Acts 17:29

NET Bible® (New English Translation)

So since we are God’s offspring, we should not think the deity is like gold or silver or stone, an image made by human skill and imagination.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Γένος οὖν ὑπάρχοντες τοῦ Θεοῦ, οὐκ ὀφείλομεν νομίζειν χρυσῷ, ἢ ἀργύρῳ, ἢ λίθῳ, χαράγματι τέχνης καὶ ἐνθυμήσεως ἀνθρώπου τὸ θεῖον εἶναι ὅμοιον.

Transliteration

Genos oun hyparchontes of the Theou, not we opheilomen to nomizein chrysō, or argyrō, or lithō, charagmati of technēs and enthymēseōs of anthrōpou the theion to einai homoion.

Grammar Details

• *Genos*: nominative singular neuter - offspring/kind
• *oun*: inferential particle - therefore
• *hyparchontes*: present active participle, nominative plural masculine - being/existing
• *Theou*: genitive singular masculine - of God
• *opheilomen*: present active indicative, 1st person plural - we ought
• *nomizein*: present active infinitive - to think/suppose
• *chrysō*: dative singular masculine - with gold
• *argyrō*: dative singular masculine - with silver
• *lithō*: dative singular masculine - with stone
• *charagmati*: dative singular neuter - with carving/sculpture
• *technēs*: genitive singular feminine - of art/skill
• *enthymēseōs*: genitive singular feminine - of thought/reflection
• *anthrōpou*: genitive singular masculine - of human
• *theion*: accusative singular neuter - divine nature/deity
• *einai*: present active infinitive - to be
• *homoion*: accusative singular neuter - like/similar

Word Meanings

• *Genos*: offspring/race/descendants
• *hyparchontes*: being/existing/belonging as
• *opheilomen*: we ought/we should/we are obligated
• *nomizein*: to think/suppose/consider
• *charagmati*: carving/sculpture/engraved work
• *technēs*: art/skill/craft
• *enthymēseōs*: thought/reflection/imagination
• *theion*: divine nature/deity/godhead
• *homoion*: like/similar/resembling

Referenced Verses

• Exod 20:4 : 4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above or that is on the earth beneath or that is in the water below.
• Exod 32:4 : 4 He accepted the gold from them, fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molten calf. Then they said,“These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.”
• Ps 94:7-9 : 7 Then they say,“The LORD does not see this; the God of Jacob does not take notice of it.” 8 Take notice of this, you ignorant people! You fools, when will you ever understand? 9 Does the one who makes the human ear not hear? Does the one who forms the human eye not see?
• Ps 106:20 : 20 They traded their majestic God for the image of an ox that eats grass.
• Ps 115:4-8 : 4 Their idols are made of silver and gold– they are man-made. 5 They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see, 6 ears, but cannot hear, noses, but cannot smell, 7 hands, but cannot touch, feet, but cannot walk. They cannot even clear their throats. 8 Those who make them will end up like them, as will everyone who trusts in them.
• Isa 40:12-20 : 12 The Lord is Incomparable Who has measured out the waters in the hollow of his hand, or carefully measured the sky, or carefully weighed the soil of the earth, or weighed the mountains in a balance, or the hills on scales? 13 Who comprehends the mind of the LORD, or gives him instruction as his counselor? 14 From whom does he receive directions? Who teaches him the correct way to do things, or imparts knowledge to him, or instructs him in skillful design? 15 Look, the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales. He lifts the coastlands as if they were dust. 16 Not even Lebanon could supply enough firewood for a sacrifice; its wild animals would not provide enough burnt offerings. 17 All the nations are insignificant before him; they are regarded as absolutely nothing. 18 To whom can you compare God? To what image can you liken him? 19 A craftsman casts an idol; a metalsmith overlays it with gold and forges silver chains for it. 20 To make a contribution one selects wood that will not rot; he then seeks a skilled craftsman to make an idol that will not fall over.
• Isa 44:9-9 : 9 All who form idols are nothing; the things in which they delight are worthless. Their witnesses cannot see; they recognize nothing, so they are put to shame. 10 Who forms a god and casts an idol that will prove worthless? 11 Look, all his associates will be put to shame; the craftsmen are mere humans. Let them all assemble and take their stand! They will panic and be put to shame. 12 A blacksmith works with his tool and forges metal over the coals. He forms it with hammers; he makes it with his strong arm. He gets hungry and loses his energy; he drinks no water and gets tired. 13 A carpenter takes measurements; he marks out an outline of its form; he scrapes it with chisels, and marks it with a compass. He patterns it after the human form, like a well-built human being, and puts it in a shrine. 14 He cuts down cedars and acquires a cypress or an oak. He gets trees from the forest; he plants a cedar and the rain makes it grow. 15 A man uses it to make a fire; he takes some of it and warms himself. Yes, he kindles a fire and bakes bread. Then he makes a god and worships it; he makes an idol and bows down to it. 16 Half of it he burns in the fire– over that half he cooks meat; he roasts a meal and fills himself. Yes, he warms himself and says,‘Ah! I am warm as I look at the fire.’ 17 With the rest of it he makes a god, his idol; he bows down to it and worships it. He prays to it, saying,‘Rescue me, for you are my god!’ 18 They do not comprehend or understand, for their eyes are blind and cannot see; their minds do not discern. 19 No one thinks to himself, nor do they comprehend or understand and say to themselves:‘I burned half of it in the fire– yes, I baked bread over the coals; I roasted meat and ate it. With the rest of it should I make a disgusting idol? Should I bow down to dry wood?’ 20 He feeds on ashes; his deceived mind misleads him. He cannot rescue himself, nor does he say,‘Is this not a false god I hold in my right hand?’
• Isa 46:5-6 : 5 To whom can you compare and liken me? Tell me whom you think I resemble, so we can be compared! 6 Those who empty out gold from a purse and weigh out silver on the scale hire a metalsmith, who makes it into a god. They then bow down and worship it.
• Hab 2:19-20 : 19 Woe to the one who says to wood,‘Wake up!’– he who says to speechless stone,‘Awake!’ Can it give reliable guidance? It is overlaid with gold and silver; it has no life’s breath inside it. 20 But the LORD is in his majestic palace. The whole earth is speechless in his presence!”
• Rom 1:20-23 : 20 For since the creation of the world his invisible attributes– his eternal power and divine nature– have been clearly seen, because they are understood through what has been made. So people are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or give him thanks, but they became futile in their thoughts and their senseless hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for an image resembling mortal human beings or birds or four-footed animals or reptiles.
• Jer 10:4-9 : 4 He decorates it with overlays of silver and gold. He uses hammer and nails to fasten it together so that it will not fall over. 5 Such idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field. They cannot talk. They must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them because they cannot hurt you. And they do not have any power to help you.” 6 I said,“There is no one like you, LORD. You are great. And you are renowned for your power. 7 Everyone should revere you, O King of all nations, because you deserve to be revered. For there is no one like you among any of the wise people of the nations nor among any of their kings. 8 The people of those nations are both stupid and foolish. Instruction from a wooden idol is worthless! 9 Hammered-out silver is brought from Tarshish and gold is brought from Ufaz to cover those idols. They are the handiwork of carpenters and goldsmiths. They are clothed in blue and purple clothes. They are all made by skillful workers. 10 The LORD is the only true God. He is the living God and the everlasting King. When he shows his anger the earth shakes. None of the nations can stand up to his fury.
• Isa 40:25 : 25 “To whom can you compare me? Whom do I resemble?” says the Holy One.