What Does Acts 3:26 Mean in the King James?
Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.
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 verse locates the blessing itself in the turning away from each person’s own iniquities.
THE MEANING
God’s blessing reaches you as a movement away from the wrongdoing that is yours. The verse holds blessing and turning together: the turn is part of how the blessing meets you.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
It dissolves the belief that blessing can leave a person’s wrongdoing untouched; here, the blessing includes turning each person away from it.
THE ROOT
ἀποστρέφειν
apostrephein
GROWS FROM
στρέφω
στρέφω (strephō): to turn or turn around.
The Greek phrase makes turning part of the blessing’s action: ἀποστρέφειν (apostrephein, turning away) carries the στρέφω (strephō, turn) stem. English can make “bless” sound like a benefit handed over, while this sentence locates that good within a change of direction.
ALSO GROWS
epistrephō: turn back, return
ἐπιστρέφω
It shares the στρεφ stem and shows how this root can express a return or change of direction.
peristrephō: turn around, revolve
περιστρέφω
It shares the στρεφ stem and makes the root’s sense of turning around visible.
εὐλογοῦντα
eulogounta
GROWS FROM
λογ-
λογ- (log-, word or speech) is the speech element in εὐλογέω (eulogeō, bless), a word formed with εὖ (eu, well).
“bless” in this verse is eulogounta. The Greek word for blessing carries the texture of speaking good. The verse places that good beside a concrete turning away, giving blessing both speech and movement.
ALSO GROWS
logos: word, speech, account
λόγος
It shares the λογ stem and makes the speech element within the word for blessing visible.
eulogia: blessing, praise
εὐλογία
It shares the εὐλογ family and names the blessing that this verse connects with turning.
THE PATTERN
God’s blessing takes form as deliverance from the wrongdoing that would ruin a person.
Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.THE THREAD
Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;Acts 3:19 uses ἐπιστρέψατε (epistrepsate, turn back), from the same στρέφω (strephō, turn) family as ἀποστρέφειν (apostrephein, turn away) here. In both verses, turning is joined to sins being removed, opening the blessing as a reorientation that brings release.
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