Acts 3:10
in Acts 3they recognized him as the man who used to sit begging at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and they took knowledge of him, that it was he that sat for alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.
KJV
And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.
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This verse in Acts 3
Commentary
9 notes on this verseHe had sat there so long that they all knew him; and for this reason he was chosen to be the vessel of this mercy. Now they were not so perverse as to make any doubt whether he was the same man, as the Pharisees had questioned concerning the blind man that Christ cured, John ix.
This site's exposition
all the people saw him walking
on Acts 3:9-10
The crowd recognized him as the man who used to sit begging at the Beautiful Gate of the temple. The miracle is confirmed by the people's own knowledge.
This site's exposition
filled with wonder and amazement
Matthew Henry reasons that the man had begged there so long that everyone knew him, and for that reason he was chosen for this mercy. John Gill adds that the crowd had passed him in his old condition just before. Bede takes the amazement here as a kind of fear.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
"And they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him." Needs must it be believed that the name of Christ remits sins, seeing it produces even such effects as this.
The phrase, "they recognized him," is appropriate, as if he were from this time ignorant of the miracle. The same also concerning the man born blind. (see Jn. 9:1) We, too, have been accustomed to use this expression with respect to those whom we have …
The Medieval Church2 voices
And they were all filled with wonder and amazement. Ecstasy means fear here. For ecstasy can also be said in another way, not alienated by fear, but taken up by some inspiration of revelation.
And they were filled with wonder and amazement. Another Edition for amazement, which is a state of being beyond one's mind, does not properly place 'admiration'; because greater amazement sometimes leads the mind to a state beyond, and transfers it to higher modes of thought …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
The scope of the sermon which was preached here upon was to bring people to Christ, to repent of their sin in crucifying him (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
1 more voice on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And they knew it was he that sat for alms,.... The Syriac version renders it, "they knew him to be that beggar that sat daily and asked alms". As he was daily brought thither, and had, for many years, it is very likely, sat there to ask alms of the people as they went into the temple; he was well known by them, and they had but just now passed him, and observed him in the same condition he had for a long time been, and knew him to be the same.
The words behind it
26 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἐπεγίνωσκον | epeginoskon | They were recognizing | G1921 → | 44 times |
| δὲ | de | then | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| αὐτὸν | auton | him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ὅτι | hoti | that | G3754 → | 1292 times |
| αὐτὸς | autos | he himself | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ἦν | en | was | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| ὁ | ho | the [one] | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πρὸς | pros | for | G4314 → | 700 times |
| τὴν | ten | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἐλεημοσύνην | eleemosunen | alms | G1654 → | 13 times |
| καθήμενος | kathemenos | sitting | G2521 → | 91 times |
| ἐπὶ | epi | at | G1909 → | 883 times |
| τῇ | tea | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ὡραίᾳ | horaia | Beautiful | G5611 → | |
| πύλῃ | pule | Gate | G4439 → | 10 times |
| τοῦ | tou | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἱεροῦ, | hi'erou | temple, | G2411 → | 70 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἐπλήσθησαν | eplesthesan | they were filled | G4130 → | 24 times |
| θάμβους | thambous | with wonder | G2285 → | |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἐκστάσεως | ekstaseos | amazement | G1611 → | 7 times |
| ἐπὶ | epi | at | G1909 → | 883 times |
| τῷ | to | that | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| συμβεβηκότι | sumbebekoti | having happened | G4819 → | 8 times |
| αὐτῷ. | auto | to him. | G846 → | 5565 times |
ἐπεγίνωσκονThey were recognizing
epeginoskonG1921 →44 times
δὲthen
deG1161 →2765 times
αὐτὸνhim
autonG846 →5565 times
ὅτιthat
hotiG3754 →1292 times
αὐτὸςhe himself
autosG846 →5565 times
ἦνwas
enG1510 →2333 times
ὁthe [one]
hoG3588 →19766 times
πρὸςfor
prosG4314 →700 times
τὴνthe
tenG3588 →19766 times
ἐλεημοσύνηνalms
eleemosunenG1654 →13 times
καθήμενοςsitting
kathemenosG2521 →91 times
ἐπὶat
epiG1909 →883 times
τῇthe
teaG3588 →19766 times
ὡραίᾳBeautiful
horaiaG5611 →
πύλῃGate
puleG4439 →10 times
τοῦof the
touG3588 →19766 times
ἱεροῦ,temple,
hi'erouG2411 →70 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐπλήσθησανthey were filled
eplesthesanG4130 →24 times
θάμβουςwith wonder
thambousG2285 →
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐκστάσεωςamazement
ekstaseosG1611 →7 times
ἐπὶat
epiG1909 →883 times
τῷthat
toG3588 →19766 times
συμβεβηκότιhaving happened
sumbebekotiG4819 →8 times
αὐτῷ.to him.
autoG846 →5565 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 9:3Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the works of God would be displayed in him.
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 11:40
Jesus replied, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”
- Ecclesiastes 9:1–2
So I took all this to heart and concluded that the righteous and the wise, as well as their deeds, are in God’s hands. Man does not know what lies ahead, whether love or…
- John 11:4
Through
John 5:20The Father loves the Son and shows Him all He does. And to your amazement, He will show Him even greater works than these.
it leads to
- John 3:35
The Father loves the Son and has placed all things in His hands.
- Matthew 3:17
And a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!”
- John 3:35
Through
Acts 3:2And a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those entering the temple courts.
it leads to
Through
Luke 9:43And they were all astonished at the greatness of God. While everyone was marveling at all that Jesus was doing, He said to His disciples,
it leads to
- Luke 9:43–45
And they were all astonished at the greatness of God. While everyone was marveling at all that Jesus was doing, He said to His disciples,
- Luke 9:43–45
Where this verse is studied
About Acts

This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Acts of the Apostles; Bede, Commentary on Acts; Bede, Retractions on Acts; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 8; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Oecumenius, Commentary on Acts.
