who in the generations gone by allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways.
Parallel translations
- KJV Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways.
- BSB In past generations, He let all nations go their own way.
- ESV In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways.
- NKJV who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways.
- NASB In past generations He permitted all the nations to go their own ways;
- NLT In the past he permitted all the nations to go their own ways,
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
In past generations God let the nations go their own way. God's patience permitted the nations' wandering before the gospel reached them.
Overview
Paul acknowledges a period when God did not send the law and prophets to the Gentile nations, allowing them to follow their own paths. This does not excuse their idolatry but explains God's forbearance, much as Paul argues in Romans 1. It also highlights the new era now dawning, in which God summons all nations to repent through Christ (Acts 17:30).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Acts 17:30The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked. But now he commands that all people everywhere should repent,
- Ps 81:12So I let them go after the stubbornness of their hearts, that they might walk in their own counsels.
- Rom 1:28Even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting;
- Ps 147:20He has not done this for just any nation. They don’t know his ordinances. Praise Yah!
- Mic 4:5Indeed all the nations may walk in the name of their gods; but we will walk in the name of Yahweh our God forever and ever.
- Eph 2:12that you were at that time separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
- 1 Pet 4:3For we have spent enough of our past time doing the desire of the Gentiles, and having walked in lewdness, lusts, drunken binges, orgies, carousings, and abominable idolatries.
- Rom 1:21–25Because, knowing God, they didn’t glorify him as God, neither gave thanks, but became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless heart was darkened.
- Hos 4:17Ephraim is joined to idols. Leave him alone!
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Acts is the risen Christ continuing his work by the Spirit through the church, as the apostles preach that there is salvation in no other name under heaven.
How Acts 14:16 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.