Acts 2:35 is Peter quoting Psalm 110:1 to show that the risen Jesus has been exalted to the place of honor and authority beside God, where he will reign until every opposing power is brought under his rule. The words come from Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost, spoken to a crowd of Jewish pilgrims in Jerusalem who had just watched the Holy Spirit arrive and who wanted to know what it all meant.
Until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”’
Acts 2:35 (WEB)
What Acts 2:35 Means
The verse begins with the words “until I make,” which tells you the picture is not one of a finished victory but of a process still under way. The image is of a king seated at the right hand of another king, waiting while his enemies are gradually placed beneath his feet. In the ancient world a conquered ruler might literally be made to set his foot on the neck of a defeated foe, so the footstool image carries the sense of complete and visible submission.
What the verse does not promise is a timetable or a list of which enemies are meant. Peter is not offering a calendar for the end of history, and he is not describing a political revolt against Rome. He is saying that the authority Jesus now holds is real and will not be finally challenged. The verse speaks of confidence in the outcome, not of a date when every question will be settled.
The Context of Acts 2:35
The book of Acts was written by Luke, the same author who wrote the Gospel bearing his name, and it is addressed to a man named Theophilus. Luke tells the story of how the message about Jesus moved from Jerusalem outward into the wider world. Chapter 2 is the first major sermon in that story, and it is preached to Jews gathered from many nations for the Feast of Pentecost.
Just before verse 35, Peter has argued that Jesus was raised from the dead and exalted to God’s right hand, and that the Spirit poured out at Pentecost is evidence of this. Verse 35 supports that claim by quoting David, whom his listeners honored as the author of the Psalms. Peter’s point is that David himself foresaw a king who would be seated in glory, and that the king is Jesus. Verse 36 then draws the conclusion that God has made this crucified man both Lord and Christ, which is why the hearers respond with conviction and ask what they should do.
Key Phrases in Acts 2:35
Psalm 110:1
The LORD says to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool for your feet.”
(WEB)
This is the psalm Peter quotes in Acts 2:35, and reading it in full shows the original promise that the Lord would make the king’s enemies his footstool. Seeing the source helps you understand why Peter appealed to David’s words.
Ephesians 1:20-22
20 Which he worked in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule, and authority, and power, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in that which is to come. 22 He put all things in subjection under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things for the assembly…
(WEB)
Paul uses the same imagery of Christ seated in heavenly places with all things placed under his feet. The passage shows how the early church came to see the exaltation of Jesus as a foundation for its understanding of his universal rule.
A Short Prayer From Acts 2:35
Lord Jesus, you are seated in the place of authority at the right hand of God, and nothing in heaven or on earth stands outside your rule. When the people and forces around me seem too strong, help me remember that you are patient and that your reign is secure. Give me the courage to live as one who belongs to you, and let my worries rest in the confidence that every opposing power will one day be brought low. Teach me to trust your timing and to keep following you in the meantime. Amen.
