But many of those who heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.
Parallel translations
- KJV Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.
- BSB But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand.
- NKJV However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.
- NASB But many of those who had heard the message believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.
- NLT But many of the people who heard their message believed it, so the number of men who believed now totaled about 5,000.
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
Despite the arrest, many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand. Opposition could not stop the gospel's advance.
Overview
Even as the leaders detain the apostles, the word continues to bear fruit and the church multiplies. The growth to about five thousand men (likely not counting women and children) shows the unstoppable power of God's word. This contrast between human opposition and divine increase is a recurring theme in Acts, demonstrating that the Lord builds his church despite all resistance.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Acts 2:41Then those who gladly received his word were baptized. There were added that day about three thousand souls.
- 2 Tim 2:9–10in which I suffer hardship to the point of chains as a criminal. But God’s word isn’t chained.
- 2 Cor 2:14–17Now thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and reveals through us the sweet aroma of his knowledge in every place.
- Phil 1:12–18Now I desire to have you know, brothers, that the things which happened to me have turned out rather to the progress of the Good News;
- Acts 28:24Some believed the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved.
- John 12:24Most certainly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit.
- Isa 45:24They will say of me, ‘There is righteousness and strength only in Yahweh.’” Even to him shall men come; and all those who raged against him shall be disappointed.
- Isa 53:12Therefore will I give him a portion with the great, and he will divide the plunder with the strong; because he poured out his soul to death, and was counted with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
- Gen 49:10The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs. To him will the obedience of the peoples be.
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 4:4 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.