Acts 13:22

Context

This verse is part of the sermon that Paul preached on the Sabbath in the synagogue at Pisidian Antioch during his first missionary journey with Barnabas (Acts 13:16-41). Invited to offer a word of exhortation after the reading of the Law and the Prophets, Paul traces the history of Israel in sequence. He moves through the Exodus, the settlement in Canaan, and the period of the judges to the forty-year reign of Saul (v. 21); this verse then relates how God "removed" Saul and raised up David as king.

The words of God that Paul quotes are generally regarded as a combination of several Old Testament passages:

• "I have found David" closely resembles "I have found David my servant" in Psalm 89:20.
• "A man after mine own heart" comes from "a man after his own heart" in 1 Samuel 13:14.
• Some have noted that "which shall fulfil all my will" resembles the expression applied to Cyrus in Isaiah 44:28 ("shall perform all my pleasure").

In the following verse (v. 23), Paul states that of this man's seed God, according to His promise, raised up a Savior, Jesus. The verse therefore serves less as a statement about David himself than as a stepping stone in a sermon that moves toward Jesus.

Interpretation

• As a model of godliness: This is the reading most widely used in Korean church preaching. It holds that David's heart was in accord with God's heart and points as evidence to David's trust, his worship, and his sincere repentance after sinning (Psalm 51).
• As an expression of divine choice: Some Old Testament scholars hold that the Hebrew expression in 1 Samuel 13:14 is closer in meaning to "a man whom God chose according to His own desire." In this reading, the emphasis falls on God's sovereign choice rather than on David's character.
• As a Christ-centered text: Following the flow of Paul's sermon, this reading takes the heart of the verse to be God's faithfulness in fulfilling the messianic promise through the Davidic dynasty. It holds that the description of David as a king who "shall fulfil all my will" finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus, the Son of David.

These readings are not mutually exclusive and are sometimes combined within a single sermon.

Questions of Application

The verse is not the subject of sharp interpretive disagreement among denominations. A frequently raised question, however, is how David, who committed adultery and murder, could be called "a man after mine own heart." A common answer is that the phrase does not describe a blameless person but refers to an attitude of acknowledging sin and returning to God. Another answer, in line with the second reading above, is that the phrase expresses divine choice rather than an assessment of character. Some also point out that citing this verse as a qualification for church officers or leaders departs from its original context, which concerns the dynasty and the messianic promise.

In the Korean Church

The expression "a man after God's own heart" frequently appears in sermon titles, as a theme for youth groups and retreats, and in Bible studies on David.

Related Passages

• 1 Samuel 13:14
• 1 Samuel 15:23-24
• 1 Samuel 16:11-13
• Psalm 89:20
• Psalm 51:16-17