Acts 4:25
Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?
KJV
ὁ τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν διὰ πνεύματος ἁγίου στόματος Δαυεὶδ παιδός σου εἰπών, ἱνατί ἐφρύαξαν ἔθνη καὶ λαοὶ ἐμελέτησαν κενά;
Greek NT
qui Spiritu Sancto per os patris nostri David pueri tui dixisti : Quare fremuerunt gentes, et populi meditati sunt inania ?
Vulgate
who by the Holy Spirit, by the mouth of our father David thy servant, didst say, Why did the Gentiles rage, And the peoples imagine vain things?
ASV
Who, by the Holy Ghost, by the mouth of our father David, thy servant, hast said: Why did the Gentiles rage: and the people meditate vain things?
Douay-Rheims
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In this verse
People
David
In the original Greek
18 distinct Greek words appear in this verse.
Δαβίδ
dabid
noun · 59×
διά
dia
preposition · 633×
καί
kai
conjunction · 8973×
κενός
kenos
adjective · 18×
λέγω
lego
verb · 2256×
λαός
laos
noun · 144×
μελετάω
meletao
verb · 2×
πατήρ
pater
noun · 412×
παῖς
pais
noun · 24×
πνεῦμα
pneuma
noun · 379×
στόμα
stoma
noun · 78×
σύ
su
pronoun · 1071×
φρυάσσω
phruasso
verb · 1×
ἅγιος
agios
adjective · 233×
ἔθνος
ethnos
noun · 162×
ἡμεῖς
emeis
pronoun · 862×
ἱνατί
inati
adverb · 6×
ὁ
o
article · 19778×
Intertextual echoes
This verse quotes or alludes to 1 earlier text.
-
Ps 2:1 · paraphrase"Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?"Psalm 2: why do the nations rage — early church prayer
Textual variants
2 variant units attested by manuscript witnesses and modern critical editions.
trivial
SBLGNT: τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν | WH/Treg/NIV: τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν
- τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν — SBLGNT
- τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν — Westcott-Hort, Tregelles, Reader's GNT (NA27)
source: sblgnt-apparatus
trivial
SBLGNT: πνεύματος ἁγίου | WH/Treg/NIV: πνεύματος ἁγίου
- πνεύματος ἁγίου — SBLGNT
- πνεύματος ἁγίου — Westcott-Hort, Tregelles, Reader's GNT (NA27)
source: sblgnt-apparatus
Historic Christian voices
5 passages from patristic writers, Reformers, and church catechisms citing this verse.
Why do the heathen rage? This is one of the great Messianic Psalms. Though it had a primary reference to David, its full meaning is found in Christ. "Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee" — the apostles apply these words directly to the resurrection of Christ. The kings and rulers who set themselves against the Lord and his Anointed fight against God himself, and thei…
'Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against His Anointed.' See Ps. ii. 1-2 and Acts iv. 25-26. This is spoken of our Lord Jesus Christ. 'Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.' These are the bands of discipline, and the cord…
Cross-references
- 2Cor 10:5 — Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
- Acts 1:16 — Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus.
- Acts 1:16 — Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus.
- Acts 14:5 — And when there was an assault made both of the Gentiles, and also of the Jews with their rulers, to use them despitefully, and to stone them,
- Dan 11:14 — And in those times there shall many stand up against the king of the south: also the robbers of thy people shall exalt themselves to establish the vision; but they shall fall.
- Hos 7:15 — Though I have bound and strengthened their arms, yet do they imagine mischief against me.
- Isa 7:7 — Thus saith the Lord GOD, It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass.
- Luke 9:22 — Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.
- Luke 22:22 — And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed!
- Luke 22:66 — And as soon as it was day, the elders of the people and the chief priests and the scribes came together, and led him into their council, saying,
- Mark 14:1 — After two days was the feast of the passover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death.
- Matt 21:39 — And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.
- Matt 26:3 — Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas,
- Nah 1:9 — What do ye imagine against the LORD? he will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up the second time.
- Ps 2:1 — Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
- Ps 2:1 — Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
- Ps 56:2 — Mine enemies would daily swallow me up: for they be many that fight against me, O thou most High.
- Ps 62:4 — They only consult to cast him down from his excellency: they delight in lies: they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah.