Acts 26:20

Acts 26:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.
• New International Version (NIV)First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds.
• English Standard Version (ESV)but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance.
• New King James Version (NKJV)but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance.

Context of Acts 26:20

18to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ 19“So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. Instead, I preached to those in Damascus first, and to those in Jerusalem and in all the region of Judea, and to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works worthy of repentance. 21For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and were trying to kill me. 22To this very day, I have had help from God, and I stand and testify to both small and great, saying nothing other than what the prophets and Moses said would take place —

Acts 26:20 word by word

ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἐν Δαμασκῷ πρῶτόν τε καὶ Ἱεροσολύμοις, πᾶσάν τε τὴν χώραν τῆς Ἰουδαίας, καὶ τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἀπήγγελλον μετανοεῖν καὶ ἐπιστρέφειν ἐπὶ τὸν θεὸν ἄξια τῆς μετανοίας ἔργα πράσσοντας.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Butἀλλάalla · butG235
• shewedἀπαγγέλλωapaggellō · to announceG518
• firstπρῶτονprōton · firstG4412
• unto themὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• ofἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• DamascusΔαμασκόςDamaskos · DamascusG1154
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• at JerusalemἹεροσόλυμαHierosoluma · JerusalemG2414
• andτεte · and/bothG5037
• throughoutεἰςeis · towardG1519
• allπᾶςpas · allG3956
• the coastsχώραchōra · countryG5561
• of JudeaἸουδαίαIoudaia · JudeaG2449
• to the Gentilesἔθνοςethnos · GentilesG1484
• that they should repentμετανοέωmetanoeō · to repentG3340
• turnἐπιστρέφωepistrephō · to turnG1994
• toἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• and doπράσσωprassō · to do/requireG4238
• worksἔργονergon · workG2041
• meetἄξιοςaxios · worthyG514
• for repentanceμετάνοιαmetanoia · repentanceG3341

Cross-references for Acts 26:20

• Acts 9:19And after taking some food, he regained his strength. Saul was with the disciples in Damascus for some time.
• Acts 11:26and when he found him he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught large numbers. The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch.
• Acts 9:28Saul was coming and going with them in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord.
• Acts 22:17“After I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance
• Acts 26:17I will rescue you from your people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them
• Acts 13:46Paul and Barnabas boldly replied, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first. Since you reject it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we are turning to the Gentiles.
• Acts 14:16In past generations he allowed all the nations to go their own way,
• Acts 22:21“He said to me, ‘Go, because I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”
• Romans 11:18do not boast that you are better than those branches. But if you do boast — you do not sustain the root, but the root sustains you.
• Acts 2:38Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
• Acts 3:19Therefore repent and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped out,
• Acts 11:18When they heard this they became silent. And they glorified God, saying, “So then, God has given repentance resulting in life even to the Gentiles.”
• Acts 17:30“Therefore, having overlooked the times of ignorance, God now commands all people everywhere to repent,
• Acts 20:21I testified to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus.
• Jeremiah 31:19After my return, I felt regret; After I was instructed, I struck my thigh in grief. I was ashamed and humiliated because I bore the disgrace of my youth.”
• Ezekiel 18:30“Therefore, house of Israel, I will judge each one of you according to his ways.” This is the declaration of the Lord God. “Repent and turn from all your rebellious acts, so they will not become a sinful stumbling block to you.

Commentaries on Acts 26:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20But showed first unto them of Damascus - He appears to have preached at Damascus, and in the neighboring parts of Arabia Deserta, for about three years; and afterwards he went up to Jerusalem. See Galatians 1:17, Galatians 1:18; and see the note on Acts 9:23. That they should repent - Be deeply humbled for their past iniquities, and turn to God as their Judge and Savior, avoiding all idolatry and all sin; and thus do works meet for repentance; that is…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20See Acts 9:20-23. The 20th verse contains a summary of his labors in obedience to the command of the Lord Jesus. His argument is that the Lord Jesus had from heaven commanded him to do this, and that he had done no more than to obey his injunction. The word “then” in this verse is supplied by our translators, and is not necessary to the proper explanation of the passage. It would seem from that word that he had not preached “to the Gentiles” until after…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-23Verses 12-23 Paul was made a Christian by Divine power; by a revelation of Christ both to him and in him; when in the full career of his sin. He was made a minister by Divine authority: the same Jesus who appeared to him in that glorious light, ordered him to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. A world that sits in darkness must be enlightened; those must be brought to know the things that belong to their everlasting peace, who are yet ignorant of them. A…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-23In his careful defense before King Agrippa, Paul argued that his message agreed fully with the Jewish faith. He began by respectfully recognizing Agrippa’s knowledge of Jewish matters (26:2–3). He then described his early life, his training in Judaism, and his membership in the Pharisees (a Jewish group known for strict obedience to the law; 26:4–5). Paul explained that the charges against him were only because he believed that God had fulfilled the…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 19-2119-21. Whereupon, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision--This musical and elevated strain, which carries the reader along with it, and doubtless did the hearers, bespeaks the lofty region of thought and feeling to which the apostle had risen while rehearsing his Master's communications to him from heaven.Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 26:20

• Converts
• Court
• Damascus
• Defense
• Repentance
• Testimony
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• Damascus
• God
• Jerusalem
• Judea
• Judaea, or Judea
• Judea, Judah
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Above
• Agrippa II.
• Beside

Commentaries on Acts 26

• 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
• 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
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings