The Meaning of Acts 9:32 Explained

Acts 9:32

KJV: And it came to pass, as Peter passed throughout all quarters, he came down also to the saints which dwelt at Lydda.

YLT: And it came to pass that Peter passing throughout all quarters, came down also unto the saints who were dwelling at Lydda,

Darby: Now it came to pass that Peter, passing through all quarters, descended also to the saints who inhabited Lydda.

ASV: And it came to pass, as Peter went throughout all parts, he came down also to the saints that dwelt at Lydda.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  it came  to pass, as  Peter  passed throughout  all  [quarters], he came down  also  to  the saints  which  dwelt  at Lydda. 

What does Acts 9:32 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Luke next recorded the church"s expansion beyond Palestine to the uttermost parts of the earth ( Acts 1:8). The Ethiopian eunuch took the gospel to Africa, but he became a Christian in Judea. Now we begin to read of people becoming Christians in places farther from Jerusalem and Judea.
Lydda (modern Lod, the site of Israel"s international airport) lay on the Mediterranean coastal plain about10 miles from the sea. It was about25 miles northwest of Jerusalem. It stood at the junction of the roads from Joppa to Jerusalem and the highway from Egypt to Syria. [1] There were already "saints" there (cf. Acts 9:13; Acts 9:41).
As Jerusalem had been the Palestinian center for the evangelization of Jews, Antioch of Syria became the Hellenistic center for Gentile evangelization in Asia Minor and Europe. The gospel spread increasingly to Gentiles, which Luke emphasized in this section of Acts. He recorded three episodes: Peter"s ministry in the maritime plain of Palestine ( Acts 9:32-43), the conversion of Cornelius and his friends in Caesarea ( Acts 10:1 to Acts 11:18), and the founding of the Antioch church ( Acts 11:19-30). Luke then looked back to Jerusalem again to update us on what was happening there ( Acts 12:1-23). He concluded this section with another summary statement of the church"s growth ( Acts 12:24).

Context Summary

Acts 9:32-43 - Strength And Life Through Christ
Peter was now free for a visit of apostolic inspection, of which the two incidents here preserved are the only record. Lydda was a village on the great plain, abutting on the seaboard. The effect of the miracle of healing wrought upon Æneas was profound. A general conversion of the agricultural population was the immediate result. They all turned to the Lord. The villagers had probably been prepared by the tidings of what had taken place, and a single spark sufficed to set the whole country in a blaze.
The little church at Joppa had sustained a serious loss in the death of one of its chief workers, a woman named Dorcas, Acts 9:36-37. She is described as a certain disciple. She had learned of Jesus Christ the great lesson that the love of God implies ministry to others, and she gave herself to practice it by quiet, feminine handiwork, which she distributed among the desolate and friendless women of the town. Peter's prayer in the chamber of death was answered, and Dorcas was given back to her friends. Our Lord put His seal upon her work, and she has been crowned as the patron saint of women workers. [source]

Chapter Summary: Acts 9

1  Saul, going toward Damascus, is stricken down to the earth,
8  and led blind to Damascus;
10  is called to the apostleship;
18  and is baptized by Ananias
20  He preaches Christ boldly
23  The Jews lay wait to kill him;
29  so do the Grecians, but he escapes both
31  The church having rest, Peter heals Aeneas;
36  and restores Tabitha to life

Greek Commentary for Acts 9:32

Lydda [Ludda)]
In O.T. Lod (1 Chronicles 8:12) and near Joppa. Later Diospolis. [source]
Lydda []
The Lod of the Old Testament (Ezra 2:33); about a day's journey from Jerusalem. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 9:32

