Acts 13:3
in Acts 13And after they had fasted and prayed, they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.
KJV
And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.
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This verse in Acts 13
Commentary
11 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
And when they had fasted - They were fasting when they were commanded to set them apart. Yet this probably refers to an appointed day of prayer, with reference to this very purpose. The first formal mission to the Gentiles was an important event in the church, and they engaged in this appointment with deep solemnity and with humbling themselves before God. And prayed - This enterprise was a new one.
This site's exposition
While they were worshiping the Lord
on Acts 13:2-3
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said to set apart Barnabas and Saul for the work. The Greek verb for worshiping is the word the Septuagint uses for the service of priests, and the call comes out of worship.
This site's exposition
they laid their hands on them
The verb sent off means released, the church letting go of two of its five teachers. Hands were laid on the seven at 6:6 in the same way, and on Joshua by Moses at Numbers 27:23. Paul's call itself dates from 9:15.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away." Seest thou what a great thing fasting is? A great, yes a great good is fasting: it is circumscribed by no limits. When need was to ordain, then they fast: and to them while fasting, the Spirit spake.
The Medieval Church2 voices
The Lord, upon appearing to Paul from heaven, said, "Go to Damascus, and you shall be told that you are my chosen vessel," because [the Lord] had established him as the herald of the gospel to all the world. Then Ananias said to him, when …
They ordained not as they did deacons, but "having laid hands on them" after preliminary fasting and prayer, so that from this one may conclude that Barnabas and Paul through such ordination received a higher hierarchical rank than that of deacons.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
This very thing is explained ch. xiv. 26 , where it is said, concerning Paul and Barnabas, that from Antioch they had been recommended to the grace of God for the work which they fulfilled.
), according to the directions received. When good men are going forth about good work, they ought to be solemnly and particularly prayed for, especially by their brethren that are their fellow-labourers and fellow-soldiers. They joined fasting with their prayers, as they did in their other ministrations,
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And when they had fasted and prayed,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
"Four reasons may have induced them to turn in first to this island: (1) Its nearness to the mainland; (2) It was the native place of Barnabas, and since the time when Andrew found his brother Simon, and brought him to Jesus, and "Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus," family ties had not been without effect on the progress of the Gospel.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them - 1. They fasted: this was probably done by the whole Church. 2. They prayed, that God would bless and prosper them in their work. 3. They land hands upon them; thus solemnly appointing them to that particular work. But was it by this fasting, praying, and imposition of hands that these men were qualified for this work? No. God had already called them to it, Act 13:2, and he who called them had qualified them. Both their call and their qualification came from God; but he chose that they should have also the sanction of that Church of which they had been members; and therefore he said, Separate me, etc. The ordination of elders among the Jews was by three persons; and here we find three, Simeon, Lucius, and Manaen, ordaining two others, Barnabas and Saul. But how did the Jews ordain? Not by imposition of hands: this is strictly forbidden, see Maimon. Sanh. chap. 4. “After what manner is the ordaining of elders for ever? Not that they should lay their hands on the head of an elder; but only that they should call him Rabbi, and say to him, Behold, thou art ordained, and hast power of judging, etc.” It is remarkable that the imposition of hands in the ordaining of elders was not used among the ancient Jews, probably never under the first temple; and rarely, if ever, under the second. See Lightfoot on this place. […]
The words behind it
10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| τότε | tote | Then | G5119 → | 160 times |
| νηστεύσαντες | nesteusantes | having fasted | G3522 → | |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| προσευξάμενοι | proseuxamenoi | having prayed | G4336 → | 85 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἐπιθέντες | epithentes | having laid | G2007 → | 38 times |
| τὰς | tas | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| χεῖρας | cheiras | hands | G5495 → | 175 times |
| αὐτοῖς | autois | on them | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ἀπέλυσαν.¶ | apelusan | they sent [them] off. | G630 → | 63 times |
τότεThen
toteG5119 →160 times
νηστεύσαντεςhaving fasted
nesteusantesG3522 →
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
προσευξάμενοιhaving prayed
proseuxamenoiG4336 →85 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐπιθέντεςhaving laid
epithentesG2007 →38 times
τὰςthe
tasG3588 →19766 times
χεῖραςhands
cheirasG5495 →175 times
αὐτοῖςon them
autoisG846 →5565 times
ἀπέλυσαν.¶they sent [them] off.
apelusanG630 →63 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
1 Timothy 4:14Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given you through the prophecy spoken over you at the laying on of the hands of the elders.
it leads to
- 2 Timothy 1:6
For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Timothy 1:6
Through
2 Timothy 2:2And the things that you have heard me say among many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be qualified to teach others as well.
it leads to
- 2 Timothy 1:13–14
Hold on to the pattern of sound teaching you have heard from me, with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
- 1 Timothy 4:6
By pointing out these things to the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, nourished by the words of faith and sound instruction that you have followed.
- 1 Timothy 6:12
Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made the good confession before many witnesses.
- Malachi 2:7
For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, because he is the messenger of the LORD of Hosts.
- Titus 1:5–9
The reason I left you in Crete was that you would set in order what was unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you.
- 2 Timothy 1:13–14
Through
Acts 13:2While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
it leads to
- Galatians 1:15
But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by His grace, was pleased
- Acts 9:15
“Go!” said the Lord. “This man is My chosen instrument to carry My name before the Gentiles and their kings, and before the people of Israel.
- Galatians 1:15
Where this verse is studied
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Studies21
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About Acts
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, On the Acts of the Apostles; J. A. Alexander, The Acts of the Apostles Explained; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentary upon the Acts of the Apostles; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 27; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Pseudo-Basil, AGAINST Eunomius 5 and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.