And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?
Parallel translations
- WEB They were all amazed, and were perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?”
- BSB Astounded and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”
- NKJV So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “Whatever could this mean?”
- NASB And they all continued in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, “What does this mean?”
- NLT They stood there amazed and perplexed. “What can this mean?” they asked each other.
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
The crowd is amazed and perplexed, asking what this means. It expresses honest searching that opens the way for Peter's explanation.
Overview
The genuine question 'What does this mean?' shows hearts stirred and seeking. Their perplexity creates the opportunity for the gospel to be preached. God uses the miracle to draw the crowd toward the message of Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Acts 17:20For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean.
- Luke 15:26And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.
- Luke 18:36And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant.
- Acts 10:17Now while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean, behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made enquiry for Simon’s house, and stood before the gate,
- Acts 2:7And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 2:12 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.