Acts 21:20 BSB — MannaFest

Acts 21:20

When they heard this, they glorified God. Then they said to Paul, “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law.

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

And they, when they heard it, glorified God; and they said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of them that have believed; and they are all zealous for the law:

KJV

And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law:

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Commentary

2 voices

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible (1832)

How many thousands - Ποσαι μυριαδες; How many myriads, how many times 10,000. This intimates that there had been a most extraordinary and rapid work even among the Jews; but what is here spoken is not to be confined to the Jews of Jerusalem, but to all that had come from different parts of the land to be present at this pentecost. They are all zealous of the law - The Jewish economy was not yet destroyed; nor had God as yet signified that the whole of its observances were done away.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

Paul ascribed it all to God, and to God they gave the praise of it. They did not break out into high encomiums of Paul, but left it to his Master to say to him, Well done, good and faithful servant; but they gave glory to the grace of God, which was extended to the Gentiles. Note, The conversion of sinners ought to be the matter of our joy and praise as it is of the angels'.

Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

25 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
οἱ	hoi	Those	G3588 →
δὲ	de	then	G1161 →
ἀκούσαντες	akousantes	having heard	G191 →
ἐδόξαζον	edoxazon	were glorifying	G1392 →
τὸν	ton	<the>	G3588 →
θεόν,	theon	God,	G2316 →
εἶπόν	eipon	They said	G2036 →
τε	te	then	G5037 →
αὐτῷ·	autō	to him;	G846 →
θεωρεῖς	theōreis	You see	G2334 →
ἀδελφέ,	adelphe	brother,	G80 →
πόσαι	posai	how many	G4214 →
μυριάδες	muriades	myriads	G3461 →
εἰσὶν	eisin	there are	G1510 →
ἐν	en	among	G1722 →
τοῖς	tois	the	G3588 →
Ἰουδαίοις	Ioudaiois	Jews	G2453 →
τῶν	tōn	who	G3588 →
πεπιστευκότων	pepisteukotōn	having believed	G4100 →
καὶ	kai	and	G2532 →
πάντες	pantes	all	G3956 →
ζηλωταὶ	zēlōtai	zealous ones	G2207 →
τοῦ	tou	for the	G3588 →
νόμου	nomou	law	G3551 →
ὑπάρχουσιν.	huparchousin	are.	G5225 →

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

The walk

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
Acts 15:1
Then some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”
leads to
- Colossians 2:8
  See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, which are based on human tradition and the spiritual forces of the world rather than on Christ.
  Reached by 2 independent paths from here.
- Galatians 5:6
  For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. All that matters is faith, expressed through love.
- Acts 15:5
  But some believers from the party of the Pharisees stood up and declared, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses.”
Through
Acts 22:3
“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but raised in this city. I was educated at the feet of Gamaliel in strict conformity to the law of our fathers. I am just…
leads to
- Acts 26:5
  They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that I lived as a Pharisee, adhering to the strictest sect of our religion.
  Reached by 2 independent paths from here.
Through
Acts 11:18
When they heard this, their objections were put to rest, and they glorified God, saying, “So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life.”
leads to
- Romans 10:12–13
  For there is no difference between Jew and Greek: The same Lord is Lord of all, and gives richly to all who call on Him,
Through
Romans 10:2
For I testify about them that they are zealous for God, but not on the basis of knowledge.
leads to
- Romans 9:31–32
  but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it.
- Proverbs 19:2
  Even zeal is no good without knowledge, and he who hurries his footsteps misses the mark.
- Philippians 3:6
  as to zeal, persecuting the church; as to righteousness in the law, faultless.

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About Acts

The Ascension — Gustave Doré (engraving, public domain)

Acts: the study guide →Read chapter 21 →The featured study →

Continue: Acts 21 →

01Commentary

The record, by era

Voices on this verse

02Original language & word study

03The walk

Where the connections lead

04Related verses

05Featured studies on this passage

06About Acts

The record, by era

Where the connections lead

Commentary

Original language & word study

The walk

Related verses

Featured studies on this passage

About Acts