SEV Biblia, Chapter 17:25
ni es honrado con manos de hombres, necesitado de algo; pues l da a todos vida, y respiracin, y todas las cosas;
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Acts 17:25
Verse 25. Neither is worshiped with men's hands] This is an indirect stroke against making of images, and offering of sacrifices: he is not worshipped with human hands, as if he needed any thing, or required to be represented under a particular form or attitude; nor has he required victims for his support; for it is impossible that he should need any thing who himself gives being, form, and life, to all creatures. Giveth-life, and breath, and all things] These words are elegantly introduced by St. Paul: God gives life, because he is the fountain of it: he gives breath, the faculty of breathing or respiration, by which this life is preserved; and though breathing or respiration, be the act of the animal, yet the pnohn, the faculty of breathing, and extracting from the atmosphere what serves as a pabulum of life, is given by the influence of God, and the continued power thus to respire, and extract that pure oxygen gas which is so evident a support of animal life, is as much the continued gift of God as life itself is. But, as much more is necessary to keep the animal machine in a state of repair, God gives the ta panta, all the other things which are requisite for this great and important purpose, that the end for which life was given may be fully answered. St. Paul also teaches that Divine worship is not enacted and established for GOD, but for the use of his creatures: he needs nothing that man can give him; for man has nothing but what he has received from the hand of his Maker.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 25. Neither is worshipped with mens hands , etc.] Or served with them; or ministered unto by them, as the Syriac version renders it: and the sense is, that men by worshipping God do not give anything to him, that can be of any use or service to him; he, being God all sufficient, stands in need of nothing; for external worship is not here intended by worshipping with mens hands, in distinction from, and opposition to, internal worship, or to the worship of God with the heart; but that whether it be with the one or with the other, or both, nothing is given to God, as adding any thing to his essential glory and happiness: as though he needed anything ; for he does not, he is El Shaddai, God all sufficient; nor can anything be given to him, he has not; or otherwise all perfection would not be in him: but that he cannot be indigent of anything, appears from hence, seeing he giveth to all life and breath ; or the breath of life, as the Ethiopic version renders it; this God breathed into man at first, and he became a living soul; and every animate creature, everyone that has life and breath, have them from God; he gives them to them, and continues them: and all things ; that are enjoyed by them, and are necessary for their subsistence, and for the comfort of life, and for both their use and profit, and for their delight and pleasure; wherefore he that gives them all things, cannot want anything himself, nor receive anything at their hands. This clause is left out in the Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 22-31 - Here we have a sermon to heathens, who worshipped false gods, and wer 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. I the latter case, his business was to lead his hearers by prophecies an 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 ha seen, with the inscription, "TO THE UNKNOWN GOD." This fact is state by many writers. After multiplying their idols to the utmost, some a Athens thought there was another god of whom they had no knowledge. An are there not many now called Christians, who are zealous in their devotions, yet the great object of their worship is to them an unknow 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 powerfull affected by the apostle's discourse, which tended to show the emptines or falsity of their doctrines.
Greek Textus Receptus
ουδε 3761 ADV υπο 5259 PREP χειρων 5495 N-GPF ανθρωπων 444 N-GPM θεραπευεται 2323 5743 V-PPI-3S προσδεομενος 4326 5740 V-PNP-NSM τινος 5100 X-GSN αυτος 846 P-NSM διδους 1325 5723 V-PAP-NSM πασιν 3956 A-DPN ζωην 2222 N-ASF και 2532 CONJ πνοην 4157 N-ASF {VAR1: κατα 2596 PREP } {VAR2: και 2532 CONJ τα 3588 T-APN } παντα 3956 A-APN
Vincent's NT Word Studies
25. Is worshipped (qerapeuetai). Incorrect. Rendel; as Rev., served. Luke often uses the word in the sense of to heal or cure; but this is its primary sense. See on Luke verse 15. It refers to the clothing of the images of the gods in splendid garments, and bringing them costly gifts and offerings of food and drink.As though he needed (prosdeomenov). Properly, "needed anything in addition (prov) to what he already has."
Robertson's NT Word Studies
17:25 {As though he needed anything} (prosdeomenos tinos). Present middle participle of prosdeomai, to want besides, old verb, but here only in the N.T. this was strange doctrine for the people thought that the gods needed their offerings for full happiness. this self-sufficiency of God was taught by Philo and Lucretius, but Paul shows that the Epicurean missed it by putting God, if existing at all, outside the universe. {Seeing he himself giveth to all} (autos didous pasin). this Supreme Personal God is the source of life, breath, and everything. Paul here rises above all Greek philosophers.
