Acts 13:18 · Bible study
Acts 13:18 Commentary: Study: Did God Endure or Nurture?
Greek · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore the key Greek verb in Acts 13:18 and the textual variant that shifts from God's patience to God's nurturing care in the wilderness.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God's forty-year wilderness relationship with Israel, either enduring their rebellion or carrying them as a parent carries a child, or both.
- Key words: ἐτροποφόρησεν (endured) / ἐτροφοφόρησεν (nourished, carried as a nurse), a one-letter textual variant.
- Main debate: Which verb did Luke originally write, and does it emphasize God's patience or God's nurturing care?
- Theological theme: God's covenant faithfulness perseveres through human failure and leads to the sending of Jesus.
- Best use: As part of a sermon or study on God's character; a reminder that the wilderness was not an accident but a place of divine presence.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
He endured their conduct for about forty years in the wilderness.
WEB World English Bible 2000
For a period of about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness.
KJV King James Version 1769
And about the time of forty years suffered he their manners in the wilderness.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And for about the time of forty years as a nursing-father bare he them in the wilderness.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and about a period of forty years He did suffer their manners in the wilderness,
Darby Darby Bible 1890
and for a time of about forty years he nursed them in the desert.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And for the space of forty years endured their manners in the desert:
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y por tiempo como de cuarenta años soportó sus costumbres en el desierto;
E pelo tempo de cerca de quarenta anos, ele suportou os costumes deles no deserto.
Il les nourrit près de quarante ans dans le désert;
Und vierzig Jahre lang duldete er ihre Weise in der Wüste,
En heeft omtrent den tijd van veertig jaren hun zeden verdragen in de woestijn.
E per lo spazio di circa quarant’anni, sopportò i loro modi nel deserto.
I przez czas czterdziestu lat znosił obyczaje ich na puszczy.
и около сорока лет времени питал их в пустыне.
又 在 曠野 容忍（或譯：撫養）他們，約有 四十年。
And for about forty years he put up with their ways in the waste land.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Acts 13:18
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Acts 13:18 describes God's dealings with Israel during the forty wilderness years, but they differ on which Greek verb Luke originally wrote. The received text reads ἐτροποφόρησεν (etropophorēsen), meaning 'he put up with their manners' or 'he endured their conduct.' Multiple early manuscripts and versions, however, read ἐτροφοφόρησεν (etrophophorēsen), meaning 'he nourished them' or 'he carried them as a nurse.' Barnes, Adam Clarke, the Cambridge Bible, and Vincent's Word Studies all argue that the variant (nourish/carry) is the better reading. They point to Deuteronomy 1:31 in the Septuagint, which uses the same verb for God carrying Israel as a father carries his son. Calvin and Gill acknowledge the textual issue but treat the verse as highlighting God's patience, even if the reading is 'endured,' they see mercy at work. The theological consensus, regardless of textual choice, is that God actively sustained Israel through forty years of rebellion and wandering.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: High
Main views:
- Endurance reading: Based on the majority of Greek manuscripts (including the Textus Receptus), the verb ἐτροποφόρησεν means God tolerated Israel's rebellious conduct. Supported by contexts like Numbers 14:22 and Deuteronomy 9:7.
- Nurture reading: Based on the variant ἐτροφοφόρησεν, meaning God carried Israel as a nurse carries a child. Supported by Deuteronomy 1:31 in the Septuagint, Exodus 19:4, and the pastoral tone of Paul's sermon.
What is clear: No matter which reading is original, God actively sustained Israel throughout the forty wilderness years with patience and care.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of the Greek verb in Acts 13:18 | Both readings describe God's continued care for Israel during the forty wilderness years. | The received text (ἐτροποφόρησεν) means 'he endured their manners,' emphasizing patience. The variant (ἐτροφοφόρησεν) means 'he nourished/carried them as a nurse,' emphasizing nurture. Commentators like Barnes, Clarke, and the Cambridge Bible prefer the variant, while Calvin and Gill work with the received text but still see mercy. |
| Textual reliability of the verse | The variant is ancient, attested in the Syriac, Coptic, and Ethiopic versions, and found in several Greek manuscripts. | Some scholars argue the overwhelming manuscript support for the received text (ἐτροποφόρησεν) should stand; others point out that the variant fits the Septuagint quotation from Deuteronomy 1:31 and may be the original reading. |
| Tone of Paul's sermon | Paul is recounting Israel's history to highlight God's faithfulness. | If the reading is 'endured,' Paul begins with a note of God's forbearance despite Israel's sin. If the reading is 'carried,' he begins with a note of God's tender provision, which some argue is more likely in a synagogue sermon meant to win hearers rather than confront them. |
| Application for today's readers | God remains faithful even when his people fail repeatedly. | Some emphasize the lesson of God's patience as a warning against presumption; others emphasize his nurturing care as an encouragement for those who feel exhausted by their own failure. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Paul's sermon in Acts 13 is his first recorded speech, delivered in the synagogue at Antioch of Pisidia. He begins by recounting God's saving acts from the exodus through the wilderness, the conquest, the judges, the monarchy, and finally to Jesus the promised Savior. Verse 18 sits inside a rapid-fire summary designed to show God's faithful care despite Israel's repeated failure.
