27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.

Other Translations of Acts 17:27

King James Version

27 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:

English Standard Version

27 that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us,

The Message

27 so we could seek after God, and not just grope around in the dark but actually find him. He doesn't play hide-and-seek with us. He's not remote; he's near.

New King James Version

27 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;

New Living Translation

27 "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.

Matthew Henry's Commentary on Acts 17:27

Commentary on Acts 17:22-31

(Read Acts 17:22-31)

Here we have a sermon to heathens, who worshipped false gods, and were without the true God in the world; and to them the scope of the discourse was different from what the apostle preached to the Jews. In the latter case, his business was to lead his hearers by prophecies and miracles to the knowledge of the Redeemer, and faith in him; in the former, it was to lead them, by the common works of providence, to know the Creator, and worship Him. The apostle spoke of an altar he had seen, with the inscription, "TO THE UNKNOWN GOD." This fact is stated by many writers. After multiplying their idols to the utmost, some at Athens thought there was another god of whom they had no knowledge. And are there not many now called Christians, who are zealous in their devotions, yet the great object of their worship is to them an unknown God? Observe what glorious things Paul here says of that God whom he served, and would have them to serve. The Lord had long borne with idolatry, but the times of this ignorance were now ending, and by his servants he now commanded all men every where to repent of their idolatry. Each sect of the learned men would feel themselves powerfully affected by the apostle's discourse, which tended to show the emptiness or falsity of their doctrines.