Acts 26:20

Acts 26:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.
• New International Version (NIV)First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds.
• English Standard Version (ESV)but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance.
• New King James Version (NKJV)but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance.

Context of Acts 26:20

18to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people, who are set apart by faith in me.’ 19“And so, King Agrippa, I obeyed that vision from heaven. I preached first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that all must repent of their sins and turn to God—and prove they have changed by the good things they do. 21Some Jews arrested me in the Temple for preaching this, and they tried to kill me. 22But God has protected me right up to this present time so I can testify to everyone, from the least to the greatest. I teach nothing except what the prophets and Moses said would happen—

Acts 26:20 word by word

ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἐν Δαμασκῷ πρῶτόν τε καὶ Ἱεροσολύμοις, πᾶσάν τε τὴν χώραν τῆς Ἰουδαίας, καὶ τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἀπήγγελλον μετανοεῖν καὶ ἐπιστρέφειν ἐπὶ τὸν θεὸν ἄξια τῆς μετανοίας ἔργα πράσσοντας.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Butἀλλάalla · butG235
• shewedἀπαγγέλλωapaggellō · to announceG518
• firstπρῶτονprōton · firstG4412
• unto themὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• ofἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• DamascusΔαμασκόςDamaskos · DamascusG1154
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• at JerusalemἹεροσόλυμαHierosoluma · JerusalemG2414
• andτεte · and/bothG5037
• throughoutεἰςeis · towardG1519
• allπᾶςpas · allG3956
• the coastsχώραchōra · countryG5561
• of JudeaἸουδαίαIoudaia · JudeaG2449
• to the Gentilesἔθνοςethnos · GentilesG1484
• that they should repentμετανοέωmetanoeō · to repentG3340
• turnἐπιστρέφωepistrephō · to turnG1994
• toἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• and doπράσσωprassō · to do/requireG4238
• worksἔργονergon · workG2041
• meetἄξιοςaxios · worthyG514
• for repentanceμετάνοιαmetanoia · repentanceG3341

Cross-references for Acts 26:20

• Acts 9:19Afterward he ate some food and regained his strength. Saul stayed with the believers in Damascus for a few days.
• Acts 11:26When he found him, he brought him back to Antioch. Both of them stayed there with the church for a full year, teaching large crowds of people. (It was at Antioch that the believers were first called Christians.)
• Acts 9:28So Saul stayed with the apostles and went all around Jerusalem with them, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord.
• Acts 22:17“After I returned to Jerusalem, I was praying in the Temple and fell into a trance.
• Acts 26:17And I will rescue you from both your own people and the Gentiles. Yes, I am sending you to the Gentiles
• Acts 13:46Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and declared, “It was necessary that we first preach the word of God to you Jews. But since you have rejected it and judged yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we will offer it to the Gentiles.
• Acts 14:16In the past he permitted all the nations to go their own ways,
• Acts 22:21“But the Lord said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles!’”
• Romans 11:18But you must not brag about being grafted in to replace the branches that were broken off. You are just a branch, not the root.
• Acts 2:38Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
• Acts 3:19Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away.
• Acts 11:18When the others heard this, they stopped objecting and began praising God. They said, “We can see that God has also given the Gentiles the privilege of repenting of their sins and receiving eternal life.”
• Acts 17:30“God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him.
• Acts 20:21I have had one message for Jews and Greeks alike—the necessity of repenting from sin and turning to God, and of having faith in our Lord Jesus.
• Jeremiah 31:19I turned away from God, but then I was sorry. I kicked myself for my stupidity! I was thoroughly ashamed of all I did in my younger days.’
• Ezekiel 18:30“Therefore, I will judge each of you, O people of Israel, according to your actions, says the Sovereign Lord. Repent, and turn from your sins. Don’t let them destroy you!

Commentaries on Acts 26:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20But showed first unto them of Damascus - He appears to have preached at Damascus, and in the neighboring parts of Arabia Deserta, for about three years; and afterwards he went up to Jerusalem. See Galatians 1:17, Galatians 1:18; and see the note on Acts 9:23. That they should repent - Be deeply humbled for their past iniquities, and turn to God as their Judge and Savior, avoiding all idolatry and all sin; and thus do works meet for repentance; that is…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20See Acts 9:20-23. The 20th verse contains a summary of his labors in obedience to the command of the Lord Jesus. His argument is that the Lord Jesus had from heaven commanded him to do this, and that he had done no more than to obey his injunction. The word “then” in this verse is supplied by our translators, and is not necessary to the proper explanation of the passage. It would seem from that word that he had not preached “to the Gentiles” until after…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-23Verses 12-23 Paul was made a Christian by Divine power; by a revelation of Christ both to him and in him; when in the full career of his sin. He was made a minister by Divine authority: the same Jesus who appeared to him in that glorious light, ordered him to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. A world that sits in darkness must be enlightened; those must be brought to know the things that belong to their everlasting peace, who are yet ignorant of them. A…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-23In his careful defense before King Agrippa, Paul argued that his message agreed fully with the Jewish faith. He began by respectfully recognizing Agrippa’s knowledge of Jewish matters (26:2–3). He then described his early life, his training in Judaism, and his membership in the Pharisees (a Jewish group known for strict obedience to the law; 26:4–5). Paul explained that the charges against him were only because he believed that God had fulfilled the…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 19-2119-21. Whereupon, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision--This musical and elevated strain, which carries the reader along with it, and doubtless did the hearers, bespeaks the lofty region of thought and feeling to which the apostle had risen while rehearsing his Master's communications to him from heaven.Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 26:20

• Converts
• Court
• Damascus
• Defense
• Repentance
• Testimony
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• Damascus
• God
• Jerusalem
• Judea
• Judaea, or Judea
• Judea, Judah
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Above
• Agrippa II.
• Beside

Commentaries on Acts 26

• 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