Acts 15:17

17. might seek after the Lord] The Hebrew of Amos differs widely here; and in the LXX. “the Lord” is not expressed. But the Spirit enabled St James to give the full interpretation of the prophetic words. The original paints the restored tabernacle, and of course the people of David restored along with it, as possessors of the remnant of Edom and all the heathen. The nations shall be joined unto the Lord’s people. The LXX., as an exposition, speaks of “the residue of men seeking unto the restored tabernacle.” St James makes both clear by shewing that “to seek after the Lord” is to be the true up-building both of the house of David and of all mankind besides.

The Hebrew word for “man” is Adam which differs very slightly from the word Edom. So that the variation between “remnant of Edom” and “residue of men” may be due only to the various reading of that noun.

upon whom my name is called] An Aramaic mode of saying “who are called by my name.” The expression is so translated Jas_2:7 (cp. Deu_28:10, &c.).

who doeth] Here the most ancient texts connect the words of this verse with those of the following, and have nothing to represent the English “all” in Act_15:17, or “unto God are all his works” in Act_15:18, so that the sense becomes either (1) “the Lord, who maketh these things known from the beginning of the world,” or (2) “the Lord, who doeth these things that were known from the beginning of the world.” The first of these renderings is the more difficult to understand, and it must be taken as somewhat hyperbolic. God made known by His prophets the calling of the Gentiles in very early days, and this early revelation may be all that is intended by the stronger phrase. But the second sense seems to suit better with the context. This reception of the Gentiles seems to the Jew a new and startling thing, but God has revealed it by His prophets, and He who is doing it is but carrying out what He had known and designed from the beginning of the world.

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.

Lord

Jehovah. vs. Act 15:16; Act 15:17; Amo 9:11; Amo 9:12.

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Act 15:17. Ὅπως ἂν ἐκζητήσωσιν οἱ κατάλοιποι τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὸν Κύριον, that the rest of men may seek after the Lord) The Hebrew has it thus: That they may possess the remnant of Edom and of all the heathen. James and the rest in the council seem to have spoken in Hebrew. The sentiment of James is established by both modes of reading the passage: for Edom stands on the same footing as all the heathen or Gentiles. Comp. the learned observation of Ludovicus de Dieu on this passage. In the case of both οἱ κατάλοιποι are the remnant, who are left remaining after great calamities: Rom 9:27; Zec 14:16, etc. And in Act 15:14 (to take out for His name) James most relies on those words, ἐφʼ οὓς ἐπικέκληται τὸ ὄνομά μου, upon whom My name is called; which clause, according to the Hebrew accents, comprises both the Edomites and all the nations (“all the heathen”). Nor is it without good cause that the LXX. translators adopted such words as, by their more comprehensive significance, would serve to declare the comprehensiveness of grace.—πάντα, all) “without respect of persons and of works.”—Jonas.—ἐπικέκληται, has been called) James delighted in this phrase: Ep. ch. Act 2:7.—ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς, upon them) that they may be Mine.—ποιῶν, who doeth) The present time, with emphasis. Comp. the following verse. This among the German Jews is the Haphtara (Lesson) that is wont to be read (in the synagogue) in the spring-time.

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

Act 15:17 . ὅπως ἂν ἐκζητ . οἱ κ . τῶν ἀνθρώπων τόν Κ .: LXX and Hebrew are here considerably at variance. Hebrew: “that they may possess the remnant of Edom”. In LXX: “that the rest of men may seek after (the Lord)” (so also Arabic Version, whilst Vulgate, Peshitto, and Targum support the Massoretic text, see Briggs, u. s. , p. 162). In LXX A τὸν Κ . is found, but not in B. In LXX rendering אָדָם , men , takes the place of אֱדוֹם , Edom , and יִדְרְשׁוּ instead of יִירְשׁוּ , i.e. , דָּרַשׁ , to seek, instead of יָרַשׁ , to possess. καὶ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη : explicative, “the rest of men,” i.e. , the heathen: “sine respectu personarum et operum”. ὅπως ἂν , Winer-Moulton, xlii., 6; Burton, N. T. Moods and Tenses , p. 85; cf. Luk 2:35 , Act 3:19 , Rom 3:4 , and in no other instances, three of these quotations from LXX. ἐφʼ οὓς ἐπικέκ .… ἐπʼ α .: “upon whom my name is called [pronounced]”: Hebraistic formula, cf. LXX, Jer 41:15 ; and Deu 28:10 , Isa 63:19 , 2Ma 8:15 . In Jas 2:7 , and only there in the N.T. does the same formula recur (see Mayor, Introd. , and Nösgen, Geschichte der Neutest. Offb. , ii., 51).

