Acts 2

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.

Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.

And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?

And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?

Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,

Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,

Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.

And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?

Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.

But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:

For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.

But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;

And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God,I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:

And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:

The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:

And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:

Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:

Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.

For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:

Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:

Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.

Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.

Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;

He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.

This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.

Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.

For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,

Until I make thy foes thy footstool.

Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.

Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.

And all that believed were together, and had all things common;

And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.

And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,

Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

What does Acts 2:5 mean?

Explanation

Acts 2:5 describes a scene during the day of Pentecost when people from various nations were residing in Jerusalem. These individuals are characterized as "Jews" and "devout men," suggesting that they were not only ethnically Jewish but also actively practicing their faith.

The phrase "out of every nation under heaven" is a hyperbolic way of saying that there was a diverse population present in Jerusalem, representing many different countries and cultures.

This diversity sets the stage for the miraculous event that follows, where each person hears the apostles speaking in their own native language about the mighty works of God.

Top Rated Acts Books

Historical Context

The Book of Acts was written by Luke as a continuation of his Gospel and provides an account of the early Christian church.

Acts 2 occurs during the Jewish festival of Pentecost, which took place 50 days after Passover and was a time when Jews from many nations would travel to Jerusalem for celebration and worship.

Pentecost was an agricultural festival but also commemorated the giving of the Law (Torah) to Moses on Mount Sinai.

Theological Insights

From a theological perspective, Acts 2:5 foreshadows the universal mission of the Christian church to preach the Gospel to all nations.

It also reflects the fulfilment of prophecies found in the Old Testament, such as in Isaiah, which speak of God's salvation reaching to the ends of the earth.

Additionally, some scholars see this gathering as a reversal of the Tower of Babel narrative in Genesis 11, with God enabling unified communication of the Gospel across different languages, contrasting with the confusion of languages in Babel.

Practical Applications

This verse serves as a reminder of the inclusive nature of the Christian message.

It suggests that the Gospel is not confined to any single ethnic or cultural group but is intended for all humanity. Believers today are encouraged to embrace diversity and to share their faith across cultural and linguistic barriers, just as the early disciples did.

Cross-References

Genesis 11:7-9 (confusion of languages at Babel)
Isaiah 2:2 (all nations shall flow unto the mountain of the Lord)
Joel 2:28-32 (prophecy of the outpouring of the Spirit)
Acts 2:8-11 (the miracle of speaking in other tongues)

Language Study

The key words in the original Greek text for this verse include:

Jews (Ίουδαῖοι): typically referring to people of Judaean ethnicity or religion.
Devout (εὐλαβεῖς): meaning careful, pious, or devout, indicating a serious and committed religious practice.
Nation (ἔθνος): often translated as "Gentiles" in other contexts – any ethnic group distinct from the Jewish people; here it refers to the different places from where the people came.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Comparably, ancient religious festivals in other cultures often attracted visitors from multiple regions, similar to the Jewish festival of Pentecost.

Ancient myths do not have direct parallels with this particular Christian account, but the concept of divine communication across language barriers can be seen in other traditions where gods enable heroes or prophets to understand or speak multiple languages.

Scientific Perspectives

In modern terms, the phenomenon described in Acts 2:5-11 could be related to the study of glossolalia, the flow of speech not understood by the speaker.

However, in the context of Pentecost, the apostles’ ability to speak in real existing languages (as understood by the hearers) would not align with scientific definitions of glossolalia and would instead be classified as a miraculous event.

Commentaries

Biblical scholars offer varied interpretations of Acts 2:5.

Some, like Matthew Henry, emphasize the providence of God in gathering such a diverse group to witness the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, ensuring the rapid spread of the Gospel.

Others, such as John Calvin, focus on the devotion of those gathered and how God honors their piety by revealing to them His mighty works.

Contemporary scholars discuss the implications for the mission of the church, seeing in this passage a call for active engagement in global evangelism.

Acts 2

Acts 2

What does Acts 2:5 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Acts Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?

What does Acts 2:5 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Acts Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?