Acts 22 · Verse 16

Acts 22:16

And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.
Acts 22:16, King James Version

Acts 22:16 in other translations

BSBAnd now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and wash your sins away, calling on His name.’
WEBNow why do you wait? Arise, be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’
ASVAnd now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on his name.
YLTand now, why tarriest thou? having risen, baptize thyself, and wash away thy sins, calling upon the name of the Lord.
DARBYAnd now why lingerest thou? Arise and get baptised, and have thy sins washed away, calling on his name.
BBEAnd now, why are you waiting? get up, and have baptism, for the washing away of your sins, giving worship to his name.
WebsterAnd now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

What does Acts 22:16 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
16. be baptized and wash away thy sins--This way of speaking arises from baptism being the visible seal of remission. calling on the name of the Lord--rather, "having called," that is, after having done so; referring to the confession of Christ which preceded baptism, as Ac 8:37.

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

Barnes' Notes
Verse 16. And now, why tarriest thou? Why dost thou delay, or wait any longer? These words are not recorded by Luke in Acts 9, where he has given an account of the conversion of Paul; but there is nothing here contradictory to his statement.

And wash away thy sins. Receive baptism, as an act expressive of the washing away of sins. It cannot be intended that the external rite of baptism was sufficient to make the soul pure, but that it was an ordinance divinely appointed as expressive of the washing away of sins, or of purifying the heart. Comp. Heb 10:22. Sinners are represented in the Scriptures as defiled or polluted by sin. To wash away the sins denotes the purifying of the soul from this polluted influence, 1Cor 6:11, Rev 1:5, 7:14, Isa 1:16, Ps 51:2,7.

Calling on the name of the Lord. For pardon and sanctification. Rom 10:13, "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." It was proper that this calling on the name of the Lord should be connected with the ordinance of baptism. That ordinance was expressive of a purifying which the Lord only could produce. It is proper that the rite of baptism should be attended with extraordinary prayer; and that he who is to be baptized should make it the occasion of peculiar and very solemn religious exercises. The external rite will avail nothing without the pardoning mercy of God.

(*) "tarriest" "delayest" (e) "wash away" Heb 10:22, 1Pet 3:21 (f) "calling" Rom 10:13, 1Cor 1:2

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 16 Arise, and be baptized - Take now the profession of Christ's faith most solemnly upon thee, by being baptized in the name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Wash away thy sins, etc. - Let this washing of thy body represent to thee the washing away of thy sins: and know that this washing away of sin can be received only by invoking the name of the Lord.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Acts 22:12-21

The apostle goes on to relate how he was confirmed in the change he had made. The Lord having chosen the sinner, that he should know his will, he is humbled, enlightened, and brought to the knowledge of Christ and his blessed gospel. Christ is here called that Just One; for he is Jesus Christ the righteous. Those whom God has chosen to know his will, must look to Jesus, for by him God has made known his good-will to…

Read the full comment on Acts 22:12-21 →

Acts 22:16 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
νῦνnunnowG3568
τίtiwhyG5101
μέλλεις;melleisdelay you?G3195
ἀναστὰςanastasHaving arisenG450
βάπτισαιbaptisaido yourself be baptizedG907
καὶkaiandG2532
ἀπόλουσαιapolousaido yourself wash awayG628
τὰςtastheG3588
ἁμαρτίαςhamartiassinsG266
σουsouof youG4771
ἐπικαλεσάμενοςepikalesamenoscalling onG1941
τὸtotheG3588
ὄνομαonomanameG3686
αὐτοῦ.¶autouof Him.G846

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

Cross references for Acts 22:16

  • Acts 2:38

    Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

  • Acts 2:21

    And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

  • Titus 3:5

    Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

  • Hebrews 10:22

    Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

  • 1 Corinthians 6:11

    And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

  • 1 Peter 3:21

    The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:

  • Psalms 119:60

    I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments.

  • Galatians 3:27

    For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

  • 1 Corinthians 12:13

    For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

  • Romans 6:3-4

    Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

  • Acts 9:14

    And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.

  • Romans 10:12-14

    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. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
why.
Ps 119:60; Jer 8:14
arise.
2:38; Ro 6:3,4; 1Co 6:11; 12:13; Ga 3:27; Tit 3:5; Heb 10:22
1Pe 3:21
calling.
2:21; 9:14; Ro 10:12-14; 1Co 1:2

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

Context

  • Acts 22:15

    For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.

  • Acts 22:16

    And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

  • Acts 22:17

    And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance;

Read all of Acts 22

Acts 22:16 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Ahora pues, ¿por qué te detienes? Levántate, y bautízate, y lava tus pecados, invocando su nombre.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et maintenant que tardes-tu? Lève-toi et sois baptisé, et te lave de tes péchés, invoquant son nom.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und nun, was zögerst du? Stehe auf, laß dich taufen und deine Sünden abwaschen, indem du seinen Namen anrufst.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et nunc quid moraris? Exsurge, et baptizare, et ablue peccata tua, invocato nomine ipsius.