Acts 17:27 God 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.

◄ Acts 17:27 ►

New International Version
God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.

New Living Translation
“His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us.

English Standard Version
that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us,

Berean Standard Bible
God 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.

Berean Literal Bible
to seek God, if perhaps indeed they might palpate for Him, and might find Him. And indeed, He is not far from each one of us.

King James Bible
That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

New King James Version
so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;

New American Standard Bible
that they would seek God, if perhaps they might feel around for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;

NASB 1995
that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;

NASB 1977
that they should seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;

Legacy Standard Bible
that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;

Amplified Bible
This was so that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grasp for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.

Christian Standard Bible
He did this so that they might seek God, and perhaps they might reach out and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He did this so they might seek God, and perhaps they might reach out and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.

American Standard Version
that they should seek God, if haply they might feel after him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us:

Contemporary English Version
God has done all this, so that we will look for him and reach out and find him. He isn't far from any of us,

English Revised Version
that they should seek God, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he is not far from each one of us:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
He has done this so that they would look for God, somehow reach for him, and find him. In fact, he is never far from any one of us.

Good News Translation
He did this so that they would look for him, and perhaps find him as they felt around for him. Yet God is actually not far from any one of us;

International Standard Version
so that they might look for God, somehow reach for him, and find him. Of course, he is never far from any one of us.

Majority Standard Bible
The Lord 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.

NET Bible
so that they would search for God and perhaps grope around for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.

New Heart English Bible
that they should seek God, if perhaps they might reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.

Webster's Bible Translation
That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he is not far from every one of us:

Weymouth New Testament
that they might seek God, if perhaps they could grope for Him and find Him. Yes, though He is not far from any one of us.

World English Bible
that they should seek the Lord, if perhaps they might reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
to seek the LORD, if perhaps they felt after Him and found, though, indeed, He is not far from each one of us,

Berean Literal Bible
to seek God, if perhaps indeed they might palpate for Him, and might find Him. And indeed, He is not far from each one of us.

Young's Literal Translation
to seek the Lord, if perhaps they did feel after Him and find, -- though, indeed, He is not far from each one of us,

Smith's Literal Translation
To seek the Lord, if perchance indeed they have felt for him, and found, although not being far from each one of us:

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
That they should seek God, if happily they may feel after him or find him, although he be not far from every one of us:

Catholic Public Domain Version
so as to seek God, if perhaps they may consider him or find him, though he is not far from each one of us.

New American Bible
so that people might seek God, even perhaps grope for him and find him, though indeed he is not far from any one of us.

New Revised Standard Version
so that they would search for God and perhaps grope for him and find him—though indeed he is not far from each one of us.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
So that they should seek and search after God, and find him by means of his creations, because he is not far from any one of us:

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
“So that they would be seeking and inquiring after God; and they may find him by his creation, because also he is not far from everyone of us.”

NT Translations

Anderson New Testament
that they might seek for God, if perhaps they would feel after him, and find him, although, indeed, he is not far from every one of us.

Godbey New Testament
that they should seek God, if perhaps indeed they might feel after him, and find him, though not being far from each one of you.

Haweis New Testament
that they should seek the Lord, if indeed they might haply grope him out, and find him, though truly he is not far from any individual of us:

Mace New Testament
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,

Weymouth New Testament
that they might seek God, if perhaps they could grope for Him and find Him. Yes, though He is not far from any one of us.

Worrell New Testament
that they should seek God, if, perhaps, they might feel after Him, and find Him, although, in truth, He is not far from each one of us;

Worsley New Testament
that they might seek the Lord, if possibly they might trace Him, and find Him: though indeed He is not far from every one of us.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

Paul Before the Areopagus
…26From one man He made every nation of men, that they should 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.’…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Jeremiah 29:13
You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

Deuteronomy 4:29
But if from there you will seek the LORD your God, you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.

Psalm 145:18
The LORD is near to all who call on Him, to all who call out to Him in truth.

