The Meaning of Acts 1:12 Explained

Acts 1:12

KJV: Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey.

YLT: Then did they return to Jerusalem from the mount that is called of Olives, that is near Jerusalem, a sabbath's journey;

Darby: Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called the mount of Olives, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath-day's journey off.

ASV: Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is nigh unto Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey off.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then  returned they  unto  Jerusalem  from  the mount  called  Olivet,  which  is  from  Jerusalem  a sabbath  day's journey. 

What does Acts 1:12 Mean?

Study Notes

journey
About 4854 feet.

Context Summary

Acts 1:1-14 - Beginning Afresh
Luke informs Theophilus (the name means "a lover of God") that his Gospel told the story of what the Lord began to do and teach. Evidently this further book is a continuation of His deeds and words. It ought to be called "The Acts of the Ascended Christ." The Gospel tells of what Jesus did through a mortal body; and this book what He did through the Church, which is His body, "the fullness of Him that filleth all in all." Here we learn that the time between the Resurrection and the Ascension was forty days; that our Lord issued commandments, no doubt about the ordering of the Church; and that He spoke with the Apostles of the coming kingdom of God-that ideal society which is God's great objective through the ages. It would not be established by the sword of the soldier, but by the witness-bearing of the evangelist, Acts 1:8.
Then the Lord rose before their eyes, and passed within a cloud, which dropped like a curtain before Him. He passed into heaven, Hebrews 9:24, to make intercession, to guide the course of His Church, and to sit at the right hand of the Father till His enemies should be made His footstool. [source]

Chapter Summary: Acts 1

1  Christ, preparing his apostles to the beholding of his ascension,
4  gathers them together unto the Mount of Olives,
6  commands them to expect in Jerusalem the sending down of the Holy Spirit,
9  and ascends into heaven in their sight
10  After his ascension they are warned by two angels to depart, and to set their minds upon his second coming
12  They accordingly return, and, giving themselves to prayer,
23  choose Matthias apostle in the place of Judas

Greek Commentary for Acts 1:12

Olivet [Ελαιωνος]
Genitive singular. Vulgate Olivetum. Made like αμπελων — ampelōn Here only in the N.T., usually το ορος των Ελαιων — to oros tōn Elaiōn (the Mount of Olives), though some MSS. have Olivet in Luke 19:29; Luke 21:37. Josephus (Ant. VII. 9, 2) has it also and the papyri (Deissmann, Light from the Ancient East, p. 170). [source]
A sabbath day‘s journey off [Σαββατου εχων οδον]
Luke only says here that Olivet is a Sabbath day‘s journey from Jerusalem, not that Jesus was precisely that distance when he ascended. In the Gospel Luke (Luke 24:50) states that Jesus led them “over against” The top of Olivet is six furlongs or three-fourths of a mile. The Greek idiom here is “having a journey of a Sabbath” after “which is nigh unto Jerusalem” (ο εστιν εγγυς Ιερουσαλημ — ho estin eggus Ierousalēm), note the periphrastic construction. Why Luke mentions this item for Gentile readers in this form is not known, unless it was in his Jewish source. See Exodus 16:29; Numbers 35:5; Joshua 3:4. But it does not contradict what he says in Luke 24:50, where he does not say that Jesus led them all the way to Bethany. [source]
A Sabbath-day's journey [σαββάτου ἔχον ὁδόν]
Lit., having a Sabbath's way. The way conceived as belonging to the mountain; connected with it in reference to the neighborhood of Jerusalem. A Sabbath-day's journey, according to Jewish tradition, was about three-quarters of a mile. It was the supposed distance between the camp and the tabernacle in the wilderness (Joshua 3:4). [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 1:12

Luke 19:29 Of Olives [Ελαιων]
As in Mark 11:1; Matthew 21:1, though some editors take it to be, not the genitive plural of ελαια — elaia (olive tree), but the name of the place Olivet. In the Greek it is just a matter of accent (circumflex or acute) Olivet is correct in Acts 1:12. See notes on Matthew 21:1 and notes on Mark 11:1 for details. [source]
Acts 19:24 Demetrius, a silversmith [Δημητριος αργυροκοπος]
The name is common enough and may or may not be the man mentioned in 3 Jo Acts 1:12 who was also from the neighbourhood of Ephesus. There is on an inscription at Ephesus near the close of the century a Demetrius called νεοποιος Αρτεμιδος — neopoios Artemidos a temple warden of Artemis (Diana). Zoeckler suggests that Luke misunderstood this word νεοποιος — neopoios and translated it into αργυροκοπος — argurokopos a beater It is true that no silver shrines of the temple have been found in Ephesus, but only numerous terra-cotta ones. Ramsay suggests that the silver ones would naturally be melted down. The date is too late anyhow to identify the Demetrius who was νεοποιος — neopoios with the Demetrius αργυροκοπος — argurokopos who made little silver temples of Artemis, though B does not have the word αργυρους — argurous The poor votaries would buy the terra-cotta ones, the rich the silver shrines (Ramsay, Paul the Traveller, p. 278). These small models of the temple with the statue of Artemis inside would be set up in the houses or even worn as amulets. It is a pity that the Revised Version renders Artemis here. Diana as the Ephesian Artemis is quite distinct from the Greek Artemis, the sister of Apollo, the Diana of the Romans. This temple, built in the 6th century b.c., was burnt by Herostratus Oct. 13 b.c. 356, the night when Alexander the Great was born. It was restored and was considered one of the seven wonders of the world. Artemis was worshipped as the goddess of fertility, like the Lydian Cybele, a figure with many breasts. The great festival in May would offer Demetrius a golden opportunity for the sale of the shrines. [source]

What do the individual words in Acts 1:12 mean?

Then they returned to Jerusalem from [the] mount - called Olivet which is near Jerusalem a Sabbath day’s holding journey
Τότε ὑπέστρεψαν εἰς Ἰερουσαλὴμ ἀπὸ ὄρους τοῦ καλουμένου Ἐλαιῶνος ἐστιν ἐγγὺς Ἰερουσαλὴμ σαββάτου ἔχον ὁδόν

ὑπέστρεψαν  they  returned 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: ὑποστρέφω  
Sense: to turn back.
Ἰερουσαλὴμ  Jerusalem 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: Ἰερουσαλήμ  
Sense: denotes either the city itself or the inhabitants.
ὄρους  [the]  mount 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Neuter Singular
Root: ὄρος  
Sense: a mountain.
τοῦ  - 
Parse: Article, Genitive Neuter Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
καλουμένου  called 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Middle or Passive, Genitive Neuter Singular
Root: καλέω  
Sense: to call.
Ἐλαιῶνος  Olivet 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: ἐλαιών  
Sense: an olive orchard, a place planted with olive trees.
ἐγγὺς  near 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἐγγύς  
Sense: near, of place and position.
Ἰερουσαλὴμ  Jerusalem 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: Ἰερουσαλήμ  
Sense: denotes either the city itself or the inhabitants.
σαββάτου  a  Sabbath  day’s 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Neuter Singular
Root: σάββατον  
Sense: the seventh day of each week which was a sacred festival on which the Israelites were required to abstain from all work.
ἔχον  holding 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: ἔχω  
Sense: to have, i.e. to hold.
ὁδόν  journey 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: ὁδός 
Sense: properly.