Acts 3:4
in Acts 3Peter looked directly at him, as did John. “Look at us!” said Peter.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him, with John, said, Look on us.
KJV
And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.
⋯
This verse in Acts 3
Commentary
6 notes on this verseLook on us - He wished to excite and engage his attention that he might see what was done to produce his miraculous cure, and, it is likely, took this occasion to direct his faith to Jesus Christ. See note on Act 3:16 (note). Peter and John probably felt themselves suddenly drawn by the Holy Spirit to pronounce the healing name in behalf of this poor man.
This site's exposition
fastening his eyes upon him
on Acts 3:4-5
Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, says only Look on us, a command that demands the beggar's full attention before anything is given, and the bench notes the pattern runs opposite to ordinary almsgiving, where eyes are usually turned away. He gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them, still reading the moment by the only category he has, money, and the text leaves that expectation standing unanswered for one more verse before Peter corrects it. The delay is deliberate, building the man's attention toward a gift he has no word yet to expect.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
Their bearing marked them as certain devout and righteous men. And observe how John is everywhere silent, while Peter makes excuse for him also.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
John did so too, for they were both guided by one and the same Spirit, and concurred in this miracle; they said, Look on us. Our eye must be ever towards the Lord (the eye of our mind), and, in token of this, the eye of the body may properly be fixed on those whom he employs as the ministers of his grace.
And Peter fastening his eyes upon him,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Fastening his eyes - The word used here denotes “to look intently, or with fixed attention.” It is one of the special words which Luke uses (Luk 4:20; Luk 22:56; Act 1:10; Act 3:12; Act 6:15; Act 7:55; Act 10:4; etc.) 12 times in all. It is used by no other writer in the New Testament, except twice by Paul, 2Co 3:7, 2Co 3:13. Look on us - All this Was done to fix the attention. He wished to call the attention of the man distinctly to himself, and to what he was about to do. It was also done that the man might be fully apprised that his restoration to health came from him.
The words behind it
12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἀτενίσας | atenisas | Having looked intently | G816 → | 14 times |
| δὲ | de | now | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| Πέτρος | petros | Peter | G4074 → | 155 times |
| εἰς | eis | upon | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| αὐτὸν | auton | him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| σὺν | sun | with | G4862 → | 128 times |
| τῷ | to | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Ἰωάννῃ | ioanne | John | G2491 → | 134 times |
| εἶπεν· | eipen | he said; | G2036 → | 925 times |
| βλέψον | blepson | do look | G991 → | 132 times |
| εἰς | eis | unto | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| ἡμᾶς. | hemas | us. | G3165 → | 1936 times |
ἀτενίσαςHaving looked intently
atenisasG816 →14 times
δὲnow
deG1161 →2765 times
ΠέτροςPeter
petrosG4074 →155 times
εἰςupon
eisG1519 →1755 times
αὐτὸνhim
autonG846 →5565 times
σὺνwith
sunG4862 →128 times
τῷ<the>
toG3588 →19766 times
ἸωάννῃJohn
ioanneG2491 →134 times
εἶπεν·he said;
eipenG2036 →925 times
βλέψονdo look
blepsonG991 →132 times
εἰςunto
eisG1519 →1755 times
ἡμᾶς.us.
hemasG3165 →1936 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
John 11:40Jesus replied, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”
it leads to
- John 11:4
When Jesus heard this, He said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
- John 11:23–26
“Your brother will rise again,” Jesus told her.
- Romans 4:17–25
As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the presence of God, in whom he believed, the God who gives life to the dead…
- Psalms 63:2
So I have seen You in the sanctuary and beheld Your power and glory.
- John 1:14
The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
- John 11:4
Through
John 5:6When Jesus saw him lying there and realized that he had spent a long time in this condition, He asked him, “Do you want to get well?”
it leads to
- Luke 18:41
“What do you want Me to do for you?” “Lord,” he said, “let me see again.”
- Hebrews 4:15
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who was tempted in every way that we are, yet was without sin.
- Luke 18:41
Through
Acts 3:12And when Peter saw this, he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why are you surprised by this? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had…
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 3:5
Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim that anything comes from us, but our competence comes from God.
- 2 Corinthians 3:5
About Acts

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); J. A. Alexander, The Acts of the Apostles Explained; John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 8; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
