SEV Biblia, Chapter 14:17
si bien no se dej a sí mismo sin testimonio, haciendo bien, dndonos lluvias del cielo y tiempos fructíferos, llenando de sustento y de alegría nuestros corazones.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Acts 14:17
Verse 17. He left not himself without witness] Though he gave the Gentiles no revelation of his will, yet he continued to govern them by his gracious providence; doing them good in general; giving then rain to fertilize their grounds, and fruitful seasons as the result; so that grass grew for the cattle and corn for the service of man. Filling our hearts with food] Giving as much food as could reasonably be wished, so that gladness, or general happiness, was the result. Such was the gracious provision made for man, at all times, that the economy and bounty of the Divine Being were equally evidenced by it. He never gives less than is necessary, nor more than is sufficient. His economy forbids men to waste, by going them in general no profusion. His bounty forbids them to want, by giving as much as is sufficient for all the natural wants of his creatures. By not giving too much, he prevents luxury and riot: by giving enough, he prevents discontent and misery. Thus he does mankind good, by causing his rain to descend upon the just and the unjust, and his sun to shine upon the evil, and the good. Thus he is said not to have left himself without witness: for his providential dealings are the witnesses of his being, his wisdom, and his bounty; and thus the invisible things of God, even his eternal power and Godhead, were clearly seen, being understood by the things which are made, Rom. i. 20. Therefore those who continued to worship stocks and stones were without excuse. These were great and striking truths; and into what detail the apostles now went, we cannot say; but it is likely that they spoke much more than is here related, as the next verse states that, with all these sayings, they found it difficult to prevent the people from offering them sacrifice.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 17. Nevertheless, he left not himself without witness , etc.] Of his kindness and goodness to them, during this long interval and period of time; for they had not the written law, yet they were not destitute of the law of nature; and had, besides, many instances of providential goodness, by which they might have known God: and should have been thankful to him, and glorified him as God, and not have worshipped the idols of their own hands; the goodness of God should have led them to repentance, and not have been abused to so many wicked purposes as it had been: in that he did good ; in a providential way, to persons very undeserving of it, of which some particular instances follow: and gave us rain from heaven , which none of the gods of the Gentiles could, do, ( Jeremiah 14:22). So ymg jtpm , the key of rains, is by the Jews said to be one of the keys which God has in his own hands, and which he does not commit to any other: and a wonderful blessing is this to mankind, and which God gives to the just and to the unjust, and did give to the ignorant and idolatrous Gentiles. Bezas most ancient copy, and four other ancient copies of his, and some others, read you, instead of us; which reading seems most agreeable: and fruitful seasons ; spring, summer, harvest, and autumn, at which several times, different fruits of the earth appear: filling our hearts with food and gladness ; giving a sufficiency of food, and even an abundance of it, and that for pleasure and delight, as well as for support and refreshment: the Syriac version reads, their hearts; some copies read, your hearts.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 8-18 - All things are possible to those that believe. When we have faith, tha most precious gift of God, we shall be delivered from the spiritual helplessness in which we were born, and from the dominion of sinfu habits since formed; we shall be made able to stand upright and wal cheerfully in the ways of the Lord. When Christ, the Son of God appeared in the likeness of men, and did many miracles, men were so fa from doing sacrifice to him, that they made him a sacrifice to their pride and malice; but Paul and Barnabas, upon their working on miracle, were treated as gods. The same power of the god of this world which closes the carnal mind against truth, makes errors and mistake find easy admission. We do not learn that they rent their clothes when the people spake of stoning them; but when they spake of worshippin them; they could not bear it, being more concerned for God's honou than their own. God's truth needs not the services of man's falsehood The servants of God might easily obtain undue honours if they woul wink at men's errors and vices; but they must dread and detest suc respect more than any reproach. When the apostles preached to the Jews who hated idolatry, they had only to preach the grace of God in Christ but when they had to do with the Gentiles, they must set right their mistakes in natural religion. Compare their conduct and declaratio with the false opinions of those who think the worship of a God, unde any name, or in any manner, is equally acceptable to the Lord Almighty The most powerful arguments, the most earnest and affectionat addresses, even with miracles, are scarcely enough to keep men from absurdities and abominations; much less can they, without specia grace, turn the hearts of sinners to God and to holiness.
