Acts 3 · Verse 26

Acts 3:26

Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.
Acts 3:26, King James Version

Acts 3:26 in other translations

BSBWhen God raised up His Servant, He sent Him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”
WEBGod, having raised up his servant Jesus, sent him to you first to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your wickedness.”
ASVUnto you first God, having raised up his Servant, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.
YLTto you first, God, having raised up His child Jesus, did send him, blessing you, in the turning away of each one from your evil ways.'
DARBYTo you first God, having raised up his servant, has sent him, blessing you in turning each one of you from your wickedness.
BBETo you, first, God sent his servant, blessing you by turning every one of you from his sins.
WebsterTo you first, God having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.

What does Acts 3:26 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Acts 3:22-26

22-26. a prophet ... like unto me--particularly in intimacy of communication with God (Nu 12:6-8), and as the mediatorial Head of a new order of things (He 3:2-6). Peter takes it for granted that, in the light of all he had just said, it would be seen at once that One only had any claim to be that Prophet. him shall ye hear in all things, &c.--This part of the prediction is emphatically added, in order to shut up…

Read the full comment on Acts 3:22-26 →

Barnes' Notes
Verse 26. Unto you first. To you who are Jews. This was the direction that the gospel should be first preached to the Jews, beginning at Jerusalem, Lk 24:47. Jesus himself also confined his ministry entirely to the Jews.

Having raised up. This expression does not refer to his having raised him from the dead, but is used in the same sense as in Acts 3:22, where God promised that he would raise up a prophet, and send him to teach the people. Peter means that God had appointed his Son Jesus, or had commissioned him to go and preach to the people to turn them away from their sins.

To bless you. To make you happy; to fulfil the promise made to Abraham.

In turning away. That is, by his preaching, example, death, etc. The highest blessing that can be conferred on men is to be turned from sin. It is the source of all woes; and if men are turned from that, they will be happy. Christ blesses no one in sin, or while loving sin, but by turning them from sin. This was the object which he had in view in coming, Isa 59:20, Mt 1:21. The design of Peter in these remarks was to show them that the Messiah had come, and that now they might look for happiness, pardon, and mercy through him. As the Jews might, so may all; and as Jesus while living sought to turn away men from their sins, so he does still, and still designs to bless all nations by the gospel which he had himself preached, and to establish which he died. All may therefore come and be blessed; and all may rejoice in the prospect that these blessings shall yet be bestowed on all the kindreds of the earth. May the happy day soon come!

(c) "Unto you first" Mt 10:5, Lk 24:47 (d) "turning away every one" Isa 59:20, Tit 2:11-14

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 26 Unto you first, God, having raised up - As you are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant, the first offers of salvation belong to you, and God thus makes them to you. The great mission of Jesus Christ is directed first to you, that you may be saved from your sins. God designs to bless you, but it is by turning each of you away from his iniquities. The salvation promised in the covenant is a salvation from Sin, not from the Romans; and no man can have his sin blotted out who does not turn away from it. 1. We may learn from this that neither political nor ecclesiastical privileges can benefit the soul, merely considered in themselves: a man may have Abraham for his father, according to the flesh; and have Satan for his father, according to the spirit. A man may be a member of the visible Church of Christ, without any title to the Church triumphant. In short, if a man be not turned away from his iniquities, even the death of Christ profits him nothing. His name shall be called Jesus, for he shall Save his people From their Sins. 2. If Christ be the substance and sum of all that the prophets have written, is it not the duty and interest of every Christian, in reading the Scriptures, to search for the testimony they bear to this Christ, and the salvation procured by his death?

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Acts 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…

Read the full comment on Acts 3:22-26 →

Acts 3:26 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.

ὑμῖνhuminTo youG4771
πρῶτονprōtonfirstG4413
ἀναστήσαςanastēsashaving raised upG450
ὁho<the>G3588
θεὸςtheosGodG2316
τὸνtontheG3588
παῖδαpaidaservantG3816
αὐτοῦautouof HimG846
ἀπέστειλενapesteilensentG649
αὐτὸνautonHimG846
εὐλογοῦνταeulogountablessingG2127
ὑμᾶςhumasyouG4771
ἐνeninG1722
τῷtō<the>G3588
ἀποστρέφεινapostrepheinturning awayG654
ἕκαστονhekastoneachG1538
ἀπὸapofromG575
τῶνtōntheG3588
πονηριῶνponēriōnwickednessesG4189
ὑμῶν.¶humōnof you.G4771

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

Cross references for Acts 3:26

  • Matthew 1:21

    And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

  • Acts 3:22

    For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.

  • 1 John 3:5-8

    And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

  • Jude 1:24

    Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,

  • Ezekiel 11:19-20

    And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

  • Acts 3:25

    Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.

  • Acts 13:46-47

    Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.

  • Ephesians 5:26-27

    That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

  • Romans 1:16

    For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

  • Ezekiel 36:25-29

    Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. …

  • Galatians 3:9-14

    So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. …

  • Acts 28:23-28

    And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening. And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not. And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers, Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: …

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
first.
1:8; 13:26,32,33,46,47; 18:4-6; 26:20; 28:23-28; Mt 10:5,6; Lu 24:47
Ro 2:9,10; Re 7:4-9
having.
15,22
sent.
20,25; Ps 67:6,7; 72:17; Lu 2:10,11; Ro 15:29; Ga 3:9-14; Eph 1:3
1Pe 1:3; 3:9
in.
Isa 59:20,21; Jer 32:38-41; 33:8,9; Eze 11:19,20; 36:25-29; Mt 1:21
Eph 5:26,27; Tit 2:11-14; 1Jo 3:5-8; Jude 1:24

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

Context

  • Acts 3:25

    Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.

  • Acts 3:26

    Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.

Read all of Acts 3

Acts 3:26 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		A vosotros primeramente, Dios, habiendo levantado á su Hijo, le envió para que os bendijese, á fin de que cada uno se convierta de su maldad.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		À vous premièrement, Dieu, ayant suscité son serviteur, l’a envoyé pour vous bénir, en détournant chacun de vous de vos méchancetés.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Euch zuerst hat Gott, als er seinen Knecht erweckte, ihn gesandt, euch zu segnen, indem er einen jeden von euren Bosheiten abwendet.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Vobis primum Deus suscitans filium suum, misit eum benedicentem vobis: ut convertat se unusquisque a nequitia sua.