Acts 3:17

THE MESSAGE

"And now, friends, I know you had no idea what you were doing when you killed Jesus, and neither did your leaders. But God, who through the preaching of all the prophets had said all along that his Messiah would be killed, knew exactly what you were doing and used it to fulfill his plans.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“And now, brothers and sisters, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your leaders also did.

King James Version (1611)
And now brethren, I wote that through ignorance yee did it, as did also your rulers.

King James Version
And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.

English Standard Version
"And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers.

New American Standard Bible
"And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your rulers also did.

New Century Version
"Brothers and sisters, I know you did those things to Jesus because neither you nor your leaders understood what you were doing.

Amplified Bible
"Now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance [not fully aware of what you were doing], just as your rulers did also.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"And now, brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your rulers did also.

Legacy Standard Bible
"And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your rulers did also.

Berean Standard Bible
And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders.

Contemporary English Version
My friends, I am sure that you and your leaders didn't know what you were doing.

Complete Jewish Bible
"Now, brothers, I know that you did not understand the significance of what you were doing; neither did your leaders.

Darby Translation
And now, brethren, I know that ye did it in ignorance, as also your rulers;

Easy-to-Read Version
"My brothers, I know that what you did to Jesus was done because you did not understand what you were doing. And your leaders did not understand any more than you did.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And now brethren, I know that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your gouernours.

George Lamsa Translation
But now, my brethren, I know that you did this through ignorance just as your leaders did it.

Good News Translation
"And now, my friends, I know that what you and your leaders did to Jesus was due to your ignorance.

Lexham English Bible
And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your rulers did also.

Literal Translation
And now, brothers, I know that you acted according to ignorance, as also did your rulers.

American Standard Version
And now, brethren, I know that in ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.

Bible in Basic English
And now, my brothers, I am conscious that you did this, as did your rulers, without knowledge.

Hebrew Names Version
"Now, brothers, I know that you did this in ignorance, as did also your rulers.

International Standard Version
"And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance like your leaders.Luke 23:34; John 16:3; Acts 13:27; 1 Corinthians 2:8; 1 Timothy 1:13;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
Now, however, my brethren, I know that through delusion you did this, as also did your princes;

Murdock Translation
And now, my brethren, I know that through misapprehensions ye did this, as did also your chiefs:

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And nowe brethren, I wote that through ignoraunce ye dyd it, as dyd also your rulers.

English Revised Version
And now, brethren, I wot that in ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.

World English Bible
"Now, brothers, I know that you did this in ignorance, as did also your rulers.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And now, brethren, I know that thro' ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.

Weymouth's New Testament
"And now, brethren, I know that it was in ignorance that you did it, as was the case with your rulers also.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And now, britheren, Y woot that bi vnwityng ye diden, as also youre princis.

Update Bible Version
And now, brothers, I know that in ignorance you did it, as also did your rulers.

Webster's Bible Translation
And now, brethren, I know that through ignorance ye did [it], as [did] also your rulers.

New English Translation
And now, brothers, I know you acted in ignorance, as your rulers did too.

New King James Version
"Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers.

New Living Translation
"Friends, I realize that what you and your leaders did to Jesus was done in ignorance.

New Life Bible
"Brothers, I know you and your leaders did this without knowing what you were doing.

New Revised Standard
"And now, friends, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And now brethren, I know that by way of ignorance ye acted, - just as even your rulers.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And now, brethren, I know that you did it through ignorance: as did also your rulers.

Revised Standard Version
"And now, brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And now brethre I wote well that thorow ignorauce ye did it as dyd also youre heddes.

Young's Literal Translation
`And now, brethren, I have known that through ignorance ye did [it], as also your rulers;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Now deare brethre, I knowe that ye haue done it thorow ignoraunce, as dyd also youre rulers.

Mace New Testament (1729)
and now, brethren, I know it was through ignorance, that both you and your rulers, have acted thus.

Simplified Cowboy Version
Pete continued, "My fellow countrymen, I know you thought you were doing the right thing. I know your leaders thought the same thing.

