Acts 11:20

Acts 11:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus.
• New International Version (NIV)Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus.
• English Standard Version (ESV)But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus.
• New King James Version (NKJV)But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus.

Context of Acts 11:20

18The Jewish believers heard what Peter said. They could not say anything more against him. Instead, they praised God and they said, ‘We now see that God has also let Gentiles have life with him. He will accept them if they stop doing bad things and turn to him.’ 19After the Jewish leaders had killed Stephen, the believers had a lot of trouble. The believers left Jerusalem and they went to many different places. Some of them went away as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch. They told God's message to people in these places. But they only told the message to Jews. Some of the believers were people who came from Cyprus and Cyrene. These men went to Antioch. There they told God's message to Gentiles, as well as to Jews. They told everyone the good news about the Lord Jesus. 21The Lord God helped these men with his power. Very many people believed their message and they trusted in the Lord Jesus. 22The believers in Jerusalem heard about what had happened in Antioch. So they decided to send Barnabas there.

Acts 11:20 word by word

Ἦσαν δέ τινες ἐξ αὐτῶν ἄνδρες Κύπριοι καὶ Κυρηναῖοι, οἵτινες ἐλθόντες εἰς Ἀντιόχειαν ἐλάλουν καὶ πρὸς τοὺς Ἑλληνιστὰς εὐαγγελιζόμενοι τὸν κύριον Ἰησοῦν.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andδέde · thenG1161
• someτιςtis · oneG5100
• ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• wereεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• menἀνήρanēr · manG435
• of CyprusΚύπριοςKuprios · CyprusG2953
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• CyreneΚυρηναῖοςKurēnaios · CyreneG2956
• whichὅστιςhostis hētis ho6ti · who/whichG3748
• when they were comeεἰσέρχομαιeiserchomai · to enterG1525
• toεἰςeis · towardG1519
• AntiochἈντιόχειαAntiocheia · AntiochG490
• spakeλαλέωlaleō · to speakG2980
• untoπρόςpros · to/withG4314
• the Greciansὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the GreciansἙλληνιστήςHellēnistēs · HellenistG1675
• preachingεὐαγγελίζομαιeuaggelizō · to speak good newsG2097
• the Lordκύριοςkurios · lord: GodG2962
• JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424

Cross-references for Acts 11:20

• Acts 2:10Some of us are from Phrygia and Pamphylia. Some of us are from Egypt. Some of us are from the country of Libya, near the town of Cyrene. Some of us have come from Rome to visit Jerusalem.
• Acts 6:9But some men spoke against Stephen. They did not agree with what he taught people. These men were from one of the Jewish meeting places in Jerusalem. People called them, ‘The Group of Free Men’. These men were Jews from the cities called Cyrene and Alexandria. Some of them were from towns in Cilicia and Asia. They began to argue with Stephen.
• Acts 13:1There were some prophets among the group of believers in Antioch. They taught the other believers more about Jesus. Barnabas and Simeon were two of these men. (People also called Simeon ‘Niger’.) There was Lucius who had lived in Cyrene. There was also Manaen who had lived together with the ruler Herod when they were children. And there was Saul.
• Matthew 27:32When they were going to that place, they met a man called Simon. He came from the city of Cyrene. The Roman soldiers told Simon that he must carry Jesus' cross.
• Acts 6:1At that time, more and more people became disciples of Jesus. Among the believers, some were Jews who spoke the Greek language. Others were Jews who spoke the Aramaic language. The Jews who spoke Greek had a problem with the other Jews. They said, ‘The widows in our group do not receive the right help. Each day, when you give out the food and money, our widows receive less than they should get.’
• Acts 9:29Saul also talked with the Jews who spoke the Greek language. He argued with them about Jesus. As a result, they wanted to kill him.
• Acts 8:5One of them who was called Philip went to a city in Samaria. There he told the people the message about Jesus Christ, God's Messiah.
• Acts 9:20He immediately went to the Jewish meeting places and he taught people about Jesus. He told them that Jesus is the Son of God.
• Acts 17:18There were some teachers there who liked to talk about the things that people should believe. Some of them were called Epicureans and some were called Stoics. After they talked to Paul, some of them said to each other, ‘Who is this silly man? He knows nothing and he talks too much!’ But some of these teachers said, ‘We think that he is talking about strange gods.’ They said this because Paul was telling people the good news about Jesus. He was also talking about the time when God will cause dead people to live again.
• 1 Corinthians 1:23But as for us, we tell people about how Christ died on a cross. That is a message that Jewish people refuse to accept as true. Gentile people think that it is a silly message.
• 1 Corinthians 2:2While I was with you, I decided to teach you only about Jesus Christ. I taught you about his death on a cross. I wanted to forget everything else.
• Ephesians 3:8I am the least important of all God's people. But God has given this special work to me because he is so kind. He has sent me to tell his good news to the Gentiles. Then they know about the many valuable things that Christ has prepared for us.

Commentaries on Acts 11:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20Men of - Cyrene - The metropolis of the Cyrenaica; a country of Africa, bounded on the east by Marmarica, on the west by the Regio Syrtica, on the north by the Mediterranean, and on the south by the Sahara. Cyrene is now called Cairoan. This city, according to Eusebius, was built in the 37th Olympiad, about 630 years before Christ. In consequence of a revolt of its inhabitants, it was destroyed by the Romans; but they afterwards rebuilt it. It was for a…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20Were men of Cyprus and Cyrene - Were natives of Cyprus and Cyrene. Cyrene was a province and city of Libya in Africa. It is at present called Cairoan, and is situated in the kingdom of Barca. In Cyprus the Greek language was spoken; and from the vicinity of Cyrene to Alexandria, it is probable that the Greek language was spoken there also. From this circumstance it might have happened that they were led more particularly to address the Grecians who were…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 19-24Verses 19-24 The first preachers of the gospel at Antioch, were dispersed from Jerusalem by persecution; thus what was meant to hurt the church, was made to work for its good. The wrath of man is made to praise God. What should the ministers of Christ preach, but Christ? Christ, and him crucified? Christ, and him glorified? And their preaching was accompanied with the Divine power. The hand of the Lord was with them, to bring that home to the hearts and…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20Jewish Christians from Cyprus and Cyrene made the first organized effort to teach Gentiles about Jesus.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene--(see on Lu 23:26); as Lucius, mentioned in Ac 13:1. spake unto the Grecians--rather, "the Greeks," that is, uncircumcised Gentiles (as the true reading beyond doubt is). The Gospel had, from the first, been preached to "the Grecians" or Greek-speaking Jews, and these "men of Cyprus and Cyrene" were themselves "Grecians." How, then, can we suppose that the historian would note, as something new and singular…Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 11:20

• Antioch
• Cyprus
• Cyrene
• Jerusalem
• Persecution
• Revivals
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• Antioch
• Cyprus
• Cyrene
• Jesus
• Jesus, Jesus Christ, Christ Jesus
• Arise
• Contend
• Greek
• Mark, Gospel according to
• Rehearse

Commentaries on Acts 11

• 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
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings