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:
Acts 21:20 in other translations
| BSB | When they heard this, they glorified God. Then they said to Paul, “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law. |
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| WEB | They, when they heard it, glorified God. They said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed, and they are all zealous for the law. |
| ASV | And they, when they heard it, glorified God; and they said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of them that have believed; and they are all zealous for the law: |
| YLT | and they having heard, were glorifying the Lord. They said also to him, ‘Thou seest, brother, how many myriads there are of Jews who have believed, and all are zealous of the law, |
| DARBY | And they having heard it glorified God, and said to him, Thou seest, brother, how many myriads there are of the Jews who have believed, and all are zealous of the law. |
| BBE | And hearing it, they gave praise to God; and they said to him, You see, brother, what thousands there are among the Jews, who have the faith; and they all have a great respect for the law: |
| Webster | And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said to him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are who believe; and they are all zealous of the law: |
What does Acts 21:20 mean?
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Acts 21:20-25
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain
Barnes' Notes
Thou seest, brother. The language of tenderness in this address, recognizing Paul as a fellow-labourer and fellow Christian, implies a wish that Paul would do all that could be done to avoid giving offence, and to conciliate the favour of his country-men.
How many thousands. The number of converts at this time must have been very great. Twenty-five years before this, three thousand had been converted at one time, Acts 2, and afterwards the number had swelled to some more thousands, Acts 4:4, The assertion, that there were then "many thousands," implies that the work, so signally begun on the day of Pentecost in Jerusalem, had not ceased, and that many more had been converted to the Christian faith.
Which believe. Who are Christians. They are spoken of as believers, or as having faith in Christ, in contradistinction from those who rejected him, and whose characteristic trait it was that they were unbelievers.
And they are all zealous of the law. They still observe the law of Moses. The reference here is to the law respecting circumcision, sacrifices, distinctions of meats and days, festivals, etc. It may seem remarkable that they should still continue to observe those rites, since it was the manifest design of Christianity to abolish them. But we are to remember,
(1.) that those rites had been appointed by God, and that they were trained to their observance.
(2.) That the apostles conformed to them while they remained in Jerusalem, and did not deem it best to set themselves violently against them, Acts 3:1, Lk 24:53.
(3.) That the question about their observance had never been agitated at Jerusalem. It was only among the Gentile converts that the question had risen, and there it must arise, for if they were to be observed, they must have been imposed upon them by authority.
(4.) The decision of the council Acts 15 related only to the Gentile converts. It did not touch the question, whether those rites were to be observed by the Jewish converts.
(5.) It was to be presumed, that as the Christian religion became better understood-- that as its large, free, and catholic nature became more and more developed, the peculiar institutions of Moses would be laid aside of course, without agitation and without tumult. Had the question been agitated at Jerusalem, it would have excited tenfold opposition to Christianity, and would have rent the Christian church into factions, and greatly retarded the advance of the Christian doctrine. We are to remember also,
(6.) that, in the arrangement of Divine Providence, the time was drawing near which was to destroy the temple, the city, and the nation; which was to put an end to sacrifices, and effectually to close for ever the observance of the Mosaic rites. As this destruction was so near, and as it would be so effectual an argument against the observance of the Mosaic rites, the Great Head of the church did not suffer the question of their obligation to be needlessly agitated among the disciples at Jerusalem.
(g) "zealous" Acts 22:3, Rom 10:2
Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain
Adam Clarke's Commentary
Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Acts 21:19-26
Paul ascribed all his success to God, and to God they gave the praise. God had honoured him more than any of the apostles, yet they did not envy him; but on the contrary, glorified the Lord. They could not do more to encourage Paul to go on cheerfully in his work. James and the elders of the church at Jerusalem, asked Paul to gratify the believing Jews, by some compliance with the ceremonial law. They thought it was…
Acts 21:20 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.
Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).
Cross references for Acts 21:20
- Romans 10:2
For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
- Galatians 1:14
And profited in the Jews’ religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.
- Acts 22:3
I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.
- 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 15:1
And certain men which came down from Judea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.
- Acts 15:5
But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.
- 2 Thessalonians 1:10
When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.
- Romans 15:9-13
And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name. And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people. And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people. And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust. …
- 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.
- Romans 15:6-7
That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.
- Revelation 19:6-7
And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
- Psalms 72:17-19
His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed. Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things. And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen.
Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
4:21; 11:18; Ps 22:23,27; 72:17-19; 98:1-3; Isa 55:10-13; 66:9-14
Lu 15:3-10,32; Ro 15:6,7,9-13; Ga 1:24; 2Th 1:10; Re 19:6,7
how.
2:41; 4:4; 6:7; Mt 13:31-33; Joh 12:24
thousands.
Lu 12:1; *Gr:
and they.
15:1,5,24; 22:3; Ro 10:2; Ga 1:14
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain
Context
- Acts 21:19
And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry.
- 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:
- Acts 21:21
And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs.
Acts 21:20 in other languages
| Spanish Reina-Valera 1909 | Y ellos como lo oyeron, glorificaron á Dios, y le dijeron: Ya ves, hermano, cuántos millares de Judíos hay que han creído; y todos son celadores de la ley: |
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| French Bible J.N. Darby 1885 | Et eux, l’ayant entendu, glorifièrent Dieu et dirent à Paul: Tu vois, frère, combien il y a de milliers de Juifs qui ont cru; et ils sont tous zélés pour la loi. |
| German Elberfelder 1871 | Sie aber, als sie es gehört hatten, verherrlichten Gott und sprachen zu ihm: Du siehst, Bruder, wie viele Tausende der Juden es gibt, welche glauben, und alle sind Eiferer für das Gesetz. |
| Latin Clementine Vulgate | At illi cum audissent, magnificabant Deum, dixeruntque ei: Vides, frater, quot millia sunt in Judæis qui crediderunt, et omnes æmulatores sunt legis. |