New International Version
Acts 9:31
31Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.
Acts 9:31 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Then had the churches rest throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.
- English Standard Version (ESV)So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.
- New Living Translation (NLT)The church then had peace throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria, and it became stronger as the believers lived in the fear of the Lord. And with the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, it also grew in numbers.
Context of Acts 9:31
29He talked and debated with the Hellenistic Jews, but they tried to kill him. 30When the believers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus. Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers. 32As Peter traveled about the country, he went to visit the Lord’s people who lived in Lydda. 33There he found a man named Aeneas, who was paralyzed and had been bedridden for eight years.
Read all of Acts 9Acts 9:31 word by word
Ἡ μὲν οὖν ἐκκλησία καθ᾽ ὅλης τῆς Ἰουδαίας καὶ Γαλιλαίας καὶ Σαμαρείας εἶχεν εἰρήνην, οἰκοδομουμένη καὶ πορευομένη τῷ φόβῳ τοῦ κυρίου, καὶ τῇ παρακλήσει τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος ἐπληθύνετο.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Thenοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
- hadἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
- the churchesἐκκλησίαekklēsia · assemblyG1577
- restεἰρήνηeirēnē · peaceG1515
- throughoutκατάkata · according toG2596
- allὅλοςholos · allG3650
- JudeaἸουδαίαIoudaia · JudeaG2449
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- GalileeΓαλιλαίαGalilaia · GalileeG1056
- SamariaΣαμάρειαSamareia · SamariaG4540
- and were edifiedοἰκοδομέωoikodomeō · to buildG3618
- walkingπορεύωporeuomai · to travelG4198
- in the fearφόβοςphobos · fearG5401
- of the Lordκύριοςkurios · lord: GodG2962
- in the comfortπαράκλησιςparaklēsis · encouragementG3874
- of the Holyἅγιοςhagios · holyG40
- Ghostπνεῦμαpneuma · spirit/breath: spiritG4151
- were multipliedπληθύνωplēthunō · to multiplyG4129
- ·μένmen · on the other handG3303
Cross-references for Acts 9:31
- Acts 8:1And Saul approved of their killing him. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.
- Deuteronomy 12:10But you will cross the Jordan and settle in the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and he will give you rest from all your enemies around you so that you will live in safety.
- Joshua 21:44The Lord gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their ancestors. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the Lord gave all their enemies into their hands.
- Judges 3:30That day Moab was made subject to Israel, and the land had peace for eighty years.
- 1 Chronicles 22:9But you will have a son who will be a man of peace and rest, and I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side. His name will be Solomon, and I will grant Israel peace and quiet during his reign.
- Psalms 94:13you grant them relief from days of trouble, till a pit is dug for the wicked.
- Proverbs 16:7When the Lord takes pleasure in anyone’s way, he causes their enemies to make peace with them.
- Isaiah 11:10In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious.
- Zechariah 9:1A prophecy: The word of the Lord is against the land of Hadrak and will come to rest on Damascus— for the eyes of all people and all the tribes of Israel are on the Lord—
- Hebrews 4:9There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God;
- Romans 14:19Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
- 1 Corinthians 3:9For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.
- 1 Corinthians 14:4Anyone who speaks in a tongue edifies themselves, but the one who prophesies edifies the church.
- 2 Corinthians 10:8So even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than tearing you down, I will not be ashamed of it.
- 2 Corinthians 12:19Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? We have been speaking in the sight of God as those in Christ; and everything we do, dear friends, is for your strengthening.
- 2 Corinthians 13:10This is why I write these things when I am absent, that when I come I may not have to be harsh in my use of authority—the authority the Lord gave me for building you up, not for tearing you down.
Commentaries on Acts 9:31
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 31Then had the Churches rest - Instead of ̔ , the Churches, ABC, several others, the Syriac, Coptic, Ethiopic, Armenian, and Vulgate, have ̔, the Church. Every assembly of God's people was a Church; the aggregate of these assemblies was The Church. The word, which we translate rest, and which literally signifies peace, evidently means, in this place, prosperity; and in this sense both it and the Hebrew שלום shalom are repeatedly used. But what was the cause…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 31Then had the churches rest - That is, the persecutions against Christians ceased. Those persecutions had been excited by the opposition made to Stephen Acts 11:19; they had been greatly promoted by Saul Acts 8:3; and they had extended doubtless throughout the whole land of Palestine. The precise causes of this cessation of the persecution are not known. Probably they were the following: (1) It is not improbable that the great mass of Christians had been…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 23-31Verses 23-31 When we enter into the way of God, we must look for trials; but the Lord knows how to deliver the godly, and will, with the temptation, also make a way to escape. Though Saul's conversion was and is a proof of the truth of Christianity, yet it could not, of itself, convert one soul at enmity with the truth; for nothing can produce true faith, but that power which new-creates the heart. Believers are apt to be too suspicious of those against…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 31This verse is one of several in Acts that describe how the church grew in numbers and in faithfulness (see also 2:41; 4:4; 5:14; 6:1, 7; 12:24; 21:20). The first Christians were learning an important truth: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.” This means that true knowledge starts with honoring and respecting God (Proverbs 1:7; 9:10; compare Job 28:28; Psalm 111:10; Ecclesiastes 12:13; see Luke 7:16). As they learned to honor God, they grew…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3131. Then had all the churches rest--rather, "the Church," according to the best manuscripts and versions. But this rest was owing not so much to the conversion of Saul, as probably to the Jews being engrossed with the emperor Caligula's attempt to have his own image set up in the temple of Jerusalem [Josephus, Antiquities, 18.8.1, &c.]. throughout all Judea, and Galilee, and Samaria--This incidental notice of distinct churches already dotting all the…Read the comment
Topics related to Acts 9:31
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Acts 9
- 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
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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