The Meaning of Acts 4:9 Explained

Acts 4:9

KJV: If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole;

YLT: if we to-day are examined concerning the good deed to the ailing man, by whom he hath been saved,

Darby: if we this day are called upon to answer as to the good deed done to the infirm man, how he has been healed,

ASV: if we this day are examined concerning a good deed done to an impotent man, by what means this man is made whole;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

If  we  this day  be examined  of  the good deed done  to the impotent  man,  by  what means  he  is made whole; 

What does Acts 4:9 Mean?

Context Summary

Acts 4:1-12 - The Name Above Every Name
The Sadducees are particularly mentioned, because they were the agnostics of the age, and had no belief in the unseen and eternal. The fact of our Lord's resurrection was, therefore, especially obnoxious to them. The captain of the Temple, who was head of the Levitical guard, was probably their nominee. How weak man shows himself when he sets himself against God! All that they could do was to shut the Apostles up; but they could not bind nor imprison the Living Spirit or the speech of one saved soul to another, and so the numbers of disciples kept mounting up.
Peter must have contrasted this with his former appearance in that hall. Then he trusted his own power; now he was specially filled with the Holy Spirit for a great and noble confession. The name of Jesus stands for His glorious being. It was because the man had come into vital union with the ever-living Christ, that disease was stayed and health restored. The name of Jesus rings through these chapters like a sweet refrain. Evidently He was living and at hand, or the streams of power and grace could not have poured forth to make desert lives begin to blossom as the garden of the Lord. [source]

Chapter Summary: Acts 4

1  The rulers of the Jews, offended with Peter's sermon,
3  imprison him and John
5  After, upon examination
8  Peter boldly avouching the lame man to be healed by the name of Jesus,
11  and that only by the same Jesus we must be eternally saved,
13  they threaten him and John to preach no more in that name,
23  whereupon the church flees to prayer
31  And God, by moving the place where they were assembled, testifies that he heard their prayer;
34  confirming the church with the gift of the Holy Spirit, and with mutual love and charity

Greek Commentary for Acts 4:9

Concerning a good deed done to an impotent man [επι ευεργεσιαι αντρωπου αστενους]
Objective genitive. Note ευεργεσια — euergesia (old word, in the N.T. only here and 1 Timothy 6:2), as a benefactor, not a malefactor. Skilful turn made by Peter. [source]
Is made whole [σεσωσται]
Perfect passive indicative of σωζω — sōzō stands whole. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 4:9

