Acts 13:23 kjv
Of this man's seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus:
Acts 13:23 nkjv
From this man's seed, according to the promise, God raised up for Israel a Savior?Jesus?
Acts 13:23 niv
"From this man's descendants God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as he promised.
Acts 13:23 esv
Of this man's offspring God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised.
Acts 13:23 nlt
"And it is one of King David's descendants, Jesus, who is God's promised Savior of Israel!
Acts 13 23 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Sam 7:12-16 | "When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you... and I will establish his kingdom." | God's eternal covenant promise to David concerning his seed and throne. |
| Ps 89:3-4 | "I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant: 'I will establish your offspring forever and build your throne for all generations.'" | Reinforces God's unwavering oath and covenant with David for a perpetual kingdom. |
| Ps 132:11 | "The LORD swore to David a sure oath from which he will not turn back: 'One of the sons of your body I will set on your throne.'" | God's sworn promise to David concerning a direct descendant on his throne. |
| Isa 7:14 | "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." | Prophecy of a miraculous birth of a child, linking to the promised one. |
| Isa 9:6-7 | "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder... of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David..." | Prophecy of the Messiah's birth and His eternal, peaceful reign on David's throne. |
| Isa 11:1-2 | "There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit." | Describes the Messiah coming from David's humble lineage (Jesse). |
| Jer 23:5-6 | "Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely..." | Prophecy of a righteous descendant of David who will rule justly. |
| Micah 5:2 | "But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah... from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel..." | Foretells the Messiah's birth in Bethlehem, David's hometown. |
| Matt 1:1 | "The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham." | Directly traces Jesus' lineage to David and Abraham, emphasizing Messianic claim. |
| Matt 1:21 | "She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." | Explains Jesus' name, signifying His purpose as a Savior from sins. |
| Luke 1:32-33 | "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever..." | Angel Gabriel's prophecy explicitly connects Jesus to David's throne and eternal reign. |
| Luke 2:11 | "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." | Confirms Jesus' birth as Savior, Christ, and Lord in Bethlehem. |
| Rom 1:3-4 | "...concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead..." | Paul affirms Jesus' dual nature: descendant of David (humanity) and Son of God (divinity). |
| Acts 2:30 | "Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne..." | Peter's sermon affirming David knew God promised one of his descendants (Jesus) would reign. |
| Acts 5:31 | "God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins." | Jesus' role as Leader and Savior, exalted by God, offering repentance. |
| Phil 3:20 | "But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ." | Identifies Jesus as the universal Savior whom believers eagerly await. |
| Titus 2:13 | "Waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ." | Emphasizes Jesus' ultimate role as both God and Savior. |
| Heb 5:9 | "And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him." | Jesus perfected, becoming the definitive source of eternal salvation. |
| Num 23:19 | "God is not a man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?" | Establishes God's unchangeable character and faithfulness to His promises. |
| Ps 33:11 | "The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations." | God's divine counsel and plans are eternal and unfailing. |
| Rom 15:8 | "For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs..." | Christ's ministry confirming God's truth and promises to the patriarchs. |
| Heb 10:23 | "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful." | Assurance in God's faithfulness as the guarantor of hope. |
| Gal 3:16 | "Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. He does not say, 'And to offsprings,' referring to many, but referring to one, 'And to your offspring,' who is Christ." | Clarifies the singular "seed" of Abraham's promise refers specifically to Christ. |
Acts 13 verses
Acts 13 23 Meaning
Acts 13:23 declares that from the lineage of King David, God Himself has brought forth to Israel a Savior, Jesus, in perfect accordance with His divine promises. This verse encapsulates the core of Paul's gospel message to the Jewish community, identifying Jesus of Nazareth as the long-awaited Messiah who fulfills the prophecies concerning a Davidic heir who would bring salvation. It emphasizes God's initiative, faithfulness, and the pre-ordained nature of Jesus' arrival as the deliverer for His people.
Acts 13 23 Context
Acts chapter 13 records Paul's first recorded missionary sermon, delivered in the synagogue at Antioch of Pisidia. Addressing both Jews and God-fearing Gentiles, Paul strategically begins by tracing the history of Israel from their deliverance from Egypt through the wilderness, the time of the judges, and the establishment of kings, leading up to David. He meticulously sets the stage by highlighting God's selection of David as a man after His own heart. Verse 23 then acts as a crucial pivot, connecting this established history directly to the arrival of Jesus. Paul's historical survey serves to establish continuity and demonstrate that Jesus is not an anomaly but the climactic fulfillment of God's redemptive plan for His people, foretold through centuries of covenant and prophecy, particularly the Davidic covenant. This approach would have resonated deeply with the Jewish audience's understanding of their heritage and their long-held expectation of the Messiah.
Acts 13 23 Word analysis
- From: (Greek: Apo, ἀπό) – Signifies source or origin. Here, it indicates that Jesus directly originates from the lineage of David.
