Acts 13:18 Meaning: Endure or Carry? God's Care 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 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 about a period of forty years He did suffer their manners in the wilderness,
and for a time of about forty years he nursed them in the desert.
Meaning in one sentence
Acts 13:18 describes God's forty years with Israel. Did He endure their rebellion or carry them like a father? The Greek invites both pictures.
Context
Paul is standing in a synagogue in Antioch of Pisidia, invited to speak. He tells the story of Israel from the calling of Abraham to the coming of Jesus. This verse lands in the middle of that story, right after the exodus from Egypt. For forty years, God and Israel were together in a harsh, barren place. Paul does not linger on the details of their failures or the specific punishments. He simply says that during those long years, God kept dealing with them. The point of the whole sermon is that this same God has now brought a Savior, Jesus, so Paul is building a picture of a God who stays faithful even when the road is long.
Key Words
The Greek verb at the heart of this verse is etropophoresen (G5159), which means something like ‘to bear someone’s ways, to endure their character.’ It is a word that leans into the strain of the relationship. The people were difficult. They murmured, complained, turned to idols, and tested God again and again. The verb says God put up with all of that.
But here is the twist. Many ancient manuscripts and early translations, including the Syriac, Coptic, and Ethiopic, read a word that differs by just one letter: etrophophoresen, from trophos, meaning a nurse or a nursing father. This version means ‘he carried them as a nurse carries a child’ or ‘he nourished them.’ The image shifts from enduring bad behavior to holding a helpless little one close. Both readings have strong support. Deuteronomy 1:31 says God carried Israel as a man carries his son, and that passage may have shaped Paul’s language. Whether God ‘endured’ or ‘carried,’ the forty years were not wasted. They were filled with a patient, present care.
How Christians Read This Verse
Some commentators, like Calvin and Barnes, emphasize that the verb points to God tolerating evil conduct. For them, the focus is on God’s patience with human stubbornness. From this angle, the verse is a sober reminder of how much God puts up with from His people.
Others, including Adam Clarke and the Cambridge Bible, prefer the alternate reading that pictures God as a nursing father. They point out that this image fits Paul’s purpose of showing God’s mercy, not scolding his listeners. The Syriac and Arabic versions also follow this reading. Neither side dismisses the other; both see a God who does not let go, whether He is enduring or carrying.
A common misunderstanding
It is common to assume that Acts 13:18 only shows God gritting His teeth and barely tolerating Israel. In fact, a strong ancient tradition reads the verb as ‘he carried them as a nurse.’ The difference is a single Greek letter, but the meaning shifts from passive endurance to active, tender care. Both readings are preserved in the manuscript evidence, and together they remind us that God does not simply put up with His people. He also carries them. The verse invites both notes.
Living This Out
You might be in a long season right now. Maybe it has been months or years of waiting, wandering, or wrestling. This verse asks you to look back and notice what God has been doing in that time. Has He been gritting His teeth, or has He been holding you close? Maybe both. The forty years were real, and the people were hard to handle. But God stayed. He provided manna, water, and a pillar of cloud. He did not leave. This week, take one concrete situation that feels like a wilderness and ask God to show you one way He is carrying you through it. He might show you that His patience is not just tolerance. It is presence.
Main takeaway: God dealt with Israel in the wilderness not only with tolerance but with tender care; He carried them all the way.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
God’s people walked in the desert for a very long time. They sometimes forgot to be thankful. But God kept taking care of them. He gave them food, water, and kept them safe.
For ages 9, 12
For forty years the Israelites lived in the wilderness. That is longer than most of your parents have been alive. God was patient with them even when they grumbled. He carried them like a dad carries a tired child. God never gave up on them, and He does not give up on you either.
Questions People Ask
Does Acts 13:18 mean God endured Israel or carried them?
The Greek verb in most manuscripts means 'He endured their ways,' but many ancient copies read a very similar word that means 'He carried them as a nurse.' Both readings are supported by early translations and commentaries. Many scholars accept the 'carried' reading because it matches language from Deuteronomy 1:31.
Why does the King James Version say 'suffered he their manners'?
The KJV follows the Greek text that reads 'etropophoresen,' which means 'He bore their manners, their ways, their conduct.' The word 'suffered' here is used in the old sense of 'permitted' or 'endured.' Later translations often use 'put up with' or 'endured.'
How long were the Israelites in the wilderness?
The Bible says they wandered for forty years. This period is mentioned in Exodus 16:35, Numbers 14:33-34, and Deuteronomy 1:31. Acts 13:18 also confirms 'about forty years.' It was a generation-long journey.
Why does Paul mention the wilderness years in this sermon?
Paul is recounting Israel’s history to show God’s faithfulness from Egypt through David to Jesus. The wilderness years illustrate that even when the people were difficult, God remained patient and caring. It sets up the need for a Savior who would finally deliver them.
For pastors & researchers
Greek interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study