Contextual Overview

¹²When Peter saw he had a congregation, he addressed the people: "Oh, Israelites, why does this take you by such complete surprise, and why stare at us as if our power or piety made him walk? The God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, the God of our ancestors, has glorified his Son Jesus. The very One that Pilate called innocent, you repudiated. You repudiated the Holy One, the Just One, and asked for a murderer in his place. You no sooner killed the Author of Life than God raised him from the dead—and we're the witnesses. Faith in Jesus' name put this man, whose condition you know so well, on his feet—yes, faith and nothing but faith put this man healed and whole right before your eyes. ¹⁷"And now, friends, I know you had no idea what you were doing when you killed Jesus, and neither did your leaders. But God, who through the preaching of all the prophets had said all along that his Messiah would be killed, knew exactly what you were doing and used it to fulfill his plans. ¹⁹"Now it's time to change your ways! Turn to face God so he can wipe away your sins, pour out showers of blessing to refresh you, and send you the Messiah he prepared for you, namely, Jesus. For the time being he must remain out of sight in heaven until everything is restored to order again just the way God, through the preaching of his holy prophets of old, said it would be. Moses, for instance, said, ‘Your God will raise up for you a prophet just like me from your family. Listen to every word he speaks to you. Every last living soul who refuses to listen to that prophet will be wiped out from the people.' ²⁴"All the prophets from Samuel on down said the same thing, said most emphatically that these days would come. These prophets, along with the covenant God made with your ancestors, are your family tree. God's covenant-word to Abraham provides the text: ‘By your offspring all the families of the earth will be blessed.' But you are first in line: God, having raised up his Son, sent him to bless you as you turn, one by one, from your evil ways."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

wot: Acts 7:40, Genesis 21:26, Genesis 39:8, Genesis 44:15, Exodus 32:1, Numbers 22:6, Romans 11:2, Philippians 1:22

through: Acts 13:27, Numbers 15:24-31, Luke 23:34, John 7:26, John 7:27, John 7:52, John 16:3, 1 Corinthians 2:8, 2 Corinthians 3:14, 1 Timothy 1:13

Reciprocal: Numbers 15:27 - General 1 Kings 1:18 - thou knowest 1 Kings 12:15 - that he might

Cross-References

Genesis 3:2
The Woman said to the serpent, "Not at all. We can eat from the trees in the garden. It's only about the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, ‘Don't eat from it; don't even touch it or you'll die.'"

Genesis 3:6
When the Woman saw that the tree looked like good eating and realized what she would get out of it—she'd know everything!—she took and ate the fruit and then gave some to her husband, and he ate.

Genesis 3:7
Immediately the two of them did "see what's really going on"—saw themselves naked! They sewed fig leaves together as makeshift clothes for themselves.

Genesis 3:9
God called to the Man: "Where are you?"

Genesis 3:11
God said, "Who told you you were naked? Did you eat from that tree I told you not to eat from?"

Genesis 3:13
"The serpent seduced me," she said, "and I ate."

Genesis 3:14
God told the serpent: "Because you've done this, you're cursed, cursed beyond all cattle and wild animals, Cursed to slink on your belly and eat dirt all your life. I'm declaring war between you and the Woman, between your offspring and hers. He'll wound your head, you'll wound his heel."

Genesis 3:16
He told the Woman: "I'll multiply your pains in childbirth; you'll give birth to your babies in pain. You'll want to please your husband, but he'll lord it over you."

Genesis 3:17
He told the Man: "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree That I commanded you not to eat from, ‘Don't eat from this tree,' The very ground is cursed because of you; getting food from the ground Will be as painful as having babies is for your wife; you'll be working in pain all your life long. The ground will sprout thorns and weeds, you'll get your food the hard way, Planting and tilling and harvesting, sweating in the fields from dawn to dusk, Until you return to that ground yourself, dead and buried; you started out as dirt, you'll end up dirt."

Genesis 3:20
The Man, known as Adam, named his wife Eve because she was the mother of all the living.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And now, brethren,.... He calls them brethren, because they were so according to the flesh; and to testify his cordial love and affection for them.

I wot, or "I know",

that through ignorance ye did it; delivered up Jesus into the hands of Pilate; denied him to be the Messiah before him; preferred a murderer to him, and put him to death.

