KJV: That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
YLT: to seek the Lord, if perhaps they did feel after Him and find, -- though, indeed, He is not far from each one of us,
Darby: that they may seek God; if indeed they might feel after him and find him, although he is not far from each one of us:
ASV: that they should seek God, if haply they might feel after him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us:
| ζητεῖν | to seek |
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Parse: Verb, Present Infinitive Active Root: ζητέω Sense: to seek in order to find. |
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| τὸν | - |
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Parse: Article, Accusative Masculine Singular Root: ὁ Sense: this, that, these, etc. |
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| Θεὸν | God |
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Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular Root: θεός Sense: a god or goddess, a general name of deities or divinities. |
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| ἄρα | perhaps |
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Parse: Conjunction Root: ἆρα Sense: a Greek interrogative particle that implies anxiety or impatience on the part of the questioner. |
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| γε | indeed |
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Parse: Particle Root: γέ Sense: indeed, truly, at least. |
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| ψηλαφήσειαν | they might palpate for |
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Parse: Verb, Aorist Optative Active, 3rd Person Plural Root: ψηλαφάω Sense: to handle, touch and feel. |
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| εὕροιεν | might find Him |
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Parse: Verb, Aorist Optative Active, 3rd Person Plural Root: εὑρίσκω Sense: to come upon, hit upon, to meet with. |
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| μακρὰν | far |
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Parse: Adjective, Accusative Feminine Singular Root: μακράν Sense: far, a great way. |
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| ἑνὸς | one |
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Parse: Adjective, Genitive Masculine Singular Root: εἷς Sense: one. |
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| ἑκάστου | each |
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Parse: Adjective, Genitive Masculine Singular Root: ἕκαστος Sense: each, every. |
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| ἡμῶν | of us |
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Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 1st Person Plural Root: ἐγώ Sense: I, me, my. |
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| ὑπάρχοντα | He is |
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Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Accusative Masculine Singular Root: ὑπάρχω Sense: to begin below, to make a beginning. |
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Greek Commentary for Acts 17:27
Infinitive (present active) of purpose again. Seek him, not turn away from him as the nations had done (Romans 1:18-32). [source]
First aorist active (Aeolic form) optative of πσηλαπαω psēlaphaō old verb from πσαω psaō to touch. So used by the Risen Jesus in his challenge to the disciples (Luke 24:39), by the Apostle John of his personal contact with Jesus (1 John 1:1), of the contact with Mount Sinai (Hebrews 12:18). Here it pictures the blind groping of the darkened heathen mind after God to “find him” Helen Keller, when told of God, said that she knew of him already, groping in the dark after him. The optative here with ει ei is due to the condition of the fourth class (undetermined, but with vague hope of being determined) with aim also present (Robertson, Grammar, p. 1021). Note also αρα γε ara geō the inferential particle αρα ara with the delicate intensive particle γε geō Though he is not far from each one of us (και γε ου μακραν απο ενος εκαστου ημων υπαρχοντα kai geō ou makran apo henos hekastou hēmōn huparchonta). More exactly with B L (και γε kai geō instead of καιτοι kaitoi or καιτοι γε kaitoi geō), “and yet being not far from each one of us,” a direct statement rather than a concessive one. The participle υπαρχοντα huparchonta agrees with αυτον auton and the negative ου ou rather than the usual με me with the participle makes an emphatic negative. Note also the intensive particle γε geō f0). [source]
More exactly with B L (και γε kai geō instead of καιτοι kaitoi or καιτοι γε kaitoi geō), “and yet being not far from each one of us,” a direct statement rather than a concessive one. The participle υπαρχοντα huparchonta agrees with αυτον auton and the negative ου ou rather than the usual με me with the participle makes an emphatic negative. Note also the intensive particle γε geō f0). [source]
See on handle, Luke 24:39. Compare Tennyson:“I stretch lame hands of faith, and gropeAnd gather dust and chaff, and call To what I feel is Lord of all.”In Memoriam, lv. [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 17:27
This use of ει ei and the future indicative for purpose (to see if, a sort of indirect question) as in Acts 8:22; Acts 17:27. Jesus was hungry as if he had had no food on the night before after the excitement and strain of the Triumphal Entry. The early figs in Palestine do not get ripe before May or June, the later crop in August. It was not the season of figs, Mark notes. But this precocious tree in a sheltered spot had put out leaves as a sign of fruit. It had promise without performance. [source]