- this man’s: Refers explicitly to King David, who was just extensively discussed in verses 17-22 as the chosen king for Israel. This immediately grounds Jesus within the historical and royal lineage recognized by the Jewish people.
- posterity: (Greek: spermatos, σπέρματος) – Means "seed," "offspring," or "descendant." This is a profoundly significant theological term, echoing Old Testament promises, particularly the Abrahamic and Davidic covenants where God promised a specific "seed" (Gen 22:18, 2 Sam 7:12). Paul's choice of "seed" here directly links Jesus to these covenant fulfillments, implying a specific, singular descendant rather than just general progeny.
- God: (Greek: ho Theos, ὁ Θεός) – Emphasizes divine agency. It is God's active, intentional intervention and faithfulness that bring Jesus forth. This is not a human initiative but a sovereign divine act.
- has brought: (Greek: ēgagen, ἤγαγεν) – An aorist tense verb, denoting a completed action with ongoing results. God definitively "led forth," "raised up," or "brought into existence" Jesus as promised. It speaks to a divinely ordained bringing forth into human history.
- to Israel: (Greek: tō Israēl, τῷ Ἰσραήλ) – Points to the initial intended recipients and beneficiaries of this divine action. While salvation in Christ would ultimately extend to all nations, it first came "to Israel," fulfilling God's covenantal promises to His chosen people. This also highlights Jesus' Jewish identity and roots.
- a Savior: (Greek: Sōtēra, Σωτῆρα) – Denotes one who rescues, delivers, preserves. This title immediately clarifies Jesus' role beyond that of a mere political king or deliverer from foreign oppression. It signifies a spiritual deliverance, a salvation from sin and its consequences, the deeper messianic expectation.
- Jesus: (Greek: Iēsoun, Ἰησοῦν) – The historical name, "Jesus," is a Hellenized form of the Hebrew "Yeshua," meaning "Yahweh saves" or "the LORD is salvation." This name intrinsically declares His mission as Savior, reinforcing the previous title.
- as He promised: (Greek: kathōs epēngeilato, καθὼς ἐπηγγείλατο) – This phrase powerfully asserts the reliability and consistency of God's Word. Jesus' coming is presented not as a random event, but as the fulfillment of ancient, divine pledges. It ties directly back to prophecies of the Messiah's Davidic lineage and salvific work, validating the Christian claim about Jesus to the Jewish audience by grounding it in their sacred texts.
- "From this man’s posterity God has brought": This phrase meticulously details God's precise execution of His covenant. It showcases divine power, specific choice, and historical accuracy in raising Jesus directly from David's line, as foretold for centuries. It underlines that Jesus' arrival was not a historical accident but the culmination of God's unfolding plan.
- "to Israel a Savior, Jesus": This segment reveals both the immediate beneficiaries and the nature of the provision. The focus on "Israel" acknowledges the covenant people, while "Savior, Jesus" clearly defines His role. This combination emphasizes spiritual salvation over a purely nationalistic or earthly reign, linking the anticipated deliverer's name directly to His function.
- "as He promised": This concluding phrase functions as the theological anchor of the entire statement. It reassures the audience that God's integrity and fidelity are perfect, establishing the divine authority and pre-ordained nature of Jesus' life, ministry, death, and resurrection. It underscores the profound theological truth that God consistently brings His Word to fruition.
Acts 13 23 Bonus section
This verse serves as an essential hinge point in Luke's theological narrative within Acts. It perfectly illustrates Paul's strategy for presenting the gospel to Jewish audiences: first establishing a common ground of shared Old Testament history and then seamlessly introducing Jesus as the divine fulfillment of that history. The emphasis on "God has brought" and "as He promised" subtly counters any potential skepticism about Jesus being an 'imposter' or an 'unforeseen figure,' instead painting Him as the climactic, pre-ordained manifestation of God's covenant loyalty. The phrase "Savior, Jesus" (Soter, Iesous) carries deep resonance, distinguishing Jesus from temporal deliverers and asserting His unique role as the one who delivers from sin. This paves the way for the broader implications of the gospel for all people, while firmly rooting it in its Jewish origins.
Acts 13 23 Commentary
Acts 13:23 is a pivotal declaration in Paul's inaugural sermon in Antioch of Pisidia. It succinctly summarizes the core of the gospel message by linking Jesus directly to the ancient promises made to Israel, specifically the Davidic covenant. By asserting that God Himself "has brought" Jesus forth from David's lineage "as He promised," Paul meticulously builds a bridge from Israel's history and messianic expectations to the identity of Jesus. This statement reaffirms God's unfailing faithfulness and divine initiative in salvation history. Jesus is presented not merely as a king from David's line, but pointedly as "a Savior," signaling that His ultimate mission extends beyond political deliverance to provide redemption from sin, thereby fulfilling the deepest longing of humanity. The verse sets the theological stage for understanding Jesus as the culmination of Old Testament prophecy and God's consistent work in the world. It is a powerful affirmation of Jesus' legitimacy as the Christ and the reliability of God's promises.