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

Verse 17. That the residue of men might seek] Instead of this, the Hebrew has, That they may possess the remnant of Edom. Now it is evident that, in the copy from which the Seventy translated, they found ידרשו yidreshu, they might seek, instead of יירשו yireshu, they may possess, where the whole difference between the two words is the change of the י yod for a ד daleth, which might be easily done; and they found אדם adam, man, or men, instead of אדום Edom, the Idumeans, which differs from the other only by the insertion of ו vau between the two last letters. None of the MSS. collated by Kennicott and De Rossi confirm these readings, in which the Septuagint, Arabic, and St. James agree. It shows, however, that even in Jerusalem, and in the early part of the apostolic age, the Septuagint version was quoted in preference to the Hebrew text; or, what is tantamount, was quoted in cases where we would have thought the Hebrew text should have been preferred, because better understood. But God was evidently preparing the way of the Gospel by bringing this venerable version into general credit and use; which was to be the means of conveying the truths of Christianity to the whole Gentile world. How precious should this august and most important version be to every Christian, and especially to every Christian minister! A version, without which no man ever did or ever can critically understand the New Testament. And I may add that, without the assistance afforded by this version, there never could have been a correct translation of the Hebrew text, since that language ceased to be vernacular, into any language. Without it, even St. Jerome could have done little in translating the Old Testament into Latin; and how much all the modern versions owe to St. Jerome's Vulgate, which owes so much to the Septuagint, most Biblical scholars know.

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

17. That those which remain may seek. James added this word seek by way of exposition, which is not found nor read in the prophet; and yet it is not superfluous, because, to the end we may be numbered among the people of God, and that he may take us for his own, we must, on the other side, [in our turn,] be encouraged to seek him. And it is to be thought that Luke did summarily comprehend those things whereof James did dispute in his own language among the Jews; whereby it came to pass that the exposition of the matter was mixed with the words of the prophet. Instead of the relics of the Gentiles which Amos useth, Luke, out of the Greek translation, (which was more familiar,) putteth the rest of the men in the same sense, to wit, that there must go before the purging of the filthiness of the world a cutting, or paring, as it came to pass. And this doctrine must be also applied unto our time. For, because the corruption of the world is worse than that it can be wholly brought to obey Christ, he bloweth away, with diverse fans of tribulations, the chaff and weeds, that he may at length gather unto himself that which shall remain.

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.

(17) That the residue of men . . .—The Hebrew gives, as in our version, “That they may possess the remnant of Edom and of all the heathen which are called by my name.” The LXX. translators either paraphrased the passage, so as to give a wider and more general view of its teaching, or followed a reading in which the Hebrew for “man” (Adam) took the place of Edom. It will be seen that the argument of St. James turns upon the Greek rendering. The “name of God” was to be “called” upon by those who were “the residue of men,” i.e., all that were outside the pale of Israel. So understood, the words became, of course, a prediction of the conversion of the Gentiles, and to the uncritical habits of the time, accustomed to Targums or Paraphrases of many parts of Scripture, the LXX. was for all but the stricter and more bigoted Hebraists, as authoritative as the original.

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

That the residue of men might seek after the Lord,.... The rebuilder and proprietor of this tabernacle, and who dwells in it; that is, attend his worship, pray unto him, and seek unto him for life and salvation: in Amos these are called, "the remnant of Edom": and design the remnant according to the election of grace among the Gentiles; the Jews generally call all other nations, and especially the Roman empire, Edom:

and all the Gentiles upon whom my name is called; for God is the God of the whole earth, of the Gentiles as well as of the Jews; and his Gospel was now spread among them, and many of them were converted and called Christians, and the children and people of God: the Jews (x) understand this of the people of Israel, who are called by the name of the Lord, or on whom his name is called; and some think the words are to be transposed (y) thus,

"that Israel on whom my name is called might possess the remnant of Edom, and all the people;''

and is true of their possessing or enjoying them in a Gospel church state:

saith the Lord, who doth all these things; raises up the tabernacle of David, revives the interest of religion, resettles the church, and increases it, calls and converts the Gentiles, causes them to seek after the Lord, and unites them in one church state with the Jews; the word "all" is left out in the Alexandrian copy, and in the Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions, and is not in Amos.

(x) Targum in Amos ix. 12. (y) Kimchi & Aben Ezra in ib.

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

17 That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.

Ver. 17. May seek the Lord] All saints are seekers in this sense, Psa 24:6. They seek not his omnipresence, but his gracious presence, Psa 105:4.

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.

That the residue of men - This verse is quoted literally from the Septuagint, and differs in some respects from the Hebrew. The phrase, “the residue of men,” here is evidently understood, both by the Septuagint and by James, as referring to others than Jews, to the Gentiles the rest of the world - implying that many of them would be admitted to the friendship and favor of God. The Hebrew is, “that they may possess the remnant of Edom.” This change is made in the Septuagint by a slight difference in the reading of two Hebrew words. The Septuagint, instead of the Hebrew וירשׁו w-y-r-sh-w, shall inherit, read ודרשׁו w-d-r-sh-w, shall seek of thee; and instead of אדום 'd-w-m, Edom, they read אדם '̇̀̇d-m, man, or mankind; that is, people. Why this variation occurred cannot be explained; but the sense is not materially different. In the Hebrew the word “Edom” has undoubted reference to another nation than the Jewish nation; and the expression means that, in the great prosperity of the Jews after their return, they would extend the influence of their religion to other nations; that is, as James applies it, the Gentiles might be brought to the privileges of the children of God.

