Acts 4:24
New International Version
When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them.

New Living Translation
When they heard the report, all the believers lifted their voices together in prayer to God: “O Sovereign Lord, Creator of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—

English Standard Version
And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them,

Berean Standard Bible
When the believers heard this, they lifted up their voices to God with one accord. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “You made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them.

Berean Literal Bible
And having heard, they lifted up their voice with one accord to God and said, "Sovereign Lord, You made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them,

King James Bible
And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:

New King James Version
So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them,

New American Standard Bible
And when they heard this, they raised their voices to God with one mind and said, “Lord, it is You who MADE THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH AND THE SEA, AND EVERYTHING THAT IS IN THEM,

NASB 1995
And when they heard this, they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said, “O Lord, it is You who MADE THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH AND THE SEA, AND ALL THAT IS IN THEM,

NASB 1977
And when they heard this, they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said, “O Lord, it is Thou who DIDST MAKE THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH AND THE SEA, AND ALL THAT IS IN THEM,

Legacy Standard Bible
And when they heard this, they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said, “O Master, it is You who MADE THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH AND THE SEA, AND ALL THAT IS IN THEM,

Amplified Bible
And when they heard it, they raised their voices together to God and said, “O Sovereign Lord [having complete power and authority], it is You who MADE THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH AND THE SEA, AND EVERYTHING THAT IS IN THEM,

Christian Standard Bible
When they heard this, they raised their voices together to God and said, “Master, you are the one who made the heaven, the earth, and the sea, and everything in them.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
When they heard this, they all raised their voices to God and said, “Master, You are the One who made the heaven, the earth, and the sea, and everything in them.

American Standard Version
And they, when they heard it, lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, O Lord, thou that didst make the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that in them is:

Contemporary English Version
When the rest of the Lord's followers heard this, they prayed together and said: Master, you created heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them.

English Revised Version
And they, when they heard it, lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, O Lord, thou that didst make the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that in them is:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
When the apostles heard this, they were united and loudly prayed to God, "Master, you made the sky, the land, the sea, and everything in them.

Good News Translation
When the believers heard it, they all joined together in prayer to God: "Master and Creator of heaven, earth, and sea, and all that is in them!

International Standard Version
When they heard this, they all raised their voices to God and said, "Master, you made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them.

Majority Standard Bible
When the believers heard this, they lifted up their voices to God with one accord. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “You are God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them.

NET Bible
When they heard this, they raised their voices to God with one mind and said, "Master of all, you who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and everything that is in them,

New Heart English Bible
When they heard it, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, "Lord, you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them.

Webster's Bible Translation
And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, who hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that is in them;

Weymouth New Testament
And they, upon hearing the story, all lifted up their voices to God and said, "O Sovereign Lord, it is Thou who didst make Heaven and earth and sea, and all that is in them,

World English Bible
When they heard it, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord and said, “O Lord, you are God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all that is in them;
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and they having heard, lifted up the voice to God with one accord and said, “LORD, You [are] God, who made the heaven, and the earth, and the sea, and all that [are] in them,

Berean Literal Bible
And having heard, they lifted up their voice with one accord to God and said, "Sovereign Lord, You made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them,

Young's Literal Translation
and they having heard, with one accord did lift up the voice unto God, and said, 'Lord, thou art God, who didst make the heaven, and the earth, and the sea, and all that are in them,

Smith's Literal Translation
And they, having heard, lifted up the voice unanimously to God, and said, Sovereign, thou God having made heaven, and earth, and sea, and all things which in them:
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Who having heard it, with one accord lifted up their voice to God, and said: Lord, thou art he that didst make heaven and earth, the sea, and all things that are in them.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And when they had heard it, with one accord, they lifted up their voice to God, and they said: “Lord, you are the One who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them,

New American Bible
And when they heard it, they raised their voices to God with one accord and said, “Sovereign Lord, maker of heaven and earth and the sea and all that is in them,

New Revised Standard Version
When they heard it, they raised their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth, the sea, and everything in them,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And when they heard this, they all together lifted up their voice to God and said, O LORD, you are the God who has made heaven and earth and the seas and all that in them is:

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And when they had heard, they raised their voice as one to God, and they said, “LORD JEHOVAH, you are God, who made the Heavens and The Earth and the seas and all that is in them.”
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
And when they heard it, they lifted up their voice with one consent to God, and said: Lord, thou art God, who didst make the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all things that are in them; who, by the mouth of David thy servant, didst say,

