the he (she or it) · demonstrative pronoun — dative plural feminine
days
ἡμέραιςhēmerais
G2250
day · noun — dative plural feminine
came
κατῆλθονkatēlthon
G2718
to come (or go) down (literally or figuratively) · verb — second aorist active indicative, 3rd person plural
prophets
προφῆταιprophētai
G4396
a foreteller ("prophet") · noun — nominative plural masculine
from
ἀπὸapo
G575
"off · preposition
Jerusalem
ἹεροσολύμωνHi'erosolumōn
G2414
Hierosolyma (i.e. Jerushalaim) · noun — genitive plural neuter, a place
unto
εἰςeis
G1519
to or into (indicating the point reached or entered) · preposition
Antioch
Ἀντιόχειαν·Antiocheian
G490
Antiochia · noun — accusative singular feminine, a place
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
Acts 13:1 Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of…
1 Corinthians 12:28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, he…
Ephesians 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
Matthew 23:34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall y…
Acts 2:17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall p…
Acts 15:32 And Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed them.
Acts 21:4 And finding disciples, we tarried there seven days: who said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem.
Acts 21:9 And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy.
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Acts 11:27–end
When our Lord Jesus ascended on high he gave gifts unto men, not only apostles and evangelists, but prophets, who were enabled by the Spirit to foresee and foretel things to come, which not only served for a confirmation of the truth of Christianity (for all that these prophets foretold came to pass, which proved that they were sent of God, Deu 18:22; Jer 28:9), but was also of great use to the church, and served very much for its guidance. Now here we have,
I. A visit which some of these prophets made to Antioch (Act 11:27): In these days, during that year that Barnabas and Saul lived at Antioch, there came prophets from Jerusalem to Antioch: we are not told how many, nor is it certain whet…
BY OCCASION OF A FAMINE BARNABAS AND SAUL RETURN TO JERUSALEM WITH A CONTRIBUTION FOR THE RELIEF OF THEIR SUFFERING BRETHREN. (Act 11:27-30)
came prophets from Jerusalem--inspired teachers, a class we shall afterwards frequently meet with, who sometimes, but not necessarily, foretold future events. They are classed next to apostles (Co1 12:28-29; Eph 4:11).
Adam Clarke on Acts 11:27
Came prophets from Jerusalem - Though the term prophet is used in the New Testament simply to signify a teacher, (see the note on Gen 20:7, where the subject is largely explained), yet here it evidently means also such as are under Divine inspiration, and foretold future events. This was certainly the case with Agabus, Act 11:28, though, perhaps, his ordinary character was that of a teacher or preacher. It seems from various scriptures, Rom 12:4, etc., 1 Corinthians 13:2-14:40, that the prophets of the New Testament were
1. Teachers or preachers in general.
2. Persons who, on special occasions, were under the influence of the Divine Spirit, and then foretold certain future events.
3. Persons…
And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem to Antioch., That is, some time in that year that Saul and Barnabas were at Antioch, there came from Jerusalem thither some Christian prophets; for such there were in the Christian church, who had not only a gift of expounding the more mysterious prophecies of the Old Testament, but also of foretelling things to come; see Acts 13:1.
The Church Fathers
"And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch." It was need that the fruit of alms should also be planted there. And see how of necessity none of the men of note becomes their teacher. They got for their teachers, men of Cyprus, and Cyrene, and Paul - though he indeed surpassed the Apostles themselves - since Paul also had for teachers Ananias and Barnabas.
There is nothing contrary to this in what the Lord said, "The law and the prophets" up to John. (Matt. 2:12) For this concerns those prophets who proclaimed his coming beforehand. So that they would not think the famine occurred because of this, that Christianity had arrived, the Holy Spirit foretold it beforehand. And Christ himself also said this (see Matt. 24:7), not because it was necessary that this happen from the beginning, but because of the evils that befell the apostles. And God was patient; but when the time came, a great famine occurred, announcing the evils that would come upon the Jews. And if it was on their account, it was nevertheless fitting that even those present should cease. For it would have been better if they had prospered, since they committed their own deeds: they murdered, punished, scourged, and everywhere persecuted. Therefore the famine occurred, even if the wretched people did not understand, and Christians shared in their suffering because of this. It should be noted that the apostles also had the rank of elders. And elsewhere it is noted in other chapters that they had the order of deacons and bishops. [CHRYSOSTOM]
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Dictionary and topics
Agabus — A “prophet,” probably one of the seventy disciples of Christ. He prophesied at Antioch of an approaching famine (Acts 11:27, 28). Many years afterwards he met Paul at Caesarea, and warned him of the…
Antioch — (1.) In Syria, on the river Orontes, about 16 miles from the Mediterranean, and some 300 miles north of Jerusalem. It was the metropolis of Syria, and afterwards became the capital of the Roman…
Antioch · .Disciples first — .Disciples first
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
John Calvin on Acts 11:27–end
Acts 11:27-30
27. In those days came prophets from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28. And one of them, named Agabus, arose, and signified by the Spirit, that there should be a great famine throughout the whole world, which happened under Claudius Caesar. 29. And as every one of the disciples was able, they decreed every man to send succor to the brethren which dwelt in Judea. 30. Which thing they did, sending it unto the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.
27. Luke commendeth in this place the faith of the men of Antioch by the fruit, because they endeavored to relieve the poverty of that church, from whence they received the gospel, with their abundance; and that did they unrequested. Such e…