Acts 2:5 Were dwelling [ησαν κατοικουντες]
Periphrastic imperfect active indicative. Usually κατοικεω — katoikeō means residence in a place (Acts 4:16; Acts 7:24; Acts 9:22, Acts 9:32) as in Acts 2:14 (Luke 13:4). Perhaps some had come to Jerusalem to live while others were here only temporarily, for the same word occurs in Acts 2:9 of those who dwell in Mesopotamia, etc. [source]
Acts 8:4 Went about [διηλτον]
Constative second aorist active of διερχομαι — dierchomai to go through (from place to place, δια — dia). Old and common verb, frequent for missionary journeys in the Acts (Acts 5:40; Acts 8:40; Acts 9:32; Acts 11:19; Acts 13:6). Preaching the word (ευαγγελιζομενοι τον λογον — euaggelizomenoi ton logon). Evangelizing or gospelizing the word (the truth about Christ). In Acts 11:19 Luke explains more fully the extent of the labours of these new preachers of the gospel. They were emergency preachers, not ordained clergymen, but men stirred to activity by the zeal of Saul against them. The blood of the martyrs (Stephen) was already becoming the seed of the church. “The violent dispersion of these earnest disciples resulted in a rapid diffusion of the gospel” (Alvah Hovey). [source]
Acts 9:13 To thy saints [τοις αγιοις]
Dative of disadvantage. “Used here for the first time as a name for the Christians” (Knowling), but it came to be the common and normal (Hackett) term for followers of Christ (Acts 9:32, Acts 9:41; Acts 26:10; 1 Corinthians 1:2, etc.). This common word is from το αγος — to hagos religious awe or reverence and is applied to God‘s name (Luke 1:49), God‘s temple (Matthew 24:15), God‘s people as set apart for God (Luke 1:70; Luke 2:23; Romans 1:7, etc.). Ananias in his ignorance saw in Saul only the man with an evil reputation while Jesus saw in Saul the man transformed by grace to be a messenger of mercy. [source]
Acts 9:33 Aenias [Ainean)]
Old Greek name and so probably a Hellenistic Jew. He was apparently a disciple already (the saint, Acts 9:32). Luke the physician notes that he had been bed ridden for eight years. See note on Acts 5:15 for “bed” (krabattou) and Acts 8:7; Luke 5:18 for “paralyzed” (paralelumenos perfect passive participle of paraluō with ēn periphrastic past perfect passive). [source]
Romans 1:7 Called to be saints [κλητοῖς ἁγίοις]
Or, saints by way of call. See on called to be an apostle, Romans 1:1. It is asserted that they are what they are called. The term ἅγιοι saintsis applied to Christians in three senses in theNew Testament. 1, As members of a visible and local community (Acts 9:32, Acts 9:41; Acts 26:10); 2, as members of a spiritual community (1 Corinthians 1:2; Colossians 3:12); 3, as individually holy (Ephesians 1:18; Colossians 1:12; Revelation 13:10). [source]
1 John 2:9 His brother [τὸν ἀδελφόν]
His fellow-Christian. The singular, brother, is characteristic of this Epistle. See 1 John 2:10, 1 John 2:11; 1 John 3:10, 1 John 3:15, 1 John 3:17; 1 John 4:20, 1 John 4:21; 1 John 5:16. Christians are called in the New Testament, Christians (Acts 11:26; Acts 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16), mainly by those outside of the Christian circle. Disciples, applied to all followers of Christ (John 2:11; John 6:61) and strictly to the twelve (John 13:5sqq.). In Acts 19:1, to those who had received only John's baptism. Not found in John's Epistles nor in Revelation. Brethren. The first title given to the body of believers after the Ascension (Acts 1:15, where the true reading is ἀδελφῶν brethrenfor μαθητῶν disciples). See Acts 9:30; Acts 10:23; Acts 11:29; 1 Thessalonians 4:10; 1 Thessalonians 5:26; 1 John 3:14; 3 John 1:5, 3 John 1:10; John 21:23. Peter has ἡ ἀδελφότης thebrotherhood (1 Peter 2:17; 1 Peter 5:9). The believers. Under three forms: The believers ( οἱ πιστοί ; Acts 10:45; 1 Timothy 4:12); they that believe ( οἱ πιστεύοντες ; 1 Peter 2:7; 1 Thessalonians 1:7; Ephesians 1:19); they that believed ( οἱ πιστεύσαντες ; Acts 2:44; Acts 4:32; Hebrews 4:3). The saints ( οἱ ἅγιοι ); characteristic of Paul and Revelation. Four times in the Acts (Acts 9:13, Acts 9:32, Acts 9:41; Acts 26:10), and once in Jude (Judges 1:3). Also Hebrews 6:10; Hebrews 13:24. In Paul, 1 Corinthians 6:1; 1 Corinthians 14:33; Ephesians 1:1, Ephesians 1:15, etc. In Revelation 5:8; Revelation 8:3, Revelation 8:4; Revelation 11:18, etc.|Until now ( ἕως ἄρτι )|Though the light has been increasing, and though he may claim that he has been in the light from the first. The phrase occurs in John 2:10; John 5:17; John 16:24; and is used by Paul, 1 Corinthians 4:13; 1 Corinthians 8:7; 1 Corinthians 15:6.| [source]

What do the individual words in Acts 9:32 mean?

It came to pass that now Peter passing through all [quarters] went down also to the saints - inhabiting Lydda
Ἐγένετο δὲ Πέτρον διερχόμενον διὰ πάντων κατελθεῖν καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἁγίους τοὺς κατοικοῦντας Λύδδα

Ἐγένετο  It  came  to  pass  that 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Middle, 3rd Person Singular
Root: γίνομαι  
Sense: to become, i.
δὲ  now 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: δέ  
Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
Πέτρον  Peter 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: Πέτρος  
Sense: one of the twelve disciples of Jesus.
διερχόμενον  passing 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Middle or Passive, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: διέρχομαι  
Sense: to go through, pass through.
διὰ  through 
Parse: Preposition
Root: διά  
Sense: through.
πάντων  all  [quarters] 
Parse: Adjective, Genitive Neuter Plural
Root: πᾶς  
Sense: individually.
κατελθεῖν  went  down 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Active
Root: κατέρχομαι  
Sense: to come down, go down.
καὶ  also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: καί  
Sense: and, also, even, indeed, but.
ἁγίους  saints 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: ἅγιος  
Sense: most holy thing, a saint.
τοὺς  - 
Parse: Article, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
κατοικοῦντας  inhabiting 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: κατοικέω 
Sense: to dwell, settle.
Λύδδα  Lydda 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: Λύδδα  
Sense: a town is 9 miles (5 km) from Joppa, and is the first town on the northernmost of the two roads between that place and Jerusalem.