Acts 26 · Verse 20

Acts 26:20

But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.
Acts 26:20, King James Version

Acts 26:20 in other translations

BSBFirst to those in Damascus and Jerusalem, then to everyone in the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I declared that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds worthy of their repentance.
WEBbut declared first to them of Damascus, at Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance.
ASVbut declared both to them of Damascus first, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judæa, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance.
YLTbut to those in Damascus first, and to those in Jerusalem, to all the region also of Judea, and to the nations, I was preaching to reform, and to turn back unto God, doing works worthy of reformation;
DARBYbut have, first to those both in Damascus and Jerusalem, and to all the region of Judaea, and to the nations, announced that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance.
BBEBut I went about, first to those in Damascus and Jerusalem, and through all the country of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, preaching a change of heart, so that they, being turned to God, might give, in their works, the fruits of a changed heart.
WebsterBut showed first to them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.

What does Acts 26:20 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Acts 26:19-21

19-21. Whereupon, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision--This musical and elevated strain, which carries the reader along with it, and doubtless did the hearers, bespeaks the lofty region of thought and feeling to which the apostle had risen while rehearsing his Master's communications to him from heaven.

Read the full comment on Acts 26:19-21 →

Barnes' Notes
Verse 20. See Acts 9:20-23. The 20th verse contains a summary of his labours in obedience to the command of the Lord Jesus. His argument is, that the Lord Jesus had from heaven commanded him to do this, and that he had done no more than to obey his injunction.

(*) "shewed" "declared" (i) "first" Acts 9:19 (k) "works" Mt 3:8 (+) "meet for" "worthy of"

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 20 But showed first unto them of Damascus - He appears to have preached at Damascus, and in the neighboring parts of Arabia Deserta, for about three years; and afterwards he went up to Jerusalem. See Gal 1:17, Gal 1:18; and see the note on Act 9:23. That they should repent - Be deeply humbled for their past iniquities, and turn to God as their Judge and Savior, avoiding all idolatry and all sin; and thus do works meet for repentance; that is, show by their conduct that they had contrite hearts, and that they sincerely sought salvation from God alone. For the meaning of the word repentance, see the note on Mat 3:2.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Acts 26:12-23

Paul was made a Christian by Divine power; by a revelation of Christ both to him and in him; when in the full career of his sin. He was made a minister by Divine authority: the same Jesus who appeared to him in that glorious light, ordered him to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. A world that sits in darkness must be enlightened; those must be brought to know the things that belong to their everlasting peace, who…

Read the full comment on Acts 26:12-23 →

Acts 26:20 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.

ἀλλὰallabutG235
τοῖςtoisto thoseG3588
ἐνeninG1722
ΔαμασκῷDamaskōDamascusG1154
πρῶτόνprōtonfirstG4413
καὶkaialsoG2532
Ἱεροσολύμοις,Hi'erosolumoisin JerusalemG2414
πᾶσάνpasanallG3956
τεtebothG5037
τὴνtēntheG3588
χώρανchōranregionG5561
τῆςtēs<the>G3588
Ἰουδαίας,Ioudaiasof Judea,G2449
καὶkaiandG2532
τοῖςtoisto theG3588
ἔθνεσινethnesinGentilesG1484
ἀπήγγελλονapēngellonI was declaringG518
μετανοεῖνmetanoeinto repentG3340
καὶkaiandG2532
ἐπιστρέφεινepistrepheinto turnG1994
ἐπὶepitoG1909
τὸνton<the>G3588
θεὸνtheonGodG2316
ἄξιαaxiaworthyG514
τῆςtēs<the>G3588
μετανοίαςmetanoiasof repentanceG3341
ἔργαergaworksG2041
πράσσοντας.prassontasdoing.G4238

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

Cross references for Acts 26:20

  • Acts 3:19

    Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;

  • Matthew 3:8

    Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

  • 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 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.

  • Matthew 9:13

    But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

  • 2 Peter 1:5-8

    And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

  • Luke 19:8-9

    And Zaccheus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.

  • Revelation 2:5

    Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

  • Revelation 3:3

    Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

  • Titus 2:2-13

    That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. …

  • 1 Peter 4:2-5

    That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you: Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.

  • Ephesians 4:17-5:25

    This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But ye have not so learned Christ; …

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
first.
9:19-22; 11:26-30
and at.
9:28,29; 22:17,18
and then.
17; 13:46-48; 14:16-21; 22:21,22; Ro 11:18-20
repent.
2:38; 3:19; 11:18; 17:30; 20:21; Jer 31:19,20; Eze 18:30-32; Mt 3:2
Mt 4:17; 9:13; 21:30-32; Mr 6:12; Lu 13:3,5; 15:7,10; 24:46,47
Ro 2:4; 2Co 7:10; 2Ti 2:25,26; Re 2:5,21; 3:3; 16:11
turn.
9:35; 14:15; 15:19; Ps 22:27; La 3:40; Ho 12:6; 14:2; Lu 1:16
2Co 3:16; 1Th 1:9
and do.
Isa 55:7; Mt 3:8; Lu 3:8-14; 19:8,9; Eph 4:17-32; 5:1-25; 6:1-9
Tit 2:2-13; 1Pe 1:14-16; 2:9-12; 4:2-5; 2Pe 1:5-8

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

Context

  • Acts 26:19

    Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:

  • Acts 26:20

    But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.

  • Acts 26:21

    For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me.

Read all of Acts 26

Acts 26:20 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Antes anuncié primeramente á los que están en Damasco, y Jerusalem, y por toda la tierra de Judea, y á los Gentiles, que se arrepintiesen y se convirtiesen á Dios, haciendo obras dignas de arrepentimiento.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		mais j’ai annoncé premièrement à ceux de Damas, et à Jérusalem, et à tout le pays de la Judée, et aux nations, de se repentir et de se tourner vers Dieu, en faisant des œuvres convenables à la repentance.
German
Elberfelder 1871		sondern verkündigte denen in Damaskus zuerst und Jerusalem und in der ganzen Landschaft von Judäa und den Nationen, Buße zu tun und sich zu Gott zu bekehren, indem sie der Buße würdige Werke vollbrächten.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		sed his qui sunt Damasci primum, et Jerosolymis, et in omnem regionem Judææ, et gentibus, annuntiabam, ut pœnitentiam agerent, et converterentur ad Deum, digna pœnitentiæ opera facientes.