Acts 3:24

Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(24) All the prophets from Samuel.—Samuel is named, both as being the founder of the school of the prophets, and so the representative of the “goodly fellowship,” and as having uttered one of the earliest of what were regarded as the distinctively Messianic predictions (2Samuel 7:13-14; Hebrews 1:5).

Benson Commentary

Acts 3:24-26. Yea, and all the prophets — That succeeded Moses, particularly from Samuel, have likewise foretold these days — The days of the Messiah, which, by the singular favour of God to you, ye are now so happy as to see. Ye are the children of the prophets — You are the descendants of that people, among whom the prophets were raised up, and to whom the prophets were sent. Those of the latter ages of the Jewish Church, when prophecy had ceased, yet might be fitly, in general, called the children of the prophets, because they heard, though they did not know, the voices of the prophets, which were read in their synagogues every sabbath day; chap. Acts 13:27. Now this ought to have quickened them to embrace Christ, their own prophets having foretold that this grace should be brought unto them in his days, (1 Peter 1:10,) and therefore ought not to be neglected by them. And of the covenant which God made with our fathers — As children in the family. God’s covenant was made with Abraham and his seed; and they were that seed, and on them, therefore, the blessings of the covenant were entailed. As if the apostle had said, The promise of the Messiah was made to you, and therefore, if you forsake not your own mercies, and do not, by obstinate infidelity, lay an insuperable obstruction in your own way, you may confidently hope to be put in possession of them: saying to Abraham, In thy seed, &c. — This promise, though referring principally to Christ, (Galatians 3:16,) yet respects the church also, which is his body, even all believers, that are the spiritual seed of Abraham. Unto you first — You Jews, though not to you only; God having raised up his Son Jesus — From the loins of that pious patriarch, or having appointed and authorized him to be a Prince and a Saviour; and in confirmation thereof, having raised him from the dead; sent him to bless you — With the greatest of all blessings; in turning every one of you from his iniquities — In saving you from the guilt and power of your sins, and from the misery consequent thereon. To explain this more fully: 1st, God raised up his Son Jesus, when he constituted him a prophet, owned him by a voice from heaven, filled him with his Spirit without measure, and then sent him to bear witness to the truth, and to seek and save lost souls. He raised him up more especially when he brought him back from the dead by a glorious resurrection, which was the first step toward his exaltation, and, as it were, the renewing of his commission. And though, having thus raised him up, he seemed presently to take him from his people, yet he did really send him afresh to them, in his gospel and Spirit. 2d, The apostle says, God sent him to the Jews first, because the personal ministry of Christ, as that of the prophets, was confined to them; and after his resurrection, though he was to be preached, indeed, by his apostles to all nations, yet they were to begin at Jerusalem, Luke 24:47; and when they went to other nations, they always first preached to the Jews they found there. The Jews, therefore, were so far from being excluded for having crucified Christ, that when he was risen he was first sent to them, and they were primarily intended to have benefit by his death. Indeed, had not the gospel been everywhere first offered to them, their prejudices would have been so heightened and confirmed, that, in all probability, many, who were converted in this method, would have been exasperated and lost. It must be observed, however, that when the apostle says to these Jews, God sent his Son to bless you, he speaks conditionally, as the event showed with respect to many of them, on whom the divine wrath and curse came, and not the blessing here spoken of; namely, because they rejected the counsel of God against themselves. Many commentators, therefore, give this sentence a different turn, rendering the last clause, upon your turning every one of you, &c., or, every one of you turning, &c. That is, “all those of you who turn from sin shall be entitled to his blessing.” And this is agreeable to the Syriac rendering, if you are converted, and repent of your sins. But the former seems the preferable reading, as the great gospel blessing is, to be turned from our iniquities, or to be converted from sin to righteousness. Nor can it be any reasonable objection to say, that Christ did not in fact turn every one of the Jews from their iniquities, since it must be allowed that he did every thing that was necessary in order thereto; yea, every thing except depriving them of their liberty of choice and action, and turning them into mere machines. He procured for them, and offered to them, and that sincerely and repeatedly, yea, continually during his own personal ministry, and afterward by his divinely-commissioned apostles, grace sufficient to enable them to turn from their iniquities; and by the help of that, they might every one of them have turned, and so have obtained the blessing here intended. But let us not suppose that this, or any other part of Peter’s discourse, was intended only for the Jews. It concerns us also, whom Christ was likewise sent to bless, and that in the same manner, even by turning us from our iniquities, by saving us from our sins. Matthew 1:22. Sin is that which we naturally cleave to, and the design of divine grace is, to turn us from it; nay, to turn us against it, that we may not only forsake it, but hate it, and strive against it. And the gospel has a direct tendency to produce this effect, not only as it requires us to turn, but as it promises us grace to enable us to do so. Therefore let us apply to Christ for this, and by the aid and right use of it, repent and be converted, and so do our part; because he is ready to do his, namely, to give the grace we need, and thereby to save us from our sins, and the consequences thereof, and to bless us effectually, abundantly, and for ever.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

