Acts 2:20
What does Acts 2:20 mean?
A plain-English look at Acts 2:20 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Acts 2:20 means
The prophecy continues to describe dramatic celestial changes—the sun turning to darkness and the moon to blood—as precursors to 'the day of the Lord, that great and notable day.' These powerful images emphasize a profound disruption of the natural order, signaling a time of divine reckoning and ultimate judgment. Peter presents these as events that herald the full consummation of God's redemptive plan, reminding his hearers of the urgency of their response.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the day of the Lord come, That great and notable day:
KJV
King James Version · 1611The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the day of the Lord come, That great and notable day:
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949The sun will become dark and the moon will be turned to blood, before that great day of the Lord comes in glory:
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862the sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the coming of the day of the Lord--the great and illustrious;
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before the great and manifest day of the Lord to come.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890the sun shall be changed to darkness and the moon to blood, before the great and gloriously appearing day of [the] Lord come.
Context
Continuing the prophetic description of cosmic signs from the preceding verse, this verse specifically details the darkening of the sun and moon. These dramatic astronomical disturbances are presented as direct harbingers of the coming 'Day of the Lord,' creating a sense of urgency and culminating in the promise of salvation for those who call upon His name.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- 2 Peter 3:7
but the heavens that now are, and the earth, by the same word have been stored up for fire, being reserved against the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:2
For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
- Joel 3:14
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! for the day of Jehovah is near in the valley of decision.
- Isaiah 13:9
Behold, the day of Jehovah cometh, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger; to make the land a desolation, and to destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
- Matthew 24:29
But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
- Revelation 6:12
And I saw when he opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the whole moon became as blood;
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