Acts 13:5
in Acts 13When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. And John was with them as their helper.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And when they were at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John as their attendant.
KJV
And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John to their minister.
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This verse in Acts 13
Commentary
10 notes on this verseA commentator
Dionysius of AlexandriaContaining Various Sections of the Works, On the Authorship of Revelation · Written before 264.
There is, besides, another John mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles, with the surname Mark, whom Barnabas and Paul attached to themselves as companion, and of whom again it is said: "And they had also John to their minister." But whether this is the …
This site's exposition
they had also John to their minister
At Salamis they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews, the pattern Paul will keep at every stop of his travels, entering the synagogue first wherever one stood. They had also John to their minister, John Mark serving in an attendant's role, likely handling practical arrangements rather than preaching himself. The word rendered minister is used elsewhere of a synagogue attendant and of an officer's assistant, a supporting role that makes his departure at Perga in verse thirteen a larger disappointment than a reader might first weigh it.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
"And when they were come to Salamis," the metropolis of Cyprus, "they preached the word of God." They had spent a year in Antioch: it behooved that they should go hither also (to Cyprus) and not sit permanently where they were (the converts in Cyprus): needed greater teachers. See too how they remain no time in Seleucia, knowing that (the people there) might have reaped much benefit from the neighboring city (of Antioch): but they hasten on to the more pressing duties. When they came to the metropolis of the island, they were earnest to disabuse the proconsul.
As soon as they were ordained they went forth, and hasted to Cyprus, that being a place where was no ill-design hatching against them, and where moreover the Word had been sown already. In Antioch there were (teachers) enough, and Phoenice too was near to Palestine; but Cyprus not so. However, you are not to make a question of the why and wherefore, when it is the Spirit that directs their movements: for they were not only ordained by the Spirit, but sent forth by Him likewise. "And when they were come to Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews." Do you mark how they make a point of preaching the word to them first?
The Medieval Church1 voice
They preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. Due to ignorance of the places, I believed it should be noted once: Wherever you see a synagogue of the Jews, know that occurrences in the city are described.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And when they were at Salamis,....
The heads of a sermon which Paul preached to the Jews at Antioch in Pisidia, in their synagogue, which is given us as a specimen of what they usually preached to the Jews, and the method they took with them,
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
And when they were at Salamis - This was the principal city and seaport of Cyprus. It was situated on the southeast part of the island, and was afterward called Constantia. In the synagogues of the Jews - Jews were living in all the countries adjacent to Judea, and in those countries they had synagogues. The apostles uniformly preached first to them. And they had also John to their minister - John Mark, Act 12:12. He was their attendant, yet not pretending to be equal to them in circe. They had been specifically designated to this work.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
At this busy mercantile port immense numbers of Jews were settled, which accounts for what is here said, that they had more than one synagogue, in which Barnabas and Saul preached, while other cities had one only. they had . . . John--Mark. to their minister--"for their officer". With what fruit they preached here is not said.
Salamis - The capital of the island of Cyprus; afterwards called Constantia, and now Salina, situated on the eastern part of the island. They preached the word of God - Τον λογον, The doctrine of God, the Christian religion, emphatically so called. They had also John to their minister - This was John Mark, of whom we heard, Act 12:25; for their minister, ὑπηρετην, to assist them in minor offices, as deacon or servant, that they might give themselves wholly to the doctrine of the Lord.
The words behind it
19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| γενόμενοι | genomenoi | having come | G1096 → | 667 times |
| ἐν | en | into | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| Σαλαμῖνι | salamini | Salamis | G4529 → | |
| κατήγγελλον | katengellon | they were proclaiming | G2605 → | 17 times |
| τὸν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| λόγον | logon | word | G3056 → | 329 times |
| τοῦ | tou | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θεοῦ | theou | of God | G2316 → | 1312 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| ταῖς | tais | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| συναγωγαῖς | sunagogais | synagogues | G4864 → | 56 times |
| τῶν | ton | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Ἰουδαίων· | ioudaion | Jews; | G2453 → | 192 times |
| εἶχον | eichon | They had | G2192 → | 707 times |
| δὲ | de | now | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| καὶ | kai | also | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| Ἰωάννην | ioannen | John [as] | G2491 → | 134 times |
| ὑπηρέτην.¶ | hupereten | a helper. | G5257 → | 20 times |
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
γενόμενοιhaving come
genomenoiG1096 →667 times
ἐνinto
enG1722 →2738 times
ΣαλαμῖνιSalamis
salaminiG4529 →
κατήγγελλονthey were proclaiming
katengellonG2605 →17 times
τὸνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
λόγονword
logonG3056 →329 times
τοῦ<the>
touG3588 →19766 times
θεοῦof God
theouG2316 →1312 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
ταῖςthe
taisG3588 →19766 times
συναγωγαῖςsynagogues
sunagogaisG4864 →56 times
τῶνof the
tonG3588 →19766 times
Ἰουδαίων·Jews;
ioudaionG2453 →192 times
εἶχονThey had
eichonG2192 →707 times
δὲnow
deG1161 →2765 times
καὶalso
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἸωάννηνJohn [as]
ioannenG2491 →134 times
ὑπηρέτην.¶a helper.
huperetenG5257 →20 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 14:1At Iconium, Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue, where they spoke so well that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed.
it leads to
- Acts 18:4
Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks alike.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Acts 18:4
Through
Acts 13:46Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “It was necessary to speak the word of God to you first. But since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we…
it leads to
- Acts 28:28
Be advised, therefore, that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!”
- Matthew 21:43
Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.
- Acts 18:5–6
And when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself fully to the word, testifying to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ.
- Acts 26:20
First to those in Damascus and Jerusalem, then to everyone in the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I declared that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds worthy of…
- Romans 2:10
but glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does good, first for the Jew, then for the Greek.
- Acts 28:28
Through
Acts 9:20Saul promptly began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, declaring, “He is the Son of God.”
it leads to
- John 20:28
Thomas replied, “My Lord and my God!”
- John 20:28
Through
Acts 13:14And from Perga, they traveled inland to Pisidian Antioch, where they entered the synagogue on the Sabbath and sat down.
it leads to
- Acts 16:13
On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate along the river, where it was customary to find a place of prayer. After sitting down, we spoke to the women who had gathered there.
- Acts 16:13
Where this verse is studied
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, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Commentary on Acts; Dionysius of Alexandria, Containing Various Sections of the Works, On the Authorship of Revelation; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 28; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.