What Does Acts 7:49 Mean in the King James?
Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest?
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 One whose throne is heaven and whose footstool is earth asks who could build a house large enough to hold him.
THE MEANING
Heaven is already God’s throne, and earth is already under his feet. The question shows the limits of a human-built dwelling: the One whose seat spans sky and ground cannot be contained by walls we construct. The place of God’s rest is not a site a builder can secure.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The verse undoes the belief that God needs a human-built house in order to be present or have a place to rest.
THE ROOT
οἶκον
oikon
GROWS FROM
οἰκ-
oik-
house, dwelling, household
The verse pairs οἶκον (oikon, “house”) with οἰκοδομήσετε (oikodomēsete, “you will build”), so the Greek word for building carries the house within it. English separates the structure from the act; Greek ties the proposed dwelling to the effort to make it.
ALSO GROWS
oikia: house, household
οἰκία
It shares the οἰκ- (oik-) seed, extending “house” from a structure to the household within it.
oikodomeō: build a house, build up
οἰκοδομέω
The verse uses a form of this word beside οἶκον, binding the house to the act of building it.
oikodomē: building, edification
οἰκοδομή
This branch preserves the same οἰκ- (oik-) seed in a word for what is built.
καταπαύσεώς
katapauseōs
GROWS FROM
παύω
pauō
cease, stop; bring to rest
The word translated “rest” belongs to the παύω (pauō, “cease, stop”) family. It gives the question a sense of repose, while the verse has already placed all heaven and earth within God’s reach.
ALSO GROWS
pauō: cease, stop
παύω
This verb is the seed beneath the word for rest in the verse.
anapauō: give rest, refresh
ἀναπαύω
It carries the same παυ- (pau-) family into rest given to another.
katapauō: bring to rest, settle
καταπαύω
This closely related verb shares the root of καταπαύσεώς (katapauseōs), the verse’s word for God’s rest.
THE PATTERN
God’s presence exceeds every human-made enclosure.
But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;THE THREAD
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.The Greek word for “rest” in Acts 7:49, καταπαύσεως (katapauseōs), and “I will give you rest” in Matthew 11:28, ἀναπαύσω (anapausō), share the παυ- (pau-) root family. Acts asks about the place of God’s rest; here, rest is given to the weary.
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