That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
Parallel translations
- WEB that they should seek the Lord, if perhaps they might reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.
- BSB God intended that they would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.
- ESV that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us,
- NKJV so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;
- NASB that they would seek God, if perhaps they might feel around for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;
- NLT “His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us.
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
God arranged all this so people would seek Him, though He is near to each of us.
Overview
God's ordering of history and place has a gracious purpose: to draw people to seek Him. Though humans grope after God in their fallenness, He is not distant but near. This nearness becomes saving reality only as the gospel reveals the God who has drawn near supremely in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Jer 23:23–24Am I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off?
- Deut 4:7For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for?
- Acts 14:17Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.
- Rom 1:20For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
- Rom 2:4Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
- Ps 19:1–6The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.
- Acts 15:17That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.
- Ps 139:1–13O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.
- 1 Kgs 8:27But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?
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 17:27 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.