The Meaning of Acts 2:20 Explained

Acts 2:20

KJV: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:

YLT: the sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the coming of the day of the Lord -- the great and illustrious;

Darby: the sun shall be changed to darkness and the moon to blood, before the great and gloriously appearing day of the Lord come.

ASV: The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the day of the Lord come, That great and notable day .

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The sun  shall be turned  into  darkness,  and  the moon  into  blood,  before  that great  and  notable  day  of the Lord  come: 

What does Acts 2:20 Mean?

Context Summary

Acts 2:14-24 - The Outpoured Spirit
The exulting joy of these Spirit-anointed people was accounted for by some through charging them with drunkenness. Peter dismissed the charge as absurd, seeing that the day was yet young. With a readiness that the Spirit had inspired, he declared it to be a partial fulfillment of Joel's prophecy. This is that, Acts 2:16. Alas, we cannot say as much! This might be that; this shall be that-these are all that we can affirm. Shall we ever be able to say, This is that?
In the pre-Christian times the Spirit was given to mountain-top saints, but from Pentecost onward, sons and daughters, old and young, servants and hand-maidens, were to participate in His gracious influences. It is for the democracy of the Church, for the whosoevers who call on the name of the Lord, for the valleys as well as the hills.
Notice that God's determinate counsel and pre-arrangement did not take away the guilt that lay upon the murderers of the Christ. The hands that slew Him were wicked ones, Acts 2:23. But God vindicated Jesus by the Resurrection, which reversed the judgment of men and proved Him the Son of God with power, Romans 1:4. [source]

Chapter Summary: Acts 2

1  The apostles, filled with the Holy Spirit, and speaking various languages,
12  are admired by some, and derided by others;
14  whom Peter disproves;
37  he baptizes a great number who were converted;
41  who afterwards devoutly and charitably converse together;
43  the apostles working many miracles,
46  and God daily increasing his church

Greek Commentary for Acts 2:20

Shall be turned [μεταστραπησεται]
Second future passive of μεταστρεπω — metastrephō common verb, but only three times in the N.T. (Acts 2:20 from Joel; James 4:9; Galatians 1:7). These are the “wonders” or portents of Acts 2:19. It is worth noting that Peter interprets these “portents” as fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost, though no such change of the sun into darkness or of the moon into blood is recorded. Clearly Peter does not interpret the symbolism of Joel in literal terms. This method of Peter may be of some service in the Book of Revelation where so many apocalyptic symbols occur as well as in the great Eschatological Discourse of Jesus in Matthew 24, 25. In Matthew 24:6, Matthew 24:29 Jesus had spoken of wars on earth and wonders in heaven. [source]
Before the day of the Lord come, that great and notable day [πριν ελτειν ημεραν κυριου την μεγαλην και επιπανη]
The use of πριν — prin with the infinitive and the accusative of general reference is a regular Greek idiom. The use of the adjectives with the article is also good Greek, though the article is not here repeated as in Acts 1:25. The Day of the Lord is a definite conception without the article. Notable (επιπανη — epiphanē) is the same root as epiphany (επιπανεια — epiphaneia) used of the Second Coming of Christ (2 Thessalonians 2:8; 1 Timothy 6:14; 2 Timothy 4:1; Titus 2:13). It translates here the Hebrew word for “terrible.” In the Epistles the Day of the Lord is applied (Knowling) to the Coming of Christ for judgment (1 Thessalonians 5:2; 1 Corinthians 1:8; 2 Corinthians 1:14; Philemon 1:10). [source]
Notable [επιπανη]
It translates here the Hebrew word for “terrible.” In the Epistles the Day of the Lord is applied (Knowling) to the Coming of Christ for judgment (1 Thessalonians 5:2; 1 Corinthians 1:8; 2 Corinthians 1:14; Philemon 1:10). [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 2:20

