Acts 13:47

“For so the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have set you as a light for the nations, that you may be for salvation to the end of the earth.’””

Acts 13:47 · direct translation from the Greek
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47

Quotation · Isaiah 49:6

Go to Isaiah 49:6

Paul and Barnabas apply to their mission Isaiah 49:6, said of the servant of YHWH: “I have set you as a light for the nations.”

Formula: οὕτως γὰρ ἐντέταλται ἡμῖν ὁ κύριος “for so the Lord has commanded us” (Acts 13:47)

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: οὕτως γὰρ ἐντέταλται ἡμῖν ὁ κύριος Τέθεικά σε εἰς φῶς ἐθνῶν τοῦ εἶναί σε εἰς σωτηρίαν ἕως ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς

Hebrew (Masoretic text): וַיֹּאמֶר נָקֵל מִהְיוֹתְךָ לִי עֶבֶד לְהָקִים אֶת שִׁבְטֵי יַעֲקֹב וּנְצוּרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְהָשִׁיב וּנְתַתִּיךָ לְאוֹר גּוֹיִם לִהְיוֹת יְשׁוּעָתִי עַד קְצֵה הָאָרֶץ

Septuagint (Isaiah 49:6-7 in the Septuagint numbering): καὶ εἶπέν μοι Μέγα σοί ἐστιν τοῦ κληθῆναί σε παῖδά μου, τοῦ στῆσαι τὰς φυλὰς Ἰακὼβ καὶ τὴν διασπορὰν τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ ἐπιστρέψαι· ἰδοὺ τέθεικά σε εἷς φῶς ἐθνῶν, τοῦ εἷναί σε εἰς σωτηρίαν ἕως ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς. οὕτως λέγει Κύριος ὃ ῥυσάμενός σε ὅ θεὸς Ἰσραήλ Ἁγιάσατε τὸν φαυλίζοντα τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ, τὸν βδελυσσόμενον ὑπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν τῶν δούλων τῶν ἀρχόντων· βασιλεῖς ὄψονται αὐτόν, καὶ ἀναστήσονται ἄρχοντες καὶ προσκυνήσουσιν αὐτῷ ἕνεκεν Κυρίου· ὅτι πιστός ἐστιν ὃ ἅγιος Ἰσραήλ, καὶ ἐξελεξάμην σε.

The Greek of the NT matches the Septuagint word for word in 14 consecutive words: “Τέθεικά σε εἰς φῶς ἐθνῶν τοῦ εἶναί σε εἰς σωτηρίαν ἕως ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς.”

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

Acts 13:47, word by word

the Lordκύριοςkyrios

Lord

The Lord: God, whose name is YHWH; also Jesus.

Where else “kyrios” appears
has commandedἐντέταλταιentetaltai

command

Command, give orders.

Where else “entetaltai” appears
‘I have setΤέθεικάTetheika

appoint

To name someone to a post, or decide something.

Where else “Tetheika” appears
a lightφῶςphōs

God's light

God's light that shows the truth.

Where else “phōs” appears
for the nationsἐθνῶνethnōn

Gentile

The peoples who are not Israel.

Where else “ethnōn” appears
may beεἶναίeinai

be

To be: says who or what something is.

Where else “einai” appears
salvationσωτηρίανsōtērian

salvation

Salvation.

Where else “sōtērian” appears
the endἐσχάτουeschatou

far end

The farthest point: "to the far reaches of the earth".

Where else “eschatou” appears
of the earth.’γῆςgēs

earth

The whole earth under heaven, where human beings live.

Where else “gēs” appears

Translation note

Isaiah 49:6.

Parallel passages

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

Quotation · Isaiah 49:6

Paul and Barnabas apply to their mission Isaiah 49:6, said of the servant of YHWH: “I have set you as a light for the nations.”

See them side by side

Acts 13:47

47For so the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have set you as a light for the nations, that you may be for salvation to the end of the earth.’”

Isaiah 49:6

6he said: “It is too small a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved ones of Israel; I will make you also a light of the nations, to be my salvation to the end of the earth.”

The context

46And Paul and Barnabas spoke boldly and said, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you reject it and judge yourselves not worthy of eternal life, look, we are turning to the nations.

47 · This verse (above)

48And when the nations heard this, they were rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.

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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