Acts 22:18
What does Acts 22:18 mean?
A plain-English look at Acts 22:18 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Acts 22:18 means
In the temple vision, Paul sees the Lord telling him to leave Jerusalem quickly because his testimony about Jesus will not be received there. The instruction is both protection and redirection. God knows the hearts of Paul’s hearers and spares him fruitless danger while opening another field of service. This word from the Lord explains why Paul does not center his ministry in Jerusalem. It also shows that rejection of the gospel in one place does not invalidate the message; rather, it sends the messenger to those prepared to hear. Guidance sometimes disappoints our plans but aligns us with God’s purposes.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000and saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem; because they will not receive of thee testimony concerning me.
KJV
King James Version · 1611And saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901and saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem; because they will not receive of thee testimony concerning me.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949And I saw him saying to me, Go out of Jerusalem straight away because they will not give hearing to your witness about me.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862and I saw him saying to me, Haste and go forth in haste out of Jerusalem, because they will not receive thy testimony concerning me;
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752And saw him saying unto me: Make haste and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: because they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890and saw him saying to me, Make haste and go quickly out of Jerusalem, for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.
Context
This command from the Lord follows Paul’s temple prayer in verse 17 and precedes Paul’s protest in verses 19–20. The flow reveals Paul’s initial reluctance: he expects his background to give him credibility in Jerusalem. The Lord’s foreknowledge, however, overrules his reasoning. The narrative builds toward verse 21, where the sending “far hence unto the Gentiles” will be explicitly stated, foreshadowing the crowd’s reaction in verses 22–23.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Acts 9:29
preaching boldly in the name of the Lord: and he spake and disputed against the Grecian Jews; but they were seeking to kill him.
- Acts 3:19
Repent ye therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that so there may come seasons of refreshing from the presence of the Lord;
- Matthew 10:14
And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, as ye go forth out of that house or that city, shake off the dust of your feet.
- Matthew 10:23
But when they persecute you in this city, flee into the next: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone through the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.
- Luke 21:21
Then let them that are in Judæa flee unto the mountains; and let them that are in the midst of her depart out; and let not them that are in the country enter therein.
- Ezekiel 3:6
not to many peoples of a strange speech and of a hard language, whose words thou canst not understand. Surely, if I sent thee to them, they would hearken unto thee.
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