Acts 3 · Verse 15

Acts 3:15

And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.
Acts 3:15, King James Version

Acts 3:15 in other translations

BSBYou killed the Author of life, but God raised Him from the dead, and we are witnesses of the fact.
WEBand killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, to which we are witnesses.
ASVand killed the Prince of life; whom God raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.
YLTand the Prince of the life ye did kill, whom God did raise out of the dead, of which we are witnesses;
DARBYbut the originator of life ye slew, whom God raised from among the dead, whereof we are witnesses.
BBEAnd put to death the Lord of life; whom God gave back from the dead; of which fact we are witnesses.
WebsterAnd killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; of which we are witnesses.

What does Acts 3:15 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Acts 3:12-16

12-16. why marvel at this?--For miracles are marvels only in relation to the limited powers of man. as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk--Neither the might nor the merit of the cure are due to us, mere agents of Him whom we preach.

Read the full comment on Acts 3:12-16 →

Barnes' Notes
Verse 15. And killed the Prince of life. The word rendered prince denotes, properly, a military leader or commander. Hence, in Heb 2:10, it is translated captain: "It became him--to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings." As a captain or commander leads on to victory, and is said to obtain it, so the word comes to denote one who is the cause, the author, the procurer, etc. In this sense it is used: Acts 5:31, "Him hath God exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel," etc. In Heb 12:2, it is properly rendered author: "Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith." The word author, or giver, would express the meaning of the word here. It also implies that he has dominion over life; an idea, indeed, which is essentially connected with that of his being the author of it. The word life here is used in a large sense, as denoting all manner of life. In this sense it is used in reference to Christ in Jn 1:4, "In him was life," etc. Comp. Jn 5:26, 1Jn 5:11, 1Cor 15:45. Jesus is here called the Prince of life in contrast with him whom the Jews demanded in his place, Barabbas. He was a murderer, Lk 23:19; Mk 15:7, one who had destroyed life; and yet they demanded that he whose character it was to destroy life should be released, and the Author of life be put to death.

Whom God hath raised, etc., Acts 2:24,32.

(h) "raised from the dead" Mt 28:2-6, Eph 1:20 (i) "whereof we are witnesses" Acts 2:32

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 15 And killed the Prince of life - Τον αρχηγον της ζωης, The author of this life: not only implying that all life proceeds from Jesus Christ as its source, but that the life-giving influence of that religion which they were now proclaiming came all through him. Αρχηγος signifies a prime leader or author, a captain, from αρχη, the beginning, head, or chief; and αγω, I lead. In Heb 2:10, Christ is called Αρχηγος της σωτηριας, the Captain of salvation. He teaches the doctrine of life and salvation, leads the way in which men should walk, and has purchased the eternal life and glory which are to be enjoyed at the end of the way. So the Jews preferred a son of death, a destroyer of life, to the Author and Procurer of life and immortality! Whereof we are witnesses - They had now wrought a most striking miracle in the name of Christ, and immediately proposed themselves as witnesses of his resurrection from the dead; the miracle which they had thus wrought being an unimpeachable proof of this resurrection.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Acts 3:12-18

Observe the difference in the manner of working the miracles. Our Lord always spoke as having Almighty power, never hesitated to receive the greatest honour that was given to him on account of his Divine miracles. But the apostles referred all to their Lord, and refused to receive any honour, except as his undeserving instruments. This shows that Jesus was one with the Father, and co-equal with Him; while the…

Read the full comment on Acts 3:12-18 →

Acts 3:15 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.

τὸνton<the>G3588
δὲdeandG1161
ἀρχηγὸνarchēgonthe AuthorG747
τῆςtēs<the>G3588
ζωῆςzōēsof lifeG2222
ἀπεκτείνατεapekteinateyou killedG615
ὃνhonwhomG3739
ὁho<the>G3588
θεὸςtheosGodG2316
ἤγειρενēgeirenhas raised upG1453
ἐκekout fromG1537
νεκρῶν,nekrōn[the] dead,G3498
οὗhouwhereofG3739
ἡμεῖςhēmeiswe ourselvesG3165
μάρτυρέςmartureswitnessesG3144
ἐσμεν.esmenare.G1510

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

Cross references for Acts 3:15

  • Acts 2:24

    Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.

  • Revelation 21:6

    And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

  • Acts 2:32

    This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.

  • 1 Corinthians 15:45

    And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

  • Hebrews 2:10

    For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

  • Acts 13:30-32

    But God raised him from the dead: And he was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people. And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers,

  • John 5:26

    For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;

  • John 1:4

    In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

  • 1 John 5:20

    And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

  • Hebrews 5:9

    And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

  • John 17:2

    As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.

  • John 14:6

    Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Prince. or, Author.
Joh 1:4; 4:10,14; 5:26; 10:28; 11:25,26; 14:6; 17:2; Ro 8:1,2
1Co 15:45; Col 3:3,4; Heb 2:10; 5:9; 1Jo 5:11,12,20; Re 21:6
Re 22:1,17
whom.
2:24,32; Mt 28:2-5; Eph 1:20
whereof.
1:22; 2:32; 10:40,41; 13:30-32

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

Context

  • Acts 3:14

    But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;

  • Acts 3:15

    And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.

  • Acts 3:16

    And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.

Read all of Acts 3

Acts 3:15 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y matasteis al Autor de la vida, al cual Dios ha resucitado de los muertos; de lo que nosotros somos testigos.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		et vous avez mis à mort le prince de la vie, lequel Dieu a ressuscité d’entre les morts; ce dont nous, nous sommes témoins.
German
Elberfelder 1871		den Urheber des Lebens aber habt ihr getötet, welchen Gott aus den Toten auferweckt hat, wovon wir Zeugen sind.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		auctorem vero vitæ interfecistis, quem Deus suscitavit a mortuis, cujus nos testes sumus.