KJV: As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication.
YLT: 'And concerning those of the nations who have believed, we have written, having given judgment, that they observe no such thing, except to keep themselves both from idol-sacrifices, and blood, and a strangled thing, and whoredom.'
Darby: But concerning those of the nations who have believed, we have written, deciding that they should observe no such thing, only to keep themselves both from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication.
ASV: But as touching the Gentiles that have believed, we wrote, giving judgment that they should keep themselves from things sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what is strangled, and from fornication.
Περὶ | Concerning |
Parse: Preposition Root: περί Sense: about, concerning, on account of, because of, around, near. |
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δὲ | now |
Parse: Conjunction Root: δέ Sense: but, moreover, and, etc. |
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τῶν | those |
Parse: Article, Genitive Neuter Plural Root: ὁ Sense: this, that, these, etc. |
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πεπιστευκότων | having believed |
Parse: Verb, Perfect Participle Active, Genitive Neuter Plural Root: πιστεύω Sense: to think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in. |
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ἐθνῶν | of the Gentiles |
Parse: Noun, Genitive Neuter Plural Root: ἔθνος Sense: a multitude (whether of men or of beasts) associated or living together. |
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ἐπεστείλαμεν | wrote |
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 1st Person Plural Root: ἐπιστέλλω Sense: to send one a message, command. |
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κρίναντες | having adjudged |
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Plural Root: κρίνω Sense: to separate, put asunder, to pick out, select, choose. |
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φυλάσσεσθαι | to keep from |
Parse: Verb, Present Infinitive Middle Root: φυλάσσω Sense: to guard. |
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τό | the things |
Parse: Article, Accusative Neuter Singular Root: ὁ Sense: this, that, these, etc. |
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τε | both |
Parse: Conjunction Root: τέ Sense: not only … but also. |
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εἰδωλόθυτον | sacrificed to idols |
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Neuter Singular Root: εἰδωλόθυτος Sense: sacrificed to idols, the flesh left over from the heathen sacrifices. |
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αἷμα | blood |
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Singular Root: αἷμα Sense: blood. |
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πνικτὸν | what is strangled |
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Neuter Singular Root: πνικτός Sense: suffocate, strangled. |
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πορνείαν | sexual immorality |
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular Root: πορνεία Sense: illicit sexual intercourse. |
Greek Commentary for Acts 21:25
First aorist active of επιστελλω epistellō to send to and so to write like our epistle Old verb, but in the N.T. only here and Acts 15:20; Hebrews 13:22. It is the very word used by James in this “judgment” at the Conference (Acts 15:20, επιστειλαι episteilai). B D here read απεστειλαμεν apesteilamen from αποστελλω apostellō to send away, to give orders. Wendt and Schuerer object to this as a gloss. Rather is it an explanation by James that he does not refer to the Gentile Christians whose freedom from the Mosaic ceremonial law was guaranteed at the Jerusalem Conference. James himself presided at that Conference and offered the resolution that was unanimously adopted. James stands by that agreement and repeats the main items (four: anything sacrificed to idols, blood, anything strangled, fornication, for discussion see note on Acts 15) from which they are to keep themselves (direct middle πυλασσεσται phulassesthai of πυλασσω phulass indirect command after κριναντες krinantes with accusative, αυτους autous of general reference). James has thus again cleared the air about the Gentiles who have believed He asks that Paul will stand by the right of Jewish Christians to keep on observing the Mosaic law. He has put the case squarely and fairly. [source]
See on Acts 15:29. [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 21:25
By way of contrast First aorist active infinitive of επιστελλω epistellō old verb to send to one (message, letter, etc.). Our word επιστλε epistle (επιστολη epistolē as in Acts 15:30) comes from this verb. In the N.T. only here, Hebrews 13:22, and possibly Acts 21:25. [source]
A.V. supplies a letter. Rend. “I have written unto you.” The verb only here, Acts 15:20; Acts 21:25. Lit. to send, not letters only. Sometimes with ἐπιστολαὶ or ἐπιστολὰς lettersadded, as Nehemiah 6:19; 1Peter href="/desk/?q=1pe+5:12&sr=1">1 Peter 5:12, and ἐν ὀλίγῳ briefly Ephesians 3:3. [source]
In the A.V. the word is rendered in four different ways: meats offered to idols (Acts 15:29): things offered to idols (Acts 21:25): things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols (1 Corinthians 8:4); and as here Rev., uniformly, things sacrificed to idols. The eating of idol meats, which was no temptation to the Jewish Christian, was quite otherwise to the Gentile. The act of sacrifice, among all ancient nations, was a social no less than a religious act. Commonly only a part of the victim was consumed as an offering, and the rest became the portion of the priests, was given to the poor, or was sold again in the markets. Hence sacrifice and feast were identified. The word originally used for killing in sacrifice ( θύειν ) obtained the general sense of killing (Acts 10:13). Among the Greeks this identification was carried to the highest pitch. Thucydides enumerates sacrifices among popular entertainments. “We have not forgotten,” he says, “to provide for our weary spirits many relaxations from toil. We have regular games and sacrifices throughout the year” (ii., 38). So Aristotle: “And some fellowships seem to be for the sake of pleasure; those of the followers of Love, and those of club-diners; for these are for the sake of sacrifice and