Acts 19:7
What does Acts 19:7 mean?
A plain-English look at Acts 19:7 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Acts 19:7 means
Luke notes there were about twelve men. The number underlines that God’s great works often begin with a small, specific group. It may subtly evoke the idea of a renewed people, though Luke avoids making symbolic claims. The focus is practical: a definite company has now been fully brought into the life of the Spirit. This brief verse closes the first scene and signals that the episode concerns real persons with names and stories, not abstract theology. Twelve men in a massive city—yet soon the whole region will feel the impact of the word of the Lord through Paul’s sustained teaching ministry.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000And they were in all about twelve men.
KJV
King James Version · 1611And all the men were about twelve.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901And they were in all about twelve men.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949And there were about twelve of these men.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862and all the men were, as it were, twelve.
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752And all the men were about twelve.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890And all the men were about twelve.
Context
The enumeration caps the episode of the disciples of John receiving Christian baptism and the Holy Spirit. With this resolved, Luke shifts to Paul’s broader Ephesian ministry, starting in the synagogue. The coming verses portray months of bold reasoning, eventual opposition, and the move to daily teaching in the school of Tyrannus. This transition shows how private shepherding and public proclamation go hand in hand in advancing the gospel’s influence.
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