Acts 11 · Verse 18

Acts 11:18

When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.
Acts 11:18, King James Version

Acts 11:18 in other translations

BSBWhen they heard this, their objections were put to rest, and they glorified God, saying, “So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life.”
WEBWhen they heard these things, they held their peace and glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life!”
ASVAnd when they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then to the Gentiles also hath God granted repentance unto life.
YLTAnd they, having heard these things, were silent, and were glorifying God, saying, ‘Then, indeed, also to the nations did God give the reformation to life.'
DARBYAnd when they heard these things they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then indeed God has to the nations also granted repentance to life.
BBEAnd hearing these things they said nothing more, but gave glory to God, saying, Then to the Gentiles as to us has God given a change of heart, so that they may have life.
WebsterWhen they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance to life.

What does Acts 11:18 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Acts 11:12-18

12-18. we entered the man's house--No mention of Cornelius' name, much less of his high position, as if that affected the question. To the charge, "Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised," he simply speaks of the uncircumcised "man" to whom he had been divinely sent.

Read the full comment on Acts 11:12-18 →

Barnes' Notes
Verse 18. They held their peace. They were convinced, as Peter had been, by the manifest indications of the will of God.

Then hath God, etc. The great truth is in this manner established, that the doors of the church are opened to the entire Gentile world--a great and glorious truth, that was worthy of this remarkable interposition. It at once changed the views of the apostles and of the early Christians; gave them new, large, and liberal conceptions of the gospel; broke down all their long-cherished prejudices; taught them to look upon all men as their brethren; and impressed their hearts with the truth, never after to be eradicated, that the Christian church was founded for the wide world, and opened the same glorious pathway to life wherever man might be found, whether with the narrow prejudice of the Jew, or amidst the degradations of the pagan world. To this truth we owe our hopes; for this, we should thank the God of heaven; and impressed with it, we should seek to invite the entire world to partake with us of the rich provisions of the gospel of the blessed God.

(*) "held their peace, and glorified God" "were satisfied" (i) "to the Gentiles granted" Rom 10:12,13, 15:9,16

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 18 They held their peace - Their prejudices were confounded; they considered the subject, and saw that it was from God; then they glorified him, because they saw that he had granted unto the Gentiles repentance unto life. As the word μετανοια, which we translate repentance, signifies literally a change of mind, it may be here referred to a change of religious views, etc. And as repentance signifies a change of life and conduct, from evil to good, so the word μετανοια may be used here to signify a change from a false religion to the true one; from idolatry, to the worship of the true God. Rosenmuller thinks that, in several cases, where it is spoken of the Jews, it signifies their change from a contempt of the Messiah to reverence for him, and the consequent embracing of the Christian religion. The Christians who were present were all satisfied with St. Peter's account and apology; but it does not appear that all were ultimately satisfied, as we know there were serious disputes in the Church afterwards on this very subject: see Act 15:5, etc., where Christian believers, from among the Pharisees, insisted that it was necessary to circumcise the converted Gentiles, and cause them to keep the law of Moses. This opinion was carried much farther in the Church at Jerusalem afterwards, as may be seen at large in Act 21:21, etc.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Acts 11:1-18

The imperfect state of human nature strongly appears, when godly persons are displeased even to hear that the word of God has been received, because their own system has not been attended to. And we are too apt to despair of doing good to those who yet, when tried, prove very teachable. It is the bane and damage of the church, to shut out those from it, and from the benefit of the means of grace, who are not in…

Read the full comment on Acts 11:1-18 →

Acts 11:18 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.

ἈκούσαντεςAkousantesHaving heardG191
δὲdethenG1161
ταῦταtautathese thingsG3778
ἡσύχασανhēsuchasanthey were silentG2270
καὶkaiandG2532
ἐδόξασανedoxasanglorifiedG1392
τὸνton<the>G3588
θεὸνtheonGodG2316
λέγοντες·legontessaying;G3004
ἄραaraThen indeedG686
καὶkaialsoG2532
τοῖςtoisto theG3588
ἔθνεσινethnesinGentilesG1484
ὁho<the>G3588
θεὸςtheosGodG2316
τὴνtēn<the>G3588
μετάνοιανmetanoianrepentanceG3341
εἰςeisuntoG1519
ζωὴνzōēnlifeG2222
ἔδωκεν.¶edōkenhas given.G1325

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

Cross references for Acts 11:18

  • Romans 10:12-13

    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. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

  • 2 Corinthians 7:10

    For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

  • Ezekiel 36:26

    A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

  • 2 Timothy 2:25-26

    In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

  • Acts 20:21

    Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

  • Acts 5:31

    Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

  • James 1:16-17

    Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

  • Ephesians 3:5-8

    Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;

  • Jeremiah 31:18-20

    I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the Lord my God. Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh: I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth. Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a pleasant child? for since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still: therefore my bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the Lord.

  • Acts 21:20

    And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law:

  • Romans 3:29-30

    Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also: Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.

  • Ephesians 2:11-18

    Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; …

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
they held.
Le 10:19,20; Jos 22:30
and glorified.
15:3; 21:20; Isa 60:21; 61:3; 2Co 3:18; Ga 1:24
hath.
1; 13:47,48; 14:27; 22:21,22; Ro 3:29,30; 9:30; 10:12,13; 15:9-16
Ga 3:26,27; Eph 2:11-18; 3:5-8
granted.
3:19,26; 5:31; 20:21; 26:17-20; Jer 31:18-20; Eze 36:26; Zec 12:10
Ro 10:12,13; 15:9,16; 2Co 7:10; 2Ti 2:25,26; Jas 1:16,17

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

Context

  • Acts 11:17

    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 11:18

    When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.

  • Acts 11:19

    Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only.

Read all of Acts 11

Acts 11:18 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Entonces, oídas estas cosas, callaron, y glorificaron á Dios, diciendo: De manera que también á los Gentiles ha dado Dios arrepentimiento para vida.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et ayant entendu ces choses, ils se turent, et glorifièrent Dieu disant: Dieu a donc en effet donné aux nations la repentance pour la vie!
German
Elberfelder 1871
Als sie aber dies gehört hatten, beruhigten sie sich und verherrlichten Gott und sagten: Dann hat Gott also auch den Nationen die Buße gegeben zum Leben.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
His auditis, tacuerunt: et glorificaverunt Deum, dicentes: Ergo et gentibus pœnitentiam dedit Deus ad vitam.