Isaiah 55:6
Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near.

Proverbs 8:17
I love those who love me, and those who seek me early shall find me.

Matthew 7:7-8
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. / For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

Hebrews 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please God. For anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.

James 4:8
Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Romans 1:19-20
For what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. / For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from His workmanship, so that men are without excuse.

John 4:23-24
But a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such as these to worship Him. / God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth.”

Psalm 14:2
The LORD looks down from heaven upon the sons of men to see if any understand, if any seek God.

Psalm 53:2
God looks down from heaven upon the sons of men to see if any understand, if any seek God.

1 Chronicles 28:9
As for you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve Him wholeheartedly and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands the intent of every thought. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.

2 Chronicles 15:2
So he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you when you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.

Isaiah 45:19
I have not spoken in secret, from a place in a land of darkness. I did not say to the descendants of Jacob, ‘Seek Me in a wasteland.’ I, the LORD, speak the truth; I say what is right.

Treasury of Scripture

That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

they.

Acts 15:17
That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.

Psalm 19:1-6
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork…

Romans 1:20
For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

he be.

Acts 14:17
Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.

1 Kings 8:27
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?

Psalm 139:1-13
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me…

Jump to Previous

Far Feel Find Grope Haply Hope Indeed Order Perhaps Possible Reach Search Seek

Jump to Next

Far Feel Find Grope Haply Hope Indeed Order Perhaps Possible Reach Search Seek

Acts 17

1. Paul preaches at Thessalonica, where some believe,
5. and others persecute him.
10. He is sent to Berea, and preaches there.
13. Being persecuted by Jews from Thessalonica,
16. he comes to Athens, and disputes and preaches the living God, to them unknown;
32. whereby, though some mock, many are converted unto Christ.

Berean Study Bible

God intended
The phrase "God intended" underscores the divine purpose and sovereignty in the creation and ordering of the world. The Greek word used here, "θεός" (theos), refers to the one true God, emphasizing His intentionality and active role in human history. This reflects the biblical theme that God is not a distant or indifferent deity but is intimately involved in the affairs of humanity, orchestrating events so that people might come to know Him.

that they would seek Him
The word "seek" comes from the Greek "ζητέω" (zēteō), which implies a diligent search or quest. This suggests that God desires a relationship with humanity, one that requires effort and intentionality on our part. The act of seeking God is a recurring theme throughout Scripture, indicating that while God is accessible, He also values the earnest pursuit of His presence and truth.

and perhaps reach out for Him
The phrase "reach out for Him" is translated from the Greek "ψηλαφάω" (psēlapháō), which means to grope or feel after. This imagery conveys the idea of humanity's spiritual blindness and the need to actively strive to connect with God. It suggests a hopeful possibility that through this reaching, individuals might overcome their limitations and find the divine.

and find Him
The Greek word "εὑρίσκω" (heuriskō) means to discover or come upon. This implies that God is not hiding but is available to be found by those who earnestly seek Him. The promise of finding God is a central tenet of the Christian faith, affirming that God rewards those who diligently seek Him with the revelation of His presence and truth.

though He is not far from each one of us
This phrase emphasizes the nearness of God to every individual. The Greek word "μακράν" (makran) means far or distant, and its negation here highlights God's omnipresence and accessibility. This is a comforting assurance that God is always within reach, ready to respond to those who call upon Him. It reflects the biblical truth that God is both transcendent and immanent, existing beyond the universe yet intimately involved in the lives of His creation.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(27) Should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him.--The word for "feel after" expresses strictly the act of groping in the dark. From the Apostle's point of view, anticipating in part the great Theodikaea--the vindication of the ways of God--in the Epistle to the Romans, the whole order of the world's history was planned, as part of the education of mankind, waking longings which it could not satisfy, leading men at once to a consciousness of the holiness of God and of their own sinfulness. The religions of the world were to him as the movements of one who climbs

"Upon the great world's altar stairs,

That slope through darkness up to God;"

who can only say--

"I stretch lame hands of faith, and grope,

And gather dust, and chaff, and call

To what I feel is Lord of all,

And faintly trust the larger hope."

