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 King James Version (NKJV)And all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an angel.

Context of Acts 6:15

13The lying witnesses said, “This man is always speaking against the holy Temple and against the law of Moses. 14We have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy the Temple and change the customs Moses handed down to us.” At this point everyone in the high council stared at Stephen, because his face became as bright as an angel’s.

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 Mount Sinai carrying the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, he wasn’t aware that his face had become radiant because he had spoken to the Lord.
• Ecclesiastes 8:1How wonderful to be wise, to analyze and interpret things. Wisdom lights up a person’s face, softening its harshness.
• Matthew 13:43Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!
• Matthew 17:2As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed so that his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light.
• 2 Corinthians 3:7The old way, with laws etched in stone, led to death, though it began with such glory that the people of Israel could not bear to look at Moses’ face. For his face shone with the glory of God, even though the brightness was already fading 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
• Deacon; Deaconess
• Ministry
• Papyrus

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