Acts 17:30

Mace New Testament

God has been pleas'd to over-look this state of ignorance: but now he enjoins all men every where to repent:

Parallel Translations

Simplified Cowboy Version
"But man can be pretty ignorant sometimes and choose things like idols over the real God. He let y'all get away with this for a while, but he's finally said enough is enough. He is telling you right now to turn from your sorry ways and set your eyes on him and only him.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent,

Legacy Standard Bible
Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now commanding men that everyone everywhere should repent,

Bible in Basic English
Those times when men had no knowledge were overlooked by God; but now he gives orders to all men in every place to undergo a change of heart:

Darby Translation
God therefore, having overlooked the times of ignorance, now enjoins men that they shall all everywhere repent,

New King James Version
Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent,

Christian Standard Bible®
"Therefore, having overlooked the times of ignorance, God now commands all people everywhere to repent,

World English Bible
The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked. But now he commands that all men everywhere should repent,

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
The times of ignorance indeed God overlooked; but he now commandeth all men every where to repent.

Weymouth's New Testament
Those times of ignorance God viewed with indulgence. But now He commands all men everywhere to repent,

King James Version (1611)
And the times of this ignorance God winked at, but now commandeth all men euery where to repent:

Literal Translation
Truly, then, God overlooking the times of ignorance, now strictly commands all men everywhere to repent,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And truly God hath ouersene the tyme of ignoraunce: But now he commaundeth all men euery where to repente,

THE MESSAGE
"God overlooks it as long as you don't know any better—but that time is past. The unknown is now known, and he's calling for a radical life-change. He has set a day when the entire human race will be judged and everything set right. And he has already appointed the judge, confirming him before everyone by raising him from the dead."

Amplified Bible
"Therefore God overlooked and disregarded the former ages of ignorance; but now He commands all people everywhere to repent [that is, to change their old way of thinking, to regret their past sins, and to seek God's purpose for their lives],

American Standard Version
The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked; but now he commandeth men that they should all everywhere repent:

Revised Standard Version
The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all men everywhere to repent,

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And the tyme of this ignoraunce God regarded not: but now he byddeth all men every where repent

Update Bible Version
The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked; but now he commands men that they should all everywhere repent:

Webster's Bible Translation
And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

Young's Literal Translation
the times, indeed, therefore, of the ignorance God having overlooked, doth now command all men everywhere to reform,

New Century Version
In the past, people did not understand God, and he ignored this. But now, God tells all people in the world to change their hearts and lives.

New English Translation
Therefore, although God has overlooked such times of ignorance, he now commands all people everywhere to repent,

Berean Standard Bible
Although God overlooked the ignorance of earlier times, He now commands all men everywhere to repent.

Contemporary English Version
In the past, God forgave all this because people did not know what they were doing. But now he says that everyone everywhere must turn to him.

Complete Jewish Bible
"In the past, God overlooked such ignorance; but now he is commanding all people everywhere to turn to him from their sins.

English Standard Version
The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,

Geneva Bible (1587)
And the time of this ignorance God regarded not: but nowe hee admonisheth all men euery where to repent,

George Lamsa Translation
For the times of ignorance God has made to pass, and at this time he has commanded all men, everywhere, to repent.

Hebrew Names Version
The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked. But now he commands that all men everywhere should repent,

International Standard Version
Though God has overlooked those times of ignorance, he now commands everyone everywhere to repent,Luke 24:47; Acts 14:16; Romans 3:25; Titus 2:11-12; 1 Peter 1:14; 4:3;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
For the times of error Aloha hath made to pass away; and in this time he commandeth all men, that every man in every place should repent;

Murdock Translation
And the times of this error God hath made to pass away; and at the present time, he commandeth all men, that each individual, in every place, should repent.

New Living Translation
"God overlooked people's ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him.

New Life Bible
"God did not remember these times when people did not know better. But now He tells all men everywhere to be sorry for their sins and to turn from them.

English Revised Version
The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked; but now he commandeth men that they should all everywhere repent:

New Revised Standard
While God has overlooked the times of human ignorance, now he commands all people everywhere to repent,

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
The times of ignorance, therefore, overlooking, God, as things now are, is charging all men everywhere to repent,

Douay-Rheims Bible
And God indeed having winked at the times of this ignorance, now declareth unto men that all should every where do penance.

King James Version
And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

Lexham English Bible
Therefore although God has overlooked the times of ignorance, he now commands all people everywhere to repent,

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the tyme of this ignoraunce God wyncked at: but nowe byddeth all men euery where to repent:

Easy-to-Read Version
In the past people did not understand God, and he overlooked this. But now he is telling everyone in the world to change and turn to him.

New American Standard Bible
"So having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now proclaiming to mankind that all people everywhere are to repent,

Good News Translation
God has overlooked the times when people did not know him, but now he commands all of them everywhere to turn away from their evil ways.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For God dispisith the tymes of this vnkunnyng, and now schewith to men, that alle euery where doon penaunce; for that he hath ordeyned a dai,

Contextual Overview

²² Then Paul being plac'd in the middle of the Areopagus, said thus, "I observe, O Athenians, that you are in a manner too devout. ²³ for considering, as I pass'd along, the deitys, which you adore, I met with an altar that had this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. now that GOD whom you worship without knowing him, is the same that I denounce to you. ²⁴ the GOD who made the world and every thing therein, and is the Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples erected by men: ²⁵ 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. ²⁶ he he has deduced all mankind from one parent, to inhabit the surface of the whole earth, having pre-establish'd the appointed periods, and the boundarys of their dominions: ²⁷ by which they might enquire, and by due reflection investigate the supreme being, although he be not far from every one of us: for in him we live, ²⁸ are moved, and do exist: even as some of your own poets have said, WE ARE EVEN HIS OFFSPRING. ²⁹ since then we are the offspring of God, we should not imagine that the Deity bears any resemblance to the form which Gold, or Silver, or Stone has receiv'd from human art and industry. ³⁰ God has been pleas'd to over-look this state of ignorance: but now he enjoins all men every where to repent: ³¹ because he has fix'd the day, when he will judge in equity, by that man, whom he has appointed thereto: of which he has given full proof to all the world, by having raised him from the dead."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the times: Acts 14:16, Psalms 50:21, Romans 1:28, Romans 3:23, Romans 3:25

but: Acts 3:19, Acts 11:18, Acts 20:21, Acts 26:17-20, Matthew 3:2, Matthew 4:17, Mark 6:12, Luke 13:5, Luke 15:10, Luke 24:47, Romans 2:4, 2 Corinthians 7:10, Ephesians 4:17-32, Ephesians 5:6-8, Titus 2:11, Titus 2:12, 1 Peter 1:14, 1 Peter 1:15, 1 Peter 4:3

Reciprocal: Leviticus 20:4 - hide Numbers 15:27 - General 1 Chronicles 28:9 - know thou Job 36:10 - commandeth Ecclesiastes 11:9 - know Ecclesiastes 12:14 - General Isaiah 21:12 - if Isaiah 25:7 - he will Isaiah 60:2 - the darkness Ezekiel 14:6 - Repent Zechariah 12:4 - I will open Matthew 9:13 - but Matthew 12:50 - do Matthew 20:7 - Because Matthew 21:31 - did Matthew 25:32 - before Luke 5:32 - General Luke 12:47 - knew Luke 12:48 - knew John 4:22 - ye know John 15:22 - they John 16:11 - judgment Acts 2:38 - Repent Acts 8:22 - Repent Acts 14:15 - and preach Acts 17:23 - ignorantly Acts 26:20 - repent Romans 1:24 - God Romans 2:12 - For Romans 2:14 - which Romans 4:15 - Because Galatians 4:8 - when Ephesians 2:3 - in times Ephesians 4:18 - the understanding Ephesians 5:8 - ye were 1 Thessalonians 4:5 - know 1 Timothy 2:1 - all men Hebrews 6:1 - repentance 1 John 2:8 - the darkness 1 John 3:22 - because Revelation 2:5 - and repent Revelation 2:16 - Repent Revelation 20:11 - I saw

