “Dauid” appears
the sure ones.’πιστάpista

faithful

Someone you can rely on.

Where else “pista” appears

Translation note

Isaiah 55:3, as in the Greek version.

Parallel passages

Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.

Quotation · Isaiah 55:3

Paul quotes Isaiah 55:3 in shortened form: “the holy things of David, the sure ones” (in the Hebrew, “the faithful loyal love to David”).

See them side by side

Acts 13:34

34And that he raised him from the dead, no longer destined to return to decay, he has spoken in this way: ‘I will give you the holy things of David, the sure ones.’

Isaiah 55:3

3Incline your ear and come to me; listen, and your soul will live; and I will make with you an eternal covenant, the loyal loves of David, that are sure.

The context

33that God has fulfilled this for our children by raising Jesus, as it is written also in the second psalm, ‘You are my Son; I today have begotten you.’

34 · This verse (above)

35Therefore he also says in another psalm, ‘You will not let your Holy One see decay.’

Read all of Acts 13

To study Acts 13 in a group

  1. 1. What it says

    In Antioch, while they fasted and served the Lord, what did the Holy Spirit say, and what did the assembly do? (vv. 1-3)

  2. 2. What it means

    Why do you think the assembly fasted and prayed before sending Barnabas and Saul? (vv. 2-3)

  3. 3. How I live it

    Facing an important decision, with whom can you seek counsel and pray before taking the step?

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