Bible Strands
Acts 4:28
They carried out what Your hand and will had decided beforehand would happen.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The Jerusalem believers pray to the Lord, acknowledging that the conspiracy of Herod, Pontius Pilate, Gentiles, and Israelites against Jesus fell under divine oversight. They utter these words at the moment of requesting boldness to proclaim the gospel despite active threats.
The words — χείρ (cheir) translates as hand and βουλὴ (boulē) as purpose, jointly denoting God’s active power and deliberate intention. The relative phrase ὅσα (hosa) as much as binds the executed events directly to that predetermined will.
The thread — The text states that God’s hand and purpose predetermined the events, which aligns with Acts 2:23, Genesis 50:20, and Isaiah 46:10. These passages record the same pattern of human actions fulfilling divine foreordination.
Why it lands — The verse requires the reader to acknowledge that human opposition cannot thwart God’s established plan. It demands continued proclamation of the word with boldness rather than retreat or fear.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.
Cross-references
- Acts 2:23 He was delivered up by God’s set plan and foreknowledge, and you, by the hands of the lawless, put Him to death by nailing Him to the cross.
- Genesis 50:20 As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this—to preserve the lives of many people.
- Isaiah 46:10 I declare the end from the beginning, and from ancient times what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and all My good pleasure I will accomplish.’
- Matthew 26:24 The Son of Man will go just as it is written about Him, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed. It would be better for him if he had not been born.”
- Isaiah 53:10 Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush Him and to cause Him to suffer; and when His soul is made a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.
- Luke 24:44 Jesus said to them, “These are the words I spoke to you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about Me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms.”
- Acts 3:18 But in this way God has fulfilled what He foretold through all the prophets, saying that His Christ would suffer.
- Acts 13:27 The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning Him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath.
- Job 12:13 Wisdom and strength belong to God; counsel and understanding are His.
- Psalms 76:10 Even the wrath of man shall praise You; with the survivors of wrath You will clothe Yourself.