Acts 13:29

Act 13:29. Γεγραμμένα, all that was written) They could do no more (nothing beyond what was written). In Jesus all things that were written were fulfilled.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Act 13:29 . ὡς δὲ ἐτέλεσαν ἅπαντα : St. Paul was evidently acquainted with the details of the Passion as well as with the main facts of the death and burial, cf. 1Co 11:23 ; and for the verb used here Luk 18:31 ; Luk 22:37 , Joh 19:28 ; Joh 19:30 ; only here in Acts, Weiss regards the subject of ἐτέλ ., καθέλ ., ἔθηκαν as presupposed as known in accordance with the Gospel history, but St. Paul may have been speaking in general terms of the action of the Jews, although not the enemies of Christ but His friends actually took Him down and buried Him. Taken literally, St. Paul’s statement agrees with the Gospel of Peter , 21 24, as Hilgenfeld noted. But Joseph of Arimathæa and Nicodemus were both Jews and members of the Council. τοῦ ξύλου , cf. Act 5:30 , Act 10:39 . Jüngst, without any ground, as Hilgenfeld remarks, refers Act 13:29 partly on account of this expression to a reviser, and so 34 37. On ξύλον , significant here and in Gal 3:13 , see Ramsay, Expositor , December, 1898. εἰς μν ., cf. 1Co 15:4 , the death followed by the burial, and so the reality of the death, “ ἐκ νεκρῶν ,” was vouched for.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

they took him down . . . and laid him in a sepulchre--Though the burial of Christ was an act of honor and love to Him by the disciples to whom the body was committed, yet since His enemies looked after it and obtained a guard of soldiers to keep watch over it as the remains of their own victim, the apostle regards this as the last manifestation on their part of enmity to the Saviour, that they might see how God laughed all their precautions to scorn by "raising Him from the dead."

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 29. They took him down from the tree] The apostle passes rapidly over several circumstances of his death, that he might establish the fact of his resurrection.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

29. When they had fulfilled all things; to wit, which it pleased God should be done by them. For they did so handle Christ that there was nothing of the prophecies of the Scripture left unfulfilled. By this means is the stumbling-block (which the understanding of the flesh conceiveth by reason of the ignominy of the cross) taken away, that the Son of God was not laid open to the furious fury of the wicked; but he obeyed his fathers decree. Furthermore, it doth also in Scripture appear what condition was appointed for him in times past. Whereas he saith that Christ was buried by the same which had slain him, it seemeth contrary to the history of the gospel; but it may be that Luke did take the word buried indefinitely. And if it please you to refer it unto the same, it shall be synecdoche. For he was buried with Pilate’s leave; and at the appointment and pleasure of the priests there were watchmen set to watch the grave. Therefore, though Joseph and Nicodemus did bury Christ, (Matthew 27:57,) that is ascribed improperly, and yet not absurdly, to the Jews; because it is not Paul’s drift in this place to commend the good deed, but to prove Christ’s resurrection; because God took him out of the grave whom his enemies had shut up there. Therefore he giveth us to understand that the body of Christ was not taken thence privily or by stealth, but that it was laid in a place both famous and known to the adversaries; and so, consequently, that even they were set to watch it; and yet for all this it was not found: whence we may gather the certainty of the resurrection.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(29) When they had fulfilled all that was written of him.—The words are suggestive of much that lies below the surface. St. Paul, also, had studied in the same school of prophetic interpretation as the writers of the Gospels, and saw as they did, in all the details of the Crucifixion, the fulfilment of that which had been written beforehand, it might be, of other sufferers, but which was to find its highest fulfilment in the Christ.

They took him down from the tree.—In the brief summary which St. Paul gives, it was apparently deemed unnecessary to state the fact that our Lord was taken down from the cross and laid in the sepulchre by those who were secretly disciples, like Joseph and Nicodemus. It was enough that they too were among the rulers of the Jews, and that they, in what they did, were acting without any expectation of the Resurrection. On the use of the word “tree” for the cross, see Note on Act_5:30.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

29. all that was written of him] The Greek is rather more full, “all the things which were written of him,” meaning the various prophecies which received their fulfilment in the betrayal, harsh treatment, and the other circumstances that attended on the death of Jesus.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And we declare unto you glad tidings,.... The whole of the Gospel, concerning the incarnation, obedience, sufferings, death, and resurrection of Christ, and the benefits arising from thence, as peace, pardon, righteousness, life, and salvation; all which are good news and glad tidings to sensible sinners; and which are declared and published by the ministers of the Gospel, according to the commission given them, as here by Paul and Barnabas:

how that the promise which was made unto the fathers; not barely and solely that which respects the resurrection of Christ, but the mission of him, the exhibition of him in human nature, his incarnation, his work and business he was to do, namely, to obtain salvation for his people; it chiefly regards the promise of his coming into the world to do the will of God, which promise was made to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Judah, Gen 22:18.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

29 And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre.

Ver. 29. And when they had fulfilled] Though no thank to them, no excuse to their wickedness. Divinum consilium dum devitatur, impletur. But whereas all is fulfilled that was foretold, that plainly proves that Jesus was the Christ, and that our redemption by Christ was a plot of God’s own laying.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

They took him down ... - That is, it was done by the Jews. Not that it was done by those who put him to death, but by Joseph of Arimathea, and by Nicodemus, who were Jews. Paul is speaking of what was done to Jesus by the Jews at Jerusalem; and he does not affirm that the same persons put him to death and laid him in a tomb, but that all this was done by Jews. See Joh 19:38-39.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

All that was written of him; as the giving him vinegar to drink, piercing his side, &c, Psa 69:21; Joh 19:28-30.

From the tree: see Act 5:30.

They laid him in a sepulchre; Joseph of Arimathea, and Nicodemus, Mat 27:60; Joh 19:39.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

29. Fulfilled all… written of him—And so by their very slaying him demonstrated his Messiahship.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

All things that were for all that was, A.V.; tomb for sepulcher, A.V. The reference is to his being crucified between two thieves, (Luk_23:32, Luk_23:33) to parting his raiment among them (ibid. 34) to offering him vinegar (ibid. 36), to the commendation of his spirit to his Father (ibid. 46). The words kaqelontev and eqhkan eijv mnhmeion are the same as Luk_23:53, 55 (mnhma and mnhmeion being interchanged).

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

They fulfilled all things that were written of him - So far could they go, but no farther.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

See notes one verse 27

J. W. McGarvey (with Philip Y. Pendleton), Commentaries on the New Testament (The Fourfold Gospel, 1914; Acts; and the epistles) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

29. πάντα τὰ περὶ αὐτοῦ γεγραμμένα, all the things which have been written of Him. Various prophecies received their fulfilment in Christ’s sufferings, some in the betrayal, others in harsh treatment, and agony which preceded His death, the greatest of them all.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

29.] The two verbs ἐτέλεσαν and ἔθηκαν have still the same subject, viz. of οἱ κατοικοῦντες κ.τ.λ. De Wette rightly remarks, that Paul, in this compendious narrative, makes no distinction between friend and foe in what was done to our Lord, but regards both as fulfilling God’s purpose regarding him. I may add, that there is also a contrast between what men did to Him, and ὁ δὲ θεὸς ἤγειρεν αὐτόν.

Joseph and Nicodemus, be it observed, were both ἄρχοντες.

Paul touches but lightly on the cross of Christ, and hastens on to the great point, the Resurrection, as the fulfilment of prophecy and seal of the Messiahship of Jesus.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.