EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Acts 4:20
20We know what is right. We must continue to speak about these things. We must tell people about the things that we have seen and heard.’
Acts 4:20 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.
- New International Version (NIV)As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard."
- New King James Version (NKJV)For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”
Context of Acts 4:20
18Then the Jewish leaders told Peter and John to come back into the room. They said to them, ‘You must not use the authority of Jesus to teach people any more. You must not speak about him.’ 19Then Peter and John replied to the leaders, ‘What do you think God wants us to do? Should we obey you? Or should we obey God? You decide! We know what is right. We must continue to speak about these things. We must tell people about the things that we have seen and heard.’ 21The Jewish leaders were angry. They told Peter and John that they must obey them. Then they let Peter and John go free. All the people there were praising God because of the miracle. So the leaders could not decide how to punish Peter and John. 22The man who became well because of this miracle was more than 40 years old.
Read all of Acts 4Acts 4:20 word by word
οὐ δυνάμεθα γὰρ ἡμεῖς ἃ εἴδαμεν καὶ ἠκούσαμεν μὴ λαλεῖν.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Acts 4:20
- Acts 2:4All the believers became full with the Holy Spirit. They began to speak in languages that they had not learned. They spoke whatever language the Holy Spirit helped them to speak.
- Acts 17:16While Paul was waiting in Athens for Silas and Timothy, he walked around. He saw that the people in the city had many idols. When Paul saw this, he became very upset.
- Acts 18:5Then Silas and Timothy arrived there from the country called Macedonia. After that, the only work that Paul did was to teach people God's message. He told the Jews clearly that Jesus is God's Messiah.
- Numbers 22:38Balaam said to Balak, ‘Anyway, I have come to you now! But I cannot choose to say anything. I can only say the words that God tells me to speak.’
- Numbers 23:20He told me that I must bless the Israelites. He has blessed them, so I must do it too.
- 2 Samuel 23:2‘The Spirit of the Lord gives me his message. I speak what he tells me to say.
- Job 32:18There are many things that I want to say. The spirit inside me causes me to speak.
- Jeremiah 1:7The Lord said to me, ‘Do not say, “I am only a child.” You must go to everyone that I send you to. You must say whatever I tell you to say.
- Jeremiah 4:19I am so upset! My body is shaking with pain. My heart beats hard inside me. I cannot keep still. I cannot keep quiet. I have heard the noise of the enemy's trumpets and the shouts of their soldiers.
- Jeremiah 6:11I am as angry with them as you are, Lord. I can no longer control my anger.’ The Lord replied, ‘Tell everyone how angry you are! Tell the children who play in the streets, Tell the young men who meet together. Include all the men and their wives, as well as the old people, and those who are near to death.
- Jeremiah 20:9Sometimes I think, ‘I will say nothing about the Lord or his message.’ But then his message burns like a fire inside me. It gives me pain in my mind and my body. I cannot keep his message to myself. I have to speak it.
- Ezekiel 3:11Now you must go to the Israelites who are prisoners in Babylon. They are your own people. Give my message to them and say, “This is what the Almighty Lord says.” They may listen to you or they may refuse to listen. But you must still give them my message.’
- Micah 3:8But the Spirit of the Lord fills me, to make me powerful. He helps me to know what is right and fair. He makes me brave so that I can speak to you, Jacob's people. I can tell you what you have done wrong. You are Israel's people, but you have not obeyed God.
- 1 Corinthians 9:16I tell God's good news to people. But I have no reason to be proud because of that. It is something that I have to do. If I did not tell the good news, it would bring me great trouble.
- Acts 1:8But the Holy Spirit will come to you, and he will give you power. The Holy Spirit will make your spirit strong. Then you will tell other people everywhere in the world about me. You will do that in Jerusalem, in Judea, in Samaria and in places far away.’
- Acts 3:15But Jesus is the person who leads people to true life. When you refused him, it meant that you killed him. But God made him alive again and raised him up from death. We ourselves saw him alive after he had died and we are telling you about it.
Commentaries on Acts 4:20
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20For - This is given as a reason why they should obey God rather than man. They had had so clear evidence that God had sent the Messiah, and they had received a direct and solemn command Mark 16:15 to preach the gospel, that they could not be restrained. There was a necessity laid on them to preach. See 1 Corinthians 9:16. Compare Jeremiah 20:9; Acts 18:5; Job 32:18-19; Psalm 39:1-3. It has already been remarked that these two verses contain an important…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-22Verses 15-22 All the care of the rulers is, that the doctrine of Christ spread not among the people, yet they cannot say it is false or dangerous, or of any ill tendency; and they are ashamed to own the true reason; that it testifies against their hypocrisy, wickedness, and tyranny. Those who know how to put a just value upon Christ's promises, know how to put just contempt upon the world's threatenings. The apostles look with concern on perishing souls…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 19-20The apostles shared a principle that can guide God’s people in dealing with hostile authorities (see also 5:40; compare 1 Samuel 15:22; Jeremiah 7:23; Luke 20:20–26; Romans 13:1–7). Jesus had predicted that his disciples would encounter hostility and persecution (Luke 21:12–19).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 18-2218-22. Whether it be right ... to hearken to you more than ... God, judge ye.Read the comment
Topics related to Acts 4:20
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Acts 4
- 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
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