Acts 1 · Verse 4

Acts 1:4

And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.
Acts 1:4, King James Version

Acts 1:4 in other translations

BSBAnd while they were gathered together, He commanded them: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift the Father promised, which you have heard Me discuss.
WEBBeing assembled together with them, he commanded them, “Don’t depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which you heard from me.
ASVand, being assembled together with them, he charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, said he, ye heard from me:
YLTAnd being assembled together with them, he commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ‘Ye did hear of me;
DARBYand, being assembled with them, commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to await the promise of the Father, which said he ye have heard of me.
BBEAnd when they were all together, with him, he gave them orders not to go away from Jerusalem, but to keep there, waiting till the word of the Father was put into effect, of which, he said, I have given you knowledge:
WebsterAnd being assembled with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard from me.

What does Acts 1:4 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Acts 1:3-5

3-5. showed himself alive--As the author is about to tell us that "the resurrection of the Lord Jesus" was the great burden of apostolic preaching, so the subject is here filly introduced by an allusion to the primary evidence on which that great fact rests, the repeated and undeniable manifestations of Himself in the body to the assembled disciples, who, instead of being predisposed to believe it, had to be…

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Barnes' Notes
Verse 4. And being assembled together. Margin, "or, eating together." This sense is given to this place in the Latin Vulgate, the Ethiopic, and the Syriac versions. But the Greek word has not properly this sense. It has the meaning of congregating, or assembling. It should have been, however, translated in the active sense, "and having assembled them together." The apostles were scattered after his death. But this passage denotes that he had assembled them together by his authority, for the purpose of giving them a charge respecting their conduct when he should have left them. When this occurred does not appear from the narrative; but it is probable that it was not long before his ascension; and it is clear that the place where they were assembled was Jerusalem.

But wait for the promise of the Father. For the fulfillment of the promise respecting the descent of the Holy Spirit, made by the Father.

Which ye have heard of me. Which I have made to you. See Jn 14:16,26, 15:26, 16:7-13.

(1) "being assembled", or "eating together" (a) "commanded" Lk 24:40 (b) "ye have heard of me" Jn 14:1-16:33

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 4 And, being assembled together - Instead of συναλιζομενος, being assembled together, several good MSS. and versions read συναυλιζομενος, living or eating together, which refers the conversation reported here to some particular time, when he sat at meat, with his disciples. See Mar 16:14 : Luk 24:41-44. But probably the common reading is to be preferred; and the meeting on a mountain of Galilee is what is here meant. The promise of the Father - The Holy Spirit, which indeed was the grand promise of the New Testament, as Jesus Christ was of the Old. And as Christ was the grand promise of the Old Testament, during the whole continuance of the old covenant; so is the Holy Ghost, during the whole continuance of the new. As every pious soul that believed in the coming Messiah, through the medium of the sacrifices offered up under the law, was made a partaker of the merit of his death, so every pious soul that believes in Christ crucified is made a partaker of the Holy Spirit. Thus, as the benefit of the death of Christ extended from the foundation of the world till his coming in the flesh, as well as after, so the inspiration of the Holy Spirit has been, and will be continued through the whole lapse of time, till his coming again to judge the world. It is by this Spirit that sin is made known, and by it the blood of the covenant is applied; and indeed, without this, the want of salvation cannot be discovered, nor the value of the blood of the covenant duly estimated. How properly do we still pray, and how necessary is the prayer, "Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify thy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord! Amen." Communion Service. Ye have heard of me - In his particular conversations with his disciples, such as those related Joh 14:16-26 (note); Joh 15:26 (note); Joh 16:7-15 (note); to which passages, and the notes on them the reader is requested to refer: but it is likely that our Lord alludes more particularly to the conversation he had with them on one of the mountains of Galilee.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Acts 1:1-5

Our Lord told the disciples the work they were to do. The apostles met together at Jerusalem; Christ having ordered them not to depart thence, but to wait for the pouring out of the Holy Spirit. This would be a baptism by the Holy Ghost, giving them power to work miracles, and enlightening and sanctifying their souls. This confirms the Divine promise, and encourages us to depend upon it, that we have heard it from…

Read the full comment on Acts 1:1-5 →

Acts 1:4 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

καὶkaiAndG2532
συναλιζόμενοςsunalizomenosbeing assembled togetherG4871
παρήγγειλενparēngeilenHe instructedG3853
αὐτοῖςautoisto themG846
ἀπὸapofromG575
ἹεροσολύμωνHi'erosolumōnJerusalemG2414
μὴmēnotG3361
χωρίζεσθαι,chōrizesthaito depart,G5563
ἀλλὰallabutG235
περιμένεινperimeneinto awaitG4037
τὴνtēntheG3588
ἐπαγγελίανepangelianpromiseG1860
τοῦtouof theG3588
πατρὸςpatrosFatherG3962
ἣνhēnThat whichG3739
ἠκούσατέēkousateyou heardG191
μου·mouof Me;G3165

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Acts 1:4

  • Luke 24:49

    And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

  • John 14:16

    And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

  • John 15:26

    But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

  • John 14:26-28

    But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.

  • John 7:39

    (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

  • Luke 12:12

    For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.

  • John 16:7-15

    Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; …

  • John 20:22

    And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:

  • Acts 2:33

    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.

  • Luke 11:13

    If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

  • Matthew 10:20

    For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.

  • Acts 10:41

    Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
being assembled together. or, eating together.
10:41; Lu 24:41-43
commanded.
Lu 24:49
the promise.
2:33; Mt 10:20; Lu 11:13; 12:12; Joh 7:39; 14:16,26-28; 15:26
Joh 16:7-15; 20:22

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Acts 1:3

    To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:

  • Acts 1:4

    And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.

  • Acts 1:5

    For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

Read all of Acts 1

Acts 1:4 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y estando juntos, les mandó que no se fuesen de Jerusalem, sino que esperasen la promesa del Padre, que oísteis, dijo, de mí.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et étant assemblé avec eux, il leur commanda de ne pas partir de Jérusalem, mais d’attendre la promesse du Père, laquelle, dit-il, vous avez entendue de moi:
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und als er mit ihnen versammelt war, befahl er ihnen, sich nicht von Jerusalem zu entfernen, sondern auf die Verheißung des Vaters zu warten, -die ihr von mir gehört habt;
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et convescens, præcepit eis ab Jerosolymis ne discederent, sed exspectarent promissionem Patris, quam audistis (inquit) per os meum: