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 Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
Now	δὲ de	G1161	but · conjunction
were	ἦν ēn	G2258	I (thou
in	κατὰ kata	G2596	(prepositionally) down (in place or time) · preposition
church	ἐκκλησίαν ekklēsian	G1577	a calling out · noun — accusative singular feminine
was	ὤν ṓn	G5607	being
at	ἐν en	G1722	"in · preposition
Antioch	Ἀντιοχείᾳ Antiocheia	G490	Antiochia · noun — dative singular feminine, a place
certain	τὶς tìs	G5100	some or any person or object
prophets	προφῆται prophētai	G4396	a foreteller ("prophet") · noun — nominative plural masculine
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
teachers	διδάσκαλοι, didaskaloi	G1320	an instructor (genitive case or specially) · noun — nominative plural masculine
as	τε te	G5037	both or also (properly · conjunction
Barnabas	Βαρναβᾶς Barnabas	G921	son of Nabas (i.e. prophecy) · noun — nominative singular masculine, a proper name
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
Simeon	Συμεὼν Sumeōn	G4826	Symeon (i.e. Shimon) · noun — nominative singular masculine, a proper name
called	καλούμενος kaloumenos	G2564	to "call" (properly · verb — present passive participle, nominative singular masculine
Niger	Νίγερ Niger	G3526	black · noun — nominative singular masculine, a proper name
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
Lucius	Λούκιος Loukios	G3066	illuminative · noun — nominative singular masculine, a proper name
Cyrene	Κυρηναῖος, Kurēnaios	G2956	i.e. Cyrenæan · noun — nominative singular masculine, a people or place name
and	τε te	G5037	both or also (properly · conjunction
Manaen	Μαναήν Manaēn	G3127	Manaën · noun — nominative singular masculine, a proper name
with	σύντροφος suntrophos	G4939	a fellow-nursling · adjective — nominative singular masculine
Herod	Ἡρῴδου Hērōdou	G2264	heroic · noun — genitive singular masculine, a proper name
tetrarch	τετραάρχου tetraarchou	G5076	the ruler of a fourth part of a country ("tetrarch") · noun — genitive singular masculine
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
Saul	Σαῦλος. Saulos	G4569	Saulus (i.e. Shaul) · noun — nominative singular masculine, a proper name

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 4:36 And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of…
Acts 15:35 Paul also and Barnabas continued in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.
Acts 11:22-27 Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far…
Acts 13:9 Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him,
Galatians 2:9 And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the rig…
Luke 3:1 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Cæsar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judæa, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and h…
Acts 15:32 And Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed them.
1 Corinthians 14:24-25 But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all:

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Acts 13:1-3

We have here a divine warrant and commission to Barnabas and Saul to go and preach the gospel among the Gentiles, and their ordination to that service by the imposition of hands, with fasting and prayer. I. Here is an account of the present state of the church at Antioch, which was planted, Act 11:20. 1. How well furnished it was with good ministers; there were there certain prophets and teachers (Act 13:1), men that were eminent for gifts, graces, and usefulness. Christ, when he ascended on high, gave some prophets and some teachers (Eph 4:11); these were both. Agabus seems to have been a prophet and not a teacher, and many were teachers who were not prophets; but those here mentioned were…

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Adam Clarke on Acts 13:1

Certain prophets and teachers - Προφηται και διδασκαλοι. It is probable that these were not distinct offices; both might be vested in the same persons. By prophets we are to understand, when the word is taken simply, persons who were frequently inspired to predict future events, and by teachers, persons whose ordinary office was to instruct the people in the Christian doctrine. These also, to be properly qualified for the office, must have been endued with the influence of the Holy Spirit; for, as but a very small portion of the Scriptures of the New Testament could have as yet been given, it was necessary that the teachers should derive much of their own teaching by immediate revelation fro…

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John Gill on Acts 13:1

Now there were in the church that was at Antioch,.... This was Antioch in Syria, where was a Gospel church, and where the disciples were first called Christians; from whence Saul and Barnabas had been sent to Jerusalem, with a supply for the poor saints there, in a time of famine, and from whence they were now returned: and here were certain prophets and teachers; who were both prophets and teachers, though these are sometimes distinguished; who had both a gift of foretelling things to come, as Agabus and others, and of explaining the prophecies of the Old Testament, and of teaching the people evangelic truths; these, at least some of them, came from Jerusalem hither, Acts 11:27. As Barnab…

The Church Fathers

Behold the character of each one, and not the upbringing from childhood saves. For see what company Manaen kept, who was esteemed a companion of prophecy. [AMMONIUS]
— Oecumenius, Commentary on Acts

"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 Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul." He still mentions Barnabas first: for Paul was not yet famous, he had not yet wrought any sign.
— John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 27

"And Manaean, who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch." Behold the customs of each of them: not even the fact of being brought up together saves them both. See how absolutely evil Herod was, for he did not want to be converted. But his foster brother Manaean certainly changed a great deal, because he was considered worthy of the gift of prophecy.
— Ammonius of Alexandria, CATENA ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 13.1

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

Church — Derived probably from the Greek kuriakon (i.e., “the Lord’s house”), which was used by ancient authors for the place of worship. In the New Testament it is the translation of the Greek word ecclesia,…
Herod Antipas — Herod’s son by Malthace (Matt. 14:1; Luke 3:1, 19; 9:7; Acts 13:1). (See ANTIPAS.)
Lucius — Of Cyrene, a Christian teacher at Antioch (Acts 13:1), and Paul’s kinsman (Rom. 16:21). His name is Latin, but his birthplace seems to indicate that he was one of the Jews of Cyrene, in North Africa.
Luke — The evangelist, was a Gentile. The date and circumstances of his conversion are unknown. According to his own statement (Luke 1:2), he was not an “eye-witness and minister of the word from the…
Manaen — Consoler, a Christian teacher at Antioch. Nothing else is known of him beyond what is stated in Acts 13:1, where he is spoken of as having been brought up with (Gr. syntrophos; rendered in R.V.…
Niger — Black, a surname of Simeon (Acts 13:1). He was probably so called from his dark complexion.
Simeon — Hearing. (1.) The second son of Jacob by Leah (Gen. 29:33). He was associated with Levi in the terrible act of vengeance against Hamor and the Shechemites (34:25, 26). He was detained by Joseph in…
Simeon Niger — (Acts 13:1) [Niger]
Syria — (Heb. Aram), the name in the Old Testament given to the whole country which lay to the north-east of Phoenicia, extending to beyond the Euphrates and the Tigris. Mesopotamia is called (Gen. 24:10;…
Tetrarch — Strictly the ruler over the fourth part of a province; but the word denotes a ruler of a province generally (Matt. 14:1; Luke 3:1, 19; 9:7; Acts 13:1). Herod and Phasael, the sons of Antipater, were…
Antioch · .The congregation in — .The congregation in

Acts 13:1

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Acts 13:1-3

Adam Clarke on Acts 13:1

John Gill on Acts 13:1

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Acts 13:1

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Acts 13:1-3

Adam Clarke on Acts 13:1

John Gill on Acts 13:1

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on Acts 13:1-3

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Acts 13:1-3