Acts 13:16
in Acts 13Paul stood up, motioned with his hand, and began to speak: “Men of Israel and you Gentiles who fear God, listen to me!
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Paul stood up, and beckoning with the hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, hearken:
KJV
Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience.
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This verse in Acts 13
Commentary
9 notes on this versePaul preaches here for the first time, and see with what prudence: those places where the discussion concerns God the Word, he passes over and stops at places that did not mention the seed of David, as he himself says when writing to the Romans: …
This site's exposition
motioned with his hand
on Acts 13:16-17
Paul stood up and motioned with his hand, as again at 21:40. He addresses the men of Israel and you Gentiles who fear God, Gentiles who attended the synagogue without full conversion. Both audiences are named before the sermon turns to the Gentiles.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
Behold Barnabas giving place to Paul - how should it be otherwise? - to him whom he brought from Tarsus; just as we find John on all occasions giving way to Peter: and yet Barnabas was more looked up to than Paul: true, but they had an eye only to the common advantage. "Then Paul stood up," it says - this was a custom of the Jews - "and beckoned with his hand." And see how he prepares the way beforehand for his discourse: having first praised them, and showed his great regard for them in the words, "ye that fear God," he so begins his discourse. And he says not, Ye proselytes, since it was a term of disadvantage. "The God of this people chose our fathers: and the people" - See, he calls God Himself their God peculiarly, Who is the common God of men; and shows how great from the first were His benefits, just as Stephen does. This they do to teach them, that now also God has acted after the same custom, in sending His own Son; as Christ Himself does in the parable of the vineyard - "And the people," he says, "He exalted when it sojourned in the land of Egypt" - and yet the contrary was the case: true, but they increased in numbers; moreover, the miracles were wrought on their account: "and with an high arm brought He them out of it." Of these things (the wonders) which were done in Egypt, the prophets are continually making mention.
Here Paul first preaches in Antioch of Pisidia. He would enter the synagogues in the appearance of a Jew so as not to be driven away, and therefore everything succeeded.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Then Paul stood up,....
The preaching of the gospel to the Gentiles at their request, and upon the Jews' refusal of it, wherein the apostles justified themselves against the displeasure which the Jews conceived at it, and God owned them,
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Men of Israel - Ye that are Jews by birth; and ye that fear God - ye that are proselytes to the Jewish religion. In this discourse Paul proves that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, sent from God, not only for the salvation of the Jews, but of the whole human race. And this he does, not with the rhetorician’s arts, but in a plain, simple detail of the history of Christ, and the most remarkable transactions of the people of God, which referred to his manifestation in the flesh. Rosenmuller.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Men of Israel, and ye that fear God--by the latter expression meaning religious proselytes, who united with the Jews in all acts of ordinary worship. and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in Egypt--by marvellous interpositions for them in their deepest depression.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Men of Israel - Jews. The design of this discourse of Paul was to introduce to them the doctrine that Jesus was the Messiah. To do this, he evinced his usual wisdom and address. To have commenced at once on this would have probably excited their prejudice and rage. He therefore pursued a train of argument which showed that he was a firm believer in the Scriptures; that he was acquainted with the history and promises of the Old Testament; and that he was not disposed to call in question the doctrines of their fathers. The passage which had been read had probably given occasion for him to pursue this train of thought. By going over, in a summary way, their history, and recounting the former dealings of God with them, he showed them that he believed the Scriptures; that a promise had been given of a Messiah; and that he had actually come according to the promise. Ye that fear God - Probably proselytes of the gate, who had not yet been circumcised, but who had renounced idolatry, and were accustomed to worship with them in their synagogues. Give audience - Hear.
The words behind it
16 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ἀναστὰς | anastas | Having risen up | G450 → | 107 times |
| δὲ | de | then | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| Παῦλος | paulos | Paul | G3972 → | 158 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| κατασείσας | kataseisas | having made a sign | G2678 → | 4 times |
| τῇ | tea | with the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| χειρὶ | cheiri | hand | G5495 → | 175 times |
| εἶπεν· | eipen | he said; | G2036 → | 925 times |
| ἄνδρες | andres | Men | G435 → | 216 times |
| Ἰσραηλῖται | israelitai | Israelites | G2475 → | 9 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| οἱ | hoi | you who [are] | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| φοβούμενοι | phoboumenoi | fearing | G5399 → | 95 times |
| τὸν | ton | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θεόν, | theon | God, | G2316 → | 1312 times |
| ἀκούσατε. | akousate | do listen. | G191 → | 425 times |
ἈναστὰςHaving risen up
anastasG450 →107 times
δὲthen
deG1161 →2765 times
ΠαῦλοςPaul
paulosG3972 →158 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
κατασείσαςhaving made a sign
kataseisasG2678 →4 times
τῇwith the
teaG3588 →19766 times
χειρὶhand
cheiriG5495 →175 times
εἶπεν·he said;
eipenG2036 →925 times
ἄνδρεςMen
andresG435 →216 times
ἸσραηλῖταιIsraelites
israelitaiG2475 →9 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
οἱyou who [are]
hoiG3588 →19766 times
φοβούμενοιfearing
phoboumenoiG5399 →95 times
τὸν<the>
tonG3588 →19766 times
θεόν,God,
theonG2316 →1312 times
ἀκούσατε.do listen.
akousateG191 →425 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Acts 10:2He and all his household were devout and God-fearing. He gave generously to the people and prayed to God regularly.
it leads to
- Matthew 7:7–8
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.
- Acts 10:4
Cornelius stared at him in fear and asked, “What is it, Lord?” The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have ascended as a memorial offering before God.
- Acts 10:22
“Cornelius the centurion has sent us,” they said. “He is a righteous and God-fearing man with a good reputation among the whole Jewish nation. A holy angel instructed him to request your presence in…
- Matthew 7:7–8
Through
Acts 22:22The crowd listened to Paul until he made this statement. Then they lifted up their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of him! He is not fit to live!”
it leads to
- Acts 25:24
Then Festus said, “King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you see this man. The whole Jewish community has petitioned me about him, both here and in Jerusalem, crying out that he…
- Acts 21:36
For the crowd that followed him kept shouting, “Away with him!”
- Acts 25:24
Through
Acts 12:17Peter motioned with his hand for silence, and he described how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. “Send word to James and to the brothers,” he said, and he left for…
it leads to
- Acts 21:40
Having received permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd. A great hush came over the crowd, and he addressed them in Hebrew:
- Acts 19:33
The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander forward to explain himself, and he motioned for silence so he could make his defense to the people.
- Acts 21:40
Through
Acts 13:26Brothers, children of Abraham, and you Gentiles who fear God, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent.
it leads to
- Luke 1:77
to give to His people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins,
- Luke 1:77
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies17
About Acts
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on Acts; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 29; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on Acts and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.