As did also your rulers; the members of the sanhedrim, some of them; see 1 Corinthians 2:8 for others of them knew him to be the Messiah, to be sent of God, by the miracles he did, and yet blasphemously ascribed them to Satan; and so sinning against light and knowledge, in such a malicious manner, sinned the sin against the Holy Ghost, to which ignorance is here opposed; and which did not excuse from sin: nor was it itself without sin; nor is it opposed to any sin, but to this now mentioned.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And now, brethren - Though they had been guilty of a crime so enormous, yet Peter shows the tenderness of his heart in addressing them still as his brethren. He regarded them as of the same nation with himself; as having the same hopes, and as being entitled to the same privileges. The expression also shows that he was not disposed to exalt himself as being by nature more holy than they. This verse is a remarkable instance of tenderness in appealing to sinners. It would have been easy to have reproached them for their enormous crimes; but that was not the way to reach the heart. He had indeed stated and proved their wickedness. The object now was to bring them to repentance for it; and this was to be done by tenderness, kindness, and love. People are melted to contrition, not by reproaches, but by love.

I wot - I know; am well apprised of it. I know you will affirm it, and I admit that it was so. Still the enormous deed has been done. It cannot be recalled, and it cam not be innocent. It remains, therefore, that you should repent of it, and seek for pardon.

That through ignorance ... - Peter does not mean to affirm that they were innocent in having put him to death, for he had just proved the contrary, and he immediately proceeds to exhort them to repentance. But he means to say that their offence was mitigated by the fact that they were ignorant that he was the Messiah. The same thing the Saviour himself affirmed when dying, Luke 23:34; “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Compare Acts 13:27; 1 Corinthians 2:8. The same thing the apostle Paul affirmed in relation to himself, as one of the reasons why he obtained pardon from the enormous crime of persecution, 1 Timothy 1:13. In cases like these, though crime might be mitigated, yet it was not taken entirely away. They were guilty of demanding that a man should be put to death who was declared innocent; they were urged on with ungovernable fury; they did it from contempt and malice; and the crime of murder remained, though they were ignorant that he was the Messiah. It is plainly implied that if they had put him to death knowing that he was the Messiah, and as the Messiah, there would have been no forgiveness. Compare Hebrews 10:26-29. Ignorance, therefore, is a circumstance which must always be taken into view in an estimate of crime. It is at the same time true that they had opportunity to know that he was the Messiah, but the mere fact that they were ignorant of it was still a mitigating circumstance in the estimate of their crime. There can be no doubt that the mass of the people had no fixed belief that he was the Messiah.

As did also your rulers - Compare 1 Corinthians 2:8, where the apostle says that none of the princes of this world knew the wisdom of the gospel, for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. It is certain that the leading scribes and Pharisees were urged on by the most ungovernable fury and rage to put Jesus to death, even when they had abundant opportunity to know his true character. This was particularly the case with the high priest. But yet it was true that they did not believe that he was the Messiah. Their minds had been prejudiced. They had expected a prince and a conqueror. All their views of the Messiah were different from the character which Jesus manifested. And though they might have known that he was the Messiah; though he had given abundant proof of the fact, yet it is clear that they did not believe it. It is not credible that they would have put to death one whom they really believed to be the Christ. He was the hope, the only hope of their nation; and they would not have dared to imbrue their hands in the blood of him whom they really believed to be the illustrious personage so long promised and expected by their fathers. It was also probably true that no small part of the Sanhedrin was urged on by the zeal and fury of the chief priests. They had not courage to resist them; and yet they might not have entered heartily into this work of persecution and death. Compare John 7:50-53. The speech of Peter, however, is not intended to free them entirely from blame; nor should it be pressed to show that they were innocent. It is a mitigating circumstance thrown in to show them that there was still hope of mercy.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Acts 3:17. I wot — οιδα, I know. Wot is from the Anglo-Saxon, [A.S.] to know; and hence wit, science or understanding.

Through ignorance ye did it — This is a very tender excuse for them; and one which seems to be necessary, in order to show them that their state was not utterly desperate; for if all that they did to Christ had been through absolute malice, (they well knowing who he was,) if any sin could be supposed to be unpardonable, it must have been theirs. Peter, foreseeing that they might be tempted thus to think, and consequently to despair of salvation, tells them that their offence was extenuated by their ignorance of the person they had tormented and crucified. And one must suppose that, had they been fully convinced that this Jesus was the only Messiah, they never would have crucified him; but they did not permit themselves to receive conviction on the subject.