Acts 8:33 - Exposition

His generation who shall declare? for and who shall declare his generation? A.V. and T.R. The preceding quotation is taken verbatim from the LXX ., which, however, varies somewhat from the Hebrew. In this verse, for the Hebrew as rendered in the A.V., "He was taken from prison and from judgment," the LXX . has, "In his humiliation his judgment was taken away," having evidently read in their copy וֹטפָשְׁםִ וֹרצְעֹםֵ , or perhaps וֹרצְעבְ , "Through [or, 'in'] his oppression [humiliation] his judgment was taken away." Mr. Cheyne translates the Hebrew, "Through oppression and through a judgment [sentence] he was taken "away [to death]." For the Hebrew of the A.V., "He was cut off out of the land of the living," the LXX . has, "His life is taken from the earth," where they must have read וֹיחַ , "his life," as the subject of the verb, instead of מייִּחַ , the living, taken in construction with צרֶאֶ , the earth. The differences, however, are not material in regard to the general meaning of the passage. His generation who shall declare ? The explanation of this difficult expression belongs tea commentary on Isaiah. Here it must suffice to say that the explanation most in accordance with the meaning of the Hebrew words ( חַחֵשׂיְ and וֹרוֹד ), with the context, and with the turn of thought in Isaiah 38:10-12 and Jeremiah 11:19 , is that given in the 'Speaker's Commentary:' "Who will consider, give serious thought to, his life or age, seeing it is so prematurely cut off?" which is merely another way of saying that Messiah should "be cut off" ( Daniel 9:26 )" from the land of the living, that his Name be no more remembered" (Jeremiah, as above). It was the frustration of this hope of Jesus being forgotten in consequence of his death that so troubled the Sanhedrim ( Acts 5:28 ).