social intercourse” (“Ethics,” viii., 9,5). Suetonius relates of Claudius, the Roman Emperor, that, on one occasion, while in the Forum of Augustus, smelling the odor of the banquet which was being prepared for the priests in the neighboring temple of Mars, he left the tribunal and placed himself at the table with the priests (“Claudius,” 33). Also how Vitellius would snatch from the altar-fire the entrails of victims and the corn, and consume them (“Vitellius,” 13). Thus, for the Gentile, “refusal to partake of the idol-meats involved absence from public and private festivity, a withdrawal, in great part, from the social life of his time.” The subject is discussed by Paul in Romans 14:2-21, and 1 Corinthians 8:1-11:1. The council of Jerusalem (Acts 15) forbade the eating of meat offered to idols, not as esteeming it forbidden by the Mosaic law, but as becoming a possible occasion of sin to weak Christians. In his letter to the Corinthians, among whom the Jewish and more scrupulous party was the weaker, Paul, in arguing with the stronger and more independent party, never alludes to the decree of the Jerusalem council, but discusses the matter from the stand-point of the rights of conscience. While he admits the possibility of a blameless participation in a banquet, even in the idol-temple, he dissuades from it on the ground of its dangerous consequences to weak consciences, and as involving a formal recognition of the false worship which they had renounced at their baptism. “In the Epistle to the Romans we see the excess to which the scruples of the weaker brethren were carried, even to the pitch of abstaining altogether from animal food; as, ill the Nicolaitans of the Apocalyptic churches, we see the excess of the indifferentist party, who plunged without restraint into all the pollutions, moral as well as ceremonial, with which the heathen rites were accompanied” (Stanley, “On Corinthians”). “It may be noted as accounting for the stronger and more vehement language of the Apocalypse, considered even as a simply Human book, that the conditions of the case had altered. Christians and heathen were no longer dwelling together, as at Corinth, with comparatively slight interruption to their social intercourse, but were divided by a sharp line of demarcation. The eating of things sacrificed to idols was more and more a crucial test, involving a cowardly shrinking from the open confession of a Christian's faith. Disciples who sat at meat in the idol's temple were making merry with those whose hands were red with the blood of their fellow-worshippers, and whose lips had uttered blaspheming scoffs against the Holy Name” (Plumptre). -DIVIDER- -DIVIDER- In times of persecution, tasting the wine of the libations or eating meat offered to idols, was understood to signify recantation of Christianity. -DIVIDER- -DIVIDER- [source]
Second aorist active infinitive of εστιω esthiō and the verbal adjective (from ειδωλον eidōlon and τυω thuō), quoted here from Numbers 25:1., but in inverse order, repeated in other order in Revelation 2:20. See Acts 15:29; Acts 21:25; 1 Corinthians 8:1. for the controversy over the temptation to Gentile Christians to do what in itself was harmless, but which led to evil if it led to participation in the pagan feasts. Perhaps both ideas are involved here. Balaam taught Balak how to lead the Israelites into sin in both ways. [source]
“Men holding” (present active participle of κρατεω krateō).The teaching of Balaam (την διδαχην αλααμ tēn didachēn Balaam). Indeclinable substantive Balaam (Numbers 25:1-9; Numbers 31:15.). The point of likeness of these heretics with Balaam is here explained.Taught Balak Imperfect indicative of διδασκω didaskō Balaam‘s habit, “as the prototype of all corrupt teachers” (Charles). These early Gnostics practised licentiousness as a principle since they were not under law, but under grace (Romans 6:15). The use of the dative with διδασκω didaskō is a colloquialism rather than a Hebraism. Two accusatives often occur with διδασκω didaskō cast a stumbling-block Second aorist active infinitive (accusative case after εδιδασκεν edidasken) of βαλλω ballō regular use with σκανδαλον skandalon (trap) like τιτημι σκανδαλον tithēmi skandalon in Romans 14:13. Balaam, as Josephus and Philo also say, showed Balak how to set a trap for the Israelites by beguiling them into the double sin of idolatry and fornication, which often went together (and do so still).To eat things sacrificed to idols (παγειν ειδωλοτυτα phagein eidōlothuta). Second aorist active infinitive of εστιω esthiō and the verbal adjective (from ειδωλον eidōlon and τυω thuō), quoted here from Numbers 25:1., but in inverse order, repeated in other order in Revelation 2:20. See Acts 15:29; Acts 21:25; 1 Corinthians 8:1. for the controversy over the temptation to Gentile Christians to do what in itself was harmless, but which led to evil if it led to participation in the pagan feasts. Perhaps both ideas are involved here. Balaam taught Balak how to lead the Israelites into sin in both ways. [source]
Imperfect indicative of διδασκω didaskō Balaam‘s habit, “as the prototype of all corrupt teachers” (Charles). These early Gnostics practised licentiousness as a principle since they were not under law, but under grace (Romans 6:15). The use of the dative with διδασκω didaskō is a colloquialism rather than a Hebraism. Two accusatives often occur with διδασκω didaskō cast a stumbling-block Second aorist active infinitive (accusative case after εδιδασκεν edidasken) of βαλλω ballō regular use with σκανδαλον skandalon (trap) like τιτημι σκανδαλον tithēmi skandalon in Romans 14:13. Balaam, as Josephus and Philo also say, showed Balak how to set a trap for the Israelites by beguiling them into the double sin of idolatry and fornication, which often went together (and do so still).To eat things sacrificed to idols (παγειν ειδωλοτυτα phagein eidōlothuta). Second aorist active infinitive of εστιω esthiō and the verbal adjective (from ειδωλον eidōlon and τυω thuō), quoted here from Numbers 25:1., but in inverse order, repeated in other order in Revelation 2:20. See Acts 15:29; Acts 21:25; 1 Corinthians 8:1. for the controversy over the temptation to Gentile Christians to do what in itself was harmless, but which led to evil if it led to participation in the pagan feasts. Perhaps both ideas are involved here. Balaam taught Balak how to lead the Israelites into sin in both ways. [source]