He listened to them, expecting to receive something from them.
Parallel translations
- KJV And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.
- BSB So the man gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them.
- NKJV So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them.
- NASB And he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them.
- NLT The lame man looked at them eagerly, expecting some money.
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 man gave them his attention, hoping to get money. His expectation remained material even as something greater approached.
Overview
His readiness to receive shows ordinary human hope for relief, fixed on the gift he assumed was coming. The narrative lingers here to emphasize the gap between what he sought and what God intended. It is a quiet reminder that God's gifts often surpass and redirect our expectations, drawing us toward himself rather than merely meeting our requests.
Cross-references & the web
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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 3:5 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
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