Acts 6:10

And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake.

King James Version · Read in your translation · Open the Explore console

Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
And	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
were	ἴσχυον ischuon	G2480	to have (or exercise) force (literally or figuratively) · verb — imperfect active indicative, 3rd person plural
not	οὐκ ouk	G3756	the absolute negative (compare G3361 (μή)) adverb · particle — negative
able	ἰσχύω ischýō	G2480	to have (or exercise) force (literally or figuratively)
resist	ἀντιστῆναι antistēnai	G436	to stand against · verb — second aorist active infinitive
wisdom	σοφίᾳ sophia	G4678	wisdom (higher or lower · noun — dative singular feminine
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
spirit	πνεύματι pneumati	G4151	a current of air · noun — dative singular neuter
which	ᾧ hō	G3739	the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun · relative pronoun — dative singular neuter
spake	ἐλάλει.¶ elalei	G2980	to talk · verb — imperfect active indicative, 3rd person singular

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

Luke 21:15 For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.
Matthew 10:19-20 But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.
1 Corinthians 2:4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
Luke 12:11-12 And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what…
John 7:46 The officers answered, Never man spake like this man.
Job 32:8 But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.
Exodus 4:12 Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.
Ezekiel 3:27 But when I speak with thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; He that heareth, let him hear; and…

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

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Acts 6:8–end

Stephen, no doubt was diligent and faithful in the discharge of his office as distributor of the church's charity, and laid out himself to put that affair in a good method, which he did to universal satisfaction; and though it appears here that he was a man of uncommon gifts, and fitted for a higher station, yet, being called to that office, he did not think it below him to do the duty of it. And, being faithful in a little, he was entrusted with more; and, though we do not find him propagating the gospel by preaching and baptizing, yet we find him here called out to very honourable services, and owned in them. I. He proved the truth of the gospel, by working miracles in Christ's name, Act 6…

Read the whole note in the console

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Acts 6:10

not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake--What he said, and the power with which he spake it, were alike resistless.

Adam Clarke on Acts 6:10

They there not able to resist the wisdom, etc. - He was wise, well exercised and experienced, in Divine things; and, as appears by his defense, in the following chapter, well versed in the Jewish history. The spirit by which he spake was the Holy Spirit, and its power was irresistible. They were obliged either to yield to its teachings, or were confounded by its truth. Several MSS. add to this verse, because he reproved them with boldness, they could not resist the truth. This reading is not genuine, though it exists (but in different forms) in some good MSS.

John Gill on Acts 6:10

And they were not able to resist the wisdom,.... In Beza's most ancient copy, and in another manuscript it is added, "which was in him"; that divine wisdom, which the Spirit of wisdom gave him; they were not a match for him with respect to the knowledge of divine things; they could not answer the wise arguments he made use of, fetched out of the Scriptures of truth, in which he was well versed, and had a large knowledge of: and the Spirit by which he spake; that is, the Holy Spirit, as the above exemplars of Beza, and the Ethiopic version read; the meaning is, they could not resist the Holy Spirit, by which Stephen spake, so as to overcome him, or put Stephen to silence, or confute him; oth…

The Church Fathers

And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Holy Spirit who spoke. In the Greek text, there is more: "And they were not able to resist the wisdom that was in him, and the Holy Spirit who spoke: for which reason they were reproved by him with all confidence." Therefore, when they could not contradict the truth, then they suborned men who said, etc.
— Bede, Retractions on Acts

And they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke. This is what the Lord Himself says to His martyrs: For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. It was fitting that in the first martyr, what He deigned to promise to all who are betrayed for His name should be confirmed.
— Bede, Commentary on Acts

"Disputing with Stephen." Observe him, not taking upon him to teach, but forced to do so. The miracles once more brought him into ill-will; but when he overcame in argument, it was false-witness! For they did not wish to kill intolerable to them. "They could not resist, etc.: then they suborned men." Everywhere out of hand, but by means of a sentence, that they might hurt their reputation also: and leaving those (the Apostles), they attack these (the disciples), thinking in this way to terrify those also.
— John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 15

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

Deacon — Anglicized form of the Greek word diaconos, meaning a “runner,” “messenger,” “servant.” For a long period a feeling of mutual jealousy had existed between the “Hebrews,” or Jews proper, who spoke the…
Philip The Evangelist — is first mentioned in the account of the dispute between the Hebrew and Hellenistic disciples in Acts 6. He is one of the deacons appointed to superintend the daily distribution of food and alms, and…
Stephen — One of the seven deacons, who became a preacher of the gospel. He was the first Christian martyr. His personal character and history are recorded in Acts 6. “He fell asleep” with a prayer for his…
Greece · .Persecute the early Christians — .Persecute the early Christians
Intolerance, Religious · .In persecuting Stephen — .In persecuting Stephen
Power Of The Holy Spirit, The · Saints: Enable to speak the truth boldly by — Saints: Enable to speak the truth boldly by
Stephen · Faith and power of — Faith and power of

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 6:10

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Acts 6:8–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Acts 6:10

Adam Clarke on Acts 6:10

John Gill on Acts 6:10

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Acts 6:10

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Acts 6:8–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Acts 6:10

Adam Clarke on Acts 6:10

John Gill on Acts 6:10

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on Acts 6:7-10

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Acts 6:8-15