Acts 13:36

“For David, after he had served his own generation, etc.] Or the men of that age and generation in which he lived, the subjects of his kingdom; by governing them with wholesome laws, protecting them in their rights and properties, defending them against their enemies, and regulating and promoting the worship of God among them: by the will of God; this clause may be read in connection with the preceding words, as it is in the Syriac version thus, “after he had in his own age served the will of God”; acted according to it, fulfilled it, and did what the Lord declared to him, or he knew to be the will of God; or with the following words, as in the Vulgate Latin version, “by the will of God fell…”

“For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God--rather, "served," in his own generation, the will (or "counsel") of God; yielding himself an instrument for the accomplishment of God's high designs, and in this respect being emphatically "the man after God's own heart." This done, he "fell asleep, and was gathered to his fathers, and saw corruption." David, therefore (argues the apostle), could not be the subject of his own prediction, which had its proper fulfilment only in the resurrection of the uncorrupted body of the Son of God, emphatically God's "Holy One."”

“For David ... - This verse is designed to show that the passage in Psalms 16:1-11; could not refer to David, and must therefore relate to some other person. In Acts 13:37 it is affirmed that this could refer to no one, in fact, but to the Lord Jesus. After he had served his own generation - See the margin. Syriac, “David in his own generation having served the will of God, and slept,” etc. Arabic, “David served in his own age, and saw God.” The margin probably most correctly expresses the sense of the passage. To serve a generation, or an age, is an unusual and almost unintelligible expression. Fell on sleep - Greek: “slept,” that is, “died.” This is the usual word to denote “the death of…”

“David, having served the will of God in his generation, fell asleep - So his service extended not itself beyond the bounds of the common age of man: but the service of the Messiah to all generations, as his kingdom to all ages. Served the will of God - Why art thou here thou who art yet in the world? Is it not that thou also mayest serve the will of God? Art thou serving it now? Doing all his will? And was added to his fathers - Not only in body. This expression refers to the soul also, and supposes the immortality of it. Acts 13:39”

“served: etc. or, in his own age served the will of God, Act 13:22; Ch1 11:2, Ch1 13:2-4, Ch1 15:12-16, Ch1 15:25-29, Ch1 18:14, 22:1-29:30; Psa 78:71, Psa 78:72 fell: Act 7:60; Sa2 7:12; Kg1 2:10; Co1 15:6, Co1 15:18; Th1 4:13 and was: Act 2:29; Ch1 17:11; Ch2 9:31, Ch2 12:16, Ch2 21:1, Ch2 26:23 and saw: Gen 3:19; Job 17:14, Job 19:26, Job 19:27, Job 21:26; Psa 49:9, Psa 49:14; Joh 11:39; Co1 15:42-44, Co1 15:53, Co1 15:54 Acts 13:37”