New International Version
Acts 3:12
12When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?
Acts 3:12 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?
- English Standard Version (ESV)And when Peter saw it he addressed the people: "Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk?
- New King James Version (NKJV)So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: “Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?
- New Living Translation (NLT)Peter saw his opportunity and addressed the crowd. “People of Israel,” he said, “what is so surprising about this? And why stare at us as though we had made this man walk by our own power or godliness?
Context of Acts 3:12
10they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. 11While the man held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade. When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? 13The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. 14You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you.
Read all of Acts 3Acts 3:12 word by word
ἰδὼν δὲ ὁ Πέτρος ἀπεκρίνατο πρὸς τὸν λαόν· ἄνδρες Ἰσραηλῖται, τί θαυμάζετε ἐπὶ τούτῳ, ἢ ἡμῖν τί ἀτενίζετε ὡς ἰδίᾳ δυνάμει ἢ εὐσεβείᾳ πεποιηκόσιν τοῦ περιπατεῖν αὐτόν;Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Andδέde · thenG1161
- whenὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
- PeterΠέτροςPetros · PeterG4074
- he answeredἀποκρίνωapokrinomai · to answerG611
- untoπρόςpros · to/withG4314
- the peopleὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- the peopleλαόςlaos · a peopleG2992
- Ye menἀνήρanēr · manG435
- of IsraelἸσραηλίτηςIsraēlitēs · IsraeliteG2475
- whyτίςtis · which?G5101
- marvel yeθαυμάζωthaumazō · to marvelG2296
- atἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
- thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
- orἤē · orG2228
- look ye so earnestlyἀτενίζωatenizō · to gazeG816
- on usἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- asὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
- though by ourδύναμιςdunamis · powerG1411
- ownἴδιοςidios · one's own/privateG2398
- holinessεὐσέβειαeusebeia · pietyG2150
- we had madeποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
- manαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- to walkπεριπατέωperipateō · to walkG4043
Cross-references for Acts 3:12
- Acts 2:22“Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.
- Acts 13:26“Fellow children of Abraham and you God-fearing Gentiles, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent.
- Romans 9:4the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises.
- Romans 11:1I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.
- Acts 10:25As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence.
- Acts 14:11When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!”
- Genesis 40:8“We both had dreams,” they answered, “but there is no one to interpret them.” Then Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.”
- Genesis 41:16“I cannot do it,” Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.”
- Daniel 2:28but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come. Your dream and the visions that passed through your mind as you were lying in bed are these:
- John 3:27To this John replied, “A person can receive only what is given them from heaven.
- John 7:18Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.
- 2 Corinthians 3:5Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.
Commentaries on Acts 3:12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12As though by our own power - , Miraculous energy. Or holiness - ͅ, Meaning religious attachment to the worship of God. Do not think that we have wrought this miracle by any power of our own; or that any supereminent piety in us should have induced God thus to honor us, by enabling us to work it. Instead of ͅ, holiness, the Syriac of Erpen, Armenian, Vulgate, and some copies of the Itala, have ͅ, power or authority; but the first appears to be the…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12When Peter saw it - Saw the people assembling in such multitudes and wondering at the miracle. He answered - The word “answer,” with us, implies that a question had been asked, or that some subject had been proposed for consideration. But the word is used in a different sense in the Bible. It is often used when no question was asked, but when an occasion was offered for remarks, or when an opportunity was presented to make a statement. It is the same as…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-18Verses 12-18 Observe the difference in the manner of working the miracles. Our Lord always spoke as having Almighty power, never hesitated to receive the greatest honour that was given to him on account of his Divine miracles. But the apostles referred all to their Lord, and refused to receive any honour, except as his undeserving instruments. This shows that Jesus was one with the Father, and co-equal with Him; while the apostles knew that they were…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12-26The speeches in the book of Acts about telling others the good news focus on Jesus, who was put to death on a cross and raised to life. These speeches call people to repent and to place their faith in Jesus as the promised Messiah and the judge God has appointed (2:38; 3:19; 11:18; 17:30; 26:20). They also announce the same good news for the people of Israel and for Gentiles everywhere: there is "peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all" (10:36).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 12-1612-16. why marvel at this?--For miracles are marvels only in relation to the limited powers of man. as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk--Neither the might nor the merit of the cure are due to us, mere agents of Him whom we preach.Read the comment
Topics related to Acts 3:12
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Acts 3
- 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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