Acts 6:15

Acts 6:15 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an angel.
• New Living Translation (NLT)At this point everyone in the high council stared at Stephen, because his face became as bright as an angel’s.

Context of Acts 6:15

13They produced false witnesses, who testified, “This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law. 14For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us.” All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

Acts 6:15 word by word

καὶ ἀτενίσαντες εἰς αὐτὸν πάντες οἱ καθεζόμενοι ἐν τῷ συνεδρίῳ, εἶδον τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ὡσεὶ πρόσωπον ἀγγέλου.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• allἅπαςhapas · allG537
• that satκαθέζομαιkathezomai · to sit downG2516
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• the councilσυνέδριονsunedrion · councilG4892
• looking stedfastlyἀτενίζωatenizō · to gazeG816
• onεἰςeis · towardG1519
• himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• sawὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
• faceπρόσωπονprosōpon · faceG4383
• as it had beenὡσείhōsei · like/as/aboutG5616
• of an angelἄγγελοςaggelos · angelG32

Cross-references for Acts 6:15

• Exodus 34:29When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord.
• Ecclesiastes 8:1Who is like the wise? Who knows the explanation of things? A person’s wisdom brightens their face and changes its hard appearance.
• Matthew 13:43Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.
• Matthew 17:2There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.
• 2 Corinthians 3:7Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, transitory though it was,

Commentaries on Acts 6:15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15Saw his face, as it had been the face of an angel - Sayings like this are frequent among the Jewish writers, who represent God as distinguishing eminent men by causing a glory to shine from their faces. Rabbi Gedalia said that, "when Moses and Aaron came before Pharaoh, they appeared like those angels which minister before the face of the Lord; for their stature appeared greater, and the splendor of their faces was like the sun, and their eyes like the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15Looking stedfastly on him - Fixing the eyes intently on him. They were probably attracted by the unusual appearance of the man, his meekness, his calm and collected fearlessness, and the proofs of conscious innocence and sincerity. The face of an angel - This expression is one evidently denoting that he manifested evidence of sincerity, gravity, fearlessness, confidence in God. It is used in the Old Testament to denote special wisdom, 2 Samuel 14:17; 2…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 8-15Verses 8-15 When they could not answer Stephen's arguments as a disputant, they prosecuted him as a criminal, and brought false witnesses against him. And it is next to a miracle of providence, that no greater number of religious persons have been murdered in the world, by the way of perjury and pretence of law, when so many thousands hate them, who make no conscience of false oaths. Wisdom and holiness make a man's face to shine, yet will not secure men…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15his face was like the face of an angel: This is similar to when the face of Moses "was radiant" after speaking with the Lord (6:14; see Exodus 34:32–35). Stephen, like Moses, was bringing God’s instruction to Israel (see also 2 Corinthians 3:7–18).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1515. as ... the face of an angel--a play of supernatural radiance attesting to all who beheld his countenance the divine calm of the spirit within.Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 6:15

• Government
• Intolerance, Religious
• Jerusalem
• Persecution
• Priest
• Stephen
• Transfiguration

In the dictionaries

• Catch
• Deacon
• Honest
• Ministration
• Stephen
• Acts of the Apostles
• Church Government
• Ministry
• Papyrus
• Text and Manuscripts of the New Testament

Commentaries on Acts 6

• 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