Acts 4:33
in Acts 4With great power the apostles continued to give their testimony about the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And abundant grace was upon them all.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And with great power gave the apostles their witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.
KJV
And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.
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This verse in Acts 4
Commentary
14 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
And with great power - See Act 1:8. The word “power” here denotes “efficacy,” and means that they had “ability” given them to bear witness of the resurrection of the Saviour. it refers, therefore, I rather to their preaching than to their miracles. Gave the apostles witness - The apostles bore testimony to. The resurrection of the Lord Jesus - This was the main point to be established.
This site's exposition
The multitude of believers
on Acts 4:32-33
The believers were one in heart and soul and shared everything they owned, the portrait of 2:44 to 45 now drawn of thousands. The sharing is voluntary, as Peter's words to Ananias at 5:4 show.
This site's exposition
With great power the apostles
Barnes takes the power to be effectiveness in preaching, while Oecumenius links it to the divine signs. Theophylact notes that Luke presents their witness as a duty entrusted to them. Grace rested on the whole community.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
The whole Church, it is then said, "when they had heard that, lifted up the voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, Thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is; who, through the Holy Ghost, by the mouth of our father David, Thy servant, hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against His Christ.
Generous one, you do not do these things as a seller of property, but, ambitious one, as one who wishes to keep his privileges, and you abandon for a short time what you desire to be yours forever. Thus, to scatter the fields was [really] …
"And with great power the Apostles rendered their testimony of the resurrection." The phrase betokens them to be as persons put in trust with a deposit: he speaks of it as a debt or obligation: that is, their testimony they with boldness did render, or pay off, to all. "And great grace was upon them all."
"And with great power gave the Apostles witness," etc. Not in word, but with power the Apostles exhibited their testimony of the Resurrection: just as Paul saith, "And my preaching was not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but with manifestation of the Spirit and of power." And it is not merely, With power, but, "With great power."
They replied, saying, as if something had been entrusted to them, and this they speak as if concerning a debt. For by divine signs they were showing divine power of Him who had risen from the dead.
6 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church2 voices
And with great power the apostles bore witness to the resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord. It distinguishes the order of teachers and the attentive listeners. For the multitude of believers, having despised their possessions, were bound together by the bond of charity. The apostles, …
"With great power they witnessed of the resurrection." Luke presents the apostles as people who have been entrusted with something, and speaks as if of a duty—that is what "witnessed" means.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And with great power,....
The apostles, Peter and John, went on in their work, and did not labour in vain. The Spirit enabled the ministers to do their part, and the people theirs. The preachers faithfully deliver the doctrine of Christ: They spoke unto the people, to all that were within hearing,
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
with great power--effect on men's minds. great grace was upon them all--The grace of God copiously rested on the whole community.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
With great power gave the apostles witness - This power they received from the Holy Spirit, who enabled them, μεγαλῃ δυναμει, with striking miracles, to give proof of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus; for this is the point that was particularly to be proved: that he was slain and buried, all knew; that he rose again from the dead, many knew; but it was necessary to give such proofs as should convince and confound all. This preaching and these miracles demonstrated this Divine truth: Jesus died for your sins - he rose again for your justification; behold what God works in confirmation of these glorious truths; believe therefore in the Lord Jesus, and ye shall not perish, but have everlasting life. Great grace was upon them all - They all received much of the favor or grace of God; and they had much favor with all who feared God. In both these ways this clause may be understood; for χαρις means favor, whether that be evidenced by benevolence or beneficence, or by both. The favor of God is the benevolence of God; but his benevolence is never exerted without the exertions of his beneficence. Hence the grace or favor of God always implies a blessing or gift from the hand of his mercy and power. The favor or benevolence of men may exist without beneficence, because it may not be in their power to communicate any gift or benefit, though they are disposed to do it; or, 2dly. the persons who enjoy their favor may not stand in need of any of their kind acts; but it is not so with God: his good will is ever accompanied by his good work; and every soul that is an object of his benevolence stands in the utmost need of the acts of his beneficence. Hence, as he loved the world, he gave his Son a ransom for all. All needed his help; and, because they all needed it, therefore all had it. […]
The words behind it
20 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 |
| δυνάμει | dunamei | [with] power | G1411 → | 119 times |
| μεγάλῃ | megale | great | G3173 → | 243 times |
| ἀπεδίδουν | apedidoun | were giving | G591 → | 48 times |
| τὸ | to | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| μαρτύριον | marturion | testimony | G3142 → | |
| οἱ | hoi | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀπόστολοι | apostoloi | apostles | G652 → | 79 times |
| τῆς | tes | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀναστάσεως | anastaseos | resurrection | G386 → | 42 times |
| τοῦ | tou | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| κυρίου | kuriou | Lord | G2962 → | 711 times |
| Ἰησοῦ, | iesou | Jesus | G2424 → | 908 times |
| χάρις | charis | grace | G5485 → | 153 times |
| τε | te | then | G5037 → | 213 times |
| μεγάλη | megale | abundant | G3173 → | 243 times |
| ἦν | en | was | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| ἐπὶ | epi | upon | G1909 → | 883 times |
| πάντας | pantas | all | G3956 → | 1235 times |
| αὐτούς. | autous | them. | G846 → | 5565 times |
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
δυνάμει[with] power
dunameiG1411 →119 times
μεγάλῃgreat
megaleG3173 →243 times
ἀπεδίδουνwere giving
apedidounG591 →48 times
τὸ<the>
toG3588 →19766 times
μαρτύριονtestimony
marturionG3142 →
οἱthe
hoiG3588 →19766 times
ἀπόστολοιapostles
apostoloiG652 →79 times
τῆςof the
tesG3588 →19766 times
ἀναστάσεωςresurrection
anastaseosG386 →42 times
τοῦof the
touG3588 →19766 times
κυρίουLord
kuriouG2962 →711 times
Ἰησοῦ,Jesus
iesouG2424 →908 times
χάριςgrace
charisG5485 →153 times
τεthen
teG5037 →213 times
μεγάληabundant
megaleG3173 →243 times
ἦνwas
enG1510 →2333 times
ἐπὶupon
epiG1909 →883 times
πάνταςall
pantasG3956 →1235 times
αὐτούς.them.
autousG846 →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
Acts 1:8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
it leads to
- Romans 15:19
by the power of signs and wonders, and by the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Matthew 28:19
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
- Mark 16:15
And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
- Acts 5:32
We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.”
- Acts 6:8
Now Stephen, who was full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people.
- Romans 15:19
Through
John 1:16From His fullness we have all received grace upon grace.
it leads to
- Colossians 1:19
For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him,
- Romans 5:2
through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
- Ephesians 2:5–10
made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our trespasses. It is by grace you have been saved!
- Colossians 1:19
Where this verse is studied
By subject
Grace35 verses
On this page
About Acts
This page draws on 12 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); Arator, ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 1; Bede, Commentary on Acts; Irenaeus, Against Heresies Book 3.12.5; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 11; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on Acts and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.