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OET OET-RV OET-LV ULT UST BSB BLB AICNT OEB WEB WMB NET LSV FBV TCNT T4T LEB BBE MOF JPS ASV DRA YLT DBY RV WBS KJB BB GNV CB TNT WYC SR-GNT UHB Related Parallel Interlinear Dictionary Search
parallelVerse INT GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOS JDG RUTH 1SA 2SA 1KI 2KI 1CH 2CH EZRA NEH EST JOB PSA PRO ECC SNG ISA JER LAM EZE DAN HOS JOEL AMOS OBA YNA MIC NAH HAB ZEP HAG ZEC MAL YHN MARK MAT LUKE ACTs ROM 1COR 2COR GAL EPH PHP COL 1TH 2TH 1TIM 2TIM TIT PHM HEB YAC 1PET 2PET 1YHN 2YHN 3YHN YUD REV
Acts Intro C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 C15 C16 C17 C18 C19 C20 C21 C22 C23 C24 C25 C26 C27 C28
Acts 17 V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 V6 V7 V8 V9 V10 V11 V12 V13 V14 V15 V16 V17 V18 V19 V20 V21 V22 V23 V24 V25 V26 V27 V28 V29 V31 V32 V33 V34
Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible. This view is only designed for doing comparisons of different translations. Click on the version abbreviation to see the verse in more of its context.
The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible. Please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.
OET (OET-RV) In fact God overlooked times of such ignorance in the past, but now he’s informing everyone and requiring them to repent
OET-LV Therefore indeed the god the times of_ the _ignorance having_overlooked, now he_is_reporting the things to_ all _the people everywhere to_be_repenting,
SR-GNT Τοὺς μὲν οὖν χρόνους τῆς ἀγνοίας ὑπεριδὼν ὁ ˚Θεὸς, τὰ νῦν ἀπαγγέλλει τοῖς ἀνθρώποις πάντας πανταχοῦ μετανοεῖν, ‡
(Tous men oun ⱪronous taʸs agnoias huperidōn ho ˚Theos, ta nun apangellei tois anthrōpois pantas pantaⱪou metanoein,)
Key: yellow:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, orange:accusative/object, pink:genitive/possessor, cyan:dative/indirect object.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).
ULT Therefore God, having indeed overlooked the times of ignorance, now to men commands everyone everywhere to repent,
UST In the past, people did not know what God wanted them to do. So God did not punish them for what they did. But now God commands all people everywhere to stop doing wrong things.
BSB § Although God overlooked the ignorance of earlier times, He now commands all people everywhere to repent.
BLB So indeed God, having overlooked the times of ignorance, now commands all men everywhere to repent,
AICNT “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all men everywhere to repent,
OEB True, God looked with indulgence on the days of people’s ignorance, but now he is announcing to everyone everywhere the need for repentance,
WEB The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked. But now he commands that all people everywhere should repent,
NET Therefore, although God has overlooked such times of ignorance, he now commands all people everywhere to repent,
LSV therefore indeed God, having overlooked the times of ignorance, now commands all men everywhere to convert,
FBV God disregarded people's ignorance in the past, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent.
TCNT Therefore, having overlooked the times of ignorance, God now commands all people everywhere to repent,
T4T During the times when people did not know what God wanted them to do, he did not immediately punish them for what they did. But now God commands all people everywhere to turn away from their evil behavior.
LEB Therefore although[fn] God has overlooked the times of ignorance, he now commands all people everywhere to repent,
?:? *Here “although” is supplied as a component of the participle (“has overlooked”) which is understood as concessive
BBE Those times when men had no knowledge were overlooked by God; but now he gives orders to all men in every place to undergo a change of heart:
MOF No MOF ACTs book available
ASV The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked; but now he commandeth men that they should all everywhere repent:
DRA And God indeed having winked at the times of this ignorance, now declareth unto men, that all should every where do penance.
YLT the times, indeed, therefore, of the ignorance God having overlooked, doth now command all men everywhere to reform,
DBY [fn]God therefore, having overlooked the times of ignorance, now enjoins men that they shall all everywhere repent,
17.30 Elohim
RV The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked; but now he commandeth men that they should all everywhere repent:
WBS And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
KJB And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
BB And the tyme of this ignoraunce God wyncked at: but nowe byddeth all men euery where to repent:
(And the time of this ignoraunce God wyncked at: but now byddeth all men every where to repent:)
GNV And the time of this ignorance God regarded not: but nowe hee admonisheth all men euery where to repent,
(And the time of this ignorance God regarded not: but now he admonisheth all men every where to repent, )
CB And truly God hath ouersene the tyme of ignoraunce: But now he commaundeth all men euery where to repente,
(And truly God hath/has ouersene the time of ignoraunce: But now he commaundeth all men every where to repente,)
TNT And the tyme of this ignoraunce God regarded not: but now he byddeth all men every where repent
(And the time of this ignoraunce God regarded not: but now he byddeth all men every where repent )
WYC For God dispisith the tymes of this vnkunnyng, and now schewith to men, that alle euery where doon penaunce; for that he hath ordeyned a dai,
(For God dispisith the times of this unkunnyng, and now schewith to men, that all every where doon penance; for that he hath/has ordained a day,)
LUT Und zwar hat GOtt die Zeit der Unwissenheit übersehen; nun aber gebeut er allen Menschen an allen Enden, Buße zu tun,
(And zwar has God the Zeit the Unwissenheit übersehen; now but gebeut he all Menschen at all Enden, Buße to tun,)
CLV Et tempora quidem hujus ignorantiæ despiciens Deus, nunc annuntiat hominibus ut omnes ubique pœnitentiam agant,[fn]
(And tempora quidem huyus ignorantiæ despiciens God, now annuntiat hominibus as everyone ubique pœnitentiam agant,)
