Acts 17:24-25

17:24 The God who made the world and everything in it, ¹  who is ²  Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by human hands, ³  17:25 nor is he served by human hands, as if he needed anything, ⁴  because he himself gives life and breath and everything to everyone. ⁵ 

Acts 17:28

17:28 For in him we live and move about ⁶  and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we too are his offspring.’ ⁷ 

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¹ tn Grk “all the things that are in it.” The speech starts with God as Creator, like 14:15.

² tn Or “because he is.” The participle ὑπάρχων (Juparcwn) could be either adjectival, modifying οὗτος (Joutos, “who is Lord…”) or adverbial of cause (“because he is Lord…”). Since the participle διδούς (didou") in v. 25 appears to be clearly causal in force, it is preferable to understand ὑπάρχων as adjectival in this context.

³ sn On the statement does not live in temples made by human hands compare Acts 7:48. This has implications for idols as well. God cannot be represented by them or, as the following clause also suggests, served by human hands.

⁴ tn L&N 57.45 has “nor does he need anything more that people can supply by working for him.”

⁵ tn Grk “he himself gives to all [people] life and breath and all things.”

⁶ tn According to L&N 15.1, “A strictly literal translation of κινέω in Ac 17:28 might imply merely moving from one place to another. The meaning, however, is generalized movement and activity; therefore, it may be possible to translate κινούμεθα as ‘we come and go’ or ‘we move about’’ or even ‘we do what we do.’”

⁷ sn This quotation is from Aratus (ca. 310-245 b.c.), Phaenomena 5. Paul asserted a general relationship and accountability to God for all humanity.