Acts 10 · Verse 47

Acts 10:47

Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?

Acts 10:47, King James Version

Acts 10:47 in other translations

BSB	“Can anyone withhold the water to baptize these people? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have!”
WEB	“Can anyone forbid these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just like us.”
ASV	Can any man forbid the water, that these should not be baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit as well as we?
YLT	Then answered Peter, ‘The water is any one able to forbid, that these may not be baptized, who the Holy Spirit did receive--even as also we?'
DARBY	Can any one forbid water that these should not be baptised, who have received the Holy Spirit as we also did?
BBE	Will any man say that these may not have baptism who have been given the Holy Spirit as we have?
Webster	Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit as well as we?

What does Acts 10:47 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Acts 10:46-48

46. heard them speak with tongues and magnify God--As on the day of Pentecost it was no empty miracle, no mere speaking of foreign languages, but utterance of "the wonderful works of God" in tongues to them unknown (Ac 2:11), so here; but more remarkable in this case, as the speakers were perhaps less familiar with the Old Testament songs of praise. 46-48. Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid water ... which have…

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Barnes' Notes

Verse 47. Can any man forbid water, etc. They have shown that they are favoured in the same way as the Jewish converts. God has manifested himself to them, as he did to the Jews on the day of Pentecost. Is it not clear, therefore, that they are entitled to the privilege of Christian baptism? The expression here used is one that would naturally refer to water being brought; that is, to a small quantity; and would seem to imply that they were baptized, not by immersion, but by pouring or sprinkling.

(l) "Can any man forbid" Acts 8:12 (�) "Ghost" "Spirit"

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 47 Can any man forbid water - These had evidently received the Holy Ghost, and consequently were become members of the mystical body of Christ; and yet St. Peter requires that they shall receive baptism by water, that they might become members of the Christian Church. In other cases, they received baptism first, and the Spirit afterwards by the imposition of hands: see Act 19:4-6, where the disciples who had received only the baptism of John were baptized again with water in the name of the Lord Jesus; and, after even this, the apostles prayed, and laid their hands on them, before they were made partakers of the Holy Ghost. So we find that Jesus Christ had his water baptism as well as John; and that even he who gave the baptism of the Holy Ghost required the administration of water baptism also. Therefore the baptism of the Spirit did not supersede the baptism by water; nor indeed can it; as baptism, as well as the supper of our Lord, were intended, not only to be means of grace, but standing, irrefragable proofs of the truth of Christianity.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Acts 10:44-48

The Holy Ghost fell upon others after they were baptized, to confirm them in the faith; but upon these Gentiles before they were baptized, to show that God does not confine himself to outward signs. The Holy Ghost fell upon those who were neither circumcised nor baptized; it is the Spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing. They magnified God, and spake of Christ and the benefits of redemption. Whatever…

Read the full comment on Acts 10:44-48 →

Acts 10:47 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.

μήτιmētisurely not everG3385

τὸtotheG3588

ὕδωρhudōrwaterG5204

δύναταιdunataiis ableG1410

κωλῦσαίkōlusaito withholdG2967

τιςtisanyoneG5100

τοῦtou<the>G3588

μὴmēnotG3361

βαπτισθῆναιbaptisthēnaito baptizeG907

τούτους,toutoustheseG3778

οἵτινεςoitineswhoG3748

τὸtotheG3588

πνεῦμαpneumaSpiritG4151

τὸto<the>G3588

ἅγιονhagionHolyG40

ἔλαβονelabonhave receivedG2983

ὡςhōsasG5613

καὶkaialso [have]G2532

ἡμεῖς;hēmeiswe ourselves?G3165

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

Cross references for Acts 10:47

Acts 8:36
And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?
Romans 10:12
For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
Acts 11:15-17
And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning. Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?
Acts 15:8-9
And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
Genesis 17:24-26
And Abraham was ninety years old and nine, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. In the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son.
Acts 2:4
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Acts 8:12
But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
Romans 4:11
And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

8:12,36; 11:15-17; 15:8,9; Ge 17:24-26; Ro 4:11; 10:12

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

Context

Acts 10:46
For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,
Acts 10:47
Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?
Acts 10:48
And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.

Read all of Acts 10

Acts 10:47 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Entonces respondió Pedro: ¿Puede alguno impedir el agua, para que no sean bautizados éstos que han recibido el Espíritu Santo también como nosotros?
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Quelqu’un pourrait-il refuser l’eau, afin que ceux-ci ne soient pas baptisés, eux qui ont reçu l’Esprit Saint comme nous-mêmes?
German Elberfelder 1871	Dann antwortete Petrus: Könnte wohl jemand das Wasser verwehren, daß diese nicht getauft würden, die den Heiligen Geist empfangen haben, gleichwie auch wir?
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Tunc respondit Petrus: Numquid aquam quis prohibere potest ut non baptizentur hi qui Spiritum Sanctum acceperunt sicut et nos?