Teks -- Acts 13:41 (NET)

13:41 ‘Look, you scoffers; be amazed and perish! For I am doing a work in your days, a work you would never believe, even if someone tells you.’”

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per frasa)

Robertson: Act 13:41 - Ye despisers

Ye despisers ( hoi kataphronētai ).

Not in the Hebrew, but in the lxx. It is pertinent for Paul’ s purpose.

Robertson: Act 13:41 - Perish

Perish ( aphanisthēte ).

Or vanish away. First aorist passive imperative. Added by the lxx to the Hebrew.

Robertson: Act 13:41 - If one declare it unto you

If one declare it unto you ( ean tis ekdiēgētai humin ).

Condition of third class with present middle subjunctive, if one keep on outlining (double compound, ek̇di̇ēgeomai ) it unto you. Paul has hurled a thunderbolt at the close.

Vincent: Act 13:41 - Perish

Perish ( ἀφανίσθητε )

Lit., vanish.

Vincent: Act 13:41 - Declare

Declare ( ἐκδιηγῆται )

Only here and Act 15:3. See on shew, Luk 8:39. The word is a very strong expression for the fullest and clearest declaration: declare throughout.

Wesley: Act 13:41 - I work a work which ye will in nowise believe

This was originally spoken to those, who would not believe that God would ever deliver them from the power of the Chaldeans. But it is applicable to any who will not believe the promises, or the works of God. Hab 1:5.

JFB: Act 13:38-41 - the forgiveness of sins

The first necessity of the sinner, and so the first experienced blessing of the Gospel.

JFB: Act 13:41 - ye will not believe though a man declare it unto you

That is, even on unexceptionable testimony. The words, from Hab 1:5, were originally a merciful but fruitless warning against the approaching destruction of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans and the Babylonish captivity. As such nothing could more fitly describe the more awful calamity impending over the generation which the apostle addressed.

Clarke: Act 13:41 - Behold, ye despisers

Behold, ye despisers - There is a remarkable difference here between the Hebrew text in Habakkuk, and that in the Septuagint, which is a little abridged here by St. Paul. I shall exhibit the three texts. Heb: -

ראו בגוים והביטו והתמהו תמהו כי פעל פעל בימיכם לא תאמינו כי יספר

Reu bagoyim vehabitu vehitammehu ; temehu ; ki poal poel bimeycem , lo teaminu hi yesupar

Behold, ye among the heathen, (nations), and regard, and be astonished; be astonished, for I am working a work in your days, which; when it shall be told, ye will not credit

See Houbigant

Sept

Ιδετε οἱ καταφρονηται, και επιβλεψατε, και θαυμασατε θαυμασια, και αφανισθητε· διοτι εργον εγω εργαζομαι εν ταις ἡμεραις ὑμων, ὁ ου μη πιϚευσητε, εαν τις εκδιηγηται ὑμιν

See, ye despisers, and look attentively, and be astonished, (or hide yourselves), for I work a work in your days, which, if any one will tell to you, ye will not believe

St. Luke

Ιδετε οἱ καταφρονηται, [ και επιβλεψατε ], και θαυμασατε, [ θαυμασια ], και αφανισθητε· ὁτι εργον εγω εργαζομαι εν ταις ἡμεραις ὑμων, εργον ᾡ ου μη πιϚευσητε, εαν τις εκδιηγηται ὑμιν

Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and be astonished, (or hide yourselves), for I work a work in your days, which, if any one will tell unto you, ye will not believe

I have taken Luke’ s quotation from the best MSS., and I have quoted the Septuagint according to the Codex Alexandrinus; and the quotations are exactly the same, not only in words, but almost in letters, with the exception of επιβλεψατε and θαυμασια which the evangelist omits, and which I have included in crotchets in the text of St. Luke, merely that the place of the omission may be the better seen. It may now be necessary to inquire how St. Luke and the Septuagint should substitute ye despisers, for ye among the heathen, in the Hebrew text

Without troubling myself or my readers with laborious criticisms on these words, with which many learned men have loaded the text, I will simply state my opinion, that the prophet, instead of בגוים bagoyim , among the heathen, wrote בגדים bogadim , despisers, or transgressors: a word which differs only in a single letter, ד daleth , for ו vau ; the latter of which might easily be mistaken by a transcriber for the other, especially if the horizontal stroke of the ד daleth happened to be a little faint towards the left; as, in that case, it would wear the appearance of a ו vau ; and this is not unfrequently the case, not only in MSS., but even in printed books. It seems as evident as it can well be that this gives the word which the Septuagint found in the copy from which they translated: their evidence, and that of the apostle, joined to the consideration that the interchange of the two letters mentioned above might have been easily made, is quite sufficient to legitimate the reading for which I contend. Houbigant and several others are of the same mind

The word αφανισθητε, which we translate perish, signifies more properly disappear, or hide yourselves; as people, astonished and alarmed at some coming evil, betake themselves to flight, and hide themselves in order to avoid it.

Calvin: Act 13:41 - A work in your days

41. And yet he doth not recite word for word the words of Habakkuk, which go thus, “Behold, ye Gentiles, and see and wonder, and be astonished; because a work shall be done in your days which no man shall believe when it shall be told him.” Paul saith, “Behold, ye despisers,” that the Jews may know that the vengeance which was once brought upon their fathers is common to the despisers of the word; as if he should say, God doth at this day make no less account of his word, the contempt whereof he did once punish so sharply. Therefore, the prophet’s denunciation doth appertain unto all ages, so that the despisers cannot hope that they can escape that vengeance now whereof others have tasted. They boasted of the temple; they vaunted that they were the people of God; being puffed up with wicked pride, they despised all threatenings. Therefore Paul putteth them in mind of that which God by his prophets doth threaten to the despisers.

