American Standard Version
Acts 2:3
3And there appeared unto them tongues parting asunder, like as of fire; and it sat upon each one of them.
Acts 2:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
- New International Version (NIV)They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.
Context of Acts 2:3
1And when the day of Pentecost was now come, they were all together in one place. 2And suddenly there came from heaven a sound as of the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them tongues parting asunder, like as of fire; and it sat upon each one of them. 4And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5Now there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven.
Read all of Acts 2Acts 2:3 word by word
καὶ ὤφθησαν αὐτοῖς διαμεριζόμεναι γλῶσσαι ὡσεὶ πυρὸς ἐφ᾽ ἕνα ἕκαστον αὐτῶνRead the interlinear
Cross-references for Acts 2:3
- Acts 2:4And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
- Genesis 11:6And Jehovah said, Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is what they begin to do: and now nothing will be withholden from them, which they purpose to do.
- Psalms 55:9Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongue; For I have seen violence and strife in the city.
- 1 Corinthians 12:10and to another workings of miracles; and to another prophecy; and to another discernings of spirits: to another divers kinds of tongues; and to another the interpretation of tongues:
- Revelation 14:6And I saw another angel flying in mid heaven, having eternal good tidings to proclaim unto them that dwell on the earth, and unto every nation and tribe and tongue and people;
- Isaiah 6:5Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, Jehovah of hosts.
- Jeremiah 23:29Is not my word like fire? saith Jehovah; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?
- Malachi 3:2But who can abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap:
- Matthew 3:11I indeed baptize you in water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire:
- Luke 24:32And they said one to another, Was not our heart burning within us, while he spake to us in the way, while he opened to us the scriptures?
- James 3:6And the tongue is a fire: the world of iniquity among our members is the tongue, which defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the wheel of nature, and is set on fire by hell.
- Revelation 11:3And I will give unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
- Acts 1:15And in these days Peter stood up in the midst of the brethren, and said (and there was a multitude of persons gathered together, about a hundred and twenty),
- Isaiah 11:2And the Spirit of Jehovah shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of Jehovah.
- Matthew 3:15But Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffereth him.
- John 1:32And John bare witness, saying, I have beheld the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven; and it abode upon him.
Commentaries on Acts 2:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3Cloven tongues like as of fire - The tongues were the emblem of the languages they were to speak. The cloven tongues pointed out the diversity of those languages; and the fire seemed to intimate that the whole would be a spiritual gift, and be the means of bringing light and life to the souls who should hear them preach the everlasting Gospel in those languages. Sat upon each of them - Scintillations, coruscations, or flashes of fire, were probably at…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3And there appeared unto them - There were seen by them, or they saw. The fire was first seen by them in the room before it rested in the form of tongues on the heads of the disciples. Perhaps the fire appeared at first as scintillations or coruscations, until it became fixed on their heads. Tongues - ͂ glōssaiThe word “tongue” occurs often in the Scriptures to denote the member which is the instrument of taste and speech, and also to denote “language” or…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-4Jews observed three traditional annual festivals. Many people traveled to the temple in Jerusalem for these feasts (see Leviticus 23:1–44): The Feast of Unleavened Bread (which includes Passover) The Feast of Weeks (also called Pentecost or the Feast of Harvest) The Feast of Tabernacles On Pentecost, Jewish people gathered in Jerusalem to thank God for the harvest and his blessings. At the same time, the disciples of Jesus gathered together in prayer with…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-131-4. when the day of Pentecost was fully come--The fiftieth from the morrow after the first Passover sabbath (Le 23:15, 16). with one accord--the solemnity of the day, perhaps, unconsciously raising their expectations.Read the comment
Topics related to Acts 2:3
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Acts 2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
Commentaries