· Translation: KJV

Acts 13:20After these things he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet.

The setting

Paul's systematic walk through Israel's history reaches the crucial transition from judges to kings...

The emotion here: building anticipation for his climactic announcement about Jesus

The original word

κριτάς (kritas) — judges, those who decide disputes and deliver from oppression

Why it matters

Samuel was both the last judge and the first prophet to anoint kings, bridging two eras

Read with care

What most readers miss in Acts 13:20

Paul stops at Samuel deliberately — Samuel anointed David, and Paul is about to announce Jesus as David's greater son

Common misconceptionPeople think this is just history, but Paul is carefully setting up the royal lineage that leads directly to Jesus as the ultimate King.

Bible Genome reading

Acts 13:20 — Bible Genome reading

SpeakerPaul
Eraearly_church
Primary emotionworship
Literary typenarrative

Emotional genome

Comfort power55%
Quotability40%
Memorability50%
Crisis relevance35%
Standalone25%
Themes:leadershipguidance

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open Acts 13

Acts 13:20 comes from the book of Acts, written during the early_church period. These words are attributed to Paul. The dominant emotion in this verse is worship, with a comfort power of 55% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include leadership, guidance. Notable phrases: gave judges; Samuel prophet.

Your reflection

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