The Meaning of Acts 9:35 Explained

Acts 9:35

KJV: And all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him, and turned to the Lord.

YLT: and all those dwelling at Lydda, and Saron saw him, and did turn to the Lord.

Darby: And all who inhabited Lydda and the Saron saw him, who turned to the Lord.

ASV: And all that dwelt at Lydda and in Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  all  that dwelt  at Lydda  and  Saron  saw  him,  and  turned  to  the Lord. 

What does Acts 9:35 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Sharon was the name of the section of maritime plain that stretched from Joppa to Mt. Carmel. Lydda was near its southeastern edge, and Caesarea was at its center on the Mediterranean coast. As with the healing of the lame temple beggar, and Jesus" healings of the paralytics at Capernaum and Jerusalem, the healing of Aeneas resulted in many people hearing the gospel and believing in Jesus.
One of the reasons Luke included this healing in his book seems to have been because the results of this healing affected the people living in this area of Palestine. One of these people was the Gentile Cornelius, who will figure significantly in the next chapter.

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 9:35

Sharon [Sarōna)]
The Plain of Sharon, not a town. Thirty miles long from Joppa to Caesarea. [source]
Saron []
Rev., properly, Sharon. Always with the definite article: the plain; extending thirty miles along the sea from Joppa to Caesarea. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 9:35

Acts 7:53 Ye who [οιτινες]
The very ones who, quippe qui, often in Acts when the persons are enlarged upon (Acts 8:15; Acts 9:35; Acts 10:41, Acts 10:47). [source]
James 5:19 From the truth [απο της αλητειας]
For truth see James 1:18; James 3:14; John 8:32; 1 John 1:6; 1 John 3:18. It was easy then, and is now, to be led astray from Christ, who is the Truth.And one convert him (και επιστρεπσηι τις αυτον — kai epistrepsēi tis auton). Continuation of the third-class condition with the first aorist active subjunctive of επιστρεπω — epistrephō old verb, to turn (transitive here as in Luke 1:16., but intransitive often as Acts 9:35). [source]
James 5:19 And one convert him [και επιστρεπσηι τις αυτον]
Continuation of the third-class condition with the first aorist active subjunctive of επιστρεπω — epistrephō old verb, to turn (transitive here as in Luke 1:16., but intransitive often as Acts 9:35). [source]

What do the individual words in Acts 9:35 mean?

And saw him all those inhabiting Lydda - Sharon who turned to the Lord
καὶ εἶδαν αὐτὸν πάντες οἱ κατοικοῦντες Λύδδα τὸν Σαρῶνα οἵτινες ἐπέστρεψαν ἐπὶ τὸν Κύριον

εἶδαν  saw 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: εἶδον 
Sense: to see with the eyes.
οἱ  those 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
κατοικοῦντες  inhabiting 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative 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.
τὸν  - 
Parse: Article, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Σαρῶνα  Sharon 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: Ἀσσάρων 
Sense: a level region extending from Caesarea of Palestine as far as Joppa, abounding in good pasture and famous for its fertility.
ἐπέστρεψαν  turned 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: ἐπιστρέφω  
Sense: transitively.
Κύριον  Lord 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: κύριος  
Sense: he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord.