Acts 13:16Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

“Standing up,” says the writer, “and motioning with his hand.” Such was the custom among the Jews. Therefore he too addresses them in the same way.

See what introduction he makes to the word. First he praises them and shows the great providence of God concerning them by the words, “you who fear God.” Then he begins his speech.

He did not say, “sojourners,” because that name points to misfortunes.

Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul, the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years" (Acts 13:16-21).

Here the reader should note that the holy Apostle Paul counts 450 years from the entry of the sons of Israel into the promised land until the prophet Samuel. Saul reigned forty years, and David reigned forty years. Solomon began the building of the Lord's temple in the fourth year of his reign.

How, then, is it written in chapter 6 of the Third Book of Kings that Solomon began to build the Lord's temple in the 440th year from the exodus of the sons of Israel from Egypt?

It seems that here, from ancient times, some error was made by writers and copyists, when the art of printing did not yet exist. It is necessary either to add the missing number of years in chapter 6 of the Third Book of Kings, or to reduce the years in the Acts of the Apostles.

Some Roman investigators, Agnius in the Chronicle and Cornelius a Lapide on Acts, chapter 13, reason and say that in Acts one must read 350 years instead of 450 years.

Here we shall add the following reasoning. First of all, one must know that the years of the judges of Israel are counted in one way according to the opinion of chroniclers, and in another according to the understanding of the interpreters of Divine Scripture.

The chroniclers count the years as they are written in the Bible, adding to them the years during which the Israelites were in bondage to foreigners. These are as follows.

Before Othniel they were in bondage to the Syrian king Chushan-rishathaim for eight years. After Othniel they were subject to Eglon, king of Moab, for eighteen years.

Before Barak they were in bondage to the Canaanite king for twenty years. After Barak they fell under the yoke of Midian for seven years.

Before Jephthah they were slaves of the Philistines for eighteen years. Before Samson they were again in bondage to the Philistines for forty years.

When all these years are joined together, we obtain 111 years. Here are excluded the twenty years during which the Israelites were in bondage to the Philistines after Eli the priest and in the days of Samuel.

The interpreters of Divine Scripture, however, reckon these years among the years of the judges of Israel in the following way. After the elders of Israel, who ruled the people after the death of Joshua, there was the judge Othniel, Caleb's younger brother. He judged the Israelites for forty years (Judg 3:9-11).

In those years, at the beginning of his exercise of the judgeship, the Israelites were in bondage to the Syrian king. This is clearly seen from Holy Scripture, where the following is written about Othniel:

"The Spirit of the Lord was upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war against Chushan-rishathaim the king" (Judg 3:10).

Here one must take into account that he did not go out to war before becoming judge. Rather, he was first judge over Israel, and afterward, after some time, went out to war.

Consequently, the eight years during which the Israelites were in bondage to the Syrian king are partly included in the final years of the elders who preceded Othniel the judge. They are also partly included in the opening years of Othniel's rule as judge.

The chronograph of Kyr Dorotheos, metropolitan of Monemvasia, agrees with this. He says that in the days of Othniel's rule the Israelites were in bondage to the Syrian king and were delivered by Othniel.

The same must be understood about all the other years between the judges, during which the Israelites were under the power of foreigners. These years are partly included in the years of the judge whose rule was ending, and partly in the time of the judge entering office.

This may also be observed in the narrative concerning the days of the rule of the prophetess Deborah.

For those whom this good tidings first reached, the Jews of Jerusalem and their rulers, did not wish to receive it. They did not recognize the Messiah. They did not understand the prophecies that are read every Sabbath in the synagogue.

Yet by condemning the Messiah to death, they could not destroy the promise. Against their own knowledge and expectation, they only served its fulfillment. For He, having endured everything that He had to suffer according to the prophets' predictions, rose from the dead.

You have not seen Him, but through faith in Him you can receive remission of sins and justification, which the Law could never provide. Having proclaimed this promise, the Apostle added a threat against unbelief.

They did not join themselves to the Jewish people through circumcision, but according to the Jewish law they honored the one true God. They also took part in synagogue liturgical assemblies, where specially appointed places were assigned to them.

Compare verses 43 and 59; Acts 17:4; Acts 16:14; Acts 18:7.

Praising this goodwill of the elders, Saint John Chrysostom laments their later unresponsiveness to the words of the apostolic good tidings. He explains it by their love of pleasure and vainglory, and says:

“See what introduction Paul makes. First he praises them and shows the great providence of God concerning them by the words, ‘you who fear God.’ Then he begins his speech. He did not say, ‘sojourners,’ because that name points to action.”

Meanwhile, perhaps the rulers of the synagogue wished to hear consoling news about the end of this coming, about liberation from foreign powers, and about the return of Jerusalem.

The Apostle did speak of a consoling good tidings, of Christ Jesus and the Comforting Spirit. But all this was far from the consolation for which the representatives of the synagogue thirsted and thought they would hear from the Apostles.

In any case, it is significant that Paul did not begin to speak before he was asked to do so. Therefore, even if his preaching was not crowned with evident success, he was not counting on that.

With the reading from the Bible in Jewish synagogues there was joined an edifying instruction or sermon (see Lk 4:17-21).

The offering of such instructions was not the duty of some particular person, but was open to every Jew. It seems to have been customary to grant this right first of all to foreigners.

So in the present case, the members of the college of elders sent to say to them: if you feel within yourselves an inward need for some word of exhortation, then speak.

The outward summons to preach met the Apostle's own inward desire. Therefore he immediately stood up and, by a gesture of his hand, called all those assembled to attention. Then he began his first sermon.

Its subject was the “salvation” of man in Christ Jesus. The purpose of the speech was not only to bring the Jews to faith.

It was also to bring the Hebrew people into accord with its providential calling: not only to appropriate this salvation to itself, but also to be its bearer for all the nations.