{That they should seek God} (Z(8874)ein ton theon).
Infinitive (present active) of purpose again. Seek him, not turn
away from him as the nations had done ( Ro 1:18-32 ). {If haply
they might feel after him} (ei ara ge ps(886c)aph(8873)eian auton).
First aorist active (Aeolic form) optative of ps(886c)apha(935c), old
verb from psa(935c), to touch. So used by the Risen Jesus in his
challenge to the disciples ( Lu 24:39 ), by the Apostle John of
his personal contact with Jesus ( 1Jo 1:1 ), of the contact with
Mount Sinai ( Heb 12:18 ). Here it pictures the blind groping of
the darkened heathen mind after God to "find him" (heuroien,
second aorist active optative) whom they had lost. One knows what
it is in a darkened room to feel along the walls for the door
( De 28:29  Job 5:14  12:25  Isa 59:10 ). Helen Keller, when told
of God, said that she knew of him already, groping in the dark
after him. The optative here with ei is due to the condition of
the fourth class (undetermined, but with vague hope of being
determined) with aim also present (Robertson, _Grammar_, p.
1021). Note also ara ge the inferential particle ara with the
delicate intensive particle ge. {Though he is not far from each
one of us} (kai ge ou makran apo henos hekastou h(886d)(936e)
huparchonta). More exactly with B L (kai ge instead of
kaitoi or kaitoi ge), "and yet being not far from each one of
us," a direct statement rather than a concessive one. The
participle huparchonta agrees with auton and the negative
ou rather than the usual me with the participle makes an
emphatic negative. Note also the intensive particle ge.