The Meaning of Acts 13:35 Explained

Acts 13:35

KJV: Wherefore he saith also in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

YLT: wherefore also in another place he saith, Thou shalt not give Thy kind One to see corruption,

Darby: Wherefore also he says in another, Thou wilt not suffer thy gracious one to see corruption.

ASV: Because he saith also in another psalm , Thou wilt not give Thy Holy One to see corruption.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Wherefore  he saith  also  in  another  [psalm], Thou shalt  not  suffer  thine  Holy One  to see  corruption. 

What does Acts 13:35 Mean?

Context Summary

Acts 13:25-37 - Condemned By Men But Raised By God
For Paul the Resurrection was always the keystone of faith. He had taken particular care to assure himself of the reality of that foundation fact. In 1 Corinthians 15:1-58 he sets forth at length the testimony culminating in his own experience, on which he rested his belief. He had been allowed to see that blessed One and hear the word from His mouth. He quotes Psalms 2:7, Isaiah 55:3, and Psalms 16:10. He makes unexpected use of the first of these quotations, teaching that it was fulfilled in the Resurrection. This sheds new light on death. It is not death but birth; not an ending but a beginning. Our Lord was the first-born from the dead. We say that a saint has died; angels say that he has been born.
Notice that great word about David, Acts 13:36. He served God's counsel, or purpose, in his own generation. That should be the supreme objective of our lives. Not to get on, or to make money, or to please ourselves, but to serve the will of God who sent us forth. [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 13:35

Because [διοτι]
Compound conjunction (δια οτι — diaου δωσεις τον οσιον σου ιδειν διαπτοραν — hoti) like our “because that.” The reason for the previous statement about “the holy things.” [source]
Thou wilt not give thy holy one to see corruption [ou dōseis ton hosion sou idein diaphthoran)]
Quotation from Psalm 16:10 to show that Jesus did not see corruption in his body, a flat contradiction for those who deny the bodily resurrection of Jesus. [source]
Suffer [δώσεις]
Lit., give. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 13:35

John 2:22 Believed the Scripture [ἐπίστευσαν τῇ γραφῇ]
Notice that ἐπίοτευσαν , believed, is used here with the simple dative, and not with the preposition εἰς , into (see on John 1:12). The meaning is, therefore, they believed that the Scripture was true. On γραφή , a passage or section of Scripture, see on Mark 12:10. In John, as elsewhere, the word almost always refers to a particular passage cited in the context. The only two exceptions are John 17:12; John 20:9. For the Old Testament, as a whole, John always uses the plural αἱ γραφαί . The passage referred to here is probably Psalm 16:10. Compare Acts 2:27, Acts 2:31; Acts 13:35. [source]
John 2:22 When therefore he was raised from the dead [οτε ουν ηγερτη εκ νεκρων]
First aorist passive indicative of εγειρω — egeirō to raise up. And not at first then, but only slowly after the disciples themselves were convinced. Then “they believed the Scripture” They “believed” again. Dative case γραπηι — graphēi Probably Psalm 16:10 is meant (Acts 2:31; Acts 13:35). And the word which Jesus had said Dative case λογωι — logōi also, but ον — hon (relative) is not attracted to the dative. Clearly then John interprets Jesus to have a parabolic reference to his death and resurrection by his language in John 2:19. There are those who bluntly say that John was mistaken. I prefer to say that these scholars are mistaken. Even Bernard considers it “hardly possible” that John interprets Jesus rightly in John 1:21. “Had he meant that, He would have spoken with less ambiguity.” But how do we know that Jesus wished to be understood clearly at this time? Certainly no one understood Christ when he spoke the words. The language of Jesus is recalled and perverted at his trial as “I will destroy” (Mark 14:58), “I can destroy” (Matthew 26:61), neither of which he said. [source]
Hebrews 7:26 Holy [ὅσιος]
See on Luke 1:75. Always with a relation to God; never of moral excellence as related to men. Of Christ, Acts 2:27; Acts 13:35; of a bishop, Titus 1:8. [source]
Hebrews 7:26 Became us [ημιν επρεπεν]
Imperfect active indicative of πρεπω — prepō as in Hebrews 2:10, only there it was applied to God while here to us. “Such” Saintly, pious, as already noted. Cf. Acts 2:24; Acts 13:35. Guileless Without malice, innocent. In N.T. only here and Romans 16:18. Undefiled Untainted, stainless. In the papyri. Not merely ritual purity (Leviticus 21:10-15), but real ethical cleanness. Separated from sinners Perfect passive participle. Probably referring to Christ‘s exaltation (Hebrews 9:28). Made higher than the heavens “Having become higher than the heavens.” Ablative case (ουρανων — ouranōn) after the comparative adjective (υπσηλοτερος — hupsēloteros). [source]
Revelation 3:7 He that is holy [ὁ ἅγιος]
See on Acts 26:10. Christ is called holy, Acts 2:27; Acts 13:35; Hebrews 7:26; in all which passages the word, however, is ὅσιος , which is holy by sanction, applied to one who diligently observes all the sanctities of religion. It is appropriate to Christ, therefore, as being the one in whom these eternal sanctities are grounded and reside. Ἅγιος , the word used here, refers rather to separation from evil. [source]

What do the individual words in Acts 13:35 mean?

Therefore also in another He says Not You will allow the Holy One of you to see decay
Διότι καὶ ἐν ἑτέρῳ λέγει Οὐ δώσεις τὸν Ὅσιόν σου ἰδεῖν διαφθοράν

καὶ  also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: καί  
Sense: and, also, even, indeed, but.
ἑτέρῳ  another 
Parse: Adjective, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: ἀλλοιόω 
Sense: the other, another, other.
λέγει  He  says 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: λέγω 
Sense: to say, to speak.
δώσεις  You  will  allow 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: διδῶ 
Sense: to give.
Ὅσιόν  Holy  One 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: ὅσιος  
Sense: undefiled by sin, free from wickedness, religiously observing every moral obligation, pure holy, pious.
σου  of  you 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 2nd Person Singular
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.
ἰδεῖν  to  see 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Active
Root: εἶδον 
Sense: to see with the eyes.
διαφθοράν  decay 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: διαφθορά  
Sense: corruption, destruction.