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Now there were Jews residing in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven.
Acts 2:5 · New American 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.
  • BSB Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven.
  • NKJV And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, 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 8:2Devout men buried Stephen, and lamented greatly over him.
  • Luke 2:25Behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him.
  • Col 1:23if it is so that you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the Good News which you heard, which is being proclaimed in all creation under heaven; of which I, Paul, was made a servant.
  • Luke 24:18One of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who doesn’t know the things which have happened there in these days?”
  • Luke 17:24for as the lightning, when it flashes out of the one part under the sky, shines to the other part under the sky; so will the Son of Man be in his day.
  • Zech 8:18The word of Yahweh of Armies came to me.
  • Acts 13:50But the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city, and stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and threw them out of their borders.
  • Matt 24:14This Good News of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world for a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.
  • Acts 22:12One Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well reported of by all the Jews who lived in Damascus,
  • John 12:20Now there were certain Greeks among those that went up to worship at the feast.
  • Acts 2:1Now when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all with one accord in one place.
  • Exod 23:16And the feast of harvest, the first fruits of your labors, which you sow in the field; and the feast of ingathering, at the end of the year, when you gather in your labors out of the field.
  • Acts 10:7When the angel who spoke to him had departed, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier of those who waited on him continually.
  • Acts 10:2a devout man, and one who feared God with all his house, who gave gifts for the needy generously to the people, and always prayed to God.
  • Deut 2:25Today I will begin to put the dread of you and the fear of you on the peoples who are under the whole sky, who shall hear the report of you, and shall tremble, and be in anguish because of you.”
  • Acts 8:27He arose and went; and behold, there was a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasure, who had come to Jerusalem to worship.
  • Isa 66:18“For I know their works and their thoughts. The time comes that I will gather all nations and languages, and they will come, and will 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.