Acts 1:20

"For it is written in the book of Psalms, ‘Let his habitation be made desolate. Let no one dwell in it;’ and, ‘Let another take his office.’"

Key Reflection

This passage from Psalm 69:25–26 speaks of divine judgment and the displacement of a wicked leader. In the context of Acts 1:20, it foreshadows how Judas's role as one of Jesus's disciples will be taken over by another, emphasizing the permanence of Christ's mission despite betrayal.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

Verse 20. For it is written, etc. See Ps 69:26. This is the prediction, doubtless, to which Peter refers in Ac 1:16. The intermediate passage in Ac 1:18,19, is probably a parenthesis; the words of Luke, not of Peter. It is not probable that Peter would introduce a narrative like this, with which they were all familiar, in an address to the disciples, The Hebrew in the Psalm is, "Let their habitation (Heb., fold, enclosure for cattle; tower, or palace) be desolate, and let none dwell in their tents." This quotation is not made literally from the Hebrew, nor from the Septuagint. The plural is changed to the singular, and there are some other slight variations.

Related Verses

More from Acts 1

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

Go deeper with Bible.talk - your AI Bible study companion