Strong’s Greek 2707 names the attitude of the καταφρονηταί—those who look down on God’s revealed word with contempt. The idea is more than casual disregard; it is a willful, settled scorn that hardens the heart against the very warning meant to save it.

Old Testament Background

Paul’s use in Acts 13:41 echoes Habakkuk 1:5 (LXX), where the prophet warns Judah that unbelief will blind them to God’s astonishing work of judgment. The Septuagint employs the same noun to address exiles who derided the prophetic word. This backdrop links the term with covenant infidelity and the tragic irony of refusing divine mercy (compare Proverbs 1:24–32).

New Testament Occurrence

Acts 13:41: “Look, you scoffers, wonder and perish! For I am doing a work in your days, one you would never believe, even if someone told you.”

Paul, preaching in the synagogue of Pisidian Antioch, cites Habakkuk to warn his listeners that despising the gospel will place them under the same condemnation experienced by their forefathers. The single use underscores the seriousness of rejecting Jesus as Messiah after having received greater light (Acts 13:26, Acts 13:38–39).

Theological Significance

1. Evidence of Hardened Unbelief

The καταφρονηταί embody the deliberate rejection foretold by prophets (Isaiah 6:9–10; John 12:37–40). Their contempt is not intellectual doubt alone but a moral refusal to submit to God’s sovereignty.

2. Divine Response to Contempt

Scripture consistently shows that persistent scorn invites decisive judgment (Psalm 107:11–12; Hebrews 10:28–31). The quotation in Acts makes clear that the same God who surprised Judah with Babylon will astonish first-century Israel—and ultimately the whole world—through the resurrection and final return of Christ.

3. Gospel Urgency

Paul’s application turns Habakkuk’s oracle into an evangelistic plea. The gospel both fulfills the prophecy and escalates its stakes: rejecting the Risen Lord brings eternal loss, while believing secures forgiveness and justification (Acts 13:38–39).

Historical Insight

Early Christian writers saw Acts 13:41 as a paradigm for mission to Jewish and Gentile audiences alike. Chrysostom highlighted the pastoral wisdom of warning hearers with their own Scriptures. The term became a cautionary emblem in patristic homilies against heresy and apathy.

Implications for Preaching and Ministry

• Proclamation must include both promise and warning, following the apostolic pattern.
• Ministers should expect mixed responses: some will believe (Acts 13:48), others will despise (Acts 13:45). Faithfulness requires clarity, not accommodation.
• Congregations are exhorted to examine themselves, lest familiarity with Scripture breed contempt (James 1:22–24).
• Intercession remains vital; even scoffers can be transformed, as Paul himself once persecuted the faith he later proclaimed (1 Timothy 1:13–16).

Practical Application for Believers

• Cultivate reverence for God’s word through regular reading and obedient response (Psalm 119:11).
• Guard against cynical attitudes that trivialize spiritual truths, especially in times of cultural skepticism (2 Peter 3:3–4).
• Encourage one another daily so that none “may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness” (Hebrews 3:13).

Conclusion

Strong’s 2707 serves as a solemn reminder: contempt for divine revelation is neither new nor harmless. The single appearance in Acts crystallizes a timeless choice—scoff and perish, or believe and receive life.