Acts 15:29

Acts 15:29

That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.

a. NLT: You must abstain from eating food offered to idols, from consuming blood or the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality. If you do this, you will do well. Farewell.”

b. NIV: You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell.

c. YLT: To abstain from things offered to idols, and blood, and a strangled thing, and whoredom; from which keeping yourselves, ye shall do well; be strong!'

d. Amplified Bible Classic: That you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from [tasting] blood and from [eating the meat of animals] that have been strangled and from sexual impurity. If you keep yourselves from these things, you will do well. Farewell [be strong]!

e. Worrell Translation: That ye abstain from idol-sacrifices, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication; from which keeping yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.”

    

f. Wuest Translation: That you abstain from eating the flesh of animals left over from the pagan sacrifices, and blood and the flesh of animals killed without shedding of their blood, and from fornication, from which is you carefully keep yourselves, it shall be well with you. Farewell.

g. Peshitta Eastern Text: That you abstain from sacrifices offered to idols, and from blood, and from animals strangled, and from fornication: when you keep yourselves from these things, you will do well. Remain steadfast in the LORD.

1. “That ye abstain from meats offered to idols…”  

a. [That ye] abstain [Strong: 567 apechomai ap-ekh'-om-ahee middle voice (reflexively) of 568; to hold oneself off, i.e. refrain:--abstain.]

b. from meats offered to idols [Strong: 1494 eidolothuton i-do-loth'-oo-ton neuter of a compound of 1497 and a presumed derivative of 2380; an image-sacrifice, i.e. part of an idolatrous offering:--(meat, thing that is) offered (in sacrifice, sacrificed) to (unto) idols.]

1). 1). Robert A. J. Gagnon in his book The Bible And Homosexual Practice notes that the sequence of offences listed in Acts 15:29 matches the sequence in Leviticus 17 and 18 which confirms that the list in Acts 15:29 is derived from Leviticus 17, 18.

2). Leviticus 17:1-9 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

17:2 Speak unto Aaron, and unto his sons, and unto all the children of Israel, and say unto them; This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded, saying,

17:3 What man soever there be of the house of Israel, that killeth an ox, or lamb, or goat, in the camp, or that killeth it out of the camp,

17:4 And bringeth it not unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to offer an offering unto the Lord before the tabernacle of the Lord; blood shall be imputed unto that man; he hath shed blood; and that man shall be cut off from among his people:

17:5 To the end that the children of Israel may bring their sacrifices, which they offer in the open field, even that they may bring them unto the Lord, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, unto the priest, and offer them for peace offerings unto the Lord.

17:6 And the priest shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar of the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and burn the fat for a sweet savour unto the Lord.

17:7 And they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils, after whom they have gone a whoring. This shall be a statute for ever unto them throughout their generations.

17:8 And thou shalt say unto them, Whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers which sojourn among you, that offereth a burnt offering or sacrifice,

17:9 And bringeth it not unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to offer it unto the Lord; even that man shall be cut off from among his people.

2. “…and from blood…”

a. and [Strong: 2532 kai kahee apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:--and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

b. from blood [Strong: 129 haima hah'-ee-mah of uncertain derivation; blood, literally (of men or animals), figuratively (the juice of grapes) or specially (the atoning blood of Christ); by implication, bloodshed, also kindred:--blood.]

1). Leviticus 17:10-12 And whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, that eateth any manner of blood; I will even set my face against that soul that eateth blood, and will cut him off from among his people.

17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.

17:12 Therefore I said unto the children of Israel, No soul of you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger that sojourneth among you eat blood.

3. “…and from things strangled…”

a. and [Strong: 2532 kai kahee apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:--and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

b. from things strangled [Strong: 4156 pniktos pnik-tos' from 4155; throttled, i.e. (neuter concretely) an animal choked to death (not bled):--strangled.]

1). Leviticus 17:13, 14 And whatsoever man there be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, which hunteth and catcheth any beast or fowl that may be eaten; he shall even pour out the blood thereof, and cover it with dust.

17:14 For it is the life of all flesh; the blood of it is for the life thereof: therefore I said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh: for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof: whosoever eateth it shall be cut off.

