Acts 3:23
in Acts 3Everyone who does not listen to Him will be completely cut off from among his people.’
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And it shall be, that every soul that shall not hearken to that prophet, shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.
KJV
And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.
⋯
This verse in Acts 3
Commentary
13 notes on this versePeter teaches briefly but clearly by the testimony of the prophets and the law that the Lord is to be listened to by the nations, and that he will surely condemn the unbelieving, but he will grant an eternal blessing to the faithful.
This site's exposition
For Moses said
on Acts 3:22-23
In Deuteronomy 18:15 Moses says God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers, and Peter applies it to Jesus. The command to hear covers everything He tells you, so Christ's words carry the authority of Moses.
This site's exposition
cut off from among his people
Albert Barnes and Bede note that Peter keeps the sense of Deuteronomy while changing its words. Theophylact explains that the soul, being immortal, survives, and being cut off means falling from the good it held, as Judas fell from the Twelve.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
And then the greatness of the punishment: "And it shall come to pass, that every soul which will not hear that Prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. Yea, and all the prophets, from Samuel and those that follow, after, as many as have spoken have likewise foretold of these days." He has done well to set the distinction here. For whenever he says anything great, he appeals to them of old. And he found a text which contained both truths; just as in the other discourse he said, "Until He put His foes under His feet." The remarkable circumstance is, that the two things stand together; that is, subjection and disobedience, and the punishment.
"Hear ye Him," he says; and not this alone, but he adds, "And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that Prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people." When he has shown them that they had sinned, and has imparted forgiveness to them, and promised good things, then indeed, then he says, "Moses also says the same thing."
The Medieval Church3 voices
And it will come to pass that every soul who does not listen to that Prophet shall be destroyed. Briefly and clearly, with the testimony of the prophets and the law, he teaches that the Lord must be listened to by all nations, condemning indeed …
But it shall be, every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be cut off from the people. Truly, it should be noted that blessed Peter here did not care to hold onto the words of the Mosaic sentence, but the sense. For …
"Shall be destroyed from among the people." Being immortal, the human soul is not completely destroyed, but falls from whatever good state it had previously been placed in. So too Judas was destroyed, that is, excluded from the ranks of the apostles. Therefore, since the …
5 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Those that will not be advised by the Saviour can expect no other than to fall into the hands of the destroyer. He tells them what they might expect. (1.) That they should have the pardon of their sins; this is always spoken of as the great privilege of all those that embrace the gospel (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
And it shall come to pass, that every soul,....
With reference to public worship, there must be a house of prayer and an hour of prayer: the ninth hour, that is, three o'clock in the afternoon, was one of the hours of prayer among the Jews; nine in the morning and twelve at noon were the other two.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
And it shall come to pass - It shall be, or shall occur. This is not the usual word rendered “it shall come to pass.” It is a word commonly expressing “futurity,” but here it conveys the notion of “obligation.” In this verse Peter has not quoted the passage in Deuteronomy literally, but he has given the sense. Every soul - Every “person” or “individual.” Soul is often put for the whole man by the Hebrews, Act 7:14; Jos 10:28. Hear that Prophet - That is, obey his instructions.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Peter takes it for granted that, in the light of all he had just said, it would be seen at once that One only had any claim to be that Prophet. him shall ye hear in all things, &c.--This part of the prediction is emphatically added, in order to shut up the audience to the obedience of faith, on pain of being finally "cut off" from the congregation of the righteous (Ps 1:1).
The words behind it
15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἔσται | estai | It will be [that] | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| δὲ | de | now | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| πᾶσα | pasa | every | G3956 → | 1235 times |
| ψυχὴ | psuche | soul | G5590 → | 103 times |
| ἥτις | hetis | who | G3748 → | 144 times |
| ἐὰν | ean | only | G1437 → | 352 times |
| μὴ | me | unless | G3361 → | 1066 times |
| ἀκούσῃ | akouse | shall heed | G191 → | 425 times |
| τοῦ | tou | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| προφήτου | prophetou | prophet | G4396 → | 144 times |
| ἐκείνου | ekeinou | that | G1565 → | 260 times |
| ἐξολεθρευθήσεται | exolethreuthesetai | will be utterly destroyed | G1842 → | |
| ἐκ | ek | out from | G1537 → | 911 times |
| τοῦ | tou | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| λαοῦ. | laou | people.’ | G2992 → | 141 times |
ἔσταιIt will be [that]
estaiG1510 →2333 times
δὲnow
deG1161 →2765 times
πᾶσαevery
pasaG3956 →1235 times
ψυχὴsoul
psucheG5590 →103 times
ἥτιςwho
hetisG3748 →144 times
ἐὰνonly
eanG1437 →352 times
μὴunless
meG3361 →1066 times
ἀκούσῃshall heed
akouseG191 →425 times
τοῦthe
touG3588 →19766 times
προφήτουprophet
prophetouG4396 →144 times
ἐκείνουthat
ekeinouG1565 →260 times
ἐξολεθρευθήσεταιwill be utterly destroyed
exolethreuthesetaiG1842 →
ἐκout from
ekG1537 →911 times
τοῦthe
touG3588 →19766 times
λαοῦ.people.’
laouG2992 →141 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 12:48There is a judge for the one who rejects Me and does not receive My words: The word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.
it leads to
- Luke 10:16
Whoever listens to you listens to Me; whoever rejects you rejects Me; and whoever rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.”
- Hebrews 9:27–28
Just as man is appointed to die once, and after that to face judgment,
- Romans 2:16
on the day when God will judge men’s secrets through Christ Jesus, as proclaimed by my gospel.
- 2 Thessalonians 1:8
in blazing fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
- John 3:17–20
For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.
- Luke 10:16
Through
Hebrews 10:39But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.
it leads to
- 1 John 5:5
Who then overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
- 1 Peter 1:5
who through faith are shielded by God’s power for the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
- 1 John 5:5
Through
Hebrews 12:25See to it that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if the people did not escape when they refused Him who warned them on earth, how much less will we escape if…
it leads to
- Hebrews 8:5
The place where they serve is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you…
- Hebrews 8:5
Where this verse is studied
About Acts
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Retractions on Acts; Bede, Commentary on Acts; J. A. Alexander, The Acts of the Apostles Explained; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 9; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Leo the Great, Commentary (church-history corpus); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.