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 CONJ τοι 2544 PRT γε 1065 PRT ουκ 3756 PRT-N αμαρτυρον 267 A-ASM εαυτον 1438 F-3ASM αφηκεν 863 5656 V-AAI-3S αγαθοποιων 15 5723 V-PAP-NSM ουρανοθεν 3771 ADV ημιν 2254 P-1DP υετους 5205 N-APM διδους 1325 5723 V-PAP-NSM και 2532 CONJ καιρους 2540 N-APM καρποφορους 2593 A-APM εμπιπλων 1705 5723 V-PAP-NSM τροφης 5160 N-GSF και 2532 CONJ ευφροσυνης 2167 N-GSF τας 3588 T-APF καρδιας 2588 N-APF ημων 2257 P-1GP
Vincent's NT Word Studies
17. Rains. Jupiter was Lord of the air. He dispensed the thunder and lightning, the rain and the hail, the rivers and tempests. "All signs and portents whatever, that appear in the air, belong primarily to him, as does the genial sign of the rainbow" (Gladstone, "Homer and the Homeric Age"). The mention of rain is appropriate, as there was a scarcity of water in Lycaonia.Food. Mercury, as the God of merchandise, was also the dispenser of food.
"No one can read the speech without once more perceiving its subtle and inimitable coincidence with his (Paul's) thoughts and expressions. The rhythmic conclusion is not unaccordant with the style of his most elevated moods; and besides the appropriate appeal to God's natural gifts in a town not in itself unhappily situated, but surrounded by a waterless and treeless plain, we may naturally suppose that the 'filling our hearts with food and gladness' was suggested by the garlands and festive pomp which accompanied the bulls on which the people would afterward have made their common banquet" (Farrar, "Life and Work of Paul"). For the coincidences between this discourse and other utterances of Paul, compare ver. 15, and 1 Thess. i. 9; ver. 16, and Rom. iii. 25; Acts xvii. 30; ver. 17, and Rom. i. 19, 20.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
14:17 {And yet} (kaitoi). Old Greek compound particle (kai toi). In the N.T. twice only, once with finite verb as here, once with the participle (#Heb 4:3). {Without witness} (amarturon). Old adjective (a privative and martus, witness), only here in the N.T. {Left} (afeken). First aorist active (k aorist indicative of afiemi). {In that he did good} (agaqourgwn). Present active causal participle of agaqourgew, late and rare verb (also agaqoergew #1Ti 6:18), reading of the oldest MSS. here for agaqopoiew, to do good. Note two other causal participles here parallel with agaqourgwn, viz., didous ("giving you") present active of didwmi, empipl"n ("filling") present active of empimplaw (late form of empimplemi). this witness to God (his doing good, giving rains and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness) they could receive without the help of the Old Testament revelation (#Ro 1:20). Zeus was regarded as the god of rain (Jupiter Pluvius) and Paul claims the rain and the fruitful (karpoforous, karpos, and ferw, fruit bearing, old word, here alone in N.T.) seasons as coming from God. Lycaonia was often dry and it would be an appropriate item. "Mercury, as the God of merchandise, was also the dispenser of food" (Vincent). Paul does not talk about laws of nature as if they governed themselves, but he sees the living God "behind the drama of the physical world" (Furneaux). These simple country people could grasp his ideas as he claims everything for the one true God. {Gladness} (eufrosunes). Old word from eufrwn (eu and fren), good cheer. In the N.T. only #Ac 2:28 and here. Cheerfulness should be our normal attitude when we consider God's goodness. Paul does not here mention Christ because he had the single definite purpose to dissuade them from worshipping Barnabas and himself.
