Acts 13:32

And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers,

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Benson Commentary

Acts 13:32-37. And we declare unto you glad tidings — Tidings which should be in a particular manner acceptable to the Jews; that the promise which was made unto the fathers — And was the hope and joy of their posterity through so many succeeding ages; God hath fulfilled unto us their children — Most signally and manifestly; in that he hath raised up Jesus again — From the dead, and thereby hath declared, in the most convincing manner, that he is indeed his Son, the Messiah; as it is also written in the second Psalm — By this it appears that the Psalms were then placed in the same order as they are now; and it is observable that this is the only quotation of the Old Testament so circumstantially made in the New. Thou art my Son, this day, &c. — It is true, he was the Son of God before his incarnation, yea, from eternity. See notes on John 1:1-5; Hebrews 1:2-12; Hebrews 7:3. The meaning, therefore, here is, I have this day declared thee to be my Son, as (Romans 1:4) Paul says, he was declared to be the Son of God with power, by the resurrection from the dead. And it is with peculiar propriety and beauty that God is said to have begotten him when he raised him from the dead, as Jesus seemed then to be born out of the earth anew. And to show that he raised him up, no more to return to corruption — That is, to die no more; he said, I will give you the sure mercies of David — The blessings promised to David in Christ, which are sure, certain, and firm to every true believer in him. Or, “mercies by the resurrection of him whom I have now set upon the throne of David, are made sure to you, and shall prove eternal as his life and reign.” The resurrection of Christ, therefore, is implied in the words: for without it those blessings could not have been given. Wherefore he saith also, (namely, Psalm 16:10,) Thou shalt not suffer thy Holy One to see corruption — Words which, it is evident, must refer, not to the inspired writer himself, but to some other person; for David — By whom this Psalm was written; after he had served his own generation, by the will of God — Or, as the words may be rendered, had served the will of God in his generation; fell asleep — That is, died; and saw corruption — In the same manner as other human bodies do, when the soul is separated from them. Observe, reader, the character here given of David; he served the will of God, or, served his generation according to the will of God. This was his business here on earth: he lived for this purpose. What is thy business? Why art thou here? Thou who art yet in the world? Is it not that thou also mayest serve the will of God? Art thou serving it now? Doing all his will? O remember, only he that doth the will of God shall enter the kingdom of heaven, Matthew 7:21.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

13:32-37 The resurrection of Christ was the great proof of his being the Son of God. It was not possible he should be held by death, because he was the Son of God, and therefore had life in himself, which he could not lay down but with a design to take it again. The sure mercies of David are that everlasting life, of which the resurrection was a sure pledge; and the blessings of redemption in Christ are a certain earnest, even in this world. David was a great blessing to the age wherein he lived. We were not born for ourselves, but there are those living around us, to whom we must study to be serviceable. Yet here is the difference; Christ was to serve all generations. May we look to Him who is declared to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead, that by faith in him we may walk with God, and serve our generation according to his will; and when death comes, may we fall asleep in him, with a joyful hope of a blessed resurrection.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And we - We who are here present. Paul and Barnabas.

Declare unto you glad tidings - We preach the gospel the good news. To a Jew, nothing could be more grateful intelligence than that the Messiah had come; to a sinner convinced of his sins nothing can be more cheering than to hear of a Saviour.

The promise ... - The promise here refers to all that had been spoken in the Old Testament respecting the advent, sufferings, death, and resurrection of Christ.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

31. he was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, &c.—that is, by those who, having gone out and in with Him in closest intimacy during all His public ministry, which lay chiefly in Galilee, and having accompanied Him on His last journey to Jerusalem, could not possibly be mistaken as to the identity of the risen One, and were therefore unexceptionable and sufficient witnesses.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Glad tidings; or the gospel, which is nothing else but the glad tidings of our salvation from sin and hell.

The promise which was made unto the fathers; this promise was frequently made and renewed to their ancestors, and typified by many deliverances, especially from Egypt and Babylon.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And we declare unto you glad tidings,.... The whole of the Gospel, concerning the incarnation, obedience, sufferings, death, and resurrection of Christ, and the benefits arising from thence, as peace, pardon, righteousness, life, and salvation; all which are good news and glad tidings to sensible sinners; and which are declared and published by the ministers of the Gospel, according to the commission given them, as here by Paul and Barnabas:

how that the promise which was made unto the fathers; not barely and solely that which respects the resurrection of Christ, but the mission of him, the exhibition of him in human nature, his incarnation, his work and business he was to do, namely, to obtain salvation for his people; it chiefly regards the promise of his coming into the world to do the will of God, which promise was made to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Judah, Genesis 22:18.

Geneva Study Bible

And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers,

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Expositor's Greek Testament

Acts 13:32. καὶ ἡμεῖς, cf. 1 Corinthians 15:11, “whether it were I or they,” etc., “ut illi illis, sic nos vobis”.—εὐαγγελ., see above on p. 210, and Simcox, u. s., pp. 78, 79.—τὴν πρὸς τοὺς π. ἐπαγγελίαν γεν., cf. Romans 15:8, Acts 26:6.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

32. And we declare unto you glad tidings] While the first companions of Jesus are His witnesses, we are His Evangelists, the bringers of good news.

how that the promise, &c.] Better, “of the promise,” making this the direct object of the preceding verb.

Bengel's Gnomen

Acts 13:32. Τὴν) The sense is, εὐαγγελιζόμεθα, ὄτι τὴν πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας ἐπαγγελίαν ὁ Θεὸς ἐκπεπλήρωκε. Comp. ὄτι, ch. Acts 16:3, “They all knew his father, that (ὄτι) he was a Greek,” for, “they all knew that his father was a Greek.”—ἐκπεπλήρωκε) A rare verb, nowhere else employed either in the Old or New Testament of a promise having been fulfilled,—ἀναστήσας Ἰησοῦν) in that He hath raised up Jesus, and has exhibited Him present before us. From this “raising up,” used absolutely (as in ch. Acts 3:22), we are to distinguish the “raising up from the dead,” Acts 13:34.[77] Both raisings are confirmed by the Old Testament.—[ἠμῖν, to us) in order that we may be able to be the first in our age to enjoy the fulfilment: ch. Acts 3:26, “Unto you first, God having raised up his Son Jesus, sent Him to bless you.”—V. g.]

[77] This signification of the word ἀναστήσας is confirmed also by Ernesti, Bibl. th. T. iv., p. 477.—E. B.

But Engl. Vers. here understands it, raised up again.—E. and T.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 32. - Bring you good tidings of the promise made for declare unto you glad tidings how that the promise which was made, A.V. Acts 13:32