Acts 11 · Verse 21

Acts 11:21

And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.
Acts 11:21, King James Version

Acts 11:21 in other translations

BSBThe hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.
WEBThe hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.
ASVAnd the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number that believed turned unto the Lord.
YLTand the hand of the Lord was with them, a great number also, having believed, did turn unto the Lord.
DARBYAnd the Lord's hand was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.
BBEAnd the power of the Lord was with them, and a great number had faith and were turned to the Lord.
WebsterAnd the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned to the Lord.

What does Acts 11:21 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
21. a great number believed--Thus the accession of Cornelius and his party was not the first admission of uncircumcised Gentiles into the Church. (See on Ac 10:1.) Nay, we read of no influence which the accession of Cornelius and his house had on the further progress of the Gospel among the Gentiles; whereas there here open upon us operations upon the Gentiles from quite a different quarter, and attended with ever growing success. The only great object served by the case of Cornelius was the formal recognition of the principles which that case afterwards secured. (See on Ac 15:19-29.)

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 21. And the hand of the Lord. Lk 1:66. Comp. Ps 80:17. The meaning is, that God showed them favour, and evinced his power in the conversion of their hearers.

(b) "hand of the Lord" Lk 1:66

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 21 The hand of the Lord was with them - By the hand, arm, and, finger of God, in the Scripture, different displays or exertions of his power are intended. Here it means that the energy of God accompanied them, and applied their preaching to the souls of all attentive hearers. Without this accompanying influence, even an apostle could do no good; and can inferior men hope to be able to convince and convert sinners without this? Ministers of the word of God, so called, who dispute the necessity and deny the being of this influence, show thereby that they are intruders into God's heritage; that they are not sent by him, and shall not profit the people at all. A great number believed - That Jesus was the Christ; and that he had died for their offenses, and risen again for their justification. Because the apostles preached the truth, and the hand of God was with them, therefore, a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord, becoming his disciples, and taking him for their portion.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Acts 11:19-24

The first preachers of the gospel at Antioch, were dispersed from Jerusalem by persecution; thus what was meant to hurt the church, was made to work for its good. The wrath of man is made to praise God. What should the ministers of Christ preach, but Christ? Christ, and him crucified? Christ, and him glorified? And their preaching was accompanied with the Divine power. The hand of the Lord was with them, to bring…

Read the full comment on Acts 11:19-24 →

Acts 11:21 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
ἦνēnwasG1510
χεὶρcheir[the] handG5495
κυρίουkuriouof [the] LordG2962
μετ᾽met᾽withG3326
αὐτῶν,autōnthem,G846
πολύςpolus[a] greatG4183
τεtethenG5037
ἀριθμὸςarithmosnumberG706
πιστεύσαςpisteusashaving believedG4100
ἐπέστρεψενepestrepsenturnedG1994
ἐπὶepitoG1909
τὸνtontheG3588
κύριον·kurionLord;G2962

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

Cross references for Acts 11:21

  • Acts 2:47

    Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

  • Luke 1:66

    And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him.

  • Acts 5:14

    And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.)

  • 1 Thessalonians 1:5

    For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.

  • Acts 9:35

    And all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him, and turned to the Lord.

  • 1 Corinthians 3:6-7

    I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

  • Isaiah 59:1

    Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:

  • Acts 6:7

    And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.

  • Nehemiah 2:18

    Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king’s words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work.

  • Acts 4:4

    Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.

  • 2 Chronicles 30:12

    Also in Judah the hand of God was to give them one heart to do the commandment of the king and of the princes, by the word of the Lord.

  • Ezra 7:9

    For upon the first day of the first month began he to go up from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month came he to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
the hand.
2Ch 30:12; Ezr 7:9; 8:18; Ne 2:8,18; Isa 53:1; 59:1; Lu 1:66
and a.
24; 2:47; 4:4; 5:14; 6:7; 1Co 3:6,7; 1Th 1:5
turned.
9:35; 15:19; 26:18-20; 1Th 1:9,10

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

Context

  • Acts 11:20

    And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus.

  • Acts 11:21

    And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.

  • Acts 11:22

    Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch.

Read all of Acts 11

Acts 11:21 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y la mano del Señor era con ellos: y creyendo, gran número se convirtió al Señor.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		et la main du Seigneur était avec eux; et un grand nombre, ayant cru, se tournèrent vers le Seigneur.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und des Herrn Hand war mit ihnen, und eine große Zahl glaubte und bekehrte sich zu dem Herrn.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et erat manus Domini cum eis: multusque numerus credentium conversus est ad Dominum.