What Does Acts 17:30 Mean in the King James?
And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
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
The Greek ties “ignorance” and “repent” to the language of perception: the movement is from not seeing toward a turn in understanding.
THE MEANING
The verse speaks now: God passes over ignorance, and the call to turn reaches you wherever you are; its address is every person, everywhere. Not knowing is a condition the verse meets with the possibility of turning, not a permanent identity.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
It undoes the belief that not knowing leaves you permanently outside the call: the invitation to turn reaches everyone, including you.
THE ROOT
μετανοεῖν
metanoein
GROWS FROM
νοέω
noeō
To perceive, understand, or think; within the word for turning, perception is part of the movement.
The word translated “repent” holds a movement of turning. Its perception-root links it to the verse’s word for ignorance, which names perception’s absence.
ALSO GROWS
agnoia: Ignorance; lack of understanding
ἄγνοια
This word for ignorance shares the perception-family in a form that marks its absence, setting up the verse’s movement toward a turn.
metanoia: Turning; a reorientation of understanding
μετάνοια
This noun from the same word family names the movement carried by the verb in this verse.
THE PATTERN
When what is unseen is brought into view, scripture frames the next movement as a turn toward understanding that can reach beyond one place or people.
Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.THE THREAD
Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?Acts uses μετανοεῖν (metanoein, to turn), while Romans uses μετάνοια (metanoia, turning), the verb and noun of one word family. Romans names divine goodness as what leads you toward that turn, opening Acts’ movement from overlooked ignorance into a present call.
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