He had four unmarried daughters who had the gift of prophecy.
Parallel translations
- WEB Now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied.
- KJV And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy.
- BSB He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.
- NKJV Now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied.
- NASB Now this man had four virgin daughters who were prophetesses.
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
Philip has four unmarried daughters who prophesy. Their gift shows the Spirit's work among women in the early church.
Overview
The mention of Philip's four prophesying daughters illustrates the fulfillment of Joel's promise, cited at Pentecost, that sons and daughters would prophesy. Their ministry reflects the Spirit's gifting poured out on God's people, women included. The detail honors a faithful household devoted to the Lord's service.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Acts 2:17‘It will be in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions. Your old men will dream dreams.
- Rev 2:20But I have this against you, that you tolerate your woman, Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. She teaches and seduces my servants to commit sexual immorality, and to eat things sacrificed to idols.
- Exod 15:20Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand; and all the women went out after her with tambourines and with dances.
- Joel 2:28“It will happen afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; and your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams. Your young men will see visions.
- Luke 2:36There was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher (she was of a great age, having lived with a husband seven years from her virginity,
- Judg 4:4Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, judged Israel at that time.
- Acts 13:1Now in the assembly that was at Antioch there were some prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen the foster brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
- Neh 6:14“Remember, my God, Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and also the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, that would have put me in fear.”
- 1 Cor 11:4–5Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonors his head.
- 2 Kgs 22:14So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah, went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the second quarter); and they talked with her.
- 1 Cor 7:25–34Now concerning virgins, I have no commandment from the Lord, but I give my judgment as one who has obtained mercy from the Lord to be trustworthy.
- 1 Cor 7:38So then both he who gives his own virgin in marriage does well, and he who doesn’t give her in marriage does better.
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 21:9 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
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