The Meaning of Acts 3:5 Explained

Acts 3:5

KJV: And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.

YLT: and he was giving heed to them, looking to receive something from them;

Darby: And he gave heed to them, expecting to receive something from them.

ASV: And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something from them.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  he gave heed  unto them,  expecting  to receive  something  of  them. 

What does Acts 3:5 Mean?

Context Summary

Acts 3:1-10 - Uplifting Power
Peter and John differed greatly, in age, in gift, and in point of view. They had been rivals; now they walked together. It was at three in the afternoon that this incident took place. As they climbed the Temple steps, they must have spoken of the many times that the Master had walked at their side. But they realized, too, that He was still as near as ever; and so they became the means of linking this withered man to His glorious health-giving power. It was because Jesus went with them that the healed man was able to become the fourth of the group.
The gate was beautiful, but it could not heal. More is needed than beauty or art. We may have neither the silver of profound intellect, nor the golden speech of Chrysostom, but we must see that we have something to give to a paralyzed and perishing world. Let us so move among men as to lead them to expect that we have something to give, and then give them Jesus. The lame man needed strength, and this is the divine gift of the gospel. "It is the power of God unto salvation." The Savior makes us able to walk and leap in God's ways. [source]

Chapter Summary: Acts 3

1  Peter preaching to the people that came to see a lame man restored to his feet,
12  professes the cure to have been wrought by God, and his son Jesus;
13  withal reprehending them for crucifying Jesus;
17  which because they did it through ignorance,
18  and that thereby were fulfilled God's determinate counsel, and the Scriptures,
19  he exhorts them by repentance and faith to seek remission of their sins through Jesus

Greek Commentary for Acts 3:5

Gave heed unto them [επειχεν αυτοις]
Imperfect active of επεχω — epechō to hold to. For the idiom with τον νουν — ton noun understood, see note Luke 14:7; 1 Timothy 4:16. He held his eyes right on Peter and John with great eagerness “expecting to receive something” He took Peter‘s invitation as a promise of a large gift. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 3:5

Philippians 2:16 Holding forth [ἐπέχοντες]
The verb means literally to hold upon or apply. Hence to fix attention upon, as Luke 14:7; Acts 3:5; 1 Timothy 4:16. In Acts 19:22, stayed: where the idea at bottom is the same - kept to. So in Sept., Job 27:8, of setting the heart on gain. Job 30:26, “fixed my mind on good.” In Genesis 8:10, of Noah waiting. In classical Greek, to hold out, present, as to offer wine to a guest or the breast to an infant. Also to stop, keep down, confine, cease. Here in the sense of presenting or offering, as A.V. and Rev. holding forth. [source]
Philippians 2:16 Holding forth [επεχοντες]
Present active participle of επεχω — epechō Probably not connected with the preceding metaphor in πωστηρες — phōstēres The old meaning of the verb επεχω — epechō is to hold forth or to hold out (the word of life as here). The context seems to call for “holding fast.” It occurs also with the sense of attending to (Acts 3:5). That I may have (εμοι — emoi). Ethical dative, “to me as a ground of boasting.” [source]
1 Timothy 4:16 Take heed [ἔπεχε]
Only here in Pastorals, and once in Paul, Philemon 2:16. Quite frequent in lxx. Lit. hold upon, fasten thy attention on, as Luke 14:7; Acts 3:5; Acts 19:22. In lxx, in the sense of apply, as Job 18:2; Job 30:26; or forbear, refrain, as 1 Kings 22:6, 1 Kings 22:15. In Philemon 2:16, to hold out or present, a sense which is found only in Class. [source]
1 Timothy 4:16 Take heed to thyself [επεχε σεαυτωι]
Present active imperative of old verb επεχω — epechō to hold upon (Philemon 2:1, Philemon 2:16), but here τον νουν — ton noun (the mind) must be supplied as in Acts 3:5 and as is common with προσεχω — prosechō With dative case σεαυτωι — seautōi “Keep on paying attention to thyself.” Some young preachers are careless about their health and habits. Some are too finical. [source]
2 Peter 3:12 Looking for [προσδοκῶντας]
The same verb as in Luke 1:21, of waiting for Zacharias. Cornelius waited (Acts 10:24); the cripple expecting to receive something (Acts 3:5). [source]

What do the individual words in Acts 3:5 mean?

- And he began to give heed to them expecting something from them to receive
δὲ ἐπεῖχεν αὐτοῖς προσδοκῶν τι παρ’ αὐτῶν λαβεῖν

  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἐπεῖχεν  he  began  to  give  heed 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἐπέχω  
Sense: to have or hold upon, apply, to observe, attend to.
αὐτοῖς  to  them 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
προσδοκῶν  expecting 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: προσδοκάω  
Sense: to expect (whether in thought, in hope, or in fear).
τι  something 
Parse: Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: τὶς  
Sense: a certain, a certain one.
λαβεῖν  to  receive 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Active
Root: λαμβάνω  
Sense: to take.

What are the major concepts related to Acts 3:5?

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