3:22-26 Here is a powerful address to warn the Jews of the dreadful consequences of their unbelief, in the very words of Moses, their favourite prophet, out of pretended zeal for whom they were ready to reject Christianity, and to try to destroy it. Christ came into the world to bring a blessing with him. And he sent his Spirit to be the great blessing. Christ came to bless us, by turning us from our iniquities, and saving us from our sins. We, by nature cleave to sin; the design of Divine grace is to turn us from it, that we may not only forsake, but hate it. Let none think that they can be happy by continuing in sin, when God declares that the blessing is in being turned from all iniquity. Let none think that they understand or believe the gospel, who only seek deliverance from the punishment of sin, but do not expect happiness in being delivered from sin itself. And let none expect to be turned from their sin, except by believing in, and receiving Christ the Son of God, as their wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

All the prophets - That is, the prophets in general. It may be said of the prophets generally, or of all of them, that they have foretold these things. This expression is not to be pressed as if we were to look for distinct predictions of the Messiah in each one of the prophets. The use of language does not require so strict an interpretation.

From Samuel - In the previous verse (22) Moses was mentioned as the first in order. The next in order was Samuel. The same mention of Moses and Samuel occurs in Psalm 99:6. The reason why Samuel is mentioned here is probably that he was the first prophet after Moses who recorded a prediction respecting the times of the Messiah. The Jews, in their divisions of the books of the Old Testament, reckoned the book of Joshua as the first of the prophets. But in Joshua and Judges there does not occur any distinct prediction of the Messiah. The prophecy in Samuel, to which Peter probably had reference, is in 2 Samuel 7:16. From the time of Moses to Samuel, also, it is probable that no prophet arose. God was consulted by Urim, and Thummim Exodus 28:30; Numbers 27:21, and consequently no extraordinary messenger was sent to instruct the nation.

As many as have spoken - Whosoever has declared the will of God. This is to be taken in a general sense. The meaning is, that the prophets had concurred in foretelling these days. They not merely concurred in foretelling a happy future period, but they foretold distinctly the very things which had actually occurred respecting Jesus of Nazareth; and the Jews, therefore, should listen to the voice of their own prophets.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

24. foretold of these days—of Messiah; all pointing to "the time of reformation" (Heb 9:10), though with more or less distinctness.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Though there were some prophets betwixt Moses and Samuel, yet they were but such as prophesied in some particular exigences and cases; and in Samuel’s days the word of the Lord was precious, or rare, 1 Samuel 3:1; but then David, that lively type of Christ, appearing at the throne, the Messiah began to be more discovered in and by him: besides, Samuel was the first who wrote his prophecies, and erected the schools of the prophets, and therefore he is first mentioned; and the date of the prophets is here begun from him.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel,.... Who was, as the Jews call him, , "the master of the prophets" (l); and they say, that Samuel the prophet is , "the first prophet" in the chain of the Kabbala (m); and therefore is here particularly mentioned, as at the head of the prophets, and next to Moses; there being but very few prophets between him and Moses, when there were many after him; and in his days, the schools of the prophets were set up: now not only Moses spoke of Christ, but all the prophets from the time of Samuel; in the books that bear his name, stands a famous prophecy concerning Christ, 2 Samuel 7:13.

And those that follow after; in order, as David, Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, &c.

and as many as have spoken; anything by way of prophecy:

have likewise foretold of these days; of the days of the Messiah, of his person, office, incarnation, obedience, sufferings, death, resurrection, ascension, the pouring down of the Spirit, the times of refreshing, the Gospel dispensation, the conversion of the Jews, the calling of the Gentiles, and the gathering in all the elect of God.

(l) T Hieros. Chagiga, fol. 77. 1.((m) Ganz Tzemach David, par. 1. fol. 9. 1. Vid. Kimchi in Psal. xcix. 6.

Geneva Study Bible

Yea, and all the prophets {h} from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.

