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parallelVerse INT GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOS JDG RUTH 1SA 2SA 1KI 2KI 1CH 2CH EZRA NEH EST JOB PSA PRO ECC SNG ISA JER LAM EZE DAN HOS JOEL AMOS OBA YNA MIC NAH HAB ZEP HAG ZEC MAL YHN MARK MAT LUKE ACTs ROM 1COR 2COR GAL EPH PHP COL 1TH 2TH 1TIM 2TIM TIT PHM HEB YAC 1PET 2PET 1YHN 2YHN 3YHN YUD REV
Acts Intro C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 C15 C16 C17 C18 C19 C20 C21 C22 C23 C24 C25 C26 C27 C28
Acts 6 V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 V7 V8 V9 V10 V11 V12 V13 V14 V15
Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible. This view is only designed for doing comparisons of different translations. Click on the version abbreviation to see the verse in more of its context.
OET (OET-RV) They stood these seven up in front of the missionaries, who prayed and then placed their hands on them.
OET-LV whom they_stood before the ambassadors, and having_prayed, they_laid_on their hands on_them.
SR-GNT οὓς ἔστησαν ἐνώπιον τῶν ἀποστόλων, καὶ προσευξάμενοι, ἐπέθηκαν αὐτοῖς τὰς χεῖρας. ‡
(hous estaʸsan enōpion tōn apostolōn, kai proseuxamenoi, epethaʸkan autois tas ⱪeiras.)
Key: yellow:verbs, orange:accusative/object, pink:genitive/possessor, cyan:dative/indirect object.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).
ULT They brought them before the apostles, and having prayed, they placed their hands upon them.
UST The believers brought these seven men to the Representatives, who prayed for those men. As they prayed, they placed their hands on the men’s heads to show that they approved of them to do that work.
BSB They presented these seven to the apostles,[fn] who prayed and laid their hands on them.
6:6 Literally—whom they set before the apostles,
BLB whom they set before the apostles. And having prayed, they laid the hands on them.
AICNT whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.
OEB and they brought these men to the apostles, who, after praying, placed their hands on them.
WEB whom they set before the apostles. When they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.
WMB whom they set before the emissaries. When they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.
NET They stood these men before the apostles, who prayed and placed their hands on them.
LSV whom they set before the apostles, and they, having prayed, laid [their] hands on them.
FBV These men were presented to the apostles who prayed for them and placed their hands on them in blessing.
TCNT They set these men before the apostles, who then prayed and laid their hands on them.
T4T They brought these seven men to the apostles. Then after the apostles prayed for those men, they placed their hands on the heads of each one of them to appoint them to do that work.
LEB whom they stood before the apostles. And they prayed and[fn] placedtheir[fn] hands on them.
?:? *Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“prayed”) has been translated as a finite verb
?:? *Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
BBE These they took to the Apostles, who, after prayer, put their hands on them.
MOF No MOF ACTs book available
ASV whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands upon them.
DRA These they set before the apostles; and they praying, imposed hands upon them.
YLT whom they did set before the apostles, and they, having prayed, laid on them [their] hands.
DBY whom they set before the apostles; and, having prayed, they laid their hands on them.
RV whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.
WBS Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.
KJB Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.
(Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them. )
BB These they set before the apostles: and whe they had prayed, they layde their handes on them.
(These they set before the apostles: and whe they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.)
GNV Which they set before the Apostles: and they prayed, and layed their hands on them.
(Which they set before the Apostles: and they prayed, and laid their hands on them. )
CB These they set before ye Apostles, and they prayed, and layed their handes vpon them.
(These they set before ye/you_all Apostles, and they prayed, and laid their hands upon them.)
TNT Which they set before the Apostles and they prayed and layde their hondes on them.
(Which they set before the Apostles and they prayed and laid their hands on them. )
WYC Thei ordeyneden these bifor the siyt of apostlis, and thei preyeden, and leiden hoondis on hem.
(They ordainedn these before the sight of apostles, and they prayed, and laid hands on them.)
LUT Diese stelleten sie vor die Apostel und beteten und legten die Hände auf sie.
(This/These stelleten they/she/them before/in_front_of the Apostel and beteten and legten the Hände on sie.)
CLV Hos statuerunt ante conspectum Apostolorum: et orantes imposuerunt eis manus.[fn]
(Hos statuerunt ante conspectum Apostolorum: and orantes imposuerunt eis manus.)
6.6 Et orantes. Communis dispensatio exigebat ut ministri eligerentur, qui ut digni inventi sunt, crescente gradatim providentia consilii salutaris, placuit eosdem ipsos sacri altaris et Dominici sanguinis, sicut refectionis, et mensæ communis ministros ordinari. Quod probatur inde, quia dictum est: Orantes imposuerunt eis manus: hoc est proprium eorum qui ad sacrosancti altaris promoventur officium. Hoc exemplo orationes fiunt in ordinibus, licet oratio apostolorum non sit scripta.
