Focused Passage

Acts 4:23-31

Christ Alone Saves and His Witnesses Speak Boldly

The apostles are arrested for preaching Jesus, Peter boldly proclaims salvation in Christ alone, the authorities threaten them, and the church prays for greater boldness rather than safety.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

23On their release, Peter and John returned to their own people and reported everything that the chief priests and elders had said to them.

24When the believers heard this, they lifted up their voices to God with one accord. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “You made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them.

25You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of Your servant, our father David: ‘Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?

26The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against His Anointed One.’

27In fact, this is the very city where Herod and Pontius Pilate conspired with the Gentiles and the people of Israel against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed.

28They carried out what Your hand and will had decided beforehand would happen.

29And now, Lord, consider their threats, and enable Your servants to speak Your word with complete boldness,

30as You stretch out Your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.”

31After they had prayed, their meeting place was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 23

Original words

-δὲG1161ConjunctionOn their releaseἈπολυθέντεςG630Verb - Aorist Participle Passive - Nominative Masculine Plural[Peter and John] returnedἦλθονG2064Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluraltoπρὸςG4314Preposition[their]τοὺςG3588Article - Accusative Masculine Pluralown peopleἰδίουςG2398Adjective - Accusative Masculine PluralandκαὶG2532ConjunctionreportedἀπήγγειλανG518Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Pluraleverything thatὅσαG3745Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter PluraltheοἱG3588Article - Nominative Masculine Pluralchief priestsἀρχιερεῖςG749Noun - Nominative Masculine PluralandκαὶG2532Conjunction-οἱG3588Article - Nominative Masculine PluraleldersπρεσβύτεροιG4245Adjective - Nominative Masculine Pluralhad saidεἶπανG2036Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluraltoπρὸςG4314PrepositionthemαὐτοὺςG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Verse 24

Original words

[When]δὲG1161Conjunction-οἱG3588Article - Nominative Masculine Plural[the believers] heard thisἀκούσαντεςG191Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Pluralthey lifted upἦρανG142Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural[their] voicesφωνὴνG5456Noun - Accusative Feminine SingulartoπρὸςG4314Preposition-τὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine SingularGodΘεὸνG2316Noun - Accusative Masculine Singularwith one accordὁμοθυμαδὸνG3661AdverbSovereign LordΔέσποταG1203Noun - Vocative Masculine Singular-καὶG2532Conjunctionthey saidεἶπανG2036Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluralYouσὺG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 2nd Person Singular-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularmadeποιήσαςG4160Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine SingulartheτὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine SingularheavenοὐρανὸνG3772Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctiontheτὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine SingularearthγῆνG1093Noun - Accusative Feminine SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctiontheτὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine SingularseaθάλασσανG2281Noun - Accusative Feminine SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctioneverythingπάνταG3956Adjective - Accusative Neuter Plural-τὰG3588Article - Accusative Neuter PluralinἐνG1722PrepositionthemαὐτοῖςG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Neuter 3rd Person Plural
Verse 25

Original words

[You]G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularτοῦτοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularspokeεἰπώνG2036Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine SingularbyδιὰG1223Preposition[the] HolyἉγίουG40Adjective - Genitive Neuter SingularSpiritΠνεύματοςG4151Noun - Genitive Neuter Singularthrough [the] mouthστόματοςG4750Noun - Genitive Neuter Singularof YourσουG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person SingularservantπαιδόςG3816Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularourἡμῶνG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person PluralfatherπατρὸςG3962Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularDavidΔαυὶδG1138Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular-Ἵνα‿G2443ConjunctionWhyΤίG5101Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singular{do} the nationsἔθνηG1484Noun - Nominative Neuter PluralrageἐφρύαξανG5433Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluralandκαὶG2532Conjunction[the] peoplesλαοὶG2992Noun - Nominative Masculine PluralplotἐμελέτησανG3191Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Pluralin vainκενάG2756Adjective - Accusative Neuter Plural

BSB notes

  • Or child; also in verses 27 and 30
Verse 26

Original words

TheοἱG3588Article - Nominative Masculine PluralkingsβασιλεῖςG935Noun - Nominative Masculine Pluralof theτῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingularearthγῆςG1093Noun - Genitive Feminine Singulartake [their] standπαρέστησανG3936Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluralandκαὶG2532ConjunctiontheοἱG3588Article - Nominative Masculine PluralrulersἄρχοντεςG758Noun - Nominative Masculine PluralgatherσυνήχθησανG4863Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person PluraltogetherἐπὶG1909Preposition. . .τὸG3588Article - Accusative Neuter Singular. . .αὐτὸG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Neuter 3rd Person SingularagainstκατὰG2596PrepositiontheτοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularLordΚυρίουG2962Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctionagainstκατὰG2596PrepositionHisαὐτοῦG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularAnointed OneΧριστοῦG5547Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular

BSB notes

  • Or His Christ or His Messiah; Psalm 2:1–2
Verse 27

Original words

-γὰρG1063ConjunctionInἐπ’G1909PrepositionfactἀληθείαςG225Noun - Genitive Feminine SingularthisταύτῃG3778Demonstrative Pronoun - Dative Feminine Singularis the [very]τῇG3588Article - Dative Feminine SingularcityπόλειG4172Noun - Dative Feminine Singular[where]ἐνG1722PrepositionHerodἩρῴδηςG2264Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularvvvτεG5037ConjunctionandκαὶG2532ConjunctionPontiusΠόντιοςG4194Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularPilateΠιλᾶτοςG4091Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularconspiredΣυνήχθησανG4863Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person PluralwithσὺνG4862Preposition[the] GentilesἔθνεσινG1484Noun - Dative Neuter PluralandκαὶG2532Conjunction[the] peopleλαοῖςG2992Noun - Dative Masculine Pluralof IsraelἸσραήλG2474Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularagainstἐπὶG1909PrepositionYourσουG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person SingularholyἅγιονG40Adjective - Accusative Masculine Singular-τὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine SingularservantΠαῖδάG3816Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularJesusἸησοῦνG2424Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularwhomὃνG3739Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Masculine SingularYou anointedἔχρισαςG5548Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 2nd Person Singular
Verse 28

Original words

They carried outποιῆσαιG4160Verb - Aorist Infinitive ActivewhatὅσαG3745Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter PluralYourσουG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singular-G3588Article - Nominative Feminine SingularhandχείρG5495Noun - Nominative Feminine SingularandκαὶG2532Conjunction-G3588Article - Nominative Feminine Singular-σουG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person SingularwillβουλὴG1012Noun - Nominative Feminine Singularhad decided beforehandπροώρισενG4309Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singularwould happenγενέσθαιG1096Verb - Aorist Infinitive Middle
Verse 29

Original words

AndκαὶG2532Conjunction-τὰG3588Article - Accusative Neuter PluralnowνῦνG3568AdverbLordΚύριεG2962Noun - Vocative Masculine SingularconsiderἔπιδεG1896Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular. . .ἐπὶG1909PrepositiontheirαὐτῶνG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural-τὰςG3588Article - Accusative Feminine PluralthreatsἀπειλὰςG547Noun - Accusative Feminine PluralandκαὶG2532ConjunctionenableδὸςG1325Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular-τοῖςG3588Article - Dative Masculine PluralYourσουG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person SingularservantsδούλοιςG1401Noun - Dative Masculine Pluralto speakλαλεῖνG2980Verb - Present Infinitive ActiveYourσουG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singular-τὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine SingularwordλόγονG3056Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularwithμετὰG3326PrepositioncompleteπάσηςG3956Adjective - Genitive Feminine SingularboldnessπαρρησίαςG3954Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Verse 30

Original words

asἐνG1722Preposition. . .τῷG3588Article - Dative Neuter SingularYouσεG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 2nd Person Singularstretch outἐκτείνεινG1614Verb - Present Infinitive ActiveYourσουG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singular-τὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine SingularhandχεῖράG5495Noun - Accusative Feminine SingulartoεἰςG1519PrepositionhealἴασινG2392Noun - Accusative Feminine SingularandκαὶG2532Conjunction[perform]γίνεσθαιG1096Verb - Present Infinitive Middle or PassivesignsσημεῖαG4592Noun - Accusative Neuter PluralandκαὶG2532ConjunctionwondersτέραταG5059Noun - Accusative Neuter PluralthroughδιὰG1223PrepositiontheτοῦG3588Article - Genitive Neuter SingularnameὀνόματοςG3686Noun - Genitive Neuter Singularof YourσουG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person SingularholyἁγίουG40Adjective - Genitive Masculine Singular-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularservantΠαιδόςG3816Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularJesusἸησοῦG2424Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Verse 31

Original words

[After]ΚαὶG2532ConjunctiontheyαὐτῶνG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Pluralhad prayedδεηθέντωνG1189Verb - Aorist Participle Passive - Genitive Masculine Plural-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine Singular[their]ἦσανG1510Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluralmeetingσυνηγμένοιG4863Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine PluralplaceτόποςG5117Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular. . .ἐνG1722Preposition. . .G3739Personal / Relative Pronoun - Dative Masculine Singularwas shakenἐσαλεύθηG4531Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctionvvvἅπαντεςG537Adjective - Nominative Masculine Pluralthey were all filled withἐπλήσθησανG4130Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person PluraltheτοῦG3588Article - Genitive Neuter SingularHolyἉγίουG40Adjective - Genitive Neuter SingularSpiritΠνεύματοςG4151Noun - Genitive Neuter SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctionspokeἐλάλουνG2980Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluraltheτὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine SingularwordλόγονG3056Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine Singularof GodΘεοῦG2316Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularvvvμετὰG3326PrepositionboldlyπαρρησίαςG3954Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.