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 2:9 mean?

Explanation

Acts 2:9 occurs during the account of the Day of Pentecost in the New Testament, where the Holy Spirit descends upon the apostles. This event enables them to speak in tongues, and as a result, they can communicate with people from various regions who have gathered in Jerusalem.

The verse lists a series of places whose inhabitants are present in Jerusalem on that day and are amazed to hear the apostles speaking in their own languages.

This verse demonstrates the diverse audience and indicates the universal nature of the Christian message, which transcends geographic and linguistic boundaries.

Top Rated Acts Books

Historical Context

The Book of Acts was written by Luke, traditionally believed to be a companion of Apostle Paul.

Acts 2 describes the event of Pentecost, which occurred after Jesus' ascension into heaven.

Pentecost was a Jewish feast also known as the Feast of Weeks or Shavuot, celebrated fifty days after Passover.

The places listed in Acts 2:9 represent a broad swath of the Near East and Asia Minor, showing the multicultural makeup of Jerusalem during a major festival.

This Jewish feast attracted Jews and proselytes from all over the Roman Empire to come to Jerusalem for worship and celebration.

Theological Insights

From a Christian theological perspective, Acts 2:9 indicates the fulfillment of Jesus' prophecy that the disciples would be his witnesses "to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8).

The diversity of the regions mentioned symbolizes the outreach and inclusivity of the gospel message.

The coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost represents the birth of the Church and is seen as a reversal of the Tower of Babel event from Genesis 11, where linguistic divisions were created.

In Acts 2, through the Holy Spirit, language becomes a unifying factor rather than a barrier to understanding.

Practical Applications

This verse can inspire believers to embrace diversity and recognize the value of multiculturalism in their faith communities.

It encourages Christians to break down barriers of communication and culture to share their beliefs and values.

The inclusion of different languages and regions can remind us of the importance of cross-cultural communication and the global mission of the Church to reach all people with the message of Christ.

Cross-References

Genesis 11:1-9: The Tower of Babel, where languages were confused and people were scattered.
Joel 2:28-32: Prophecy about God pouring out His Spirit on all flesh, referenced by Peter in Acts 2:17-21.
Acts 1:8: Jesus instructing the disciples to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
Revelation 7:9: A vision of a great multitude from all nations standing before the throne of God.

Language Study

Key words in the original Greek of this verse include:

"Parthoi" (Πάρθοι): Refers to the Parthians, people from the ancient empire located in what is now Iran.
"Mêdoi" (Μῆδοι): Refers to the Medes, inhabitants of Media, in modern-day Iran.
"Elamitai" (Ἐλαμῖται): Refers to the Elamites, from the region of Elam, also in modern-day Iran.
"Mesopotamia" (Μεσοποταμία): Literally means "between the rivers," referring to the land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers; modern-day Iraq.
"Kappadokia" (Καππαδοκία): A region in central Asia Minor, now Turkey.
"Pontos" (Πόντος): A region on the southern coast of the Black Sea, in modern-day Turkey.
"Asia" (Ἀσία): In this context, it likely refers to the Roman province of Asia, located in western Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey).

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

The gathering of people from various regions can be compared to other ancient religious festivals where pilgrims traveled from far distances.

For example, the Olympic Games in ancient Greece or the pilgrimage to Mecca in Islam.

In many cultures and religions, there is often a central place of worship or a significant event that draws a diverse group of adherents.

Scientific Perspectives

While the verse itself is a historical account rather than a scientific statement, modern linguistics could shed light on the phenomenon of speaking in tongues described here.

The ability to suddenly communicate in multiple languages could be of interest to psycholinguistics and neurolinguistics in understanding language acquisition and processing.

Commentaries

Most commentators focus on the fulfillment of Jesus' great commission (Matthew 28:18-20) and see this event as the birth of the universal church.

Matthew Henry's commentary emphasizes the miracle of the disciples speaking in tongues and the profound effect this had on the hearers from various parts of the world.

He interprets this as a sign of God's desire for the gospel to be proclaimed to all nations.

The Expositor's Bible Commentary highlights the significance of this diverse audience and the fact that Christianity did not stay within the confines of Judaism but spread to a wide variety of cultures and regions.

Acts 2

Acts 2

What does Acts 2:9 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 2:9 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?