The forty-year wilderness period is a cornerstone of Israel's identity. It was a time of testing and provision: manna from heaven, water from rock, the giving of the law, and the construction of the tabernacle. Yet it was also marked by rebellion, the golden calf (Deuteronomy 9:21), frequent murmuring (Exodus 16:2), and the refusal to enter Canaan due to the spies' bad report (Numbers 14). God's response was both judgment (the exodus generation died in the wilderness, Numbers 14:33-34) and mercy (he continued to feed, guide, and protect them). Paul's audience, mostly Jews and God-fearing Gentiles, knew this history well.
The verb Paul chooses matters for his rhetorical strategy. If he said 'he endured their manners,' he is emphasizing God's patience with a stubborn people. If he said 'he carried them as a nurse,' he is emphasizing God's tender care despite their unworthiness. Both readings fit the context: Paul is building toward the good news that God's patience and care culminate in sending Jesus. The choice of verb subtly shapes how the listener understands God's character, either as long-suffering or as actively nurturing.
Textual Notes
The Greek verb in Acts 13:18 has a well-known textual variant. The majority of Greek manuscripts read ἐτροποφόρησεν (etropophorēsen), meaning 'he endured/put up with.' A significant number of ancient witnesses, including Codex Alexandrinus and the original hand of Codex Sinaiticus, read ἐτροφοφόρησεν (etrophophorēsen), meaning 'he nourished/carried as a nurse.' This variant involves a single letter change (τροπο to τροφο). The variant is supported by the Syriac, Coptic, and Ethiopic versions, and by some church fathers. Griesbach admitted it into his text. The United Bible Societies' Greek New Testament (5th edition) gives the variant a {C} rating, indicating considerable doubt. The English translations reflect the divide: KJV, YLT, Douay follow the received text; ASV, BSB, Darby follow the variant or footnote it. The question remains open.
Reception History
The textual variant in Acts 13:18 has been known since the early centuries of the church. The Syriac, Coptic, and Ethiopic versions reflect the nurturing reading, showing that in some regions the verb 'to nourish' was preferred. In the Byzantine tradition, the reading 'endured their manners' became standard, and it appears in the Textus Receptus used by the Reformers. Matthew Henry and Calvin both preached on the patience of God from the received text, emphasizing God's forbearance. But from the 18th century onward, as textual criticism developed, scholars like Griesbach, Tischendorf, and Westcott-Hort championed the variant. Modern commentaries often note the beauty of the variant, God as a nursing father carrying his child, while acknowledging the difficulty of deciding the original reading. The verse has been a test case for how textual choices affect theological emphasis.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God's patience is deep. Whether the verb means "endured" or "nourished," the underlying reality is the same: God stayed with a people who gave him every reason to leave. This challenges any belief that God is quick to give up on us.
- God's care is personal. The variant reading (nourish/carry) paints God as a nursing father or mother, he bore Israel in his arms. That image reframes discipline as part of a larger commitment to bring his people home.
- God's purpose is forward-looking. Paul does not stop at the wilderness. He moves directly to Canaan, the judges, David, and finally Jesus. The forty years were not wasted; they were preparation for the coming King.
Five-point outline
- God chose Israel (v. 17), his initiative, not theirs.
- God led them out of Egypt with power (v. 17), salvation by grace.
- God endured/nourished them in the wilderness (v. 18), sustained relationship through failure.
- God gave them the land (v. 19), faithfulness to promises.
- God sent Jesus from David's line (v. 23), the climax of patience and provision.
Illustration hooks
- A parent with a toddler on a long car trip: the child whines, disobey, and spills snacks. The parent could pull over and quit, but instead keeps driving, offers water, and sings a song. That is both patience and nurturing.
- A mentor who spends years guiding a difficult student through repeated mistakes, refusing to give up because they see potential. The mentor's role is both to endure and to carry.
- A long-term project that goes wrong at every turn but is brought to completion anyway by the project leader's steady hand. The leader absorbs frustration and keeps the team moving.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does God get tired of my repeated failures?
