Acts 4:29
in Acts 4And now, Lord, consider their threats, and enable Your servants to speak Your word with complete boldness,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And now, Lord, look upon their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants to speak thy word with all boldness,
KJV
And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,
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This verse in Acts 4
Commentary
8 notes on this verse"And now… look upon." Notice: they did not say "strike them down and overthrow them," but what did they say? "Look upon their threats, and grant to Your servants to speak Your word with all boldness…"
This site's exposition
grant unto thy servants
on Acts 4:29-31
And now, Lord, behold their threatenings, and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word: the church's prayer under threat asks not for the threat's removal but for boldness to keep speaking in spite of it, a request the bench notes is answered before the sentence is finished. By stretching forth thine hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus asks for more of the very activity that had brought the threat in the first place, the church choosing more exposure to danger over safety. When they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness: the shaking answers the prayer visibly, and boldness, the thread running from 4:13 through the whole book, is named again as the direct fruit of the Spirit's filling.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
"And now, Lord, regard their threatenings." As at that time, it is said, they "imagined vain things," so "now," grant that their imaginations may be in vain: i.e. let not their threatenings come into accomplishment. And this they said not because they would themselves deprecate any hardship, but for the preaching's sake. For they do not say, "and deliver us out of dangers;" but what? "And grant unto Thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak Thy word." Thou Who didst bring to pass the former designs, bring these also to accomplishment. Observe, how they affirm God to be the Author of their confidence; and how they ask all for God's sake, nothing for their own glory or ambition. They promise for their own part, that they will not be dismayed.
See how complete is this prayer and how fitting to the occasions of the times. For when they said, "You, Lord, knower of all hearts," (Acts 1:24) there was indeed a need of foreknowledge. But here, since it was necessary to stop the mouths of …
Observe their largeness of mind. These are not words of imprecation. In saying, "their threatenings," they do not mean this or that thing specifically threatened, but only in general, the fact of their threatening, perhaps, as being formidable. In fact, the writer is concise in his narrative. And observe, they do not say, "Crush them, cast them down;" but what? "And grant unto Thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak Thy word." Let us also learn thus to pray. And yet how full of wrath one would be, when fallen among men intent upon killing him, and making threats to that effect? how full of animosity? But not so these saints.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And now, Lord, behold their threatenings,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Behold their threatenings - So look upon them as to grant us deliverance. They did not purpose to abandon their undertaking; they resolved to persevere; and they expected that this purpose would involve them in danger. With this purpose they implored the protection of God; they asked that he would not suffer them to be deterred from speaking boldly; and they sought that constant additional proof might be granted of the presence and power of God to confirm the truth of their message.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
And now, Lord, behold their threatenings - It is not against us, but against thee, that they conspire: it is not to prevent the success of our preaching, but to bring to nought thy counsel: the whole of their enmity is against thee. Now, Lord, look upon it; consider this. And grant unto thy servants - While we are endeavoring to fulfill thy counsels, and can do nothing without thee, sustain our courage, that we may proclaim thy truth with boldness and irresistible power.
The words behind it
21 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 |
| τὰ | ta | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| νῦν, | nun | now, | G3568 → | 145 times |
| κύριε, | kurie | Lord, | G2962 → | 711 times |
| ἔπιδε | epide | do look | G1896 → | |
| ἐπὶ | epi | upon | G1909 → | 883 times |
| τὰς | tas | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀπειλὰς | apeilas | threats | G547 → | |
| αὐτῶν | auton | of them | G846 → | 5565 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| δὸς | dos | do grant | G1325 → | 412 times |
| τοῖς | tois | to the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δούλοις | doulois | servants | G1401 → | 129 times |
| σου | sou | of You | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| μετὰ | meta | with | G3326 → | 461 times |
| παρρησίας | parresias | boldness | G3954 → | 31 times |
| πάσης | pases | all | G3956 → | 1235 times |
| λαλεῖν | lalein | to speak | G2980 → | 294 times |
| τὸν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| λόγον | logon | word | G3056 → | 329 times |
| σου | sou | of You | G4771 → | 2973 times |
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
τὰ<the>
taG3588 →19766 times
νῦν,now,
nunG3568 →145 times
κύριε,Lord,
kurieG2962 →711 times
ἔπιδεdo look
epideG1896 →
ἐπὶupon
epiG1909 →883 times
τὰςthe
tasG3588 →19766 times
ἀπειλὰςthreats
apeilasG547 →
αὐτῶνof them
autonG846 →5565 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
δὸςdo grant
dosG1325 →412 times
τοῖςto the
toisG3588 →19766 times
δούλοιςservants
douloisG1401 →129 times
σουof You
souG4771 →2973 times
μετὰwith
metaG3326 →461 times
παρρησίαςboldness
parresiasG3954 →31 times
πάσηςall
pasesG3956 →1235 times
λαλεῖνto speak
laleinG2980 →294 times
τὸνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
λόγονword
logonG3056 →329 times
σουof You
souG4771 →2973 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 4:13When they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they marveled and took note that these men had been with Jesus.
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 1:27
But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.
- John 7:15
The Jews were amazed and asked, “How did this man attain such learning without having studied?”
- Matthew 11:25
At that time Jesus declared, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.
- 1 Corinthians 1:27
Through
Acts 4:31After they had prayed, their meeting place was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
it leads to
- Matthew 21:22
If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”
- Acts 2:4
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
- Acts 2:2
Suddenly a sound like a mighty rushing wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.
- Isaiah 65:24
Even before they call, I will answer, and while they are still speaking, I will hear.
- Matthew 21:22
Through
2 Timothy 4:17But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message would be fully proclaimed, and all the Gentiles would hear it. So I was delivered from the mouth of…
it leads to
- 1 Peter 5:8
Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
- 1 Peter 5:8
Where this verse is studied
About Acts
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Acts of the Apostles; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 11; 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.