Compare 1 John 1:1. The word occurs also Acts 17:27; Hebrews 12:18. “It never expresses the so handling an object as to exercise a moulding, modifying influence upon it, but at most a feeling of its surface; this, it may be, with the intention of learning its composition (Genesis 27:12, Genesis 27:21, Genesis 27:22); while, not seldom, it signifies no more than a feeling for or after an object, without any actual coming in contact with it at all” (Trench, “Synonyms”). Compare Acts 17:27. Used of groping in the dark, Job 5:14:; of the blind, Isaiah 59:10; Deuteronomy 28:29; Judges, Judges 16:26. See on Hebrews 12:18. [source]
A neat Greek idiom difficult to render smoothly into English: “Not after many days these.” The litotes (not many=few) is common in Luke (Luke 7:6; Luke 15:13; Acts 17:27; Acts 19:11; Acts 20:12; Acts 21:39; Acts 28:14; Acts 28:2). The predicate use of ταυτας tautas (without article) is to be noted. “These” really means as a starting point, “from these” (Robertson, Grammar, p. 702). It was ten days hence. This idiom occurs several times in Luke (Luke 24:21; Acts 24:21), as elsewhere (John 4:18; 2 Peter 3:1). In Luke 2:12 the copula is easily supplied as it exists in Luke 1:36; Luke 2:2. [source]
Old word from προτυμος prothumos Paul expounded the Scriptures daily as in Thessalonica, but the Beroeans, instead of resenting his new interpretation, examined (ει εχοι ταυτα ουτως anakrinō means to sift up and down, make careful and exact research as in legal processes as in Acts 4:9; Acts 12:19, etc.) the Scriptures for themselves. In Scotland people have the Bible open on the preacher as he expounds the passage, a fine habit worth imitating. Whether these things were so Literally, “if these things had it thus.” The present optative in the indirect question represents an original present indicative as in Luke 1:29 (Robertson, Grammar, pp. 1043f.). This use of ei with the optative may be looked at as the condition of the fourth class (undetermined with less likelihood of determination) as in Acts 17:27; Acts 20:16; Acts 24:19; Acts 27:12 (Robertson, Grammar, p. 1021). The Beroeans were eagerly interested in the new message of Paul and Silas but they wanted to see it for themselves. What a noble attitude. Paul‘s preaching made Bible students of them. The duty of private interpretation is thus made plain (Hovey). [source]
Literally, “if these things had it thus.” The present optative in the indirect question represents an original present indicative as in Luke 1:29 (Robertson, Grammar, pp. 1043f.). This use of ei with the optative may be looked at as the condition of the fourth class (undetermined with less likelihood of determination) as in Acts 17:27; Acts 20:16; Acts 24:19; Acts 27:12 (Robertson, Grammar, p. 1021). The Beroeans were eagerly interested in the new message of Paul and Silas but they wanted to see it for themselves. What a noble attitude. Paul‘s preaching made Bible students of them. The duty of private interpretation is thus made plain (Hovey). [source]
Second aorist active participle of γινωσκω ginōskō to know by personal experience. Definite statement that originally men had some knowledge of God. No people, however degraded, have yet been found without some yearning after a god, a seeking to find the true God and get back to him as Paul said in Athens (Acts 17:27). Glorified not as God (ουχ ως τεον εδοχασαν ouch hōs theon edoxasan). They knew more than they did. This is the reason for the condemnation of the heathen (Romans 2:12-16), the failure to do what they know. Their senseless heart Καρδια Kardia is the most comprehensive term for all our faculties whether feeling (Romans 9:2), will (1 Corinthians 4:5), intellect (Romans 10:6). It may be the home of the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5) or of evil desires (Romans 1:24). See notes on Mark 7:21. for list of vices that come “out of the heart.” Ασυνετος Asunetos is a verbal adjective from συνιημι suniēmi to put together, and α a privative, unintelligent, not able to put together the manifest evidence about God (Romans 1:20). So darkness settled down on their hearts (εσκοτιστη eskotisthē first aorist ingressive passive of σκοτιζω skotizō to darken). [source]
Ἅπτομαι , A.V., touch, is properly to fasten one's self to or cling to. So John 20:17(note). Frequently rendered touch in the New Testament, and used in most cases of Christ's touching or being touched by the diseased. To get hands on so as to injure, 1 John 5:18. To have intercourse with, 1 Corinthians 7:1; 2 Corinthians 6:17. Thus, in every case, the contact described exerts a modifying influence, and a more permanent contact or effect of contact is often implied than is expressed by touch. “The idea of a voluntary or conscious effort is often involved.” No single English word will express all these phases of meaning. Handle comes, perhaps, as near as any other, especially in its sense of treatment, as when we say that a speaker or writer handles a subject; or that a man is roughly handled by his enemies. This wider and stronger sense does not attach to θιγγάνειν A.V., handle, though the two words are sometimes used interchangeably, as Exodus 19:12, and though θιγγάνειν also implies a modifying contact, unlike ψηλαφάω , which signifies to touch with a view of ascertaining the quality of the object; to feel after, to grope. See Luke 24:39; Acts 17:27. Thus ψηλαφίνδα is blind-man's-bluff. The contact implied by θιγγάνειν is more superficial and transitory. It lies between ἅπτομαι and ψηλαφάω . Thus we have here a climax which is lost in the A.V. Handle not, taste not, do not even touch. Rev., handle not, nor taste, nor touch. [source]