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Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.
Acts 5:31 · New King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB God exalted him with his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, to give repentance to Israel, and remission of sins.
  • KJV Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.
  • BSB God exalted Him to His right hand as Prince and Savior, in order to grant repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.
  • NASB He is the One whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.
  • NLT Then God put him in the place of honor at his right hand as Prince and Savior. He did this so the people of Israel would repent of their sins and be forgiven.

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

God exalted Jesus as Prince and Savior to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness. The risen Christ now gives the very salvation the leaders reject.

Overview

Jesus' exaltation to God's right hand fulfills Psalm 110 and confirms His royal, saving authority. Repentance and forgiveness are presented as gifts He grants, not human achievements. The offer extends even to those who crucified Him, displaying the breadth of gospel grace.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 40

  • Luke 24:47and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
  • Acts 2:33Being therefore exalted by the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this, which you now see and hear.
  • Heb 2:10For it became him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many children to glory, to make the author of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
  • Acts 11:18When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life!”
  • Luke 2:11For there is born to you today, in David’s city, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
  • 1 Jn 4:14We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as the Savior of the world.
  • Rev 1:5and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us, and washed us from our sins by his blood;
  • Isa 9:6For to us a child is born. To us a son is given; and the government will be on his shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
  • Titus 3:4–6But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love toward mankind appeared,
  • Heb 12:2looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
  • Matt 28:18Jesus came to them and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.
  • Acts 3:15and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, to which we are witnesses.
  • Ezek 36:25–38I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.
  • 2 Pet 1:11For thus you will be richly supplied with the entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
  • Matt 1:21She shall give birth to a son. You shall call his name Jesus, for it is he who shall save his people from their sins.”
  • Zech 12:10I will pour on David’s house, and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplication; and they will look to me whom they have pierced; and they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for his only son, and will grieve bitterly for him, as one grieves for his firstborn.
  • 2 Tim 2:25–26in gentleness correcting those who oppose him: perhaps God may give them repentance leading to a full knowledge of the truth,
  • Jer 31:31–33“Behold, the days come,” says Yahweh, “that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
  • Acts 2:38Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
  • Jude 1:25to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.
  • Ps 89:24But my faithfulness and my loving kindness will be with him. In my name, his horn will be exalted.
  • Ezek 37:25They shall dwell in the land that I have given to Jacob my servant, in which your fathers lived; and they shall dwell therein, they, and their children, and their children’s children, forever: and David my servant shall be their prince for ever.
  • Acts 4:11He is ‘the stone which was regarded as worthless by you, the builders, which has become the head of the corner.’
  • Dan 10:21But I will tell you that which is inscribed in the writing of truth: and there is no one who holds with me against these, but Michael your prince.”
  • 2 Pet 1:1Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained a like precious faith with us in the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ:
  • Isa 45:21Declare and present it. Yes, let them take counsel together. Who has shown this from ancient time? Who has declared it of old? Haven’t I, Yahweh? There is no other God besides me, a just God and a Savior; There is no one besides me.
  • Acts 3:26God, having raised up his servant Jesus, sent him to you first to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your wickedness.”
  • Isa 43:11I myself am Yahweh; and besides me there is no savior.
  • Isa 43:3For I am Yahweh your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I have given Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place.
  • Acts 13:38–39Be it known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man is proclaimed to you remission of sins,
  • John 20:21–23Jesus therefore said to them again, “Peace be to you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.”
  • Phil 3:20For our citizenship is in heaven, from where we also wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;
  • Ezek 34:24I, Yahweh, will be their God, and my servant David prince among them; I, Yahweh, have spoken it.
  • Acts 13:23From this man’s offspring, God has brought salvation to Israel according to his promise,
  • 1 Pet 3:22who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, angels and authorities and powers being made subject to him.
  • Mark 2:10But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” — he said to the paralytic —
  • Ps 89:19Then you spoke in vision to your saints, and said, “I have given strength to the warrior. I have exalted a young man from the people.
  • Acts 3:19“Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, so that there may come times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord,
  • Isa 49:26I will feed those who oppress you with their own flesh; and they will be drunk on their own blood, as with sweet wine. Then all flesh shall know that I, Yahweh, am your Savior, and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”
  • Acts 2:36“Let all the house of Israel therefore know certainly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (10)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Acts videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Acts 5:31YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on ActsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

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 5:31 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.