Acts 17:27

 Acts 17:27

That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

a. NLT: “His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us. [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

b. ASV: That they should seek God, if haply they might feel after him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us: [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. YLT: To seek the Lord, if perhaps they did feel after Him and find, -- though, indeed, He is not far from each one of us, [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.] 

d. Classic Amplified: So that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel after Him and find Him, although He is not far from each one of us. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

e. Peshitta Eastern Text: So that they should seek and search after God, and find him by means of his creations, because he is not far from any one of us;  [HOLY BIBLE FROM THE ANCIENT EASTERN TEXT.Copyright  Ⓒ 1933 by A.J. Holmon Co.; copyright  Ⓒ renewed 1961 by A.J. Holmon Co.; Copyright  Ⓒ 1939 by A.J. Holmon Co.; copyright  Ⓒ renewed 1967  by A.J. Holmon Co.;  Copyright  Ⓒ 1940 by A.J. Holmon Co.; copyright  Ⓒ renewed 1968 by A.J. Holmon Co.; Copyright  Ⓒ 1957 by A.J. Holmon Co. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. HarperCollins Publishers, 195 Broadway, New York, NY 10007.]

f. NIV: God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. [THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by Permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.]

1. “That they should seek the Lord…”

a. [That they should] seek [Strong: if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:]

b. The  [Strong: 3588. [ton] ὁ ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.] [Thayer: [ton] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.] [Additional variants: tē, hoi, oi, tēn,ta, tēs,tois, tō, tōn, hé  hē, hai ]

c. Lord [Strong: 2962. kurios koo'-ree-os from kuros (supremacy); supreme in authority, i.e. (as noun) controller; by implication, Master (as a respectful title):-- God, Lord, master, Sir.]

2. “...if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:”

a. if [Strong: 1487. ei i a primary particle of conditionality; if, whether, that, etc.:--forasmuch as, if, that, (al-)though, whether.]

b. haply [Strong: 686. ara ar'-ah probably from 142 (through the idea of drawing a conclusion); a particle denoting an inference more or less decisive (as follows):--haply, (what) manner (of man), no doubt, perhaps, so be, then, therefore, truly, wherefore. Often used in connection with other particles, especially 1065 or 3767 (after) or 1487 (before).]

c. [they might] feel [Strong: 5584. pselaphao psay-laf-ah'-o from the base of 5567 (compare 5586); to manipulate, i.e. verify by contact; figuratively, to search for:--feel after, handle, touch.]

d. [after] him [Strong: 846. autos ow-tos' from the particle au (perhaps akin to the base of 109 through the idea of a baffling wind) (backward); the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative 1438) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons:--her, it(-self), one, the other, (mine) own, said, (self-), the) same, ((him-, my-, thy- )self, (your-)selves, she, that, their(-s), them(-selves), there(-at, - by, -in, -into, -of, -on, -with), they, (these) things, this (man), those, together, very, which.]

e. 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.]

f. find [him] [Strong: 2147. heurisko hyoo-ris'-ko, a prolonged form of a primary heuro hyoo'-ro, which (together with another cognate form) heureo hyoo-reh'-o is used for it in all the tenses except the present and imperfect to find (literally or figuratively):--find, get, obtain, perceive, see.]

g. though [Strong: 2544. kaitoige kah'-ee-toyg-eh from 2543 and 1065; and yet indeed, i.e. although really:--nevertheless, though.]

h. he be [Strong: 5225. huparcho hoop-ar'-kho from 5259 and 756; to begin under (quietly), i.e. come into existence (be present or at hand); expletively, to exist (as copula or subordinate to an adjective, participle, adverb or preposition, or as an auxiliary to a principal (verb):--after, behave, live.]

i. not [Strong: 3756. ou oo, also (before a vowel) ouk ook, and (before an aspirate) ouch ookh a primary word; the absolute negative (compare 3361) adverb; no or not:--+ long, nay, neither, never, no (X man), none, (can-)not, + nothing, + special, un(-worthy), when, + without, + yet but.]

j. far [Strong: 3112. makran mak-ran' feminine accusative case singular of 3117 (3598 being implied); at a distance (literally or figuratively):--(a-)far (off), good (great) way off.]

k. from [Strong: 575. apo apo' a primary particle; "off," i.e. away (from something near), in various senses (of place, time, or relation; literal or figurative):--(X here-)after, ago, at, because of, before, by (the space of), for(-th), from, in, (out) of, off, (up-)on(-ce), since, with. In composition (as a prefix) it usually denotes separation, departure, cessation, completion, reversal, etc.]

l. every [Strong: 1538. hekastos hek'-as-tos as if a superlative of hekas (afar); each or every:--any, both, each (one), every (man, one, woman), particularly.]

m. one [Strong; 1520. heis hice (including the neuter (etc.) hen); a primary numeral; one:--a(-n, -ny, certain), + abundantly, man, one (another), only, other, some.]

n. [of] us [Strong: 2257. hemon hay-mone' genitive case plural of 1473; of (or from) us:--our (company), us, we.]

1). It is the Lord’s will that all peoples seek after God and find him.