17.30 Despiciens Deus. ID. Id est, ignoscens ut venialia, et tunc despiciens, id est, indigna judicans sua notitia.
17.30 Despiciens God. ID. Id it_is, ignoscens as venialia, and tunc despiciens, id it_is, indigna yudicans sua notitia.
UGNT τοὺς μὲν οὖν χρόνους τῆς ἀγνοίας ὑπεριδὼν ὁ Θεὸς, τὰ νῦν παραγγέλλει τοῖς ἀνθρώποις πάντας πανταχοῦ μετανοεῖν,
(tous men oun ⱪronous taʸs agnoias huperidōn ho Theos, ta nun parangellei tois anthrōpois pantas pantaⱪou metanoein,)
SBL-GNT τοὺς μὲν οὖν χρόνους τῆς ἀγνοίας ὑπεριδὼν ὁ θεὸς τὰ νῦν ⸀παραγγέλλει τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ⸀πάντας πανταχοῦ μετανοεῖν,
(tous men oun ⱪronous taʸs agnoias huperidōn ho theos ta nun ⸀parangellei tois anthrōpois ⸀pantas pantaⱪou metanoein, )
TC-GNT Τοὺς μὲν οὖν χρόνους τῆς ἀγνοίας ὑπεριδὼν ὁ Θεός, τὰ νῦν [fn]παραγγέλλει τοῖς ἀνθρώποις [fn]πᾶσι πανταχοῦ μετανοεῖν·
(Tous men oun ⱪronous taʸs agnoias huperidōn ho Theos, ta nun parangellei tois anthrōpois pasi pantaⱪou metanoein;)
Key for above GNTs: red:words differ (from our SR-GNT base).
17:30 The idea of people’s ignorance is carefully discussed both in the Old Testament law (Lev 4:2, 22, 27; 5:15, 17; Num 15:25, 27) and in the New Testament (Eph 4:18; 1 Pet 1:14; 2:15; 2 Pet 3:5, 8). Paul was particularly fervent about combatting ignorance (see Rom 10:13-15; 11:25; 1 Cor 10:1; 12:1; 2 Cor 1:8; 1 Thes 4:13). The message of Good News overcomes ignorance and summons all who hear it to repent of their sins and turn to God (see Acts 2:38).
The Unknown God
When Paul spoke to the Areopagus, the “high council of the city” of Athens (Acts 17:19), he was speaking to people who did not share his faith in the God of Abraham and Moses who had revealed himself “many times and in many ways to [his] ancestors through the prophets” (Heb 1:1). The members of his audience had a very different definition of the divine. A host of divinities inhabited their world, and the common people retained much of their belief in the ancient gods. But many of the cultural elite of Athens no longer believed in the gods in any literal sense. Instead, they held to either a form of materialism (the physical is everything) or pantheism (the divine inhabits everything).
What they all shared in common was the absence of the idea that there is one true God who is Lord of all. Their myths told of the activities of various gods, but they did not have faith that the ultimate reality, God himself, could be known. Instead, they reasoned and discussed “the latest ideas,” hoping for a better understanding of the nature of things.
There were a wide variety of philosophical ideas current in Athens when Paul visited, but two main schools of thought dominated, Stoicism and Epicureanism (Acts 17:18).
Zeno of Citium (334~262 BC) founded Stoicism. Stoics studied nature’s laws and believed in the Logos, a pervasive organizing and sustaining force that gives all things their essential nature and so gives life and reason to humanity. The good life is one in which reason rules, and peace of mind and harmony with nature prevail. Many prominent statesmen were Stoics or influenced by Stoicism, including Cicero, Seneca, and Marcus Aurelius. Stoic ideas proved attractive to some Christians because of the similarities between the Stoic logos and the divine Logos (John 1:1-18), and between the idea of natural law and the law of God.
Those who followed Epicurus (341–270 BC) were empiricists; they relied upon sense experience (as opposed to reason) for knowledge. Epicureans were concerned with natural evidence and were unenthusiastic about mathematics. Their focus was ethics, the study of right behavior; they judged the value of an action or thing in terms of the pleasure or pain it brought. Epicurus saw belief in gods (meddling and powerful beings who terrified ordinary mortals) as a serious threat to tranquility. For him and his followers, neither the gods nor death (which is the end) should be feared.
When Paul spoke in that context, he used their own poets to proclaim things that they could barely comprehend: That the God who made everything is both personal and knowable; that he revealed himself clearly, historically, and definitively in Jesus Christ; that death is not followed by either the cessation of existence or the migration of the soul, but by judgment; and that the proof of all of this is the resurrection of Christ from the dead.
What was foolishness to most of the Greeks of Athens turns out to be the ultimate truth: God is knowable, and can be known through Jesus Christ.
Passages for Further Study
Ps 50:7-15; Isa 42:5-7; Acts 17:16-32; Rom 1:18-32; Col 1:15-23; 2:6-12; 1 Thes 1:9-10; Heb 1:1-4
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / possession
χρόνους τῆς ἀγνοίας
times ¬the ˱of˲_ignorance
Paul is using the possessive form here not to describe times that were themselves ignorant but times when people were characterized by spiritual ignorance. Paul is referring to the times before God fully revealed himself through Jesus Christ and before people truly knew how to obey God. Alternate translation: “the times when people were ignorant of the true God”
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / gendernotations
τοῖς ἀνθρώποις
˱to˲_the people
Although the term men is masculine, Paul is using the word in a generic sense that includes both men and women. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could use a term in your language that is clearly inclusive of both men and women. Alternate translation: “people”