Acts 13:18
Acts 13:18 in Multiple Translations
He endured their conduct for about forty years in the wilderness.
And about the time of forty years suffered he their manners in the wilderness.
And for about the time of forty years as a nursing-father bare he them in the wilderness.
And for about forty years he put up with their ways in the waste land.
and he patiently dealt with them in the desert for about forty years.
And about the time of fourtie yeeres, suffered he their maners in the wildernesse.
and about a period of forty years He did suffer their manners in the wilderness,
For a period of about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness.
And about the time of forty years he suffered their manners in the wilderness.
And for the space of forty years endured their manners in the desert.
Even though they repeatedly disobeyed him, he cared for them for about 40 years while they were in the desert.
Then they were in the desert country for 40 years. Sometimes they didn’t listen to God, but he looked after them anyway.
Berean Amplified Bible — Acts 13:18
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Acts 13:18 Interlinear (Deep Study)
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Greek Word Reference — Acts 13:18
Study Notes — Acts 13:18
- Context
- Cross References
- Acts 13:18 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Acts 13:18
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Acts 13:18
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Acts 13:18
- Trapp's Commentary on Acts 13:18
- Ellicott's Commentary on Acts 13:18
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Acts 13:18
- Cambridge Bible on Acts 13:18
- Barnes' Notes on Acts 13:18
- Whedon's Commentary on Acts 13:18
- Sermons on Acts 13:18
Context — In Pisidian Antioch
18He endured their conduct for about forty years in the wilderness.
19And having vanquished seven nations in Canaan, He gave their land to His people as an inheritance. 20All this took about 450 years. After this, God gave them judges until the time of Samuel the prophet.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Acts 7:36 | He led them out and performed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, at the Red Sea, and for forty years in the wilderness. |
| 2 | Psalms 95:8–11 | do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, in the day at Massah in the wilderness, where your fathers tested and tried Me, though they had seen My work. For forty years I was angry with that generation, and I said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known My ways.” So I swore on oath in My anger, “They shall never enter My rest.” |
| 3 | Psalms 106:13–29 | Yet they soon forgot His works and failed to wait for His counsel. They craved intensely in the wilderness and tested God in the desert. So He granted their request, but sent a wasting disease upon them. In the camp they envied Moses, as well as Aaron, the holy one of the LORD. The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan; it covered the assembly of Abiram. Then fire blazed through their company; flames consumed the wicked. At Horeb they made a calf and worshiped a molten image. They exchanged their Glory for the image of a grass-eating ox. They forgot God their Savior, who did great things in Egypt, wondrous works in the land of Ham, and awesome deeds by the Red Sea. So He said He would destroy them— had not Moses His chosen one stood before Him in the breach to divert His wrath from destroying them. They despised the pleasant land; they did not believe His promise. They grumbled in their tents and did not listen to the voice of the LORD. So He raised His hand and swore to cast them down in the wilderness, to disperse their offspring among the nations and scatter them throughout the lands. They yoked themselves to Baal of Peor and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods. So they provoked the LORD to anger with their deeds, and a plague broke out among them. |
| 4 | Numbers 14:33–34 | Your children will be shepherds in the wilderness for forty years, and they will suffer for your unfaithfulness until the last of your bodies lies in the wilderness. In keeping with the forty days you spied out the land, you shall bear your guilt forty years—a year for each day—and you will experience My alienation. |
| 5 | Psalms 78:17–42 | But they continued to sin against Him, rebelling in the desert against the Most High. They willfully tested God by demanding the food they craved. They spoke against God, saying, “Can God really prepare a table in the wilderness? When He struck the rock, water gushed out and torrents raged. But can He also give bread or supply His people with meat?” Therefore the LORD heard and was filled with wrath; so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and His anger flared against Israel, because they did not believe God or rely on His salvation. Yet He commanded the clouds above and opened the doors of the heavens. He rained down manna for them to eat; He gave them grain from heaven. Man ate the bread of angels; He sent them food in abundance. He stirred the east wind from the heavens and drove the south wind by His might. He rained meat on them like dust, and winged birds like the sand of the sea. He felled them in the midst of their camp, all around their dwellings. So they ate and were well filled, for He gave them what they craved. Yet before they had filled their desire, with the food still in their mouths, God’s anger flared against them, and He put to death their strongest and subdued the young men of Israel. In spite of all this, they kept on sinning; despite His wonderful works, they did not believe. So He ended their days in futility, and their years in sudden terror. When He slew them, they would seek Him; they repented and searched for God. And they remembered that God was their Rock, that God Most High was their Redeemer. But they deceived Him with their mouths, and lied to Him with their tongues. Their hearts were disloyal to Him, and they were unfaithful to His covenant. And yet He was compassionate; He forgave their iniquity and did not destroy them. He often restrained His anger and did not unleash His full wrath. He remembered that they were but flesh, a passing breeze that does not return. How often they disobeyed Him in the wilderness and grieved Him in the desert! Again and again they tested God and provoked the Holy One of Israel. They did not remember His power — the day He redeemed them from the adversary, |
