The Meaning of Acts 3:22 Explained

Acts 3:22

KJV: For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.

YLT: For Moses, indeed, unto the fathers said -- A prophet to you shall the Lord your God raise up out of your brethren, like to me; him shall ye hear in all things, as many as he may speak unto you;

Darby: Moses indeed said, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up to you out of your brethren like me: him shall ye hear in everything whatsoever he shall say to you.

ASV: Moses indeed said, A prophet shall the Lord God raise up unto you from among your brethren, like unto me. To him shall ye hearken in all things whatsoever he shall speak unto you.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For  Moses  truly  said  unto  the fathers,  A prophet  shall  the Lord  your  God  raise up  unto you  of  your  brethren,  like  unto me;  him  shall ye hear  in  all things  whatsoever  he shall say  unto  you. 

What does Acts 3:22 Mean?

Context Summary

Acts 3:11-26 - Searching Words
Peter's sermon was delivered in the eastern colonnade of the Temple. It derived its name probably from the fact that Solomon's Porch had originally occupied that site. The Apostle argued that the gospel which was given them to proclaim was only the flower of the revelations which had been given them through the prophets. How vast the change wrought in this man by the strength and illumination imparted to him at Pentecost! Why should we not seek to be similarly infilled!
How humble-not by their power! How daring-God had glorified Him whom they slew! What glorious conceptions of Christ-Prince of Life, holy and righteous! What pity for the ignorance of the Jews! The times of refreshing which are to come on this distracted world depend on the repentance and restoration of Israel. The Jew has the first offer of the gospel, as the child of the covenant; but its wide provisions lie open to us all, who by faith have become heirs of the promises made to Abraham. Christ begins His work of benediction for the soul by turning it away from iniquity. "Turn us, O Lord, and we shall be turned!" [source]

Chapter Summary: Acts 3

1  Peter preaching to the people that came to see a lame man restored to his feet,
12  professes the cure to have been wrought by God, and his son Jesus;
13  withal reprehending them for crucifying Jesus;
17  which because they did it through ignorance,
18  and that thereby were fulfilled God's determinate counsel, and the Scriptures,
19  he exhorts them by repentance and faith to seek remission of their sins through Jesus

Greek Commentary for Acts 3:22

Like unto me [ως εμε]
As me, literally; Moses (Deuteronomy 18:14-18) claims that God raised him up as a prophet and that another and greater one will come, the Messiah. The Jews understood Moses to be a type of Christ (John 1:21). God spoke to Moses face to face (Exodus 33:11) and he was the greatest of the prophets (Deuteronomy 34:10). [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 3:22

John 1:21 Art thou that prophet? []
Rev., “the prophet.” According to the Greek order, the prophet art thou. See Deuteronomy 18:15, and compare Acts 3:22; Acts 7:37; John 1:46; John 6:14. [source]
John 1:21 And they asked him [και ηρωτησαν αυτον]
Here the paratactic και — kai is like the transitional ουν — oun (then). What then? Argumentative ουν — oun like Paul‘s τι ουν — ti oun in Romans 6:15. Quid ergo? Art thou Elijah? The next inevitable question since Elijah had been understood to be the forerunner of the Messiah from Malachi 4:5. In Mark 9:11. Jesus will identify John with the Elijah of Malachi‘s prophecy. Why then does John here flatly deny it? Because the expectation was that Elijah would return in person. This John denies. Jesus only asserts that John was Elijah in spirit. Elijah in person they had just seen on the Mount of Transfiguration. He saith Vivid dramatic present. I am not Short and blunt denial. Art thou the prophet? “The prophet art thou?” This question followed naturally the previous denials. Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15) had spoken of a prophet like unto himself. Christians interpreted this prophet to be the Messiah (Acts 3:22; Acts 7:37), but the Jews thought him another forerunner of the Messiah (John 7:40). It is not clear in John 6:15 whether the people identified the expected prophet with the Messiah, though apparently so. Even the Baptist later became puzzled in prison whether Jesus himself was the true Messiah or just one of the forerunners (Luke 7:19). People wondered about Jesus himself whether he was the Messiah or just one of the looked for prophets (Mark 8:28; Matthew 16:14). And he answered First aorist passive (deponent passive, sense of voice gone) indicative of αποκρινομαι — apokrinomai to give a decision from myself, to reply. No Shortest possible denial. [source]
John 5:46 Ye would believe me [επιστευετε αν εμοι]
Conclusion of condition of second class (determined as unfulfilled) with imperfect indicative in both protasis and apodosis and αν — an in apodosis. This was a home-thrust, proving that they did not really believe Moses. For he wrote of me Deuteronomy 18:18. is quoted by Peter (Acts 3:22) as a prophecy of Christ and also by Stephen in Acts 7:37. See also John 3:14 about the brazen serpent and John 8:56 about Abraham foreseeing Christ‘s day. Jesus does here say that Moses wrote concerning him. [source]
John 6:14 Saw the sign which he did [ιδοντες α εποιησεν σημεια]
“Signs” oldest MSS. have. This sign added to those already wrought (John 6:2). Cf. John 2:23; John 3:2. They said Inchoative imperfect, began to say. Of a truth Common adverb (from αλητης — alēthēs) in John (John 7:40). The prophet that cometh There was a popular expectation about the prophet of Deuteronomy 18:15 as being the Messiah (John 1:21; John 11:27). The phrase is peculiar to John, but the idea is in Acts (Acts 3:22; Acts 7:37). The people are on the tiptoe of expectation and believe that Jesus is the political Messiah of Pharisaic hope. [source]
Acts 13:33 Unto our children [τοις τεκνοις ημων]
The MSS. vary greatly here about ημων — hēmōn (our), some have αυτων — autōn some αυτων ημιν — autōn hēmin Westcott and Hort consider these readings “a primitive error” for ημιν — hēmin (to us) taken with αναστησας Ιησουν — anastēsas Iēsoun (having for us raised up Jesus). This raising up (from ανιστημι — anistēmi set up) as in Acts 3:22; Acts 7:37 refers not to resurrection (Acts 13:34), but to the sending of Jesus (two raisings up). In the second psalm (εν τωι πσαλμωι τωι δευτερωι — en tōi psalmōi tōi deuterōi). Psalm 2:7. D has πρωτωι — prōtōi because the first psalm was often counted as merely introductory. [source]
Acts 7:37 Like unto me [ως εμε]
This same passage Peter quoted to the crowd in Solomon‘s Porch (Acts 3:22). Stephen undoubtedly means to argue that Moses was predicting the Messiah as a prophet like himself who is no other than Jesus so that these Pharisees are in reality opposing Moses. It was a neat turn. [source]
Hebrews 3:5 For a testimony of those things which were to be spoken [εἰς μαρτύριον τῶν λαληθησομένων]
Ἐις forwith the whole preceding clause. Moses' faithful service in God's house was for a testimony, etc. The things which were to be spoken are the revelations afterward to be given in Christ. Others, however, explain of the things which Moses himself was afterward to speak to the people by God's command, referring to Numbers 12:8. According to this explanation, the fidelity hitherto exhibited by Moses ought to command respect for all that he might say in future. But (1) in the present connection that thought is insignificant. (2) It would be an exaggeration to speak of Moses's fidelity to God throughout his whole official career as a witness of the things which he was to speak to the people by God's command. (3) The future participle requires a reference to a time subsequent to Moses's ministry. The meaning is that Moses, in his entire ministry, was but a testimony to what was to be spoken in the future by another and a greater than he. Comp. Deuteronomy 18:15, explained of Christ in Acts 3:22, Acts 3:23. [source]

What do the individual words in Acts 3:22 mean?

Moses indeed said - A prophet to you will raise up [the] Lord the God of you out from the brothers of you like me Him You will listen to in all things as many as - He might say to you
Μωϋσῆς μὲν εἶπεν ὅτι Προφήτην ὑμῖν ἀναστήσει Κύριος Θεὸς [ὑμῶν] ἐκ τῶν ἀδελφῶν ὑμῶν ὡς ἐμέ αὐτοῦ ἀκούσεσθε κατὰ πάντα ὅσα ἂν λαλήσῃ πρὸς ὑμᾶς

Μωϋσῆς  Moses 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Μωσεύς 
Sense: the legislator of the Jewish people and in a certain sense the founder of the Jewish religion.
μὲν  indeed 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: μέν  
Sense: truly, certainly, surely, indeed.
εἶπεν  said 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: λέγω  
Sense: to speak, say.
ὅτι  - 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ὅτι  
Sense: that, because, since.
Προφήτην  A  prophet 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: προφήτης  
Sense: in Greek writings, an interpreter of oracles or of other hidden things.
ὑμῖν  to  you 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative 2nd Person Plural
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.
ἀναστήσει  will  raise  up 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἀναπηδάω 
Sense: to cause to rise up, raise up.
Κύριος  [the]  Lord 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: κύριος  
Sense: he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord.
Θεὸς  God 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: θεός  
Sense: a god or goddess, a general name of deities or divinities.
[ὑμῶν]  of  you 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 2nd Person Plural
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.
ἐκ  out  from 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἐκ 
Sense: out of, from, by, away from.
ἀδελφῶν  brothers 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: ἀδελφός  
Sense: a brother, whether born of the same two parents or only of the same father or mother.
ὑμῶν  of  you 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 2nd Person Plural
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.
ὡς  like 
Parse: Adverb
Root: ὡς 
Sense: as, like, even as, etc.
ἐμέ  me 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Accusative 1st Person Singular
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.
ἀκούσεσθε  You  will  listen  to 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Middle, 2nd Person Plural
Root: ἀκουστός 
Sense: to be endowed with the faculty of hearing, not deaf.
πάντα  all  things 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root: πᾶς  
Sense: individually.
ὅσα  as  many  as 
Parse: Personal / Relative Pronoun, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root: ὅσος  
Sense: as great as, as far as, how much, how many, whoever.
ἂν  - 
Parse: Particle
Root: ἄν  
Sense: has no exact English equivalent, see definitions under AV.
λαλήσῃ  He  might  say 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἀπολαλέω 
Sense: to utter a voice or emit a sound.