The Meaning of Acts 2:35 Explained

Acts 2:35

KJV: Until I make thy foes thy footstool.

YLT: till I make thy foes thy footstool;

Darby: until I have put thine enemies to be the footstool of thy feet.

ASV: Till I make thine enemies the footstool of thy feet.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Until  I make  thy  foes  thy  footstool. 

What does Acts 2:35 Mean?

Context Summary

Acts 2:25-36 - David's Lord And Ours
When one considers the vast result of this address, one wonders at its simplicity. It is almost entirely a string of apt quotations. But what may not the Word of God do, when it is wielded by the mighty Spirit! Our Lord might have chanted to Himself Acts 2:26-28, when He descended, step by step, the dark staircase of death. God can never leave us in despair. At our lowest, He is nearest. There are ways up to life from the lowest deeps. David spake deeper than he knew, Acts 2:30. Here is an illustration of 1 Peter 1:11-12.
In Acts 2:33 we see the fulfillment of John 14:16. We can almost hear the Father asking what guerdon or reward He should give the Son for His obedience unto blood, and our Lord replying: "Father, I want nothing for myself, but only that I may receive into my divine-human nature the same fullness of the Holy Spirit that I had with thee before the worlds were made." And it pleased the Father that the fullness of the Godhead should dwell in Him bodily, Colossians 2:9. Then, because He was united to man by His humanity, He was able to impart to him the fullness of Pentecost. [source]

Chapter Summary: Acts 2

1  The apostles, filled with the Holy Spirit, and speaking various languages,
12  are admired by some, and derided by others;
14  whom Peter disproves;
37  he baptizes a great number who were converted;
41  who afterwards devoutly and charitably converse together;
43  the apostles working many miracles,
46  and God daily increasing his church

Greek Commentary for Acts 2:35

Till I make [εως αν τω]
Second aorist active subjunctive of τιτημι — tithēmi with αν — an after εως — heōs for the future, a common Greek idiom. This dominion of Christ as Mediator will last till the plan of the kingdom is carried out (1 Corinthians 15:23-28). Complete subjugation will come, perhaps referring to the custom of victorious kings placing their feet upon the necks of their enemies (Joshua 10:24). [source]
Therefore assuredly [Ασπαλως ουν]
Assuredly therefore, without any slip or trip (ασπαλης — asphalēs from α — a privative and σπαλλω — sphallō to trip, to slip. Peter draws a powerfully pungent conclusion by the use of the adverb ασπαλως — asphalōs and the inferential conjunction ουν — oun Peter‘s closing sentence drives home the point of his sermon: “This very Jesus whom ye crucified (note υμεις — humeis strongly emphatic ye), him God made both Lord and Messiah” (και κυριον και Χριστον — kai kurion kai Christon), as David foretold in Psalm 110:1-7 and as the events of this day have confirmed. The critics are disturbed over how Luke could have gotten the substance of this masterful address spoken on the spur of the moment with passion and power. They even say that Luke composed it for Peter and put the words in his mouth. If so, he made a good job of it. But Peter could have written out the notes of the address afterwards. Luke had plenty of chances to get hold of it from Peter or from others. [source]
ye []
), him God made both Lord and Messiah” (και κυριον και Χριστον — kai kurion kai Christon), as David foretold in Psalm 110:1-7 and as the events of this day have confirmed. The critics are disturbed over how Luke could have gotten the substance of this masterful address spoken on the spur of the moment with passion and power. They even say that Luke composed it for Peter and put the words in his mouth. If so, he made a good job of it. But Peter could have written out the notes of the address afterwards. Luke had plenty of chances to get hold of it from Peter or from others. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 2:35

1 Corinthians 15:3 Which I also received [ο και παρελαβον]
Direct revelation claimed as about the institution of the Lord‘s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:23) and same verbs used Four items given by Paul in explaining “the gospel” which Paul preached. Stanley calls it (1 Corinthians 15:1-11) the creed of the early disciples, but “rather a sample of the exact form of the apostle‘s early teaching, than a profession of faith on the part of converts” (Vincent). The four items are presented by four verbs (died, εταπη — apethanen was buried, εγηγερται — etaphē hath been raised, ωπτη — egēgertai appeared, Χριστος απετανεν — ōphthē). Christ died (υπερ των αμαρτιων ημων — Christos apethanen). Historical fact and crucial event. For our sins περι — Huper means literally over, in behalf, even instead of (Galatians 3:13), where used of persons. But here much in the sense of περι αμαρτιων υπερ αδικων — peri (Galatians 1:14) as is common in Koiné. In 1 Peter 3:18 we have κατα τας γραπας — peri hamartiōnclass="translit"> huper adikōn According to the Scriptures (kata tas graphas). As Jesus showed (Luke 22:37; Luke 24:25) and as Peter pointed out (Acts 2:25-27, Acts 2:35) and as Paul had done (Acts 13:24.; Acts 17:3). Cf. Romans 1:2. [source]
1 Corinthians 15:3 For our sins [υπερ]
περι — Huper means literally over, in behalf, even instead of (Galatians 3:13), where used of persons. But here much in the sense of περι αμαρτιων υπερ αδικων — peri (Galatians 1:14) as is common in Koiné. In 1 Peter 3:18 we have κατα τας γραπας — peri hamartiōnclass="translit"> huper adikōn According to the Scriptures (kata tas graphas). As Jesus showed (Luke 22:37; Luke 24:25) and as Peter pointed out (Acts 2:25-27, Acts 2:35) and as Paul had done (Acts 13:24.; Acts 17:3). Cf. Romans 1:2. [source]
1 Corinthians 15:3 According to the Scriptures [kata tas graphas)]
As Jesus showed (Luke 22:37; Luke 24:25) and as Peter pointed out (Acts 2:25-27, Acts 2:35) and as Paul had done (Acts 13:24.; Acts 17:3). Cf. Romans 1:2. [source]
Revelation 15:4 Holy [ὅσιος]
See on Luke 1:75. The term is applied to Christ in Acts 2:27, Acts 2:35; Hebrews 7:26. To God only here and Revelation 16:5, where the correct reading is ὁ ὅσιος thouholy one, instead of ὁ ἐσόμενος whichshalt be. [source]

What do the individual words in Acts 2:35 mean?

until - I place the enemies of You a footstool of the feet
ἕως ἂν θῶ τοὺς ἐχθρούς σου ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν

ἕως  until 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ἕως  
Sense: till, until.
ἂν  - 
Parse: Particle
Root: ἄν  
Sense: has no exact English equivalent, see definitions under AV.
θῶ  I  place 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Active, 1st Person Singular
Root: τίθημι  
Sense: to set, put, place.
ἐχθρούς  enemies 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: ἐχθρός  
Sense: hated, odious, hateful.
σου  of  You 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 2nd Person Singular
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.
ὑποπόδιον  a  footstool 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: ὑποπόδιον  
Sense: a footstool.
τῶν  of  the 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ποδῶν  feet 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: πούς  
Sense: a foot, both of men or beast.