Acts 4:29

And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
And	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
now	νῦν, nun	G3568	"now" (as adverb of date · adverb
Lord	κύριε, kurie	G2962	supreme in authority · noun — vocative singular masculine, a title
behold	ἔπιδε epide	G1896	to regard (favorably or otherwise) · verb — second aorist active imperative, 2nd person singular
their	αὐτῶν autōn	G846	the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — genitive plural masculine
threatenings	ἀπειλὰς apeilas	G547	a menace · noun — accusative plural feminine
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
grant	δὸς dos	G1325	to give (used in a very wide application · verb — second aorist active imperative, 2nd person singular
unto	δούλοις doulois	G1401	a slave (literal or figurative · noun — dative plural masculine
thy	σοῦ soû	G4675	of thee
servants	δοῦλος doûlos	G1401	a slave (literal or figurative
with	μετὰ meta	G3326	properly · preposition
all	πάσης pasēs	G3956	all · adjective — genitive singular feminine
boldness	παρρησίας parrēsias	G3954	all out-spokenness · noun — genitive singular feminine
speak	λαλεῖν lalein	G2980	to talk · verb — present active infinitive
thy	σοῦ soû	G4675	of thee
word	λόγον logon	G3056	something said (including the thought) · noun — accusative singular masculine

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 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took kno…
Acts 14:3 Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of his grace, and granted signs and wonders t…
Philippians 1:14 And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.
Acts 4:31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they sp…
Acts 28:31 Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.
2 Timothy 4:17 Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might…
Acts 4:17-18 But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.
Acts 9:27 But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken t…

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

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Acts 4:23-31

We hear no more at present of the chief priests, what they did when they had dismissed Peter and John, but are to attend those two witnesses. And here we have, I. Their return to their brethren, the apostles and ministers, and perhaps some private Christians (Act 4:23): Being let go, they went to their own company, who perhaps at this time were met together in pain for them, and praying for them; as Act 12:12. As soon as ever they were at liberty, they went to their old friends, and returned to their church-fellowship. 1. Though God had highly honoured them, in calling them out to be his witnesses, and enabling them to acquit themselves so well, yet they were not puffed up with the honour do…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Acts 4:29

now, Lord, behold their threatenings--Recognizing in the threatenings of the Sanhedrim a declaration of war by the combined powers of the world against their infant cause, they seek not enthusiastically to hide from themselves its critical position, but calmly ask the Lord of heaven and earth to "look upon their threatenings." that with all boldness they may speak thy word--Rising above self, they ask only fearless courage to testify for their Master, and divine attestation to their testimony by miracles of healing, &c., in His name.

Adam Clarke on Acts 4:29

And now, Lord, behold their threatenings - It is not against us, but against thee, that they conspire: it is not to prevent the success of our preaching, but to bring to nought thy counsel: the whole of their enmity is against thee. Now, Lord, look upon it; consider this. And grant unto thy servants - While we are endeavoring to fulfill thy counsels, and can do nothing without thee, sustain our courage, that we may proclaim thy truth with boldness and irresistible power.

John Gill on Acts 4:29

And now, Lord, behold their threatenings,.... Meaning not with his eye of omniscience, which he could not but do; but that he would so take notice of them, as in his providence to rebuke them for them, or restrain them, or make them fearless of them: and grant unto thy servants; the apostles, and all the ministers of the word, who are the servants of the most high God, and who serve him in the Gospel of his Son, with great cheerfulness and faithfulness: that with all boldness they may speak thy word; and not their own, or another's; the Gospel, which is God's speech, or a word, a message of grace and mercy from him to sinful creatures. The request of the whole church is, that the ministers…

The Church Fathers

Observe their largeness of mind. These are not words of imprecation. In saying, "their threatenings," they do not mean this or that thing specifically threatened, but only in general, the fact of their threatening, perhaps, as being formidable. In fact, the writer is concise in his narrative. And observe, they do not say, "Crush them, cast them down;" but what? "And grant unto Thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak Thy word." Let us also learn thus to pray. And yet how full of wrath one would be, when fallen among men intent upon killing him, and making threats to that effect? how full of animosity? But not so these saints.
— John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 11

"And now, Lord, regard their threatenings." As at that time, it is said, they "imagined vain things," so "now," grant that their imaginations may be in vain: i.e. let not their threatenings come into accomplishment. And this they said not because they would themselves deprecate any hardship, but for the preaching's sake. For they do not say, "and deliver us out of dangers;" but what? "And grant unto Thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak Thy word." Thou Who didst bring to pass the former designs, bring these also to accomplishment. Observe, how they affirm God to be the Author of their confidence; and how they ask all for God's sake, nothing for their own glory or ambition. They promise for their own part, that they will not be dismayed.
— John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 11

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

Boldness, Holy · Pray for — Pray for
Grace Of God · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Prayer, Answers To · Exemplified: Apostles — Exemplified: Apostles

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).

Acts 4:29

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Acts 4:23-31

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Acts 4:29

Adam Clarke on Acts 4:29

John Gill on Acts 4:29

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Acts 4:29

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Acts 4:23-31

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Acts 4:29

Adam Clarke on Acts 4:29

John Gill on Acts 4:29

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on Acts 4:24-31

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Acts 4:28