A work in your days The sense is, Those who refuse to believe the word of God shall feel his hand, that being at length with plagues convicted, they may know that he spake in earnest. It is a common proverb, that experience is the mistress of fools. So the Lord doth indeed punish the wicked, ⁸²⁶ that being tamed with miseries, they may begin to confess his power. And what manner [of] punishment doth he denounce? Because you (saith he) do not believe my word, I will show an example among you which no man will believe; by which words he meaneth, that he will punish them, so that the world shall be afraid to see it. For as rebellion against God is a detestable monster, so it is no marvel if of itself it beget monsters of punishments. Therefore, we must beware, lest, if we cease to give credence to God’s word, we feel his hand more mighty than all our senses do comprehend, and even unto the astonying [astonishment] of all the whole world; and lest even we be made astounded through fear. Habakkuk prophesieth of the destruction brought upon them by the Chaldeans; but the punishment whereby God revenged the contempt of his gospel was more cruel, [severe.] Therefore, let us accustom ourselves to fear God and reverently embrace his word, lest some such things befall us.

TSK: Act 13:41 - ye despisers // for

ye despisers : Pro 1:24-32, Pro 5:12; Isa 5:24, Isa 28:14-22; Luk 16:14, Luk 23:35; Heb 10:28-30

for : Act 13:47, Act 3:23, Act 6:14, Act 22:21; Isa 65:15; Dan 9:26, Dan 9:27; Mat 8:10,Mat 8:11, Mat 21:41-44; Mat 22:7-10, Mat 23:34-38; Luk 19:42-44, Luk 21:20-26; Rom 11:7-14; Eph 3:3-8; Col 1:26, Col 1:27; 1Th 2:16; 1Pe 4:17

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per Ayat)

Poole: Act 13:41 - Ye despisers // And wonder // And perish // A work in your days // Which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you

These words are cited from that place in Habakkuk, according to the reading of the Septuagint, St. Paul not being willing to alter the words, the Jews that were dispersed being so, used to that translation, especially the sense being the same with the original Hebrew. This quotation of the apostle might also be taken from Isa 28:14,16 .

Ye despisers for which cause, in that place of Habakkuk they are commanded to consider the heathen, and are sent to school unto them they contemned so much, who had had God for their teacher, had they not despised his word.

And wonder grow pale for shame and fear.

And perish ye shall be destroyed by the Romans your enemies, as your ancestors were by their enemies.

A work in your days this work was a work of God’ s just revenge on them then, by the Chaldeans; but threatened to come on these (without repentance) by the Romans.

Which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you which destruction should be so great, that it was incredible to them now, though it should have been told them.

Haydock: Act 13:41 - Ye despisers

Ye despisers [2] of the favours offered you, behold, wonder, &c. This citation is out of Habacuc, (chap. i. ver. 5.) according to the Septuagint. The prophet, by these words, foretold to the Jews in his time the evils that would come upon them in their captivity in Chaldea, but St. Paul here applies them at least to the miseries that the incredulous Jews would incur, if they obstinately refused to believe in Christ. (Witham)

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[BIBLIOGRAPHY]

Habacuc i. 5. In the Latin text, and according to the Hebrew, aspicite in Gentibus: but in the Septuagint and Greek here, Greek: idete kataphronetai.

Gill: Act 13:41 - Behold, ye despisers // for I work a work in your days, which you shall in no wise believe though a man declare it unto you

Behold, ye despisers,.... In Hab 1:5 from whence these words are taken: we render it with others, "behold ye among the Heathen"; as if the word בגוים, was compounded of ב "in", and גוים, "nations" or "Heathens"; and so reads the Chaldee paraphrase, "look among the people"; but the Septuagint version renders it, "behold, ye despisers"; which the apostle is thought to follow; wherefore some have imagined a different reading, and that the Septuagint, instead of בגוים reads בוגדים, the singular of which is used in Hab 2:5 and there rendered a "despiser" in the same version: but it should be observed, that the Septuagint is not the only version that so renders the word; for the Syriac version renders it, "behold, ye impudent"; and the Arabic version, "behold, ye negligent"; and Dr. Pocock ^r has shown that this word comes from the root בגא which though not to be found in the Bible, yet in the Arabic language, among other things, signifies to behave proudly, or insolently, and so is very properly rendered "despisers", without supposing any different reading or corruption in the text: and as in Habakkuk the proud and haughty Jews are there spoke to, who neglected and despised the law; this is accommodated by the apostle to the Jews in his time, who were very much disposed to despise the Gospel, as they generally did. It follows, "and wonder, and perish"; or disappear, or change countenance, through shame for their sins, and amazement at the judgments of God upon them:

for I work a work in your days, which you shall in no wise believe though a man declare it unto you; which, in Habakkuk, refers to the destruction of the city and temple of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans; and here it is suggested, by the citation and application of it, that in a short time a like work would be done in their days; the city and temple of Jerusalem would be destroyed by the Romans, which when told to the Jews in foreign parts, as here in Pisidia, would not be believed by them, though it should be told them by men of probity and credit.