6.6 And orantes. Communis dispensatio exigebat as ministri eligerentur, who as digni inventi are, crescente gradatim providentia consilii salutaris, placuit themdem ipsos sacri altaris and Dominici blood, sicut refectionis, and mensæ communis ministros ordinari. That probatur inde, because dictum it_is: Orantes imposuerunt eis manus: hoc it_is proprium eorum who to sacrosancti altaris promoventur officium. Hoc exemplo orationes fiunt in ordinibus, licet speech apostolorum not/no sit scripta.
UGNT οὓς ἔστησαν ἐνώπιον τῶν ἀποστόλων; καὶ προσευξάμενοι, ἐπέθηκαν αὐτοῖς τὰς χεῖρας.
(hous estaʸsan enōpion tōn apostolōn? kai proseuxamenoi, epethaʸkan autois tas ⱪeiras.)
SBL-GNT οὓς ἔστησαν ἐνώπιον τῶν ἀποστόλων, καὶ προσευξάμενοι ἐπέθηκαν αὐτοῖς τὰς χεῖρας.
(hous estaʸsan enōpion tōn apostolōn, kai proseuxamenoi epethaʸkan autois tas ⱪeiras. )
TC-GNT οὓς ἔστησαν ἐνώπιον τῶν ἀποστόλων· καὶ προσευξάμενοι ἐπέθηκαν αὐτοῖς τὰς χεῖρας.
(hous estaʸsan enōpion tōn apostolōn; kai proseuxamenoi epethaʸkan autois tas ⱪeiras. )
Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs (from our SR-GNT base).
6:2-6 Wisely, the apostles called a meeting of all the believers to address the dispute. They recognized the seriousness of the problem, as well as their own priority of teaching the word of God. The solution was to select wise and Spirit-filled men to oversee the food distribution. The community accepted the apostles’ solution and chose good leaders from the ranks of the Greek-speaking believers (all of their names are Greek). These seven devoted themselves to this special ministry, allowing the apostles to spend their time in prayer and teaching the word.
• These seven men are sometimes called the first deacons because of the similarity of their role to the office of deacon (see 1 Tim 3:8-13). Although the Greek term translated “deacon” (Greek diakonos, “servant”) is not used here, a related Greek word is translated running a food program (6:2; Greek diakonein, “to serve”).
Empowering Leadership
In Acts 6:1-7 the new Christian community faced a crisis of leadership. The Hellenists, the Greek-speaking Jews in Jerusalem, were upset because the needs of their widows were being overlooked in “the daily distribution of food” (6:1). This disruption threatened the development of the church with “rumblings of discontent” (6:1) and had to be seriously addressed. Wisely, the apostles recognized the problem (6:2-3) and called for the selection of seven men to administer the food program (6:5-6). Many interpreters see these seven as the first deacons (see study note on 6:2-6). A clear division of labor was agreed upon, with the apostles attending to preaching and teaching, and the material needs of the people being handled by other Spirit-filled leaders. The apostles provided empowering leadership by sensitively listening to genuine community needs. This wise handling of the issue, with the united, responsible action of all involved, resulted in spiritual growth and an increased number of believers (6:7).
Different gifts were recognized in the church and put to work for the common good (see 1 Cor 12:4-11; 1 Pet 4:10-11). And every believer has the opportunity to exercise some kind of ministry. This usefulness of every Christian in the service of God is sometimes called the “priesthood of all believers” (1 Pet 2:5, 9; Rev 1:6; 5:10; see Exod 19:6; Isa 61:6; Rev 20:6). Not everyone has the same role, but all have the same calling to use their gifts in God’s service.
God has given the church its leaders, not to “lord it over” other people, but to serve the community (Matt 20:25-28; Mark 10:42-45; Luke 22:25-27; 1 Pet 5:1-4). The leaders of the church do well when they recognize both the needs of the community and those whom God has prepared to meet those needs. Good leaders recognize gifted people and help them develop, empowering the members of the body to use their God-given gifts (Eph 4:11-12).
Passages for Further Study
Exod 19:6; Isa 61:6; Matt 20:25-28; Acts 6:1-7; 1 Cor 12:4-11; Eph 4:11-12; 1 Pet 2:5, 9; 4:10-11; Rev 1:6; 5:10; 20:6
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / events
προσευξάμενοι, ἐπέθηκαν αὐτοῖς τὰς χεῖρας
/having/_prayed ˱they˲_laid_on ˱on˲_them their hands
This could mean: (1) that the apostles first prayed and then placed their hands on these men. Alternate translation: “after they had prayed, they placed their hands upon them” (2) that the apostles placed their hands on the men while they were praying for them. Alternate translation: “they prayed for them with their hands placed upon them” or “they placed their hands upon them and prayed for them”
Note 2 topic: translate-symaction
ἐπέθηκαν αὐτοῖς τὰς χεῖρας
˱they˲_laid_on ˱on˲_them their hands
The apostles placed their hands on the seven men to show publicly that they were giving them the responsibility and authority to oversee the food distribution. Alternate translation: “and placed their hands on them to show that they were giving them responsibility and authority”