Acts 2:20

Acts 2:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:
• New International Version (NIV)The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
• English Standard Version (ESV)the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.
• New King James Version (NKJV)The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.

Context of Acts 2:20

18In those days I will pour my Spirit on my servants, on both men and women. They will speak what God has revealed. 19I will work miracles in the sky and give signs on the earth: blood, fire, and clouds of smoke. The sun will become dark, and the moon will become as red as blood before the terrifying day of the Lord comes. 21Then whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ 22“Men of Israel, listen to what I say: Jesus from Nazareth was a man whom God brought to your attention. You know that through this man God worked miracles, did amazing things, and gave signs.

Acts 2:20 word by word

ὁ ἥλιος μεταστραφήσεται εἰς σκότος καὶ ἡ σελήνη εἰς αἷμα, πρὶν ἢ ἐλθεῖν τὴν ἡμέραν κυρίου τὴν μεγάλην καὶ ἐπιφανῆ.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• ·ἤē · orG2228
• The sunἥλιοςhēlios · sunG2246
• shall be turnedμεταστρέφωmetastrephō · to changeG3344
• intoεἰςeis · towardG1519
• darknessσκότοςskotos · darknessG4655
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• the moonσελήνηselēnē · moonG4582
• bloodαἷμαaima · bloodG129
• before thatπρίνprin · beforeG4250
• greatμέγαςmegas · greatG3173
• notableἐπιφανήςepiphanēs · gloriousG2016
• dayἡμέραhēmera · dayG2250
• of the Lordκύριοςkurios · lord: GodG2962
• comeἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064

Cross-references for Acts 2:20

• Isaiah 13:9The day of the Lord is going to come. It will be a cruel day with fury and fierce anger. He will make the earth desolate. He will destroy its sinners.
• Isaiah 24:23The moon will be embarrassed. The sun will be ashamed, because the Lord of Armies will rule on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem. He will be glorious in the presence of his respected leaders.
• Jeremiah 4:23I see the earth. It’s formless and empty. I see the sky. Its lights are gone.
• Amos 8:9On that day, declares the Almighty Lord, I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight.
• Matthew 24:29“Immediately after the misery of those days, the sun will turn dark, the moon will not give light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the universe will be shaken.
• Matthew 27:45At noon darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.
• Mark 13:24“Now, after the misery of those days, the sun will turn dark, the moon will not give light,
• Luke 21:25“Miraculous signs will occur in the sun, moon, and stars. The nations of the earth will be deeply troubled and confused because of the roaring and tossing of the sea.
• 2 Peter 3:7By God’s word, the present heaven and earth are designated to be burned. They are being kept until the day ungodly people will be judged and destroyed.
• Revelation 6:12I watched as the lamb opened the sixth seal. A powerful earthquake struck. The sun turned as black as sackcloth made of hair. The full moon turned as red as blood.
• Revelation 16:8The fourth angel poured his bowl on the sun. The sun was allowed to burn people with fire.
• Isaiah 2:12The Lord of Armies will have his day against all who are arrogant and conceited and all who are proud of themselves (they will be humbled),
• Isaiah 34:8The Lord will have a day of vengeance, a year of revenge in defense of Zion.
• Joel 2:1Blow the ram’s horn in Zion. Sound the alarm on my holy mountain. Everyone who lives in the land should tremble, because the day of the Lord is coming. Certainly, it is near.
• Joel 3:14There are many, many people in the valley of decision. The day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.
• Zephaniah 2:2before the decree is carried out ⌞and⌟ the day passes like windblown husks, before the Lord’s burning anger comes to you, before the day of the Lord’s anger comes to you.

Commentaries on Acts 2:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood - These are figurative representations of eclipses, intended most probably to point out the fall of the civil and ecclesiastical state in Judea: see the notes on Matthew 24:29. That the Sun is darkened when a total eclipse takes place, and that the Moon appears of a bloody hue in such circumstances, every person knows.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20The sun shall be turned into darkness - See the notes on Matthew 24:29. The same images used here with reference to the sun and moon are used also there: They occur not infrequently, Mark 13:24; 2 Peter 3:7-10. The shining of the sun is an emblem of prosperity; the withdrawing, the eclipse, or the setting of the sun is an emblem of calamity, and is often thus need in the Scriptures, Isaiah 60:20; Jeremiah 15:9; Ezekiel 32:7; Amos 8:9; Revelation 6:12…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-21Verses 14-21 Peter's sermon shows that he was thoroughly recovered from his fall, and thoroughly restored to the Divine favour; for he who had denied Christ, now boldly confessed him. His account of the miraculous pouring forth of the Spirit, was designed to awaken the hearers to embrace the faith of Christ, and to join themselves to his church. It was the fulfilling the Scripture, and the fruit of Christ's resurrection and ascension, and proof of both…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17-21This passage quotes Joel 2:28–32. The prophet Joel prophesied that in the last days, many people would have the gifts of prophecy, including visions and dreams. This would include both young and old, and both men and women (Joel 2:28–29). In Acts, on the day of Pentecost, Peter announced that Joel’s prophecy was coming true, indicating that "the last days" had begun.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 14-3614-21. Peter, standing up with the eleven--in advance, perhaps, of the rest.Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 2:20

• Astronomy
• Church
• Eclipse
• Heaven
• Judgment
• Meteorology and Celestial Phenomena
• Moon
• Orator
• Peter
• Preaching
• Prophecy
• Quotations and Allusions
• Readings, Select
• Revivals
• Sun
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• Approve
• Confound
• Determinate
• Exhort
• Gladness
• Messiah
• Miracle
• Notable
• Pentecost
• Untoward

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