The Meaning of Acts 1:24 Explained

Acts 1:24

KJV: And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen,

YLT: and having prayed, they said, 'Thou, Lord, who art knowing the heart of all, shew which one thou didst choose of these two

Darby: And they prayed, and said, Thou Lord, knower of the hearts of all, shew which one of these two thou hast chosen,

ASV: And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, who knowest the hearts of all men, show of these two the one whom thou hast chosen,

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  they prayed,  and said,  Thou,  Lord,  which knowest the hearts  of all  [men], shew  whether  of  these  two  thou hast chosen, 

What does Acts 1:24 Mean?

Context Summary

Acts 1:15-26 - Filling A Vacant Place
It may be that the Apostles were acting upon Christ's directions, when they proceeded to the election of a successor to Judas. There was awe in Peter's voice, as he describes the traitor as the guide of the arresting band, although he had been numbered with the Apostles and had obtained part in their ministry. It was as though Peter felt that it might have been himself. He and the rest had stood at the brink of the precipice over which Judas had flung himself.
Evidently there were favored and humble men who, though they did not belong to the brotherhood, had been allowed to company with the Apostles, and had been witnesses of the marvelous story as it had been unrolled before their eyes. They were thus able to give their testimony first-hand. What an honor had been theirs! And now one of them was summoned to take the place of Judas. His qualification was his ability to bear witness to the Resurrection, Acts 1:22. That was the salient point in the primitive evangel. But cannot we all bear witness to it? What but the resurrection of Jesus can account for the hot springs of religious fervor that arise in our wintry hearts! [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 1:24

Show us the one whom thou hast chosen [αναδειχον ον εχελεχω]
First aorist active imperative of αναδεικνυμι — anadeiknumi to show up, make plain. First aorist middle indicative second person singular of εκλεγω — eklegō to pick out, choose, select. In this prayer they assume that God has made a choice. They only wish to know his will. They call God the heart-searcher or heart-knower (καρδιογνωστα — kardiognōsta vocative singular), a late word, here and Acts 15:8 only in the N.T. Modern physicians have delicate apparatus for studying the human heart. [source]
Which knowest the hearts [καρδιογνῶστα]
Only here and Acts 15:8. Lit.,heart-knower. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 1:24

Luke 10:1 Appointed [ἀνέδειξεν]
Used by Luke only. Lit., to lift up and shew, as Acts 1:24: “Shew which one thou hast chosen.” Hence to proclaim any one elected to an office. See on the kindred noun, shewing, Luke 1:80. [source]
Luke 10:1 Appointed [ανεδειχεν]
First aorist active indicative of αναδεικνυμι — anadeiknumi an old verb, not only common, but in lxx. In the N.T. only here and Acts 1:24. Cf. αναδειχις — anadeixis in Luke 1:80. To show forth, display, proclaim, appoint. [source]
Acts 15:8 Which knoweth the heart [καρδιογνώστης]
Only here and Acts 1:24. [source]
Acts 15:8 Which knoweth the heart [καρδιογνωστης]
Late word from καρδια — kardia (heart) and γνωστης — gnōstēs (known, γινωσκω — ginōskō). In the N.T. only here and Acts 1:24 which see. [source]

What do the individual words in Acts 1:24 mean?

And having prayed they said You Lord knower of the hearts of all show which You have chosen of these - two one
καὶ προσευξάμενοι εἶπαν Σὺ Κύριε καρδιογνῶστα πάντων ἀνάδειξον ὃν ἐξελέξω ἐκ τούτων τῶν δύο ἕνα

προσευξάμενοι  having  prayed 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Middle, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: προσεύχομαι  
Sense: to offer prayers, to pray.
εἶπαν  they  said 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: λέγω  
Sense: to speak, say.
Κύριε  Lord 
Parse: Noun, Vocative Masculine Singular
Root: κύριος  
Sense: he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord.
καρδιογνῶστα  knower  of  the  hearts 
Parse: Noun, Vocative Masculine Singular
Root: καρδιογνώστης  
Sense: knower of the hearts.
πάντων  of  all 
Parse: Adjective, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: πᾶς  
Sense: individually.
ἀνάδειξον  show 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: ἀναδείκνυμι  
Sense: to proclaim any one as elected to office.
ἐξελέξω  You  have  chosen 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Middle, 2nd Person Singular
Root: ἐκλέγομαι  
Sense: to pick out, choose, to pick or choose out for one’s self.
τούτων  these 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: οὗτος  
Sense: this.
τῶν  - 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
δύο  two 
Parse: Adjective, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: δύο 
Sense: the two, the twain.
ἕνα  one 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: εἷς  
Sense: one.