Acts 15:15-18

15:15 The ¹  words of the prophets agree ²  with this, as it is written,

15:16 ‘After this ³  I ⁴  will return,

and I will rebuild the fallen tent ⁵  of David;

I will rebuild its ruins and restore ⁶  it,

15:17 so that the rest of humanity ⁷  may seek the Lord,

namely, ⁸  all the Gentiles ⁹  I have called to be my own,’ ¹⁰  says the Lord, ¹¹  who makes these things 15:18 known ¹²  from long ago. ¹³ 

[15:15]  ¹ tn Grk “And the.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[15:15]  ² sn The term agree means “match” or “harmonize with.” James’ point in the introduction argues that many of the OT prophets taught this. He gives one example (which follows).

[15:16]  ³ tn Grk “After these things.”

[15:16]  ⁴ sn The first person pronoun I refers to God and his activity. It is God who is doing this.

[15:16]  ⁵ tn Or more generally, “dwelling”; perhaps, “royal tent.” According to BDAG 928 s.v. σκηνή the word can mean “tent” or “hut,” or more generally “lodging” or “dwelling.” In this verse (a quotation from Amos 9:11) BDAG refers this to David’s ruined kingdom; it is possibly an allusion to a king’s tent (a royal tent). God is at work to reestablish David’s line (Acts 2:30-36; 13:32-39).

[15:16]  ⁶ tn BDAG 86 s.v. ἀνορθόω places this verb under the meaning “to build someth. up again after it has fallen, rebuild, restore,” but since ἀνοικοδομέω (anoikodomew, “rebuild”) has occurred twice in this verse already, “restore” is used here.

[15:17]  ⁷ tn Or “so that all other people.” The use of this term follows Amos 9:11 LXX.

[15:17]  ⁸ tn Here καί (kai) introduces an explanatory clause that explains the preceding phrase “the rest of humanity.” The clause introduced by καί (kai) could also be punctuated in English as a parenthesis.

[15:17]  ⁹ tn Or “all the nations” (in Greek the word for “nation” and “Gentile” is the same).

[15:17]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “all the Gentiles on whom my name has been called.” Based on well-attested OT usage, the passive of ἐπικαλέω (epikalew) here indicates God’s ownership (“all the Gentiles who belong to me”) or calling (“all the Gentiles whom I have called to be my own”). See L&N 11.28.

[15:17]  ¹¹ sn A quotation from Amos 9:11-12 LXX. James demonstrated a high degree of cultural sensitivity when he cited a version of the text (the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament) that Gentiles would use.

[15:18]  ¹² sn Who makes these things known. The remark emphasizes how God’s design of these things reaches back to the time he declared them.

[15:18]  ¹³ sn An allusion to Isa 45:21.