Acts 1:20 (WEB)

Passage

For it is written in the book of Psalms, ‘Let his habitation be made desolate. Let no one dwell therein;’Psalm 69:25 and, ‘Let another take his office.’Psalm 109:8

Nearby Context

Acts 1:18 Now this man obtained a field with the reward for his wickedness, and falling headlong, his body burst open, and all his intestines gushed out.

Acts 1:19 It became known to everyone who lived in Jerusalem that in their language that field was called ‘Akeldama,’ that is, ‘The field of blood.’

Acts 1:20 For it is written in the book of Psalms, ‘Let his habitation be made desolate. Let no one dwell therein;’Psalm 69:25 and, ‘Let another take his office.’Psalm 109:8

Acts 1:21 “Of the men therefore who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,

Acts 1:22 beginning from the baptism of John, to the day that he was received up from us, of these one must become a witness with us of his resurrection.”

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "written", "book", "psalms", "habitation", "desolate", "dwell", and "therein". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "written" and "book", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 19's "It became known to everyone who lived..." into verse 21's "Of the men therefore who have accompanied...", so "written" and "book" belong inside that flow. In Acts context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "written" and "book" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.