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Acts 14:8

in Acts 14

In Lystra there sat a man crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth and had never walked.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And at Lystra there sat a certain man, impotent in his feet, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who never had walked.

KJV

And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother’s womb, who never had walked:

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This verse in Acts 14

Commentary

11 notes on this verse

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

Impotent in his feet - Αδυνατος τοις ποσιν, He had no muscular power, and probably his ancle bones were dislocated; or he had what is commonly termed club feet; this is the more likely, as he is said to have been lame from his mother’s womb, and to have never walked.

This site's exposition

impotent in his feet

on Acts 14:8-10

There sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, a cripple from his mother's womb who never had walked, the case as hopeless as the lame man Peter heals at the temple gate in 3:2, a deliberate parallel the book draws between the two apostles. Paul, stedfastly beholding him and perceiving that he had faith to be healed, speaks with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet, and the man leaped and walked, the healing instant and complete before witnesses. The bench reads Paul's discernment of the man's faith as a gift exercised in the moment, not a formula he carried from city to city.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers2 voices

A commentator

John Chrysostom

Homily on Acts 30 · Written in the 5th century.

proposed

"And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked: the same heard Paul speak: who steadfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed, said with a loud voice" - why with a loud voice? that the multitude should believe - "Stand upright on thy feet." But observe, he gave heed, it says, to the things spoken by Paul. Do you mark the elevation of the man's mind? He was nothing defeated by his lameness for earnestness of hearing. "Who fixing his eyes upon him, and perceiving," it says, "that he had faith to be made whole." He was already predisposed in purpose of mind.

A commentator

John Chrysostom

Homily on Acts 30 · Written in the 5th century.

proposed

And yet in the case of the others, it was the reverse: for first receiving healing in their bodies, they were then taken in hand for cure of their souls, but this man not so. It seems to me, that Paul saw into his soul. "And he leaped," it says, "and walked." It was a proof of his perfect cure, the leaping.

The Medieval Church1 voice

A commentator

Bede

Commentary on Acts · Written before 735.

proposed

And a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, sat, etc. Just as that lame man whom Peter and John healed at the gate of the temple prefigures the salvation of the Jews, so also this sick man of Lycaonia, a people far removed …

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

Herein the scripture was fulfilled, that when the wilderness of the Gentile world is made to blossom as the rose then shall the lame man leap as a hart, Isa. xxxv. Those that by the grace of God are cured of their spiritual lameness must show it by leaping with a holy exultation and walking in a holy conversation.

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

That introduced the gospel among the Jews, this among the Gentiles; both that and this were designed to represent the impotency of all the children of men in spiritual things: they are lame from their birth, till the grace of God puts strength into them; for it was when we were yet without strength that Christ died for the ungodly, Rom. v. 6 .
4 more voices on this verse

The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices

And there sat a certain man at Lystra,....

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

The outrage of the people against Paul, at the instigation of the Jews, the effect of which was that they stoned him, as they thought, to death; but he was wonderfully restored to life,

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

It was well known that he had been so from his mother's womb, and that he never had walked, nor could stand up. We should take occasion hence to thank God for the use of our limbs; and those who are deprived of it may observe that their case is not singular.

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

And there sat - There dwelt, Mat 9:16; Act 18:11 (margin). The word “sat,” however, indicates his usual posture, his helpless condition. Such persons commonly sat by the wayside, or in some public place, to ask for alms, Mar 10:46. Impotent in his feet - ἀδύνατος adunatos. Without any power. Entirely deprived of the use of his feet. Being a cripple - Lame. Who never had walked - The miracle, therefore, would be more remarkable, as the man would be well known. As they were persecuted from place to place, and opposed in every manner, it was desirable that a signal miracle should be performed to carry forward and establish the work of the gospel.

The words behind it

17 Greek words

Every 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.

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

9 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Acts 3:2And a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those entering the temple courts.8 worksJohn 5:5One man there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years.7 worksActs 4:9If we are being examined today about a kind service to a man who was lame, to determine how he was healed,3 worksJohn 5:3–5On these walkways lay a great number of the sick, the blind, the lame, and the paralyzed.3 worksJohn 9:1–2Now as Jesus was passing by, He saw a man blind from birth,3 worksJohn 5:7“Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am on my way, someone else goes in before me.”3 works
The other 3 cross-references, with their words ▾
Acts 14:21They preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch,2 worksActs 9:33There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been paralyzed and bedridden for eight years.2 worksMark 9:21Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has this been with him?” “From childhood,” he said.2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each 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

    John 5:7

    “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am on my way, someone else goes in before me.”

    it leads to

    • Psalms 72:12

      For he will deliver the needy who cry out and the afflicted who have no helper.

    • Deuteronomy 32:36

      For the LORD will vindicate His people and have compassion on His servants when He sees that their strength is gone and no one remains, slave or free.

    • 1 Corinthians 9:24

      Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way as to take the prize.

    • Psalms 142:4

      Look to my right and see; no one attends to me. There is no refuge for me; no one cares for my soul.

    • 2 Corinthians 1:8–10

      We do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the hardships we encountered in the province of Asia. We were under a burden far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired…

  • Through

    Acts 3:2

    And a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those entering the temple courts.

    it leads to

    • John 9:8

      At this, his neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging began to ask, “Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?”

    • Luke 16:20

      And a beggar named Lazarus lay at his gate, covered with sores

  • Through

    Acts 4:9

    If we are being examined today about a kind service to a man who was lame, to determine how he was healed,

    it leads to

    • Acts 3:7

      Taking him by the right hand, Peter helped him up, and at once the man’s feet and ankles were made strong.

Where this verse is studied

On this page

Studies1

About Acts

The Ascension, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
The Ascension, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Acts: the study guide →Read Acts 14 →

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; John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 30; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in Acts 14 →