Acts 15:16 Meaning and Explanation
“After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up:”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Quoting the prophet Amos, James hears the promise of God to return and rebuild the fallen tabernacle of David, raising its ruins and setting it up again.
What Does Acts 15:16 Mean?
James quotes Amos 9:11. After long judgment, God promises to return and build again the tabernacle of David — the royal house that had fallen into ruin with the collapse of the kingdom — restoring its breaches and setting it upright once more.
The council hears in this promise what God has done in Jesus, the Son of David raised from the dead and enthroned as Lord (Acts 2:30-32). The kingdom did not end in rubble; God himself rebuilt it in Christ, and its doors now stand open wide. There is deep comfort here for whatever in our own lives lies fallen: the God of Amos and of Acts is a God who returns, rebuilds, and sets up again.
Acts 15:16 in the Original Language
skene (σκηνή), 'tabernacle' -- a tent or dwelling.
Frequently Asked Questions About Acts 15:16
What does Acts 15:16 mean?
Quoting the prophet Amos, James hears the promise of God to return and rebuild the fallen tabernacle of David, raising its ruins and setting it up again.