Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.
Parallel translations
- WEB whom God raised up, having freed him from the agony of death, because it was not possible that he should be held by it.
- BSB But God raised Him from the dead, releasing Him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for Him to be held in its clutches.
- NKJV whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.
- NASB But God raised Him from the dead, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.
- NLT But God released him from the horrors of death and raised him back to life, for death could not keep him in its grip.
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
God raised Jesus, freeing Him from death because death could not hold Him. It proclaims the resurrection as God's vindication of His Son.
Overview
The resurrection is presented as God's mighty act overturning the verdict of the cross. Death 'could not hold' Jesus because of who He is and God's purpose for Him. This victory over death is the foundation of the believer's hope and forgiveness.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 40
- 1 Cor 6:14And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power.
- Acts 2:32This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
- 1 Pet 1:21Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.
- Col 2:12Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
- Rom 8:11But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
- Rom 6:4Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
- 2 Cor 4:14Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.
- John 10:18No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.
- Heb 13:20Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
- Eph 1:20Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
- 1 Th 1:10And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
- Rom 10:9That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
- Acts 17:31Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
- Acts 13:30But God raised him from the dead:
- John 2:19–21Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
- Rom 4:24But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;
- Acts 3:15And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.
- Luke 24:1–53Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.
- Gal 1:1Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)
- Acts 3:26Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.
- Acts 13:37But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption.
- Rev 1:18I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
- Ps 116:16O LORD, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds.
- John 20:9For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.
- Acts 13:33–34God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.
- Ps 116:3–4The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.
- Acts 4:10Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
- Acts 10:40–41Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly;
- 1 Cor 15:15Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.
- 1 Cor 15:12Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?
- Isa 26:19Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.
- Rom 14:9For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.
- Rom 8:34Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
- Matt 27:63Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.
- John 12:39Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again,
- Isa 25:8He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.
- Isa 53:10Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
- Hos 13:14I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.
- Heb 2:14Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
- John 10:35If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;
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 2:24 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.