Acts 6 Geneva Bible (1599)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- Original 16th-century spelling.
GNV Geneva Bible (1599)
WEB World English Bible (Classic, with Deuterocanon)
PT1904 Patriarchal Text 1904 (accented, eBible edition)
1 And in those dayes, as the nomber of ye disciples grewe, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians towards ye Hebrewes, because their widowes were neglected in the dayly ministring.
1 Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, a complaint arose from the Hellenists against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily service.
1 Ἐν δὲ ταῖς ἡμέραις ταύταις πληθυνόντων τῶν μαθητῶν ἐγένετο γογγυσμὸς τῶν Ἑλληνιστῶν πρὸς τοὺς Ἑβραίους, ὅτι παρεθεωροῦντο ἐν τῇ διακονίᾳ τῇ καθημερινῇ αἱ χῆραι αὐτῶν.
2 Then the twelue called the multitude of the disciples together, and sayd, It is not meete that we should leaue the worde of God to serue the tables.
2 The twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not appropriate for us to forsake the word of God and serve tables.
2 προσκαλεσάμενοι δὲ οἱ δώδεκα τὸ πλῆθος τῶν μαθητῶν εἶπον· οὐκ ἀρεστόν ἐστιν ἡμᾶς καταλείψαντας τὸν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ διακονεῖν τραπέζαις.
3 Wherefore brethren, looke ye out among you seuen men of honest report, and full of the holy Ghost, and of wisedome, which we may appoint to this busines.
3 Therefore, select from among you, brothers, seven men of good report, full of the Holy Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.
3 ἐπισκέψασθε οὖν, ἀδελφοί, ἄνδρας ἐξ ὑμῶν μαρτυρουμένους ἑπτά, πλήρεις Πνεύματος Ἁγίου καὶ σοφίας, οὓς καταστήσομεν ἐπὶ τῆς χρείας ταύτης·
4 And we will giue our selues continually to prayer, and to the ministration of the worde.
4 But we will continue steadfastly in prayer and in the ministry of the word.”
4 ἡμεῖς δὲ τῇ προσευχῇ καὶ τῇ διακονίᾳ τοῦ λόγου προσκαρτερήσομεν.
5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Steuen a man full of fayth and of the holy Ghost, and Philippe, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a Proselyte of Antiochia,
5 These words pleased the whole multitude. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch,
5 καὶ ἤρεσεν ὁ λόγος ἐνώπιον παντὸς τοῦ πλήθους· καὶ ἐξελέξαντο Στέφανον, ἄνδρα πλήρη πίστεως καὶ Πνεύματος Ἁγίου, καὶ Φίλιππον καὶ Πρόχορον καὶ Νικάνορα καὶ Τίμωνα καὶ Παρμενᾶν καὶ Νικόλαον προσήλυτον Ἀντιοχέα,
6 Which they set before the Apostles: and they prayed, and layed their hands on them.
6 whom they set before the apostles. When they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.
6 οὓς ἔστησαν ἐνώπιον τῶν ἀποστόλων, καὶ προσευξάμενοι ἐπέθηκαν αὐτοῖς τὰς χεῖρας.
7 And the worde of God increased, and the nomber of the disciples was multipled in Hierusalem greatly, and a great company of the Priests were obedient to the faith.
7 The word of God increased and the number of the disciples greatly multiplied in Jerusalem. A great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.
7 καὶ ὁ λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ ηὔξανε, καὶ ἐπληθύνετο ὁ ἀριθμὸς τῶν μαθητῶν ἐν Ἱερουσαλὴμ σφόδρα, πολύς τε ὄχλος τῶν ἱερέων ὑπήκουον τῇ πίστει.
8 Now Steuen full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.
8 Stephen, full of faith and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people.
8 Στέφανος δὲ πλήρης πίστεως καὶ δυνάμεως ἐποίει τέρατα καὶ σημεῖα μεγάλα ἐν τῷ λαῷ.
9 Then there arose certaine of the Synagogue, which are called Libertines, and Cyrenians, and of Alexandria, and of them of Cilicia, and of Asia, and disputed with Steuen.
9 But some of those who were of the synagogue called “The Libertines”, and of the Cyrenians, of the Alexandrians, and of those of Cilicia and Asia arose, disputing with Stephen.
9 ἀνέστησαν δέ τινες τῶν ἐκ τῆς συναγωγῆς τῆς λεγομένης Λιβερτίνων καὶ Κυρηναίων καὶ Ἀλεξανδρέων καὶ τῶν ἀπὸ Κιλικίας καὶ Ἀσίας συζητοῦντες τῷ Στεφάνῳ,
10 But they were not able to resist the wisdome, and the Spirit by the which he spake.
10 They weren’t able to withstand the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke.
10 καὶ οὐκ ἴσχυον ἀντιστῆναι τῇ σοφίᾳ καὶ τῷ πνεύματι ᾧ ἐλάλει.
11 Then they suborned men, which saide, We haue heard him speake blasphemous wordes against Moses, and God.
11 Then they secretly induced men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.”
11 τότε ὑπέβαλον ἄνδρας λέγοντας ὅτι ἀκηκόαμεν αὐτοῦ λαλοῦντος ῥήματα βλάσφημα εἰς Μωϋσῆν καὶ τὸν Θεόν·
12 Thus they mooued the people and the Elders, and the Scribes: and running vpon him, caught him, and brought him to the Councill,
12 They stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes, and came against him and seized him, then brought him in to the council,
12 συνεκίνησάν τε τὸν λαὸν καὶ τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους καὶ τοὺς γραμματεῖς, καὶ ἐπιστάντες συνήρπασαν αὐτὸν καὶ ἤγαγον εἰς τὸ συνέδριον,
13 And set forth false witnesses, which sayd, This man ceasseth not to speake blasphemous wordes against this holy place, and the Law.
13 and set up false witnesses who said, “This man never stops speaking blasphemous words against this holy place and the law.
13 ἔστησάν τε μάρτυρας ψευδεῖς λέγοντας· ὁ ἄνθρωπος οὗτος οὐ παύεται ῥήματα βλάσφημα λαλῶν κατὰ τοῦ τόπου τοῦ ἁγίου καὶ τοῦ νόμου·
14 For we haue heard him say, that this Iesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the ordinances, which Moses gaue vs.
14 For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place, and will change the customs which Moses delivered to us.”
14 ἀκηκόαμεν γὰρ αὐτοῦ λέγοντος ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ὁ Ναζωραῖος οὗτος καταλύσει τὸν τόπον τοῦτον καὶ ἀλλάξει τὰ ἔθη ἃ παρέδωκεν ἡμῖν Μωϋσῆς.
15 And as all that sate in the Councill, looked stedfastly on him, they saw his face as it had bene the face of an Angel.
15 All who sat in the council, fastening their eyes on him, saw his face like it was the face of an angel.
15 καὶ ἀτενίσαντες εἰς αὐτὸν ἅπαντες οἱ καθεζόμενοι ἐν τῷ συνεδρίῳ εἶδον τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ὡσεὶ πρόσωπον ἀγγέλου.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Nicanor
One of the seven men chosen to oversee the daily distribution at Jerusalem.
Cited in the guide: Acts 6:5
Nicolas
A convert to Judaism from Antioch, listed last among the seven men chosen at Jerusalem.
Cited in the guide: Acts 6:5
Parmenas
One of the seven men chosen to oversee the daily distribution at Jerusalem.
Cited in the guide: Acts 6:5
Prochorus
One of the seven men of good reputation chosen to oversee the daily distribution at Jerusalem.
Cited in the guide: Acts 6:5
Timon
One of the seven men chosen to oversee the daily distribution at Jerusalem.
Cited in the guide: Acts 6:5
Cross references (15)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 James 5:9; Acts 4:35; Acts 2:41; Acts 9:39; Acts 6:7
- 2 Deuteronomy 1:9–14; Exodus 18:17–26; 2 Timothy 2:4; Nehemiah 6:3; Numbers 11:11–13
- 3 1 Timothy 3:7–15; Deuteronomy 1:13; James 3:17–18; Numbers 27:18–19; 1 Timothy 5:10
- 4 Acts 1:14; 1 Timothy 4:13–16; Philippians 1:9–11; Acts 2:42; 2 Timothy 4:2
- 5 Acts 11:24; Acts 21:8; Acts 8:5–40; Acts 6:8; Acts 7:1–8:2
- 6 2 Timothy 1:6; Numbers 8:10; Acts 1:24; 1 Timothy 4:14; Acts 8:17
- 7 Acts 19:20; Acts 12:24; Colossians 1:6; Hebrews 5:9; Romans 16:26
- 8 Acts 4:29–30; Acts 6:5; Acts 7:55; 1 Timothy 3:13; Acts 6:10
- 9 Acts 15:41; Acts 15:23; Acts 22:3; Acts 23:34; Matthew 27:32
- 10 Luke 21:15; 1 Corinthians 2:4; Matthew 10:19–20; John 7:46; Luke 12:11–12
- 11 Matthew 26:59–60; 1 Kings 21:10–13; Acts 18:6; Acts 15:21; Acts 21:28
- 12 Proverbs 15:18; Acts 14:2; Matthew 26:57; Acts 5:18; Acts 16:19–21
- 13 Acts 6:11; Acts 21:28; Psalm 56:5; Psalm 27:12; Matthew 24:15
- 14 Daniel 9:26; Hebrews 12:26–28; Acts 21:21; Acts 15:1; Galatians 4:3–5
- 15 Matthew 13:43; Ecclesiastes 8:1; Exodus 34:29–35; Matthew 17:2; 2 Corinthians 3:18
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
See how even among the seven one was preëminent, and won the first prize. For though the ordination was common to him and them, yet he drew upon himself greater grace.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 11 (1889)
… the tables, previous to the time when Paul was brought to the faith of Christ, the reply given by the apostles, who before then had adhered to the Lord, was: "It is not good that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables." Then it was that they provided for the ordination of deacons, that they themselves might …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 7 (1888)