4. “…and from fornication…”

a. and [Strong: 2532 kai kahee apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:--and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

b. from fornication [Strong: 4202 porneia por-ni'-ah from 4203; harlotry (including adultery and incest); figuratively, idolatry:--fornication.]

1). David Stearn, Jewish New Testament Commentary: Under Acts 15:19: Any form of sexual immorality. In first-century pagan world (as, unfortunately, in ithe twentieth-century Western world) sexual unions outside of marriage were regarded very lightly, along with homosexual behavior, temple prostitution and other improper practices. In Judaism, on the other hand, these were abominations (Leviticus 18).

2). The Bible And Homosexual Practice, Robert A. J. Gagnon, Note 151 According to the Apostolic Decree, gentiles were to abstain from (1) “things sacrificed to idols” (eidolothyta), encompassing both sacrificing to a god other than Yahweh and eating food offered to idols (alluding to Leviticus 17:1-9 which mandates that all sacrifices be brought “to the entrance of the tent of meeting” so that “they may no longer offer their sacrifices for goat-demons, to whom they prostitute themselves”); (2) “blood” (haima; alluding to Leviticus 17:10-12 where the eating of blood is prohibited), possibly containing a secondary allusion to not shedding blood (i.e., “bloodshed,” murder) since the command to Noah and his descendants in Genesis 9:4-6 couples the prohibition against eating animals from which the blood had not been drained with a prohibition against shedding human blood; (3) “what is strangled (or choked to death; pnikton), that is, eating animals that were killed without having the blood drained from them (alluding to Leviticus 17:13, 14 which refers to pouring out the blood of animals that have not died from a shedding of blood); and (4) “sexual immorality” (porniea; alluding to Leviticus 18:6-23, which forbids incest, adultery, intercourse between males, and bestiality). The fact that the sequence of the commands of the Apostolic Decree corresponds to the sequence in Leviticus 17-18 further confirms the former’s derivation from the latter.

5. “…from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.”

a. from [Strong: 1537 ek ek or ex ex a primary preposition denoting origin (the point whence action or motion proceeds), from, out (of place, time, or cause; literal or figurative; direct or remote):--after, among, X are, at, betwixt(-yond), by (the means of), exceedingly, (+ abundantly above), for(- th), from (among, forth, up), + grudgingly, + heartily, X heavenly, X hereby, + very highly, in, ...ly, (because, by reason) of, off (from), on, out among (from, of), over, since, X thenceforth, through, X unto, X vehemently, with(-out). Often used in composition, with the same general import; often of completion.]

b. which [Strong: 3739 hos hos, including feminine he hay, and neuter ho ho probably a primary word (or perhaps a form of the article 3588); the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun, who, which, what, that:--one, (an-, the) other, some, that, what, which, who(-m, -se), etc.]

c. if ye keep [Strong: 1301 diatereo dee-at-ay-reh'-o from 1223 and 5083; to watch thoroughly, i.e. (positively and transitively) to observe strictly, or (negatively and reflexively) to avoid wholly:--keep.]

d. yourselves [Strong: 1438 heautou heh-ow-too' from a reflexive pronoun otherwise obsolete and the genitive case (dative case or accusative case) of 846; him- (her-, it-, them-, also (in conjunction with the personal pronoun of the other persons) my-, thy-, our-, your-) self (selves), etc.:--alone, her (own, -self), (he) himself, his (own), itself, one (to) another, our (thine) own(-selves), + that she had, their (own, own selves), (of) them(-selves), they, thyself, you, your (own, own conceits, own selves, -selves).]

e. ye shall do [Strong: 4238 prasso pras'-so a primary verb; to "practise", i.e. perform repeatedly or habitually (thus differing from 4160, which properly refers to a single act); by implication, to execute, accomplish, etc.; specially, to collect (dues), fare (personally):--commit, deeds, do, exact, keep, require, use arts.]

f. well [Strong: 2095 eu yoo neuter of a primary eus (good); (adverbially) well:--good, well (done).]

g. Fare ye well [Strong: 5417 rhonnumi hrone'-noo-mee prolongation from rhoomai (to dart; probably akin to 4506); to strengthen, i.e. (impersonal passive) have health (as a parting exclamation, good-bye):--farewell.]