Acts 2:29
“Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
Peter isn't just stating the obvious about David's death and burial; he's boldly highlighting that David's actual tomb was a known, tangible place in Jerusalem. This public, undeniable fact about David's continued presence in the grave is precisely what makes the Psalm's words about not seeing decay so powerfully point to someone else entirely: Jesus.
Peter is addressing the crowd after powerfully preaching about Jesus, citing Old Testament prophecies. He's demonstrating that the resurrection and exaltation of Jesus, not David, is what Psalm 16 is actually about. To do this, he first proves the Psalm can't apply to David himself by showing that David died and was buried, and his tomb was still a known landmark in Jerusalem.
Peter doesn't just quote Scripture; he anchors his argument in something everyone in Jerusalem knew. What was so obvious about David's final resting place?
Peter’s powerful argument hinges on a well-known reality: David, their most revered king and ancestor, was dead and buried. He points to David's tomb, a tangible reminder that lay within the city. This wasn't a private or obscure fact; it was a shared understanding among his listeners.
Peter calls David a 'patriarch.' Why use this specific, weighty title? What does it reveal about David's significance to both Peter and his audience?
Calling David a 'patriarch' was a deliberate choice, carrying significant weight. This title, usually reserved for Abraham and the sons of Jacob, elevated David as a foundational figure and the progenitor of the royal line.
Understand the original words
patriarchēs · Greek Noun
A founding father of the Jewish people, specifically the male ancestors of the nation of Israel. It emphasizes the historical and covenantal line from which the Messiah would come.
Peter's argument hinges on the common knowledge of David's physical death and burial in Jerusalem, a stark contrast to the believed resurrection of Jesus. The enduring tradition of David's tomb, even if its precise location was somewhat obscured by history, served as a tangible reminder that David himself had not ascended to heaven.
c. 970 BC
Death and Burial of King David
King David, the second king of Israel and a pivotal figure in its history, dies after a long reign. He is buried in the City of David, as custom dictated for significant figures.
c. 930 BC
Solomon's Reign and Temple Construction
King Solomon, David's son, builds the First Temple in Jerusalem. While David was buried in the City of David, subsequent kings, including Solomon, were also buried there.
c. 586 BC
Babylonian Exile Begins
The Babylonians conquer Jerusalem and destroy the First Temple, initiating the Babylonian Exile. The exact location of David's tomb might have been lost or obscured during this period of destruction and upheaval.
538 BC
Return from Exile
Under Cyrus the Great of Persia, the Jewish exiles are permitted to return to Jerusalem and begin rebuilding the Temple. The city and its sacred sites, including the likely area of David's burial, are gradually re-established.
This is the psalm Peter is quoting from and arguing against its application to David, highlighting the contrast between David's death and the psalm's prophecy of resurrection.
Acts 13:36Paul uses a very similar argument, emphasizing that David 'fell asleep' and 'was laid to his fathers,' reinforcing the point that David himself did not experience resurrection.
1 Kings 2:10This verse records David's death and burial, providing the historical fact that Peter appeals to as evidence that David could not be the one the psalm was referring to.
Hebrews 7:4This passage also uses the term 'patriarch' for Abraham, showing it's a title of honor for great ancestors, which Peter also applies to David in his argument.
John 11:11-14Jesus speaks of Lazarus as having 'fallen asleep' in death, a euphemism for death that highlights the difference between a natural death and the miraculous resurrection Jesus would perform.
barnesActs 2:29: "Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day."
Men and brethren - This passage of the Psalms Peter now proves could not relate to David, but must have reference to the Messiah. He begins his argument in a respectful manner, addressing them as his brethren, though they had just charged him and the others with intoxication. Christians should use the usual respectful forms of salutatio…
vincentActs 2:29: "Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day."
Let me speak (ἐξὸν εἰπεῖν)Lit., it is permitted me. Rev., I may. It is allowable for him to speak, because the facts are notorious.Freely (μετὰ παῤῥησίας)Lit., with freedom. The latter word from πᾶν, all, and ῥῆσις, speech; speaking everything, and therefore without reserve.The patriarch (πατριάρχου)From ἄρχω, to begin, an…
Peter isn't just stating the obvious about David's death and burial; he's boldly highlighting that David's actual tomb was a known, tangible place in Jerusalem. This public, undeniable fact about David's continued presence in the grave is precisely what makes the Psalm's words about not seeing decay so powerfully point to someone else entirely: Jesus.
Peter is addressing the crowd after powerfully preaching about Jesus, citing Old Testament prophecies. He's demonstrating that the resurrection and exaltation of Jesus, not David, is what Psalm 16 is actually about. To do this, he first proves the Psalm can't apply to David himself by showing that David died and was buried, and his tomb was still a known landmark in Jerusalem.
Peter is addressing the crowd after powerfully preaching about Jesus, citing Old Testament prophecies. He's demonstrating that the resurrection and exaltation of Jesus, not David, is what Psalm 16 is actually about. To do this, he first proves the Psalm can't apply to David himself by showing that David died and was buried, and his tomb was still a known landmark in Jerusalem.
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Acts 2:29 is available in the Sola app.
c. 1st century BC - 1st century AD— this verse
Tradition of David's Tomb
By this time, the tomb of David is a well-known landmark in Jerusalem, often associated with Mount Zion. Its exact location may be debated or have legendary elements, but its existence as a place of reverence is widely acknowledged.
c. AD 30
Jesus' Crucifixion and Resurrection
Jesus of Nazareth is crucified and, according to Christian belief, resurrected on the third day. This event is central to Peter's sermon, as he argues that Psalm 16 could not refer to David but must refer to the Messiah.
c. AD 30-33— this verse
Peter's Pentecost Sermon
Shortly after Jesus' resurrection and ascension, Peter preaches to a crowd in Jerusalem, using the known facts of David's death and burial to argue that the prophetic words about the Messiah's resurrection could not have applied to David himself.
"“Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day." — Peter isn't just stating the obvious about David's death and burial; he's boldly highlighting that David's actual tomb was a known, tangible place in Jerusalem. This public, undeniable fact about D…