Godbey New Testament
And having heard, they unanimously lifted up their voice to God, and said, O Lord, thou having created the heaven and the earth and the sea and all things which are in them,

Haweis New Testament
Now when they heard it, they lifted up their united voice to God, and said, Lord, thou art the God which made the heaven, and the earth, and the sea, and all things which are in them:

Mace New Testament
at the relation of which they unanimously lift up their voice to God, and said, Lord, thou art the God who hast made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all that is therein:

Weymouth New Testament
And they, upon hearing the story, all lifted up their voices to God and said, "O Sovereign Lord, it is Thou who didst make Heaven and earth and sea, and all that is in them,

Worrell New Testament
And they, having heard it, lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, "Lord, Thou Who didst make the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all things in them;

Worsley New Testament
And when they heard it, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, Thou art God, who hast made heaven and earth, and sea, and all things therein:

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Believers' Prayer
23On their release, Peter and John returned to their own people and reported everything that the chief priests and elders had said to them. 24When the believers heard this, they lifted up their voices to God with one accord. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “You made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them. 25You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of Your servant, our father David: ‘Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?…

Cross References
Psalm 146:6
the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. He remains faithful forever.

Nehemiah 9:6
You alone are the LORD. You created the heavens, the highest heavens with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to all things, and the host of heaven worships You.

Exodus 20:11
For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth and the sea and all that is in them, but on the seventh day He rested. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.

Isaiah 37:16
“O LORD of Hosts, God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the heavens and the earth.

Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Psalm 124:8
Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Psalm 121:2
My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Psalm 115:15
May you be blessed by the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Psalm 104:24
How many are Your works, O LORD! In wisdom You have made them all; the earth is full of Your creatures.

Psalm 33:6
By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and all the stars by the breath of His mouth.

Revelation 10:6
And he swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and everything in it, the earth and everything in it, and the sea and everything in it: “There will be no more delay!

Revelation 4:11
“Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things; by Your will they exist and were created.”

Hebrews 1:10
And: “In the beginning, O Lord, You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands.

Colossians 1:16
For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him.

John 1:1-3
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. / He was with God in the beginning. / Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made.


Treasury of Scripture

And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, you are God, which have made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:

they.

Acts 16:25
And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

Psalm 55:16-18
As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me…

Psalm 62:5-8
My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him…

Lord.

2 Kings 19:15,19
And Hezekiah prayed before the LORD, and said, O LORD God of Israel, which dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; thou hast made heaven and earth…

Nehemiah 9:6
Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.

Psalm 146:5
Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God:

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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.














When they heard this
This phrase indicates a collective response from the early Christian community. The Greek word for "heard" is "ἀκούσαντες" (akousantes), which implies not just the act of hearing but also understanding and internalizing the message. This reflects the unity and shared purpose among the believers, emphasizing the importance of communal discernment and action in the early Church.

they raised their voices together in prayer to God
The act of raising their voices "together" signifies the unity and harmony within the early Christian community. The Greek word "ὁμοθυμαδόν" (homothumadon) is used here, which means with one mind or purpose. This unity in prayer underscores the power of collective intercession and the strength found in communal faith. It reflects the early Church's reliance on prayer as a foundational practice for guidance and empowerment.

Sovereign Lord
The term "Sovereign Lord" is translated from the Greek word "Δέσποτα" (Despota), which denotes a master or ruler with absolute authority. This acknowledgment of God's sovereignty is crucial, as it sets the tone for the prayer that follows. It reflects a deep recognition of God's ultimate control over all circumstances, a comforting and empowering truth for believers facing persecution.

who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them
This phrase is a declaration of God's creative power and authority over all creation. It echoes the language of Genesis and the Psalms, affirming God's role as the Creator. By acknowledging God as the maker of "heaven and earth and the sea," the early Christians are reminded of His omnipotence and the vastness of His dominion. This serves to bolster their faith, knowing that the God who created all things is also the one who sustains and protects them.

(24) They lifted up their voice to God with one accord.--The phrase seems to imply an intonation, or chant, different from that of common speech (Acts 14:11; Acts 22:22). The joint utterance described may be conceived as the result either (1) of a direct inspiration, suggesting the same words to all who were present; (2) of the people following St. Peter, clause by clause; (3) of the hymn being already familiar to the disciples. On the whole, (2) seems the most probable, the special fitness of the hymn for the occasion being against (3), and (1) involving a miracle of so startling a nature that we can hardly take it for granted without a more definite statement. The recurrence of St. Luke's favourite phrase (see Note on Acts 1:14) should not be passed over.

