What Does Acts 14:16 Mean in the King James?
Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
God’s permission leaves people room to travel their own roads, but permission alone does not tell you where those roads lead.
THE MEANING
God allows human paths to unfold, even when people choose their own direction. The verse holds that freedom alongside the truth that a chosen way still has a destination.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
God allowing a path does not mean that every path is God’s own way.
THE ROOT
πορεύεσθαι
poreuesthai
GROWS FROM
πορεύομαι
poreuomai
to go, travel, or proceed
“walk” in this verse is poreuesthai. The Greek verb pictures movement along a journey, not simply holding an opinion. Paired with the word for “ways,” it makes the verse a picture of people actually traveling routes of their own choosing.
ALSO GROWS
poreia: a journey or going
πορεία
It keeps the focus on movement along a route, the same motion expressed by “walk” here.
poreutēs: a traveler or one who goes
πορευτής
It names the one who moves along a way, bringing the verse’s image of self-directed travel into view.
ὁδοῖς
hodois
GROWS FROM
ὁδός
hodos
a road, path, or way
The “ways” are roads to travel, not just ideas to hold. The verse joins ὁδοῖς, roads, with πορεύεσθαι, to go on a journey: people are moving along paths that they call their own.
ALSO GROWS
hodegos: a guide or leader along a way
ὁδηγός
It shows the same road-language can describe someone who leads another along a path.
hodoiporia: a journey by road
ὁδοιπορία
It gathers the road and the act of traveling into one word, echoing the verse’s paired image.
THE PATTERN
God’s restraint can leave people to follow their chosen direction while the call to turn remains.
So I gave them up unto their own hearts’ lust: and they walked in their own counsels.Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:THE THREAD
Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:Matthew uses the same Greek word, ὁδός, for “way” that Acts uses for “ways.” Acts shows people traveling their own roads; Matthew brings the destination of a road into view.
Read the SDV Bible.
Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.
The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.
Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us