| 6 | Deuteronomy 9:7 | Remember this, and never forget how you provoked the LORD your God in the wilderness. From the day you left the land of Egypt until you reached this place, you have been rebelling against the LORD. |
| 7 | Hebrews 3:7–10 | Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, as you did in the rebellion, in the day of testing in the wilderness, where your fathers tested and tried Me, and for forty years saw My works. Therefore I was angry with that generation, and I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known My ways.’ |
| 8 | Hebrews 3:16–19 | For who were the ones who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? And with whom was God angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they would never enter His rest? Was it not to those who disobeyed? So we see that it was because of their unbelief that they were unable to enter. |
| 9 | Amos 5:25–26 | Did you bring Me sacrifices and offerings forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? You have taken along Sakkuth your king and Kaiwan your star god, the idols you made for yourselves. |
| 10 | Deuteronomy 1:31 | and in the wilderness, where the LORD your God carried you, as a man carries his son, all the way by which you traveled until you reached this place.” |
Acts 13:18 Summary
Acts 13:18 tells us that God endured the Israelites' conduct for about forty years in the wilderness. This means that God patiently put up with their disobedience and rebellious behavior, even when they didn't deserve it. This shows us that God is a patient and loving God, who wants to help us even when we make mistakes (as seen in Psalm 103:8-10). Just like the Israelites, we can learn to trust in God's patience and love, and to obey Him even when it's hard.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean that God 'endured their conduct' in Acts 13:18?
This phrase means that God patiently tolerated the Israelites' disobedience and rebellious behavior during their time in the wilderness, as seen in Exodus 32:1-6 and Numbers 14:20-23.
How long did the Israelites stay in the wilderness?
According to Acts 13:18, the Israelites stayed in the wilderness for about forty years, which is also confirmed in Numbers 32:13 and Deuteronomy 2:7.
Why did God lead the Israelites through the wilderness in the first place?
God led the Israelites through the wilderness to test their faith and obedience, as stated in Deuteronomy 8:2-3, and to prepare them for their eventual entrance into the Promised Land, as seen in Joshua 1:1-9.
What can we learn from God's endurance of the Israelites' conduct?
We can learn that God is a patient and long-suffering God, as seen in 2 Peter 3:9, and that He desires to redeem and restore His people, despite their sin and rebellion, as seen in Romans 5:8.
Reflection Questions
- How have I responded to God's patience and endurance in my own life, and what can I learn from the Israelites' experiences in the wilderness?
- In what ways do I struggle with disobedience and rebelliousness, and how can I apply the lessons of Acts 13:18 to my own spiritual journey?
- What are some areas in my life where I need to trust in God's patience and endurance, and how can I cultivate a deeper sense of faith and obedience?
- How can I balance the truth of God's judgment and discipline with the truth of His love and mercy, as seen in Acts 13:18 and other scriptures?
Gill's Exposition on Acts 13:18
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Acts 13:18
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Acts 13:18
Trapp's Commentary on Acts 13:18
Ellicott's Commentary on Acts 13:18
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Acts 13:18
Cambridge Bible on Acts 13:18
Barnes' Notes on Acts 13:18
Whedon's Commentary on Acts 13:18
Sermons on Acts 13:18
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
|
(The Church in the Last Days) 06 - Possessing the Land by Milton Green | In this sermon, the preacher begins by acknowledging that many people have noticed a decline in their strength and are facing challenges in their lives. He emphasizes the importanc |
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Jacob's Last Words by Chuck Smith | In this sermon, Pastor Chuck Smith discusses the significance of the rock in biblical stories. He starts by referencing the interpretation of Daniel's dream, where the rock symboli |
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Hardness of Heart by Charles Finney | Charles Finney addresses the 'Hardness of Heart' in his sermon, emphasizing how the disciples, despite witnessing miracles, failed to understand due to their hardened hearts. He ex |
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Let Us Arise, Then, at Last by St. Benedict of Nursia | St. Benedict of Nursia urges believers to awaken from spiritual slumber and heed the divine call to rise up and listen to God's voice. He emphasizes the importance of not hardening |
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Hardness of Heart by David Wilkerson | David Wilkerson addresses the peril of a hardened heart, emphasizing that repeated rejection of God's warnings leads to an incurable state. He explains that hardness of heart is ch |
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How Should We Respond to God in This Process? by K.P. Yohannan | K.P. Yohannan emphasizes the importance of responding to God's voice and the choice we have to either soften or harden our hearts in the face of life's challenges. He warns that wh |
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Doubt, the Sin God Hates the Most by David Wilkerson | In this sermon, the speaker shares a personal story about a doctor receiving good news about a patient's health. The speaker emphasizes the importance of believing in God's word an |






