The Meaning of Acts 13:18 Explained

Acts 13:18

KJV: And about the time of forty years suffered he their manners in the wilderness.

YLT: and about a period of forty years He did suffer their manners in the wilderness,

Darby: and for a time of about forty years he nursed them in the desert.

ASV: And for about the time of forty years as a nursing-father bare he them in the wilderness.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  about  the time  of forty years  suffered he  their  manners  in  the wilderness. 

What does Acts 13:18 Mean?

Context Summary

Acts 13:13-24 - The Savior According To Promise
It was very natural that the missionary party should sail for Cyprus, partly because it was the first and nearest outpost of the great heathen world that lay to the west, and partly because Barnabas was a native of the island and had owned land there, which he had sold for the benefit of his poorer brethren in the church, Acts 4:36.
In visiting a new city, it was the custom of the Apostles to go first to the Jewish synagogue, where such was to be found. "To the Jew first, and also to the Gentile," was the divine order, Romans 2:10. The journey from Cyprus to the mainland was easily made; but the journey up to this inland city of Antioch was very perilous, 2 Corinthians 11:26.
Acts 13:16 gives us the Apostle's favorite attitude, Acts 21:40; Acts 26:1. Ye that fear God, referred to the Gentile proselytes. This first address contained the seed-thoughts of the Apostle's ministry. He loved to show that the gospel was the white flower that grew on the ancient stock of Judaism. Whatever his starting point, he was sure to come, by a direct path, to Jesus Christ. Observe throughout how Paul attributes all of the great events and movements of history to the direction and agency of God. God chose the fathers; God gave Saul; God brought unto Israel a Savior. [source]

Chapter Summary: Acts 13

1  Paul and Barnabas are chosen to go to the Gentiles
6  Of Sergius Paulus, and Elymas the sorcerer
13  Paul preaches at Antioch that Jesus is Christ
42  The Gentiles believe;
44  but the Jews talked abusively against Paul,
46  whereupon they turn to the Gentiles, of whom many believe
50  The Jews raise a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, who go to Iconium

Greek Commentary for Acts 13:18

Suffered he their manners [ετροποπορησεν]
First aorist active indicative of τροποπορεω — tropophoreō late word from τροπος — tropos manner, and περω — pherō reading of Aleph B D and accepted by Westcott and Hort. But A C Sahidic Bohairic read ετροποπορησεν — etrophophorēsen from τροποπορεω — trophophoreō (τροπος — trophos a nurse, and περω — pherō late word (II Macc. Acts 7:27), probably correct word here and Deuteronomy 1:31. [source]
Suffered he their manners [ἐτροποφόρησεν]
From τρόπος fashion or manner, and φορέω , to bear or suffer. The preferable reading, however, is ἐτροφοφόρησεν ; from τροφός , a nurse; and the figure is explained by, and probably was drawn from, Deuteronomy 1:31. The American revisers properly insist on the rendering, as a nursing-father bare he them. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 13:18

Acts 7:23 When he was well-nigh forty years old [ως επληρουτο αυτωι τεσσαρακονταετης χρονος]
A rather awkward Greek idiom for the English: “When a forty year old time (same idiom in Acts 13:18 and only twice in the N.T.) was being fulfilled (επληρουτο — eplērouto imperfect passive) for him (dative case).” The life of Moses is divided into three periods of forty years each (in Egypt 40 years, in Midian 40, governed Israel 40, 120 when he died, Deuteronomy 34:7). [source]

What do the individual words in Acts 13:18 mean?

and of about forty years for a period He endured the ways their in the wilderness
καί ὡς τεσσερακονταετῆ χρόνον ἐτροποφόρησεν αὐτοὺς ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ

ὡς  of  about 
Parse: Adverb
Root: ὡς 
Sense: as, like, even as, etc.
τεσσερακονταετῆ  forty  years 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: τεσσαρακονταετής 
Sense: of forty years, forty years old.
χρόνον  for  a  period 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: χρόνος  
Sense: time either long or short.
ἐτροποφόρησεν  He  endured  the  ways 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: τροποφορέω 
Sense: to bear one’s manner, endure one’s character.
ἐρήμῳ  wilderness 
Parse: Adjective, Dative Feminine Singular
Root: ἔρημος  
Sense: solitary, lonely, desolate, uninhabited.