Acts 3:8

8 And 1leaping up he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.

Acts 3:8 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 3:8

And he leaping up
From off the bed or couch, or ground on which he lay:

stood and walked;
stood firm and strong upon his feet, and walked about; by which it was abundantly manifest to himself and others, that he had a perfect cure. The Ethiopic version is a very ridiculous one, "and he went with them catching fishes"; as if upon this, before they went into the temple, he and the apostles went a fishing together, which has not the least foundation in the text:

and entered with them into the temple;
to join with them in divine worship, to acknowledge the goodness of God to him, and to show respect to the instruments he made use of in his cure:

and leaping;
for joy of the mercy, and that it might appear to all that he was thoroughly cured of his lameness: and thus the prophecy in ( Isaiah 35:6 ) "then shall the lame man leap as an hart", was literally fulfilled:

and praising God;
and not the apostles; for he knew that this was owing to the power of God, and could never have been done by man; though he might not be ungrateful to the instruments.

Acts 3:8 In-Context

6 But Peter said, "I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!"
7 And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong.
8 And leaping up he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.
9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God,
10 and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

Cross References 1

  • 1. Acts 14:10; Isaiah 35:6
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.