But Peter, along with John, looked at him intently and said, “Look at us!”
Parallel translations
- WEB Peter, fastening his eyes on him, with John, said, “Look at us.”
- KJV And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.
- BSB Peter looked directly at him, as did John. “Look at us!” said Peter.
- NKJV And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.”
- NLT Peter and John looked at him intently, and Peter said, “Look at us!”
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
Peter looked intently at the man and told him to look at them. This fixed attention prepares the man for the encounter that follows.
Overview
Peter's direct gaze and command draw the beggar from his habitual posture into genuine attention. The apostles do not act distractedly but engage the man personally, treating him as more than a recipient of charity. This focused encounter sets up the public, undeniable nature of the miracle, performed openly so that all glory would go to the risen Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Acts 14:9–10He was listening to Paul speaking, who, fastening eyes on him, and seeing that he had faith to be made whole,
- John 11:40Jesus said to her, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believed, you would see God’s glory?”
- Luke 4:20He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fastened on him.
- Acts 3:12When Peter saw it, he responded to the people, “You men of Israel, why do you marvel at this man? Why do you fasten your eyes on us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made him walk?
- John 5:6When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had been sick for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to be made well?”
- Acts 11:6When I had looked intently at it, I considered, and saw the four-footed animals of the earth, wild animals, creeping things, and birds of the sky.
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 3:4 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.