Acts 19:6
in Acts 19And when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.
KJV
And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.
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This verse in Acts 19
Commentary
12 notes on this verseThey spake with tongues, and prophesied - They received the miraculous gift of different languages; and in those languages they taught to the people the great doctrines of the Christian religion; for this appears to be the meaning of the word προεφητευον, prophesied, as it is used above.
This site's exposition
the name of the Lord Jesus
on Acts 19:5-7
When Paul laid his hands on the men baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus, the Holy Spirit came upon them. It was the third such outpouring, after Jerusalem and Caesarea, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.
This site's exposition
when Paul laid his hands on them
Peter and John laid their hands on the believers at Samaria in 8:17, and the Holy Spirit came then as well. Luke sets Paul's acts beside Peter's throughout the book. Calvin reads the Spirit here as the gifts of tongues and prophecy.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
Then, having been baptized into the name of the Lord, he says that by the laying on of Paul's hands they immediately receive the Spirit. But this he did not see; for it is invisible. Yet grace gave some perceptible proof of that operation. And …
A commentator
Pseudo-ClementSecond Epistle To The Corinthians (Pseudo-Clement) · Written before 400.
proposed
Wherefore, then, my brethren, let us struggle with all earnestness, knowing that the contest is [in our case] close at hand, and that many undertake long voyages to strive for a corruptible reward; yet all are not crowned, but those only that have laboured hard …
"When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied." The gift is twofold: tongues and prophesyings. Hence is shown an important doctrine, that the baptism of John is incomplete. And he does not say, "Baptism" of forgiveness, but, "of repentance." So that it was likely they had the Spirit, but it did not appear until Paul had laid his hands upon them: then they spake with tongues, etc.
A commentator
CyprianTreatise XII Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews · Written before 258.
proposed
That we must not grieve the Holy Spirit, whom we have received. Paul the apostle to the Ephesians: "Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, in which ye were sealed in the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and indignation, and clamour, and blasphemy, be taken away from you."
The Medieval Church1 voice
They did not see the Spirit, because He is invisible; but a certain sensible proof of His presence was offered by the gift of tongues: one spoke in Persian, another in Roman, a third in some other language; and by these outward signs it was …
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
This was intended to introduce the gospel at Ephesus, and to awaken in the minds of men an expectation of some great things from it; and some think that it was further designed to qualify these twelve men for the work of the ministry, and that these twelve were the elders of Ephesus, to whom Paul committed the care and government of that church.
And when Paul had laid his hands upon them,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
And when Paul laid his hands ... - See the notes on Act 8:17. And they spake with tongues - See the notes on Act 2:4; Act 10:46. And prophesied - See the notes on Act 2:17; Act 11:27.
Modern Voices1 voice
A commentator
Charlie ShampSpeaking in Tongues: The Definitive Evidence of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit (2024)
This passage reinforces the idea that speaking in tongues is a persistent sign of the Holy Spirit's baptism, occurring consistently across different times and cultural contexts. It underscores the continuity of this experience within the early church.
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 |
| ἐπιθέντος | epithentos | when was laying | G2007 → | 38 times |
| αὐτοῖς | autois | on them | G846 → | 5565 times |
| τοῦ | tou | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Παύλου | paulou | Paul | G3972 → | 158 times |
| τὰς | tas | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| χεῖρας | cheiras | hands | G5495 → | 175 times |
| ἦλθεν | elthen | came | G2064 → | 628 times |
| τὸ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πνεῦμα | pneuma | Spirit | G4151 → | 378 times |
| τὸ | to | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἅγιον | hagion | Holy | G40 → | 220 times |
| ἐπ᾽ | ep᾽ | upon | G1909 → | 883 times |
| αὐτούς, | autous | them, | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ἐλάλουν | elaloun | they were speaking | G2980 → | 294 times |
| τε | te | then | G5037 → | 213 times |
| γλώσσαις | glossais | in tongues | G1100 → | 49 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἐπροφήτευον. | epropheteuon | were prophesying. | G4395 → | 28 times |
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐπιθέντοςwhen was laying
epithentosG2007 →38 times
αὐτοῖςon them
autoisG846 →5565 times
τοῦ<the>
touG3588 →19766 times
ΠαύλουPaul
paulouG3972 →158 times
τὰςthe
tasG3588 →19766 times
χεῖραςhands
cheirasG5495 →175 times
ἦλθενcame
elthenG2064 →628 times
τὸthe
toG3588 →19766 times
πνεῦμαSpirit
pneumaG4151 →378 times
τὸ<the>
toG3588 →19766 times
ἅγιονHoly
hagionG40 →220 times
ἐπ᾽upon
ep᾽G1909 →883 times
αὐτούς,them,
autousG846 →5565 times
ἐλάλουνthey were speaking
elalounG2980 →294 times
τεthen
teG5037 →213 times
γλώσσαιςin tongues
glossaisG1100 →49 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐπροφήτευον.were prophesying.
epropheteuonG4395 →28 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
Mark 16:17And these signs will accompany those who believe: In My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 12:10
to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in various tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Acts 5:16
Crowds also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those tormented by unclean spirits, and all of them were healed.
- 1 Corinthians 12:28
And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, and those with gifts of healing, helping, administration, and various tongues.
- Acts 8:7
With loud shrieks, unclean spirits came out of many who were possessed, and many of the paralyzed and lame were healed.
- Luke 10:17
The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in Your name.”
- 1 Corinthians 12:10
Through
Acts 2:4And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
it leads to
- Mark 16:17
And these signs will accompany those who believe: In My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;
- Acts 13:52
And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
- Acts 4:31
After they had prayed, their meeting place was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
- Mark 16:17
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Acts

This page draws on 13 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); Charlie Shamp, Speaking in Tongues: The Definitive Evidence of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit; Cyprian, Treatise XII Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews; John Calvin, Commentary upon the Acts of the Apostles; John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 40; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on Acts; Pseudo-Clement, Second Epistle To The Corinthians (Pseudo-Clement); R. J. Knowling, The Acts of the Apostles, Expositor's Greek Testament and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.