Lord.--The Greek word is not the common one for Lord (Kyrios), but Despotes, the absolute Master of the Universe. It is a coincidence worth noting that, though but seldom used of God in the New Testament, it occurs again, as used by the two Apostles who take part in it, as in 2Peter 2:1, and Revelation 6:10. (See Note on Luke 2:29.) In the Greek version of the Old Testament it is found applied to the Angel of Jehovah in Joshua 5:14, and to Jehovah Himself in Proverbs 29:25. The hymn has the special interest of being the earliest recorded utterance of the praises of the Christian Church. As such, it is significant that it begins, as so many of the Psalms begin, with setting forth the glory of God as the Creator, and rises from that to the higher redemptive work. More strict, "the heaven, the earth, and the sea," each region of creation being contemplated in its distinctness. . . .

Verse 24. - They, when they heard it, lifted for when they heard that they lifted, A.V.; O Lord, thou that didst make, or as in margin, thou art he that did make, for Lord, thou art God, which hast made, T.R. and A.V.; the heaven and the earth for heaven and earth, A.V. With one accord (ὁμοθυμαδόν) occurs eleven times in the Acts (ten times in the R.T.) and only once elsewhere in the New Testament, viz. in Romans 15:6. O Lord, etc. Either the margin or the A.V. is preferable to the R.V., which gives an unmeaning vocative pendent. The word here used for "Lord" is δεσπότης, from which our English word "despot" comes. It means "master, owner," in respect of slaves, and "a lord" or "king," whose power over his subjects is similar to that of a master over slaves. Here, with reference to creation and God's unlimited power overall that he has made, the Church in danger finds support and solace in the thought of God's absolute sovereignty. The term is applied to God in the New Testament elsewhere only in Luke 2:29 (where observe its relation to δοῦλον); 2 Peter 2:1; Jude 1:4, R.T. (of our Savior); and Revelation 6:10, where σύνδουλοι αὐτῶν immediately follows, as here in ver. 29 does "thy servants." In the LXX. it sometimes answers to Elohim, and sometimes to Adonai. As regards the question how the whole assembly joined in this prayer, whether by a common inspiration, or by repeating the words after him that prayed them aloud (Alford), or by merely singing the second psalm (Baumgarten), or by all using what was already a formulary prepared for the needs of the Church (Meyer), it is difficult to speak positively, nor is it of any moment. Another possible explanation is that several members of the congregation, under the influence of the Holy Ghost, uttered brief prayers and praises, the consenting matter of which Luke thus puts together.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
[When]
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

[the believers] heard this,
ἀκούσαντες (akousantes)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 191: To hear, listen, comprehend by hearing; pass: is heard, reported. A primary verb; to hear.

they lifted up
ἦραν (ēran)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 142: To raise, lift up, take away, remove.

[their] voices
φωνὴν (phōnēn)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 5456: Probably akin to phaino through the idea of disclosure; a tone; by implication, an address, saying or language.

to
πρὸς (pros)
Preposition
Strong's 4314: To, towards, with. A strengthened form of pro; a preposition of direction; forward to, i.e. Toward.

God
Θεὸν (Theon)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.

with one accord.
ὁμοθυμαδὸν (homothymadon)
Adverb
Strong's 3661: Adverb from a compound of the base of homou and thumos; unanimously.

“Sovereign Lord,”
Δέσποτα (Despota)
Noun - Vocative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1203: A lord, master, or prince. Perhaps from deo and posis; an absolute ruler.

they said,
εἶπαν (eipan)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 2036: Answer, bid, bring word, command. A primary verb; to speak or say.

“You
σὺ (sy)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

made
ποιήσας (poiēsas)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 4160: (a) I make, manufacture, construct, (b) I do, act, cause. Apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary; to make or do.

the
τὸν (ton)
Article - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

heaven
οὐρανὸν (ouranon)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3772: Perhaps from the same as oros; the sky; by extension, heaven; by implication, happiness, power, eternity; specially, the Gospel.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

the
τὴν (tēn)
Article - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

earth
γῆν (gēn)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 1093: Contracted from a primary word; soil; by extension a region, or the solid part or the whole of the terrene globe.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

the
τὴν (tēn)
Article - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

sea
θάλασσαν (thalassan)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 2281: Probably prolonged from hals; the sea.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

everything
πάντα (panta)
Adjective - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3956: All, the whole, every kind of. Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole.

in
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

them.
αὐτοῖς (autois)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Neuter 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.


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NT Apostles: Acts 4:24 When they heard it they lifted up (Acts of the Apostles Ac)
Acts 4:23
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