After He had said this, they watched as He was taken up, and a cloud hid Him from their sight.
Parallel translations
- WEB When he had said these things, as they were looking, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight.
- KJV And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
- NKJV Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
- NASB And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were watching, and a cloud took Him up, out of their sight.
- NLT After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
As they watched, Jesus was taken up and hidden by a cloud. This is the ascension, His bodily exaltation to the Father's presence.
Overview
The ascension marks the close of Jesus' earthly ministry and His enthronement at God's right hand. The cloud recalls the visible sign of God's glory and presence in Scripture. Christ's ascension means He now reigns and intercedes for His people while the Spirit empowers their mission.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Dan 7:13In my vision in the night I continued to watch, and I saw One like the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into His presence.
- Luke 24:50–51When Jesus had led them out as far as Bethany, He lifted up His hands and blessed them.
- Mark 16:19After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.
- Eph 4:8–12This is why it says: “When He ascended on high, He led captives away, and gave gifts to men.”
- John 6:62Then what will happen if you see the Son of Man ascend to where He was before?
- Exod 19:9The LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear when I speak with you, and they will always put their trust in you.” And Moses relayed to the LORD what the people had said.
- Acts 1:2until the day He was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles He had chosen.
- Rev 11:12And the witnesses heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Come up here.” And they went up to heaven in a cloud as their enemies watched them.
- Luke 21:27At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
- Isa 19:1This is the burden against Egypt: Behold, the LORD rides on a swift cloud; He is coming to Egypt. The idols of Egypt will tremble before Him, and the hearts of the Egyptians will melt within them.
- Ps 68:18You have ascended on high; You have led captives away. You have received gifts from men, even from the rebellious, that the LORD God may dwell there.
- Exod 34:5And the LORD descended in a cloud, stood with him there, and proclaimed His name, the LORD.
- Rev 14:4These are the ones who have not been defiled with women, for they are virgins. They follow the Lamb wherever He goes. They have been redeemed from among men as firstfruits to God and to the Lamb.
- Rev 1:7Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him—even those who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. So shall it be! Amen.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Acts is the risen Christ continuing his work by the Spirit through the church, as the apostles preach that there is salvation in no other name under heaven.
How Acts 1:9 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.