(h) At which time the kingdom of Israel was established.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Expositor's Greek Testament

Acts 3:24. Σαμουὴλ: On Samuel as the founder of the prophetic schools and the pattern of all later prophets, see Hamburger, Real-Encyclopädie des Judentums, i., 6, p. 854; “Prophet,” cf. Midrash Shemuel, c. 24, where Samuel is called the Rabban, the chief and teacher of the prophets (Wetstein, in loco, and Lumby), cf. also Hebrews 11:32, Δαυείδ τε καὶ Σ. καὶ τῶν προφητῶν.—καὶ τῶν καθεξῆς: an unmistakable tautology. Wendt considers the expression as inaccurate, see his note, and for a full discussion cf. Winer-Moulton, lxvii. 2, who compares Luke 24:27, = “all the series of prophets beginning from Samuel” (Page); “longa tamen successione, uno tamen consensu” (Calvin). καθεξ. used by St. Luke alone, Luke 1:3; Luke 8:1, Acts 11:4; Acts 18:23. In Greek writers = ἐφεξῆς, not found in LXX.—καὶ κατήγγ. τὰς ἡμέρας ταύτας: “have also told of these days,” i.e., the present days, cf. Acts 5:36, Luke 24:18. This interpretation does not prevent the identification of “these days” with the χρόνοι τῆς ἀποκαταστάσεως, since in one sense the restoration had already begun with the coming of the forerunner and of the Christ, and in the acceptance of the repentance which they had preached. Rendall renders “yea, so said all the prophets from Samuel … as many as have spoken and told of these days,” as if the fact which St. Peter wished to emphasise was that all the prophets had spoken threats of utter destruction like Moses. But the Greek does not by any means of necessity bear this construction (Viteau, Le Grec du N. T., p. 55 (1896), and such an interpretation seems too harsh. As Wendt admits, the reference is not merely to the prophetical sayings relating to the last judgment, but also to the promises of salvation and to all which is connected with the χρόνοι ἀποκατ. Moreover the reference to Samuel is made because of Nathan’s prediction, “the fundamental prophecy respecting the seed of David,” 2 Samuel 7:12 ff., in which it is foretold that mercy shall not be taken away even in the midst of punishment. Blass explains the expression τἀς ἡμερ. ταύτ. “regni felicis Messianici”; but we must remember that it does not follow that the popular views of the Messianic kingdom and judgment were still held by St. Peter.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

24. all the prophets from Samuel] To other prophecies St Peter only makes a general reference. We learn (Midrash Shemuel, c. 24) that Samuel was called by the Jews “Rabban,” the chief and teacher of the prophets, and there are several reasons why he is put in this foremost place. (1) We never read of a school of the prophets before his time. (2) His mother Hannah is the first person in Holy Writ who speaks of the Messiah (1 Samuel 2:10), “God’s anointed.” (3) Jewish tradition says that the man of God who came to Eli (1 Samuel 2:27) was Elkanah. The Targum on 1 Samuel 10:12, “But who is their father?” explains father by Rabbi, and refers the word to Samuel, so that the question in that verse would imply: “Why do you wonder at Saul among the prophets? Who is it that instructs the prophets? Is it not Samuel? And has not Saul been with him just now and been anointed by him?” All this could be said without the speaker having any knowledge that Saul was to be king. For the use of father as = teacher or Rabbi cf. Elisha’s cry to Elijah (2 Kings 2:12), “My father, my father.”

as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days] The verbs are aorist. Read, as many as spake they also told of these days. The latter verb is without the preposition προ in the best MSS., and so is not = foretold but told. The prophet was one who spoke for God, gave a message from Him, but was not necessarily a foreteller of the future.

Bengel's Gnomen

Acts 3:24. Πάντες, all) The prophets, in Revelation 10:7, are appealed to for the same purpose.—δὲ, truly) Answering to μὲν, indeed, in Acts 3:22.—ἀπὸ Σαμουὴλ, from Samuel) Between the times of Moses and Samuel there was not much prophecy, until the authority of Moses alone was firmly established, according to whom the prophetical claims of all the others subsequently were to be decided. Then when the kingdom was introduced (beginning with king Saul), prophecy concerning the kingdom of Christ flourished: and it was through the very mother of Samuel that the first mention of the King and Messiah was made; and it was afterwards renewed frequently: 1 Samuel 2:10; 1 Samuel 2:35, etc., “The Lord shall judge the ends of the earth; and He shall give strength unto His King, and exalt the horn of His Anointed (= Messiah).”—τῶν) Repeat ἀπὸ before τῶν.—καὶ προλατήγγειλαν) καὶ, also, likewise.—ταύτας, these) Many things, when the time comes, are fulfilled at once.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 24. - Them that followed for those that follow, A.V.: they also told for have likewise foretold, A.V. From Samuel, etc. Samuel and οἱ καθεξῆς seems to denote what the Jews called "the former prophets" - the authors of the historical books. The whole phrase, therefore, comprehends "all the prophets" (of whom Samuel and οἱ καθεξῆς were the first), to whose testimony concerning himself our Lord appeals (Luke 24:27, 44). Acts 3:24