Acts 17 · Verse 31

Acts 17:31

Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
Acts 17:31, King James Version

Acts 17:31 in other translations

BSBFor He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the Man He has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead.”
WEBbecause he has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he has ordained; of which he has given assurance to all men, in that he has raised him from the dead.”
ASVinasmuch as he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
YLTbecause He did set a day in which He is about to judge the world in righteousness, by a man whom He did ordain, having given assurance to all, having raised him out of the dead.'
DARBYbecause he has set a day in which he is going to judge the habitable earth in righteousness by the man whom he has appointed, giving the proof of it to all in having raised him from among the dead.
BBEBecause a day has been fixed in which all the world will be judged in righteousness by the man who has been marked out by him for this work; of which he has given a sign to all men by giving him back from the dead.
WebsterBecause he hath appointed a day, in which he will judge the world in righteousness, by that man whom he hath ordained: of which he hath given assurance to all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

What does Acts 17:31 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
31. Because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world--Such language beyond doubt teaches that the judgment will, in its essence, be a solemn judicial assize held upon all mankind at once. "Aptly is this uttered on the Areopagus, the seat of judgment" [Bengel]. by that man whom he hath ordained--compare Joh 5:22, 23, 27; Ac 10:42. whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead--the most patent evidence to mankind at large of the judicial authority with which the Risen One is clothed.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 31. Because he hath appointed a day. This is given as a reason why God commands men to repent. They must be judged; and if they are not penitent and pardoned, they must be condemned. Rom 2:16.

Whom he hath ordained. Or whom he has constituted or appointed as judge. Acts 10:42. Jn 5:25.

Hath given assurance Has afforded evidence of this. That evidence consists,

(1.) in the fact that Jesus declared that he would judge the nations, Jn 5:25,26 Mt 25, and

(2.) God confirmed the truth of his declaration by raising him from the dead, or gave his sanction to what the Lord Jesus had said, for God would not work a miracle in favour of an imposter.

(g) "a day" Rom 2:16 (*) "ordained" "Appointed" (1) "given assurance" "offered faith"

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 31 He hath appointed a day - He has fixed the time in which he will judge the world, though he has not revealed this time to man. By that man whom he hath ordained - He has also appointed the judge, by whom the inhabitants of the earth are to be tried. Whereof he hath given assurance - ΠιϚιν παρασχων πασιν, Having given to all this indubitable proof, that Jesus Christ shall judge the world, by raising him from the dead. The sense of the argument is this: "Jesus Christ, whom we preach as the Savior of men, has repeatedly told his followers that he would judge the world; and has described to us, at large, the whole of the proceedings of that awful time, Mat 25:31, etc.; Joh 5:25. Though he was put to death by the Jews, and thus he became a victim for sin, yet God raised him from the dead. By raising him from the dead, God has set his seal to the doctrines he has taught: one of these doctrines is, that he shall judge the world; his resurrection, established by the most incontrovertible evidence, is therefore a proof, an incontestable proof, that he shall judge the world, according to his own declaration."

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Acts 17:22-31

Here we have a sermon to heathens, who worshipped false gods, and were without the true God in the world; and to them the scope of the discourse was different from what the apostle preached to the Jews. In the latter case, his business was to lead his hearers by prophecies and miracles to the knowledge of the Redeemer, and faith in him; in the former, it was to lead them, by the common works of providence, to know…

Read the full comment on Acts 17:22-31 →

Acts 17:31 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

καθότιkathotijust asG2530
ἔστησενestēsenHe setG2476
ἡμέρανhēmerana dayG2250
ἐνeninG1722
ᾗhēwhichG3739
μέλλειmelleiHe is aboutG3195
κρίνεινkrineinto judgeG2919
τὴνtēntheG3588
οἰκουμένηνoikoumenēnworldG3625
ἐνeninG1722
δικαιοσύνῃdikaiosunērighteousnessG1343
ἐνenbyG1722
ἀνδρὶandria manG435
ᾧhōwhomG3739
ὥρισενhōrisenHe appointedG3724
πίστινpistina guaranteeG4102
παρασχὼνparaschōnhaving providedG3930
πᾶσιν,pasinto all,G3956
ἀναστήσαςanastēsashaving raisedG450
αὐτὸνautonHimG846
ἐκekout fromG1537
νεκρῶν.¶nekrōn[the] dead.G3498

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Acts 17:31

  • Romans 2:16

    In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

  • 2 Peter 3:7

    But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

  • Matthew 25:31-46

    When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: …

  • Psalms 9:8

    And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.

  • Psalms 98:9

    Before the Lord; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.

  • 2 Corinthians 5:10

    For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

  • 1 Corinthians 4:5

    Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

  • Romans 2:5

    But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;

  • 1 Corinthians 15:3-8

    For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. …

  • Acts 10:39-42

    And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree: Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly; Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.

  • Psalms 96:13

    Before the Lord: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.

  • John 5:22-23

    For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
he hath appointed.
10:42; Mt 25:31-46; Joh 5:22,23; Ro 2:5,16; 14:9,10; 1Co 4:5
2Co 5:10; 2Ti 4:1; 2Pe 3:7; Jude 1:14,15
given assurance. or, offered faith. in that.
18; 2:23,24,32; 3:15,16; 4:10; 5:30-32; 10:39-41; 13:30,31
Lu 24:46-48; 1Co 15:3-8

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Acts 17:30

    And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

  • Acts 17:31

    Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

  • Acts 17:32

    And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter.

Read all of Acts 17

Acts 17:31 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Por cuanto ha establecido un día, en el cual ha de juzgar al mundo con justicia, por aquel varón al cual determinó; dando fe á todos con haberle levantado de los muertos.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		parce qu’il a établi un jour auquel il doit juger en justice la terre habitée, par l’homme qu’il a destiné à cela, de quoi il a donné une preuve certaine à tous, l’ayant ressuscité d’entre les morts.
German
Elberfelder 1871		weil er einen Tag gesetzt hat, an welchem er den Erdkreis richten wird in Gerechtigkeit durch einen Mann, den er dazu bestimmt hat, und hat allen den Beweis davon gegeben, indem er ihn auferweckt hat aus den Toten.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		eo quod statuit diem in quo judicaturus est orbem in æquitate, in viro in quo statuit, fidem præbens omnibus, suscitans eum a mortuis.