“"For it is written in the Book of Psalms, "' May his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it'; and "'Let another take his office.'”
Introduction
Acts 1:20 records Peter’s appeal to Scripture as he explains why Judas Iscariot’s betrayal and death required that another be appointed to the apostolic band. In a brief quotation from the Psalms he says, “May his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it; and ‘Let another take his office.’” The verse captures how the early church read the Hebrew Scriptures as a lens for understanding present events and for guiding communal decisions.
Historical-Cultural Context and Authorship
The Book of Acts is traditionally attributed to Luke, a physician and companion of Paul, written to a primarily Gentile Christian audience to describe the birth and spread of the early church after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension. Acts 1 situates the apostles in Jerusalem, gathered after the ascension, praying and deciding how to restore the Twelve after Judas’ defection. Peter’s citation brings together two Old Testament passages (commonly identified as Psalm 69:25 and Psalm 109:8) in a typological reading: the Psalms are invoked not as direct prophecy in the narrow sense but as Scripture whose language and themes are applied to explain God’s purposes and the moral reality of Judas’ betrayal. In first-century Jewish interpretive practice it was common to see the Scriptures as authoritative for making sense of current events and for shaping communal actions.
Characters and Places
- Judas Iscariot: the disciple who betrayed Jesus and whose subsequent death creates a vacancy among the Twelve.
- Peter: the leading spokesman among the apostles in this moment, who interprets Scripture for the group.
- The remaining apostles (the Eleven) and those gathered: they participate in prayer and the discernment process.
- Matthias: named later in Acts 1 as the man chosen to fill Judas’ place (Acts 1:26).
- Jerusalem (including the upper room and the nearby Mount of Olives): the immediate setting of the apostles’ gathering and decision.
- The Book of Psalms: the scriptural source Peter quotes to interpret the situation.
Explanation and Meaning of the Text
Peter’s quotation weaves together two psalm lines that express lament and a desire for divine justice against the wicked. “May his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it” evokes the ruination of a household or group associated with a wicked person; “Let another take his office” (from a different psalm) is read as a demand for the restoration of rightful order. In Acts this union of texts functions to explain why the apostles should seek a replacement: Judas, having betrayed his office and met a tragic end, cannot remain among those entrusted with the witness to the risen Lord.
This verse illustrates several theological points the early church embraced. First, Scripture serves as the church’s interpretive frame: passages from the Psalms are applied to contemporary events to discern God’s will. Second, the apostolic office is treated as a responsibility tied to faithfulness; when one who holds office falls into betrayal, the community must repair the visible continuity of witness. Third, there is a balance between divine sovereignty and human responsibility: Judas’ actions are culpable (he betrayed Jesus), yet the community also recognizes God’s providential use of that failure within the unfolding plan of mission. Finally, the passage models how believers should use Scripture—with reverence and prayerful discernment—to guide communal decisions, always mindful of justice, repentance, and the mission entrusted to the church.
Devotional
When I read Peter’s words I feel both sobered and comforted: sobered by the reality that those closest to Jesus could fall, and comforted that God’s loving purposes are not thwarted by human failure. This passage invites honest self-examination—are there loyalties, fears, or compromises that might lead me away from faithful witness? It also calls me back to Scripture and prayer as the proper means to discern God’s way forward when the community is wounded.
At the same time, Acts 1:20 encourages trust in God’s faithful mission. Even amid failure, the church prays, seeks God’s guidance, and takes steps to restore order for the sake of the gospel. May we, like the early believers, respond to disappointment with prayerful action, trusting that God can redeem brokenness and continue the work of reconciliation and witness through those who remain faithful.