Acts 5:16
in Acts 5Crowds also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those tormented by unclean spirits, and all of them were healed.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And there also came together the multitude from the cities round about Jerusalem, bringing sick folk, and them that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.
KJV
There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.
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This verse in Acts 5
Commentary
9 notes on this verseSick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits - Here it is evident that sick people are distinguished from those who were vexed with unclean spirits; and therefore they were not one and the same thing. The same distinction is made Mat 4:24; Mat 10:1; Mar 1:32, Mar 1:34; Mar 16:17, Mar 16:18; and Luk 4:40, Luk 4:41; Luk 7:21.
This site's exposition
people brought the sick
on Acts 5:15-16
The sick are laid in the streets for Peter's shadow to fall on them, and all brought from the towns around Jerusalem were healed. The healing is the Lord's, as at the temple gate, where Peter healed in the name of Jesus (3:6).
This site's exposition
tormented by unclean spirits
Clarke notes that Luke lists the sick apart from those troubled by unclean spirits, as the Gospels also do. Barnes adds that the crowds came drawn by Peter's miracles as they once came to Jesus, and that every one was healed. Chrysostom sees their life woven of sorrow and joy.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them that were vexed with unclean spirits; and they were healed every one." And now I would have you observe the way in which their whole life is interwoven. First there was despondency on account of Christ taken from them, and then came joy because of the Spirit descending upon them; again, dejection because of the scoffers, and then joy in the result of their own apology. And here again we find both dejection and gladness. In that they were become conspicuous, and that God made revelations to them, there was gladness: in that they had cut off some of their own company, there was sadness. Once more: again there is gladness upon their success, and again sadness by reason of the High Priest. And so it will be seen to be the case throughout. And the same will be found to hold in the case of the ancient saints likewise.
The Medieval Church1 voice
In Christ's time, it did not happen that the sick received healings in the streets and from a shadow. And if "no one dared join them," then how does healing occur in this case? This was the work of the One Who said: "He who …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
12 ), no doubt both being with an actual intention in the minds of the apostles thus to heal; so that it is absurd to infer hence a healing virtue in the relics of saints that are dead and gone; we read not of any cured by the relics of Christ himself, after he was gone, as certainly we should if there had been any such thing.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-citation-number+unbalanced-parens
There came also a multitude out of the cities round about,....
The imprisonment of the apostles, and their miraculous discharge out of prison, with fresh orders to go on to preach the gospel, which they did, to the great vexation of their persecutors,
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
There came also ... - Attracted by the fame of Peter’s miracles, as the people formerly had been by the miracles of the Lord Jesus. Vexed - Troubled, afflicted, or tormented. Unclean spirits - Possessed with devils; called “unclean” because they prompted to sin and impurity of life. See the notes on Mat 4:23-24. And they were healed - Of these persons it is expressly affirmed that they were healed. Of those who were so laid as that the shadow of Peter might pass over them, there is no such direct affirmation.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| συνήρχετο | sunercheto | Were coming together | G4905 → | 30 times |
| δὲ | de | now | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| καὶ | kai | also | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| τὸ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πλῆθος | plethos | multitude | G4128 → | 31 times |
| τῶν | ton | from the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πέριξ | perix | surrounding | G4038 → | |
| πόλεων | poleon | cities | G4172 → | 163 times |
| Ἰερουσαλὴμ | ierousalem | Jerusalem | G2419 → | 76 times |
| φέροντες | pherontes | bringing | G5342 → | 66 times |
| ἀσθενεῖς | astheneis | [the] sick | G772 → | 26 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ὀχλουμένους | ochloumenous | [those] being tormented | G3791 → | |
| ὑπὸ | hupo | by | G5259 → | 219 times |
| πνευμάτων | pneumaton | spirits | G4151 → | 378 times |
| ἀκαθάρτων, | akatharton | unclean, | G169 → | 32 times |
| οἵτινες | oitines | who | G3748 → | 144 times |
| ἐθεραπεύοντο | etherapeuonto | were healed | G2323 → | 43 times |
| ἅπαντες.¶ | hapantes | all. | G537 → | 33 times |
συνήρχετοWere coming together
sunerchetoG4905 →30 times
δὲnow
deG1161 →2765 times
καὶalso
kaiG2532 →9120 times
τὸthe
toG3588 →19766 times
πλῆθοςmultitude
plethosG4128 →31 times
τῶνfrom the
tonG3588 →19766 times
πέριξsurrounding
perixG4038 →
πόλεωνcities
poleonG4172 →163 times
ἸερουσαλὴμJerusalem
ierousalemG2419 →76 times
φέροντεςbringing
pherontesG5342 →66 times
ἀσθενεῖς[the] sick
astheneisG772 →26 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ὀχλουμένους[those] being tormented
ochloumenousG3791 →
ὑπὸby
hupoG5259 →219 times
πνευμάτωνspirits
pneumatonG4151 →378 times
ἀκαθάρτων,unclean,
akathartonG169 →32 times
οἵτινεςwho
oitinesG3748 →144 times
ἐθεραπεύοντοwere healed
etherapeuontoG2323 →43 times
ἅπαντες.¶all.
hapantesG537 →33 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
Luke 5:17One day Jesus was teaching, and the Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. People had come from Jerusalem and from every village of Galilee and Judea, and the power of the…
it leads to
- Luke 6:19
The entire crowd was trying to touch Him, because power was coming from Him and healing them all.
- Luke 8:46
But Jesus declared, “Someone touched Me, for I know that power has gone out from Me.”
- Acts 19:11
God did extraordinary miracles through the hands of Paul,
- Luke 6:19
Through
Matthew 4:24News about Him spread all over Syria, and people brought to Him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering acute pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed—and He healed them.
it leads to
- Matthew 8:6
“Lord, my servant lies at home, paralyzed and in terrible agony.”
- Matthew 17:15
“Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering terribly. He often falls into the fire or into the water.
- Matthew 15:22
And a Canaanite woman from that region came to Him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is miserably possessed by a demon.”
- Luke 5:15
But the news about Jesus spread all the more, and great crowds came to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses.
- Matthew 12:22
Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus, and He healed the man so that he could speak and see.
- Matthew 8:6
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies20
- Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5)
- Hanged on a tree
- Holiness and Purity
- Integrity
- Daniel's Open Window
- Rejoice in the Lord Always
Show the next 6 titles
About Acts
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on Acts; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 12; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.