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Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience.
Acts 13:16 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, “Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen.
  • BSB Paul stood up, motioned with his hand, and began to speak: “Men of Israel and you Gentiles who fear God, listen to me!
  • NKJV Then Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said, “Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen:
  • NASB Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said, “Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen:
  • NLT So Paul stood, lifted his hand to quiet them, and started speaking. “Men of Israel,” he said, “and you God-fearing Gentiles, listen to me.

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

Paul stands, gestures for attention, and addresses both Israelites and God-fearing Gentiles. He begins a sermon tracing Israel's history to Christ.

Overview

Paul's opening words acknowledge the mixed audience of Jews and Gentile God-fearers, both of whom need the message of salvation. The gesture and address recall the practice of ancient orators. This sermon, the first of Paul's recorded in Acts, parallels Stephen's in surveying Israel's story to show that it culminates in Jesus.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 27

  • Acts 12:17But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, Go shew these things unto James, and to the brethren. And he departed, and went into another place.
  • Acts 13:26Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent.
  • Acts 10:2A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.
  • Acts 2:22Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:
  • Rev 2:11He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
  • Rev 2:29He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
  • Ps 49:1–3Hear this, all ye people; give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world:
  • Rev 2:7He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
  • Acts 3:12And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?
  • Acts 2:14But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:
  • Deut 32:46–47And he said unto them, Set your hearts unto all the words which I testify among you this day, which ye shall command your children to observe to do, all the words of this law.
  • Matt 11:15He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
  • Ps 135:20Bless the LORD, O house of Levi: ye that fear the LORD, bless the LORD.
  • Acts 19:33And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander beckoned with the hand, and would have made his defence unto the people.
  • Acts 22:22And they gave him audience unto this word, and then lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live.
  • Acts 21:40And when he had given him licence, Paul stood on the stairs, and beckoned with the hand unto the people. And when there was made a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue, saying,
  • Ps 85:9Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land.
  • Luke 1:50And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
  • Rev 2:17He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.
  • Acts 10:35But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.
  • Mic 3:8–9But truly I am full of power by the spirit of the LORD, and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin.
  • Acts 13:46Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
  • 1 Kgs 8:40That they may fear thee all the days that they live in the land which thou gavest unto our fathers.
  • Acts 13:42–43And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.
  • Ps 67:7God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.
  • Ps 78:1–2Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
  • Luke 23:40But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (7)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Acts videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Acts 13:16YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on ActsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    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 13:16 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.