Acts 10 · Verse 41

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.

Acts 10:41, King James Version

Acts 10:41 in other translations

BSB	not by all the people, but by the witnesses God had chosen beforehand, by us who ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead.
WEB	not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen before by God, to us, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.
ASV	not to all the people, but unto witnesses that were chosen before of God, even to us, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.
YLT	not to all the people, but to witnesses, to those having been chosen before by God--to us who did eat with him, and did drink with him, after his rising out of the dead;
DARBY	not of all the people, but of witnesses who were chosen before of God, us who have eaten and drunk with him after he arose from among the dead.
BBE	Not by all the people, but by witnesses marked out before by God, even by us, who took food and drink with him after he came back from the dead.
Webster	Not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.

What does Acts 10:41 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Acts 10:39-43

39-43. we are witnesses of all ... he did--not objects of superstitious reverence, but simply witnesses to the great historical facts on which the Gospel is founded. slew and hanged--that is, slew by hanging. on a tree--So Ac 5:30 (and see on Ga 3:13).

Read the full comment on Acts 10:39-43 →

Barnes' Notes

Verse 41. Not to all the people. Not to the nation at large; for this was not necessary in order to establish the truth of his resurrection. He, however, showed himself to many persons. See the Harmony of the accounts of the resurrection of Jesus, at the close of the Notes on Matthew.

Chosen of God. Appointed by God, or set apart by his authority through Jesus Christ.

Who did eat and drink, etc. And by doing this he furnished the clearest possible proof that he was truly risen; and that they were not deceived by an illusion of the imagination, or by a phantasm. Compare Jn 21:12,13.

(b) "Not to all people" Jn 14:22 Joh 20 Joh 21 (c) "before of God" Jn 15:16

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 41 Not to all the people - In the order of Divine providence, the public were to be no longer instructed by Jesus Christ personally; but it was necessary that those who were to preach redemption in his name should be thoroughly furnished to this good and great work; therefore, the time he spent on earth, after his resurrection, was devoted to the instruction of his disciples. Witnesses chosen before of God - That is, God chose such men to attest this fact as were every way best qualified to give evidence on the subject; persons who were always to be found; who might at all times be confronted with those, if any such should offer themselves, who could pretend to prove that there was any imposture in this case; and persons who, from the very circumstances in which they were placed, must appear to have an absolute conviction of the truth of all they attested. The first preachers of the Gospel must be the witnesses of its facts; and these first preachers must be put in such circumstances as to demonstrate, not only that they had no secular end in view, nor indeed could have any, but also that they should be able to evince that they had the fullest conviction of the reality of the eternal world, and of their Master's existence in glory there; as they carried their lives continually in their hands, and regarded them not, so that they might fulfill the ministry which they had received from their Lord, and finish their course with joy. But why was not Christ, after his resurrection, shown to all the people! 1. Because it was impossible that such a thing could be done without mob and tumult. Let it only be announced, "Here is the man who was dead three days, and who is risen from the dead!" what confusion would be the consequence of such an exposure! Some would say, This is he; others, He is like him; and so on; and the valid testimony must be lost in the confusion of the multitude. 2. God chose such witnesses whose testimony should be unimpeachable; the men who knew him best, and who by their depositions in proof of the fact should evidently risk their lives. And, 3. as multitudes are never called to witness any fact, but a few selected from the rest, whose knowledge is most accurate, and whose veracity is unquestionable, therefore, God showed not Christ risen from the dead to all the people, but to witnesses chosen by himself; and they were such as perfectly knew him before, and who ate and drank with him after his resurrection, and consequently had the fullest proof and conviction of the truth of this fact.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Acts 10:34-43

Acceptance cannot be obtained on any other ground than that of the covenant of mercy, through the atonement of Christ; but wherever true religion is found, God will accept it without regarding names or sects. The fear of God and works of righteousness are the substance of true religion, the effects of special grace. Though these are not the cause of a man's acceptance, yet they show it; and whatever may be wanting…

Read the full comment on Acts 10:34-43 →

Acts 10:41 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.

οὐounot [revealed]G3756

παντὶpantito allG3956

τῷtōtheG3588

λαῷ,laōpeople,G2992

ἀλλὰallabutG235

μάρτυσινmartusinto [the] witnessesG3144

τοῖςtoiswhoG3588

προκεχειροτονημένοιςprokecheirotonēmenoischosen beforehandG4401

ὑπὸhupobyG5259

τοῦtou<the>G3588

θεοῦtheouGodG2316

ἡμῖν,hēminto usG3165

οἵτινεςoitineswhoG3748

συνεφάγομενsunephagomenwe ate withG4906

καὶkaiandG2532

συνεπίομενsunepiomenwe drank withG4844

αὐτῷautōHimG846

μετὰmetaafterG3326

τὸto<the>G3588

ἀναστῆναιanastēnairisingG450

αὐτὸνautonof HimG846

ἐκekout fromG1537

νεκρῶν·nekrōn[the] dead;G3498

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

Cross references for Acts 10:41

John 14:22
Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
Acts 10:39
And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree:
Acts 13:31
And he was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people.
Acts 1:2-3
Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: 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:
John 21:13
Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise.
John 14:17
Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
Acts 1:22
Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.
John 15:16
Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
Luke 24:30
And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.
Luke 24:41-43
And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. And he took it, and did eat before them.
John 20:1-21
The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre. Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him. Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre. So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. …

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Not.
39; 1:2,3,22; 13:31; Joh 14:17,22; 20:1-21:25
witnesses.
Joh 15:16
even.
Lu 24:30,41-43; Joh 21:13

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

Context

Acts 10:40
Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly;
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.
Acts 10:42
And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.

Read all of Acts 10

Acts 10:41 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	No á todo el pueblo, sino á los testigos que Dios antes había ordenado, es á saber, á nosotros que comimos y bebimos con él, después que resucitó de los muertos.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	non à tout le peuple, mais à des témoins qui avaient été auparavant choisis de Dieu, savoir à nous qui avons mangé et bu avec lui après qu’il eut été ressuscité d’entre les morts.
German Elberfelder 1871	nicht dem ganzen Volke, sondern den von Gott zuvor erwählten Zeugen, uns, die wir mit ihm gegessen und getrunken haben, nachdem er aus den Toten auferstanden war.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	non omni populo, sed testibus præordinatis a Deo: nobis, qui manducavimus et bibimus cum illo postquam resurrexit a mortuis.