Acts 17:25

The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

Nor is He served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.

Parallel Translations

Simplified Cowboy Version
As a matter of fact, he doesn't need us for anything. But here's the cool part, he doesn't need anything from us, yet he gives us the air we breathe and the heart that beats in our chest.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things;

Legacy Standard Bible
nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things;

Bible in Basic English
And he is not dependent on the work of men's hands, as if he had need of anything, for he himself gives to all life and breath and all things;

Darby Translation
nor is served by men's hands as needing something, himself giving to all life and breath and all things;

New King James Version
Nor is He worshiped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things.

Christian Standard Bible®
Neither is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives everyone life and breath and all things.

World English Bible
neither is he served by men's hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he himself gives to all life and breath, and all things.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Neither is he served by men's hands, as though he needed any thing, he himself giving to all life and breath, and all things.

Weymouth's New Testament
Nor is He ministered to by human hands, as though He needed anything--but He Himself gives to all men life and breath and all things.

King James Version (1611)
Neither is worshipped with mens hands as though he needed any thing, seeing hee giueth to all, life and breath, and all things,

Literal Translation
nor is served by hands of men, as having need of anything. For He is giving life and breath and all things to all.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
nether is he worshipped with mens handes, as though he had nede of eny man, seynge he himself geueth life and breth vnto all men euery where:

Mace New Testament (1729)
he receives no service from their officiousness: he is self-sufficient: it is he that gives to all their life and breath and every thing they have.

Amplified Bible
nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, because it is He who gives to all [people] life and breath and all things.

American Standard Version
neither is he served by men's hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he himself giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;

Revised Standard Version
nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all men life and breath and everything.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
nether is worshipped with mennes hondes as though he neded of eny thinge seinge he him selfe geveth lyfe and breeth to all men every where

Update Bible Version
neither is he served by men's hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he himself gives to all life, and breath, and all things;

Webster's Bible Translation
Neither is worshiped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;

Young's Literal Translation
neither by the hands of men is He served -- needing anything, He giving to all life, and breath, and all things;

New Century Version
This God is the One who gives life, breath, and everything else to people. He does not need any help from them; he has everything he needs.

New English Translation
nor is he served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives life and breath and everything to everyone.

Contemporary English Version
He doesn't need help from anyone. He gives life, breath, and everything else to all people.

Complete Jewish Bible
nor is he served by human hands, as if he lacked something; since it is he himself who gives life and breath and everything to everyone.

English Standard Version
nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Neither is worshipped wt mens handes, as though he needed any thing, seeing hee giueth to all life and breath and all things,

George Lamsa Translation
Neither is he ministered to by human hands, nor is he in need of anything, for it is he who gave life and breath to all men.

Hebrew Names Version
neither is he served by men's hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he himself gives to all life and breath, and all things.

International Standard Version
and he isn't served by hands as if he needed anything. He himself gives everyone life, breath, and everything.Genesis 2:7; Numbers 16:22; Job 1:12:10; 27:3; 33:4; Psalm 50:8; Isaiah 42:5; 57:16; Zechariah 12:1;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
Neither is he served by the hands of men, nor needeth he any thing, for it is he who giveth to every man life and soul.

Murdock Translation
Nor is he ministered to by human hands, neither hath he any wants; for he it is giveth life and breath to every man.

New Living Translation
and human hands can't serve his needs—for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need.

New Life Bible
No one needs to care for Him as if He needed anything. He is the One who gives life and breath and everything to everyone.

English Revised Version
neither is he served by men's hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he himself giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;

New Revised Standard
nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
nor, by human hands, is waited upon, as though in want of anything, himself, giving unto all life and breath and all things;

Douay-Rheims Bible
Neither is he served with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing: seeing it is he who giveth to all life and breath and all things:

King James Version
Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;

Lexham English Bible
nor is he served by human hands as if he needed anything, because he himself gives to everyone life and breath and everything.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Neither is worshipped with mens handes, as though he needed of any thing, seing he him selfe geueth life and breath to all, euery where.

Easy-to-Read Version
He is the one who gives people life, breath, and everything else they need. He does not need any help from them. He has everything he needs.

New American Standard Bible
nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things;

Good News Translation
Nor does he need anything that we can supply by working for him, since it is he himself who gives life and breath and everything else to everyone.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
nethir is worschipid bi mannus hoondis, nether hath nede of ony thing, for he yyueth lijf to alle men, and brethinge, and alle thingis;

Contextual Overview

²²Then Paul stood up before the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I see that in every way you are very religious. ²³For as I walked around and examined your objects of worship, I even found an altar with the inscription: To an unknown God. Therefore what you worship as something unknown, I now proclaim to you. ²⁴The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples made by human hands. ²⁵Nor is He served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.²⁶From one man He made every nation of men, to inhabit the whole earth; and He determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their lands. ²⁷God intended that they would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. ²⁸'For in Him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are His offspring.' ²⁹Therefore, being offspring of God, we should not think that the Divine Being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by man's skill and imagination. ³⁰Although God overlooked the ignorance of earlier times, He now commands all men everywhere to repent. ³¹For He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the Man He has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising Him from the dead."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

is: Job 22:2, Job 35:6, Job 35:7, Psalms 16:2, Psalms 50:8-13, Jeremiah 7:20-23, Amos 5:21-23, Matthew 9:13

seeing: Acts 17:28, Acts 14:17, Genesis 2:7, Numbers 16:22, Numbers 27:16, Job 12:10, Job 27:3, Job 33:4, Job 34:14, Psalms 104:27-30, Isaiah 42:5, Isaiah 57:16, Zechariah 12:1, Matthew 5:45, Romans 11:35, 1 Timothy 6:17

Reciprocal: Genesis 1:20 - Let the waters Genesis 1:29 - I have Exodus 6:2 - I am the Lord Deuteronomy 30:20 - thy life Job 10:12 - life and favour Psalms 50:9 - General Psalms 104:29 - thou takest Psalms 145:9 - good Psalms 145:15 - The eyes Daniel 5:23 - in whose Daniel 6:26 - for Malachi 2:10 - hath Matthew 21:3 - The Lord Mark 11:3 - that John 5:26 - hath life Acts 7:48 - dwelleth Romans 11:36 - of him 1 Timothy 6:13 - who quickeneth Hebrews 9:11 - not made

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Neither is worshipped with men's hands,.... Or "served" with them; or "ministered unto" by them, as the Syriac version renders it: and the sense is, that men by worshipping God do not give anything to him, that can be of any use or service to him; he, being God all sufficient, stands in need of nothing; for external worship is not here intended by worshipping with men's hands, in distinction from, and opposition to, internal worship, or to the worship of God with the heart; but that whether it be with the one or with the other, or both, nothing is given to God, as adding any thing to his essential glory and happiness:

as though he needed anything; for he does not, he is "El Shaddai", God all sufficient; nor can anything be given to him, he has not; or otherwise all perfection would not be in him: but that he cannot be indigent of anything, appears from hence,

seeing he giveth to all life and breath; or "the breath of life", as the Ethiopic version renders it; this God breathed into man at first, and he became a living soul; and every animate creature, everyone that has life and breath, have them from God; he gives them to them, and continues them:

and all things; that are enjoyed by them, and are necessary for their subsistence, and for the comfort of life, and for both their use and profit, and for their delight and pleasure; wherefore he that gives them all things, cannot want anything himself, nor receive anything at their hands. This clause is left out in the Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Neither is worshipped with men’s hands - The word here rendered “worshipped” (θεραπέυεται therapeuetai) denotes to “serve”; to wait upon; and then to render religious service or homage. There is reference here, undoubtedly, to a notion prevalent among the pagan, that the gods were fed or nourished by the offerings made to them. The idea is prevalent among the Hindus that the sacrifices which are made, and which are offered in the temples, are consumed by the gods themselves. Perhaps, also, Paul had reference to the fact that so many persons were employed in their temples in serving them with their hands; that is, in preparing sacrifices and feasts in their honor. Paul affirms that the great Creator of all things cannot be thus dependent on his creatures for happiness, and consequently, that that mode of worship must be highly absurd. The same idea occurs in Psalms 50:10-12;

For every beast of the forest is mine;

And the cattle upon a thousand hills.

I know all the fowls of the mountain;

And the wild beasts of the field are mine.

If I were hungry, I would not tell thee;

For the world is mine, and the fulness thereof.

Seeing he giveth - Greek: he having given to all, etc.

Life - He is the source of life, and therefore he cannot be dependent on that life which he has himself imparted.

And breath - The power of breathing, by which life is sustained. He not only originally gave life, but he gives it at each moment; he gives the power of drawing each breath by which life is supported. It is possible that the phrase “life and breath may be the figure hendyades, by which one thing is expressed by two words. It is highly probable that Paul here had reference to Genesis 2:7; “And the Lord God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.” The same idea occurs in Job 12:10;

In whose hand is the life (margin) of every living thing;

And the breath of all mankind.

And all things - All things necessary to sustain life. We may see here how dependent man is on God. There can be no more absolute dependence than that for every breath. How easy it would be for God to suspend our breathing! How incessant the care, how unceasing the providence, by which, whether we sleep or wake - whether we remember or forget him, he heaves our chest, fills our lungs, restores the vitality of our blood, and infuses vigor into our frame! Compare the notes on Romans 11:36.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Acts 17:25. Neither is worshiped with men's hands — This is an indirect stroke against making of images, and offering of sacrifices: he is not worshipped with human hands, as if he needed any thing, or required to be represented under a particular form or attitude; nor has he required victims for his support; for it is impossible that he should need any thing who himself gives being, form, and life, to all creatures.

Giveth-life, and breath, and all things — These words are elegantly introduced by St. Paul: God gives life, because he is the fountain of it: he gives breath, the faculty of breathing or respiration, by which this life is preserved; and though breathing or respiration, be the act of the animal, yet the πνοην, the faculty of breathing, and extracting from the atmosphere what serves as a pabulum of life, is given by the influence of God, and the continued power thus to respire, and extract that pure oxygen gas which is so evident a support of animal life, is as much the continued gift of God as life itself is. But, as much more is necessary to keep the animal machine in a state of repair, God gives the ταπαντα, all the other things which are requisite for this great and important purpose, that the end for which life was given may be fully answered. St. Paul also teaches that Divine worship is not enacted and established for GOD, but for the use of his creatures: he needs nothing that man can give him; for man has nothing but what he has received from the hand of his Maker.