- Is the Christian life about enduring God's testing, or is God carrying me through it?
- How can I trust God's plan when my past forty years feel like a wilderness?
Leading a Discussion
This verse sits in the middle of Paul's big-picture sermon. He retells Israel's story to show that God's patient care always leads to Jesus. As you discuss, notice how the verb choice affects the tone of the whole speech.
Discussion questions
- Read Acts 13:13-25 as a group. What is Paul's main goal in this history lesson?
- Look at the two possible meanings of the Greek verb in verse 18: 'endured their manners' or 'carried them as a nurse.' How does each reading change your picture of God in the wilderness?
- Why do you think Paul includes the forty-year wilderness period in a sermon about Jesus? What does it add?
- Deuteronomy 1:31 says God carried Israel 'as a man carries his son.' How does that image connect with Jesus' teaching about God as Father?
- Paul skips from David straight to Jesus. What does that say about how God's patience and care lead to a specific point in history?
- When you think of your own 'wilderness periods,' do you feel God is putting up with you or carrying you? Why does the difference matter?
- How can this verse encourage someone who feels like they have failed God too many times to count?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 16:2 | The whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron in the wilderness; |
| Exodus 16:35 | The children of Israel ate the manna forty years, until they came to an inhabited land. They ate the manna until they came to the borders of the land of Canaan. |
| Numbers 14:22 | because all those men who have seen my glory and my signs, which I worked in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have tempted me these ten times, and have not listened to my voice; |
| Numbers 14:33 | Your children shall be wanderers in the wilderness forty years, and shall bear your prostitution, until your dead bodies are consumed in the wilderness. |
| Numbers 14:34 | After the number of the days in which you spied out the land, even forty days, for every day a year, you will bear your iniquities, even forty years, and you will know my alienation.’ |
| Deuteronomy 1:31 | and in the wilderness where you have seen how that Yahweh your God carried you, as a man carries his son, in all the way that you went, until you came to this place.” |
| Deuteronomy 9:7 | Remember, and don’t forget, how you provoked Yahweh your God to wrath in the wilderness. From the day that you left the land of Egypt until you came to this place, you have been rebellious against Yahweh. |
| Deuteronomy 9:21 | I took your sin, the calf which you had made, and burned it with fire, and crushed it, grinding it very small, until it was as fine as dust. I threw its dust into the brook that descended out of the mountain. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke highlights a textual variant in the Greek manuscripts where the phrase describing God's dealings with Israel may mean he nourished and carried them like a tender nurse, rather than simply bearing with their manners. He considers this reading more expressive and better suited to the context Paul describes.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes argues that the original Greek word more likely means God nourished Israel in the wilderness rather than merely tolerating their behavior. He notes this reading fits the Old Testament passages Paul references and better suits Paul’s purpose of reminding his listeners of God’s care rather than their stubbornness.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin highlights that God’s patience with a stubborn, disobedient people flows from His electing purpose. God’s goodness contended with their wickedness, sparing the chosen remnant while still sharply punishing the rebellious, so their wickedness did not go unpunished.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge commentary highlights a textual variant that changes the verse from God enduring Israel's behavior to God carrying them like a nursing father. This reading, supported by ancient authorities, aligns closely with Deuteronomy 1:31 and presents a more beautiful picture of divine care in the wilderness.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note highlights the word “suffered,” meaning God bore with or patiently endured Israel’s behavior during the forty years in the wilderness. The emphasis is not just on God’s leading, but on His forbearance in the face of their continual waywardness.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights a tension in God’s dealings with Israel in the wilderness: He patiently bore their rebelliousness like a nurse caring for her children, yet that forbearance did not spare them from judgment. God nourished them with manna and quail, but the whole generation except Joshua and Caleb died without entering Canaan.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB argues that the common translation "s
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange highlights that Paul's discourse grounds salvation in God's free election of grace, not human merit, contrasting with readings that see it as mere Messianic guidance. He also emphasizes that this speech introduces the distinctively Pauline doctrine of justification by faith alone, which was absent from earlier apostolic addresses in Acts.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry observes how Paul builds his sermon on a deliberate recital of Israel's history, showing that every event from the patriarchs through the judges and kings was God's patient preparation for sending Jesus as the promised Savior. Even the rejection of Christ by Jerusalem's rulers, Paul argues, fulfilled the very prophets they heard read every Sabbath.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent argues that the Greek word translated as "suffered he their manners" likely means something more tender: "as a nursing-father bare he them," drawn from Deuteronomy 1:31. The image is not of patient toleration but of a nurse carrying a child.