Acts 13:46 - Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)

Acts 13:46

44 On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God.

45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy; and contradicting and blaspheming, they ^aopposed the things spoken by Paul.

46 Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, ^a“It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but ^bsince you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, ^cwe turn to the Gentiles.

47 For so the Lord has commanded us:
^a‘I have set you as a light to the Gentiles,
That you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ”

48 Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. ^aAnd as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.

49 And the word of the Lord was being spread throughout all the region.

50 But the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city, ^araised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region.

Commentaries:

Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)

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Acts 13:46

Spake out boldly (parrhsiasamenoi). First aorist middle participle of parrhsiazomai, to use freedom in speaking, to assume boldness. Both Paul and Barnabas accepted the challenge of the rabbis. They would leave their synagogue, but not without a word of explanation.

It was necessary to you first (umin hn anagkaion prwton). They had done their duty and had followed the command of Jesus (Acts 1:8). They use the very language of Peter in Acts 3:26 (umin prwton) "to you first." This position Paul as the apostle to the Gentiles will always hold, the Jew first in privilege and penalty (Romans 1:16; Romans 2:9-10).

Ye thrust it from you (apwqeisqe auton). Present middle (indirect, from yourselves) indicative of apwqew, to push from. Vigorous verb seen already in Acts 7:27, Acts 7:39 which see.

Judge yourselves unworthy (ouk aciouv krinete eautouv). Present active indicative of the common verb krinw, to judge or decide with the reflexive pronoun expressed. Literally, Do not judge yourselves worthy. By their action and their words they had taken a violent and definite stand.

Lo, we turn to the Gentiles (idou strefomeqa eiv ta eqnh). It is a crisis (idou, lo): "Lo, we turn ourselves to the Gentiles." Probably also aoristic present, we now turn (Robertson, Grammar, pp. 864-70). Strefomeqa is probably the direct middle (Robertson, Grammar, pp. 806-08) though the aorist passive estrafhn is so used also (Acts 7:39). It is a dramatic moment as Paul and Barnabas turn from the Jews to the Gentiles, a prophecy of the future history of Christianity. In Romans 9:11 Paul will discuss at length the rejection of Christ by the Jews and the calling of the Gentiles to be the real (the spiritual) Israel.

Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing Acts 13:46:

Acts 7:27
Acts 10:24
Acts 13:5
Acts 13:44
Acts 14:3
Acts 26:26
Hebrews 8:3

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