They were completely amazed. “How can this be?” they exclaimed. “These people are all from Galilee,
Parallel translations
- WEB They were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Behold, aren’t all these who speak Galileans?
- KJV And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?
- BSB Astounded and amazed, they asked, “Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans?
- NKJV Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans?
- NASB They were amazed and astonished, saying, “Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans?
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 marvels that uneducated Galileans are speaking their languages. It heightens the wonder of the Spirit's work.
Overview
That ordinary Galileans speak many foreign languages amazes the hearers. The crowd recognizes this cannot be explained by natural learning. The miracle points to the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit at work in the church.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Acts 2:12They were all amazed, and were perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?”
- Acts 1:11who also said, “You men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who was received up from you into the sky, will come back in the same way as you saw him going into the sky.”
- John 7:52They answered him, “Are you also from Galilee? Search, and see that no prophet has arisen out of Galilee.”
- Acts 14:11–12When the multitude saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voice, saying in the language of Lycaonia, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!”
- Mark 1:27They were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching? For with authority he commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him!”
- Matt 26:73After a little while those who stood by came and said to Peter, “Surely you are also one of them, for your speech makes you known.”
- Acts 3:10They recognized him, that it was he who used to sit begging for gifts for the needy at the Beautiful Gate of the temple. They were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
- Mark 2:12He arose, and immediately took up the mat, and went out in front of them all; so that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”
- Matt 4:18–22Walking by the sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers: Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew, his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.
- Matt 21:11The multitudes said, “This is the prophet, Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”
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 2:7 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.