And all the Gentiles - Heb. all the pagan; that is, all who were not Jews. This was a clear prediction that other nations were to be favored with the true religion, and that without any mention of their conforming to the rites of the Jewish people.

Upon whom my name is called - Who are called by my name, or who are regarded as my people.

Who doeth all these things - That is, who will certainly accomplish this in its time.

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

In the prophet it is the remnant of Edom, Amo 9:12, which is here called the residue of men; for as Jacob, or Israel, shadowed out the church, so Edom, or Esau, (the other son of Isaac), represented those who were rejected, Rom 9:13. The prophet also adds, by way of explication, all the heathen; as the apostle does here,

all the Gentiles. Upon whom my name is called; who shall be mine, or appropriated unto me; also called by his name, they being called Christians from Christ, whom they believed in.

Saith the Lord, who doeth all these things; the calling of the Gentiles was God’s work, and therefore so far from being excepted against, that it ought to be marvellous in our eyes.

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

May for might, A.V.

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

The Gentiles on whom my name is called - That is, who are called by my name; who are my people.

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

17. “In order that the remainders of men may seek out the Lord, even all the Gentiles, on whom my name has been called, upon the same, saith the Lord, who doeth all things known from the beginning.” Here we see the great and glorious harvest of souls, all saved during the preceding dark ages of Satan’s reign, being but the “first fruits” adumbratory of the glorious millennial harvest when our Lord returns. This is quite feasible, when we remember that the unsavable millions will fall in the great tribulation (Dan 7:9; Act 3:23; Rev 11:18) and Satan will be cast out (Rev 20:2). Consequently with no devils on the earth to hold them back, millions of transfigured saints, moving with the velocity of lightning, will return with the glorified Savior to preach the gospel to “the remainders of peoples” who have survived the great tribulation, because God knows they will not reject the salvation of His Son in the absence of the devil on the earth. No wonder they will “seek out the Lord,” i. e., seek Him effectually till they find Him, and all get saved. That is the good time coming, “when a nation shall be born in a day.” Do you believe in second probation? We are all living in a second probation, which supervened on the inauguration of the redemptive scheme after the Fall, the first probation having been forfeited in the Fall. The same probation in which we live will continue through the millennium down to the end of the mediatorial reign

(1Co 15:24-28), i. e., to the end of time, when our glorified Savior, having wound up His mediatorial reign in the final judgment, will surrender up the kingdom to the Father. A materialistic heresy, teaching a future probation for the wicked, is going abroad, but flatly contradictory of the inspired Word. Satan propagates heresies on all lines of truth, to cover it up so the people will not see it and be saved. Some of the devil’s heresies along these problems we are now discussing are so occult that none but spiritually-illuminated eyes will detect them.

William B. Godbey, Commentary on the New Testament (1896–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

See notes on verse 13

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.

17, 18. κύριος ποιῶν ταῦτα γνωστὰ ἀπ’ αἰῶνος. διὸ … with אBC. The Vulg. gives ‘Dominus faciens hæc. Notum a sæculo est Domino opus suum. Propter quod …’ But on the verses see notes.

17. ὅπως ἂν ἐκζητήσωσιν … τὸν κύριον, they might seek after the Lord. The Hebrew of Amos (see A.V.) differs widely here; and in the LXX. τὸν κύριον is not expressed. But the Spirit enabled St James to give the full interpretation of the prophetic words. The original paints the restored tabernacle, and of course the people of David restored along with it, as possessors of the remnant of Edom and all the heathen. The nations shall be joined unto the Lord’s people. The LXX., as an exposition, speaks of ‘the residue of men seeking unto the restored tabernacle.’ St James makes both clear by shewing that ‘to seek after the Lord’ is to be the true up-building both of the house of David and of all mankind besides.

The Hebrew word for ‘man’ is Adam, which differs very slightly from the word Edom. So that the variation between ‘remnant of Edom’ in the Hebrew and ‘residue of men’ in the LXX. may be due only to the various reading of that noun.

ὅπως with ἄν implies an end aimed at, but the attainment of it is still dependent on circumstances. Cf. Winer-Moulton, p. 389.

ἐφ’ οὓς ἐπικέκληται τὸ ὄνομά μου ἐπ’ αὐτούς, upon whom My name is called. An Aramaic mode of saying ‘who are called by My name.’

The expression is so translated Jas 2:7 (A.V.). Cf. for the Greek Jer 41:15 (LXX.) ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ ου ἐπεκλήθη τὸ ὄνομά μου ἐπ’ αὐτῷ.

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.

17. ἐφʼ οὓς ἐπικέκλ.] Notice the same expression in the Epistle of James (ref.).

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