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.
• New International Version (NIV)All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like 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 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 also set up false witnesses who said, “This man does not cease to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the law; 14for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses delivered to us.” And all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as 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 34:29Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the Testimony were in Moses’ hand when he came down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him.
• Ecclesiastes 8:1Who is like a wise man? And who knows the interpretation of a thing? A man’s wisdom makes his face shine, And the sternness of his face is changed.
• Matthew 13:43Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
• Matthew 17:2and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.
• 2 Corinthians 3:7But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away,

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