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Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven.
Acts 2:5 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under the sky.
  • KJV And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.
  • NKJV And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven.
  • NASB Now there were Jews residing in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven.
  • NLT At that time there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem.

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

Devout Jews from every nation are dwelling in Jerusalem. It provides the international audience for the Spirit-empowered witness.

Overview

Pilgrims and resident Jews 'from every nation under the sky' had gathered for the feast. Their presence ensures the gospel will be heard in many languages at once. God providentially assembles a diverse crowd to witness the church's birth.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 17

  • Acts 8:2God-fearing men buried Stephen and mourned deeply over him.
  • Luke 2:25Now there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
  • Col 1:23if indeed you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope of the gospel you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.
  • Luke 24:18One of them, named Cleopas, asked Him, “Are You the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in recent days?”
  • Luke 17:24For just as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other, so will be the Son of Man in His day.
  • Zech 8:18Then the word of the LORD of Hosts came to me, saying,
  • Acts 13:50The Jews, however, incited the religious women of prominence and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and drove them out of their district.
  • Matt 24:14And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
  • Acts 22:12There a man named Ananias, a devout observer of the law who was highly regarded by all the Jews living there,
  • John 12:20Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the feast.
  • Acts 2:1When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.
  • Exod 23:16You are also to keep the Feast of Harvest with the firstfruits of the produce from what you sow in the field. And keep the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather your produce from the field.
  • Acts 10:7When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier from among his attendants.
  • Acts 10:2He and all his household were devout and God-fearing. He gave generously to the people and prayed to God regularly.
  • Deut 2:25This very day I will begin to put the dread and fear of you upon all the nations under heaven. They will hear the reports of you and tremble in anguish because of you.”
  • Acts 8:27So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official in charge of the entire treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. He had gone to Jerusalem to worship,
  • Isa 66:18“And I, knowing their deeds and thoughts, am coming to gather all nations and tongues, and they will come and see My glory.

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 2:5YouTube · 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 2:5 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.