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the times of this ignorance God winked at,.... Not that he approved of, or encouraged such blindness and folly, as appeared among the Gentiles, when they worshipped idols of gold, silver, and stone, taking them for deities; but rather the sense is, he despised this, and them for it, and was displeased and angry with them; and as an evidence of such contempt and indignation, he overlooked them, and took no notice of them, and gave them no revelation to direct them, nor prophets to instruct them, and left them to their stupidity and ignorance:

but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent; that is, he hath given orders, that the doctrine of repentance, as well as remission of sins, should be preached to all nations, to Gentiles as well as Jews; and that it becomes them to repent of their idolatries, and turn from their idols, and worship the one, only, living and true God: and though for many hundreds of years God had neglected them, and sent no messengers, nor messages to them, to acquaint them with his will, and to show them their follies and mistakes; yet now he had sent his apostles unto them, to lay before them their sins, and call them to repentance; and to stir them up to this, the apostle informs them of the future judgment in the following verse. Repentance being represented as a command, does not suppose it to be in the power of men, or contradict evangelical repentance, being the free grace gift of God, but only shows the need men stand in of it, and how necessary and requisite it is; and when it is said to be a command to all, this does not destroy its being a special blessing of the covenant of grace to some; but points out the sad condition that all men are in as sinners, and that without repentance they must perish: and indeed, all men are obliged to natural repentance for sin, though to all men the grace of evangelical repentance is not given: the Jews a call repentance מצות התשובה, "the command of repentance", though they do not think it obligatory on men, as the other commands of the law. The law gives no encouragement to repentance, and shows no mercy on account of it; it is a branch of the Gospel ministry, and goes along with the doctrine of the remission of sins; and though in the Gospel, strictly taken, there is no command, yet being largely taken for the whole ministry of the word, it includes this, and everything else which Christ has commanded, and was taught by him and his apostles; Matthew 28:20.

a Tzeror Hammor, fol. 157. 4.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And the times of this ignorance - The long period when people were ignorant of the true God, and when they worshipped stocks and stones. Paul here refers to the times preceding the gospel.

God winked at - ὑπεριδὼν huperidōn. Overlooked; connived at; did not come forth to punish. In Acts 14:16 it is expressed thus: “Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways” The sense is, he passed over those times without punishing them, as if he did not see them. For wise purposes he suffered them to walk in ignorance that there might be a fair experiment to show what people would do, and how much necessity there was for a revelation to instruct them in the true know edge of God. We are not to suppose that God regarded idolatry as innocent, or the crimes and vices to which idolatry led as of no importance; but their ignorance was a mitigating circumstance, and he suffered the nations to live without coming forth in direct judgment against them. Compare the notes on Acts 3:17; Acts 14:16.

But now commandeth - By the gospel, Luke 24:47.

All men - Not Jews only, who had been favored with special privileges, but all nations. The barrier was broken down, and the call to repentance was sent abroad into all the earth.

To repent - To exercise sorrow for their sins, and to forsake them. If God commands all people to repent, we may observe:

(1) That it is their duty to do it. There is no higher obligation than to obey the command of God.

(2) It can be done. God would not command an impossibility.

(3) It is binding on all. The rich, the learned, the great, the frivolous, are as much bound as the beggar and the slave.

(4) It must be done, or the soul lost. It is not safe to neglect a plain Law of God. It will not be well to die reflecting that we have all our life despised his commands.

(5) We should send the gospel to the pagan. God calls on the nations to repent, and to be saved. It is the duty of Christians to make known to them the command, and to invite them to the blessings of pardon and heaven.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 30. The times of this ignorance God winked at — He who has an indisputable right to demand the worship of all his creatures has mercifully overlooked those acts of idolatry which have disgraced the world and debased man; but now, as he has condescended to give a revelation of himself, he commands, as the sovereign, all men every where, over every part of his dominions, to repent, μετανοειν, to change their views, designs, and practices; because he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness; and, as justice will then be done, no sinner, no persevering idolater, shall escape punishment.

The word υπεριδειν, which we translate, to wink at, signifies simply to look over; and seems to be here used in the sense of passing by, not particularly noticing it. So God overlooked, or passed by, the times of heathenish ignorance: as he had not given them the talent of Divine revelation, so he did not require the improvement of that talent; but now, as he had given them that revelation, he would no longer overlook, or pass by, their ignorance or its fruits.