Acts 13:14-52

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 13:19

And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan ,.... The Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, Jebusites, and Girgashites; and the name of seven nations is what they are usually called by in Jewish writings; and though they were not utterly destroyed, or everyone of them put to death, or driven out, for some remained to be thorns in the sides of the Israelites; yet they were so wasted and conquered, that they could never recover any more: he divided their land... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 13:20

And after that he gave unto them judges ,.... As Othniel, Ehud, Deborah, Gideon, Abimelech, Tola, Jair, Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon, Samson, and Eli: about the space of four hundred and fifty years ; not that from the division of the land of Canaan among the tribes, to Samuel the prophet, was such a space of years; for from the coming of the children of Israel out of Egypt, to the year that Solomon began to build the temple, were but four hundred and fourscore years, 1 Kings 6:1 and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 13:21

And afterward they desired a king ,.... 1 Samuel 8:5 which the Jews F23 T. Bab. Nazir, fol. 5. 1. & Temura, fol. 14. 2. say, was in the tenth year of Samuel; that is, of his government over Israel, or of his judging them: and God gave unto them Saul ; whose name signifies one that is asked; he was the son of Cis ; so the Septuagint read and pronounce the word "Kish", the name of Saul's father, 1 Samuel 9:1 a man of the tribe of Benjamin; not of Judah, from whence the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 13:22

And when he had removed him ,.... Either by death, or rejected him from being king while he was living; 1 Samuel 15:23 he raised up unto them David to be their king ; who was of the tribe of Judah, and who was raised from a very mean condition, from keeping of sheep, to sit upon the throne of Israel: to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David ; a type of the Messiah; he chose him to be king, sent Samuel to anoint him, and at length set him on the throne: the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 13:23

Of this man's seed hath God, according to his promise ,.... In 2 Samuel 7:12 raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus; even Jesus of Nazareth, whose name signifies a Saviour, who is the son of David, according to the flesh; the word "Jesus" is left out in some copies, and so it is in the Syriac and Ethiopic versions, which only read, "salvation" or "redemption"; the Alexandrian copy, and the Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions, read, "he hath brought forth unto Israel", &c.; the sense is,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 13:24

When John had first preached before his coming ,.... Or, "before the face of his entrance"; that is, on his public ministry; for John did not preach before the coming of Christ in the flesh, being born but half a year before him; but before he came forth and was manifest to Israel; before he entered upon his work and office, as a prophet and teacher of the people: and this points out the business of John the Baptist, who was the forerunner of Christ, and went before his face to prepare his... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 13:25

And as John fulfilled his course ,.... Or race, the work of the ministry he was called to; as he was preaching and baptizing, which were the race set before him to run, and in which he ran well; he made full proof of his ministry. The life of every Christian is a race, and especially of a minister of the Gospel, and which requires strength, courage, agility, patience, and perseverance; this world is the place in which they run; and this is only the running time; in heaven they will sit down... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 13:26

Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham ,.... This address is made to them in the synagogue, who were Jews by birth, and in a form very grateful and pleasing; he calls them "men", perhaps not only from the common nature of mankind in them, but because they took this name peculiarly to themselves, and denied it to the nations of the world; and which they gather from Ezekiel 34:31 and he styles them "brethren", because they were his countrymen; and "children of the stock of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 13:27

For they that dwelt at Jerusalem, and their rulers ,.... The inhabitants of that city, and the great sanhedrim which sat there: because they knew him not; that is, either Jesus the Saviour, whom God had raised of the seed of David, and to whom John bore witness; and which must be understood, not of all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and members of the sanhedrim; for though some were ignorant, yet there were others that knew that Jesus was the Messiah, and notwithstanding rejected him; but the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 13:28

And though they found no cause of death in him ,.... That is, no crime that deserved death; they sought for such, but could find none; they suborned false witnesses, who brought charges against him, but could not support them; wherefore Pilate, his judge, several times declared his innocence, and would have discharged him: yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain ; they were urgent and importunate with him, that he would order him to be put to death; the power of life and death... read more

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