Acts 12:19 Examined [ἀνακρίνας]
See on Luke 23:14; and compare Acts 4:9. [source]
Acts 12:19 He examined [ανακρινας]
First aorist active participle of ανακρινω — anakrinō old verb to sift up and down, to question thoroughly, in a forensic sense (Luke 23:14; Acts 4:9; Acts 12:19; Acts 28:18). [source]
Acts 17:11 With all readiness of mind [μετα πασης προτυμιας]
Old word from προτυμος — prothumos Paul expounded the Scriptures daily as in Thessalonica, but the Beroeans, instead of resenting his new interpretation, examined (ει εχοι ταυτα ουτως — anakrinō means to sift up and down, make careful and exact research as in legal processes as in Acts 4:9; Acts 12:19, etc.) the Scriptures for themselves. In Scotland people have the Bible open on the preacher as he expounds the passage, a fine habit worth imitating. Whether these things were so Literally, “if these things had it thus.” The present optative in the indirect question represents an original present indicative as in Luke 1:29 (Robertson, Grammar, pp. 1043f.). This use of ei with the optative may be looked at as the condition of the fourth class (undetermined with less likelihood of determination) as in Acts 17:27; Acts 20:16; Acts 24:19; Acts 27:12 (Robertson, Grammar, p. 1021). The Beroeans were eagerly interested in the new message of Paul and Silas but they wanted to see it for themselves. What a noble attitude. Paul‘s preaching made Bible students of them. The duty of private interpretation is thus made plain (Hovey). [source]
Acts 17:11 Examining the Scriptures daily [ανακρινω]
Paul expounded the Scriptures daily as in Thessalonica, but the Beroeans, instead of resenting his new interpretation, examined (ει εχοι ταυτα ουτως — anakrinō means to sift up and down, make careful and exact research as in legal processes as in Acts 4:9; Acts 12:19, etc.) the Scriptures for themselves. In Scotland people have the Bible open on the preacher as he expounds the passage, a fine habit worth imitating. [source]
1 Corinthians 2:14 Discerned [ἀνακρίνεται]
Rev., judged. Used only by Luke and Paul, and by the latter in this epistle only. By Luke, mostly of judicial examination: Luke 23:14; Acts 4:9; Acts 12:19; Acts 24:8; Acts 28:18. Of examining the Scriptures, Acts 17:11, but with the sense of proving or coming to a judgment on. The fundamental idea of the word is examination, scrutiny, following up ( ἀνά ) a series of objects or particulars in order to distinguish ( κρίνω ). This is its almost universal meaning in classical Greek. At Athens it was used technically in two senses: to examine magistrates with a view to proving their qualifications; and to examine persons concerned in a suit, so as to prepare the matter for trial, as a grand jury. The meaning judged is, at best, inferential, and the Rev. inserts examined in the margin. Bishop Lightfoot says: “ Ανακρίνειν is neither to judge nor to discern; but to examine, investigate, inquire into, question, as it is rightly translated, 1 Corinthians 9:3; 1 Corinthians 10:25, 1 Corinthians 10:27. The apostle condemns all these impatient human praejudicia which anticipate the final judgment, reserving his case for the great tribunal, where at length all the evidence will be forthcoming and a satisfactory verdict can be given. Meanwhile the process of gathering evidence has begun; an ἀνάκρισις investigationis indeed being held, not, however, by these self-appointed magistrates, but by one who alone has the authority to institute the inquiry, and the ability to sift the facts” (“On a Fresh Revision of the New Testament”). See, further, on 1 Corinthians 4:3, 1 Corinthians 4:4. [source]
1 Timothy 6:2 Partakers of the benefit [οἱ τῆς εὐεργεσίας ἀντιλαμβανόμενοι]
The verb means to take hold of; hence, to take hold for the purpose of helping; to take up for, as Luke 1:54; Acts 20:35. oP. Ἑυεργεσία , benefit only here and Acts 4:9. Better, kindly service. Rend. they that busy themselves in the kindly service. The reference is to the kindly acts which the masters do to their slaves; not to the benefits received by the slaves. Comp. Galatians 5:13. [source]
1 Timothy 6:2 But rather [αλλα μαλλον]
Render the Christian Master better service. They that partake of the benefit (οι της ενεργεσιας αντιλαμβανομενοι — hoi tēs energesias antilambanomenoi). For ευεργεσιας — euergesias (genitive case after participle) see note on Acts 4:9, only other N.T. example of this old word. Present middle participle of αντιλαμβανω — antilambanō old verb, to take in turn, to lay fast hold of, in N.T. only here, Luke 1:54; Acts 20:35. [source]
1 Timothy 6:2 They that partake of the benefit [οι της ενεργεσιας αντιλαμβανομενοι]
For ευεργεσιας — euergesias (genitive case after participle) see note on Acts 4:9, only other N.T. example of this old word. Present middle participle of αντιλαμβανω — antilambanō old verb, to take in turn, to lay fast hold of, in N.T. only here, Luke 1:54; Acts 20:35. [source]

What do the individual words in Acts 4:9 mean?

if we this day are being examined as to a good work [to the] man ailing by what [means] he has been healed
εἰ ἡμεῖς σήμερον ἀνακρινόμεθα ἐπὶ εὐεργεσίᾳ ἀνθρώπου ἀσθενοῦς ἐν τίνι οὗτος σέσωσται

σήμερον  this  day 
Parse: Adverb
Root: σήμερον  
Sense: this (very) day).
ἀνακρινόμεθα  are  being  examined 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Middle or Passive, 1st Person Plural
Root: ἀνακρίνω  
Sense: examine or judge.
ἐπὶ  as  to 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἐπί  
Sense: upon, on, at, by, before.
εὐεργεσίᾳ  a  good  work 
Parse: Noun, Dative Feminine Singular
Root: εὐεργεσία  
Sense: a good deed, benefit.
ἀνθρώπου  [to  the]  man 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: ἄνθρωπος  
Sense: a human being, whether male or female.
ἀσθενοῦς  ailing 
Parse: Adjective, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: ἀσθενής  
Sense: weak, infirm, feeble.
τίνι  what  [means] 
Parse: Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun, Dative Neuter Singular
Root: τίς  
Sense: who, which, what.
σέσωσται  has  been  healed 
Parse: Verb, Perfect Indicative Middle or Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἐκσῴζω 
Sense: to save, keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger or destruction.

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