Acts 2:20 Shall be turned [μεταστραπησεται]
Second future passive of μεταστρεπω — metastrephō common verb, but only three times in the N.T. (Acts 2:20 from Joel; James 4:9; Galatians 1:7). These are the “wonders” or portents of Acts 2:19. It is worth noting that Peter interprets these “portents” as fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost, though no such change of the sun into darkness or of the moon into blood is recorded. Clearly Peter does not interpret the symbolism of Joel in literal terms. This method of Peter may be of some service in the Book of Revelation where so many apocalyptic symbols occur as well as in the great Eschatological Discourse of Jesus in Matthew 24, 25. In Matthew 24:6, Matthew 24:29 Jesus had spoken of wars on earth and wonders in heaven. [source]
Galatians 1:7 Only [ει μη]
Literally, “except,” that is, “Except in this sense,” “in that it is an attempt to pervert the one true gospel” (Lightfoot). Who disturb you (οι ταρασσοντες — hoi tarassontes). The disturbers. This very verb ταρασσω — tarassō is used in Acts 17:8 of the Jews in Thessalonica who “disturbed” the politarchs and the people about Paul. Would pervert “Wish to turn about,” change completely as in Acts 2:20; James 4:9. The very existence of the gospel of Christ was at stake. [source]
Galatians 1:7 Would pervert [τελοντες μεταστρεπσαι]
“Wish to turn about,” change completely as in Acts 2:20; James 4:9. The very existence of the gospel of Christ was at stake. [source]
2 Peter 3:10 The day of the Lord []
Compare the same phrase in Peter's sermon, Acts 2:20. It occurs only in these two passages and 1 Thessalonians 5:2. See 1 Corinthians 1:8; 2 Corinthians 1:14. [source]
2 Peter 3:10 The day of the Lord [ημερα κυριου]
So Peter in Acts 2:20 (from Joel 3:4) and Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:2, 1 Thessalonians 5:4; 2 Thessalonians 2:2; 1 Corinthians 5:5; and day of Christ in Philemon 2:16 and day of God in 2 Peter 2:12 and day of judgment already in 2 Peter 2:9; 2 Peter 3:7. This great day will certainly come Future active of ηκω — hēkō old verb, to arrive, but in God‘s own time. [source]
Revelation 6:12 As sackcloth of hair [ως σακκος τριχινος]
Σακκος — Sakkos (Attic σακος — sakos), Latin saccus, English sack, originally a bag for holding things (Genesis 42:25, Genesis 42:35), then coarse garment of hair Here the hair is that of the black goat (Isaiah 50:3). Cf. Joel 2:10; Ezekiel 32:7.; Isaiah 13:10; Mark 13:24. See Ecclesiastes 12:2 for eclipses treated as symbols of old age. Apocalyptic pictures all have celestial phenomena following earthquakes.As blood (ως αιμα — hōs haima). In Acts 2:20 we find Peter interpreting the apocalyptic eschatological language of Joel 2:31 about the sun being turned into darkness and the moon into blood as pointing to the events of the day of Pentecost as also “the great day of the Lord.” Peter‘s interpretation of Joel should make us cautious about too literal an exegesis of these grand symbols. [source]
Revelation 6:12 As blood [ως αιμα]
In Acts 2:20 we find Peter interpreting the apocalyptic eschatological language of Joel 2:31 about the sun being turned into darkness and the moon into blood as pointing to the events of the day of Pentecost as also “the great day of the Lord.” Peter‘s interpretation of Joel should make us cautious about too literal an exegesis of these grand symbols. [source]

What do the individual words in Acts 2:20 mean?

The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon blood before than coming day of [the] Lord - great glorious
ἥλιος μεταστραφήσεται εἰς σκότος καὶ σελήνη αἷμα πρὶν ‹ἢ› ἐλθεῖν ἡμέραν Κυρίου τὴν μεγάλην ἐπιφανῆ

ἥλιος  sun 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἥλιος  
Sense: the sun.
μεταστραφήσεται  will  be  turned 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: μεταστρέφω 
Sense: to turn around, turn around.
εἰς  into 
Parse: Preposition
Root: εἰς  
Sense: into, unto, to, towards, for, among.
σκότος  darkness 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: σκότος  
Sense: darkness.
σελήνη  moon 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: σελήνη  
Sense: the moon.
αἷμα  blood 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: αἷμα  
Sense: blood.
πρὶν  before 
Parse: Adverb
Root: πρίν  
Sense: before, formerly.
‹ἢ›  than 
Parse: Conjunction
Root:  
Sense: either, or, than.
ἐλθεῖν  coming 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Active
Root: ἔρχομαι  
Sense: to come.
ἡμέραν  day 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: ἡμέρα  
Sense: the day, used of the natural day, or the interval between sunrise and sunset, as distinguished from and contrasted with the night.
Κυρίου  of  [the]  Lord 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: κύριος  
Sense: he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord.
τὴν  - 
Parse: Article, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
μεγάλην  great 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: μέγας  
Sense: great.
ἐπιφανῆ  glorious 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: ἐπιφανής  
Sense: conspicuous, manifest, illustrious.