Their ritual in all its manifold variety was but as the inarticulate wailing of childhood--

"An infant crying for the light,

And with no language but a cry."

--Tennyson, In Memoriam, liv. . . .

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 27. - God for the Lord, A.V. and T.R. (Meyer does not accept this reading); is for be, A.V.; each for every, A.V. If haply they might feel after him. Ψηλαφάω is "to touch, feel, or handle," as Luke 24:39; Hebrews 12:18; 1 John 1:1. But it is especially used of the action of the blind groping or feeling their way by their hands in default of sight. So Homer describes Polyphemus as χερσὶ ψηλαφόων, feeling his way to the mouth of the cave with his hands after he was blinded by Ulysses ('Odyssey,' 9:416). And in the LXX. of Deuteronomy 28:29 we read, Ἔση ψηλαφῶν μεσημβρίας ὠς εἴ τις ψηλαφήσαι τυφλὸς ἐν τῷ σκότει, "Thou shall grope at noonday as the blind gropeth in darkness." The teaching, therefore, of the passage is that, though God was very near to every man, and had not left himself without abundant witness in his manifold gifts, yet, through the blindness of the heathen, they had to feel their way uncertainly toward God. In this fact lies the need of a revelation, as it follows ver. 30, etc. And hence part at least of the significance of such passages as, "Ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord" (Ephesians 5:8); "Who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9 ); "God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Corinthians 4:6), and many more like passages.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Greek

[ God intended that ] they would seek
ζητεῖν (zētein)
Verb - Present Infinitive Active
Strong's 2212: To seek, search for, desire, require, demand. Of uncertain affinity; to seek; specially, to worship, or to plot.

[Him]
Θεὸν (Theon)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.

[and] perhaps
ἄρα (ara)
Conjunction
Strong's 687: A form of ara, denoting an interrogation to which a negative answer is presumed.

reach out for
ψηλαφήσειαν (psēlaphēseian)
Verb - Aorist Optative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 5584: From the base of psallo; to manipulate, i.e. Verify by contact; figuratively, to search for.

Him
αὐτὸν (auton)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

find [Him],
εὕροιεν (heuroien)
Verb - Aorist Optative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 2147: A prolonged form of a primary heuro, which heureo is used for it in all the tenses except the present and imperfect to find.

though
καί (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

He is
ὑπάρχοντα (hyparchonta)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5225: To begin, am, exist, be in possession. From hupo and archomai; to begin under, i.e. Come into existence; expletively, to exist (verb).

not
οὐ (ou)
Adverb
Strong's 3756: No, not. Also ouk, and ouch a primary word; the absolute negative adverb; no or not.

far
μακρὰν (makran)
Adjective - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3112: At a distance, far away, remote, alien. Feminine accusative case singular of makros; at a distance.

from
ἀπὸ (apo)
Preposition
Strong's 575: From, away from. A primary particle; 'off, ' i.e. Away, in various senses.

each
ἑκάστου (hekastou)
Adjective - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 1538: Each (of more than two), every one. As if a superlative of hekas; each or every.

one
ἑνὸς (henos)
Adjective - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 1520: One. (including the neuter Hen); a primary numeral; one.

of us.
ἡμῶν (hēmōn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Plural
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

Links

Acts 17:27 NIV
Acts 17:27 NLT
Acts 17:27 ESV
Acts 17:27 NASB
Acts 17:27 KJV

Acts 17:27 BibleApps.com
Acts 17:27 Biblia Paralela
Acts 17:27 Chinese Bible
Acts 17:27 French Bible
Acts 17:27 Catholic Bible

NT Apostles: Acts 17:27 That they should seek the Lord if (Acts of the Apostles Ac)