Acts 1:9

9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

Acts 1:9 in Other Translations

KJV

9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.

ESV

9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.

NLT

9 After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him.

MSG

9 These were his last words. As they watched, he was taken up and disappeared in a cloud.

CSB

9 After He had said this, He was taken up as they were watching, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.

Acts 1:9 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 1:9

And when he had spoken these things
That the times and seasons were not to be known by them, but to be kept a secret by the Father: that they should tarry at Jerusalem, and in a few days be baptized with the Holy Ghost, and receive such power, abilities, strength, and courage thereby, as to bear a noble testimony for Christ, not only there, but in all the world; and when he had given them a fresh commission, and told them where they should go, what they should preach, and what miracles they should perform, and blessed them.

While they be held;
all the Oriental versions, add, "him"; that is Christ, while they looked wistly at him, being attentive to what he said to them, so that they were not asleep; nor did Christ become invisible to them, or disappear before his ascension, but was visible to them in it; hence they were eyewitnesses of it:

he was taken up.
Luke in his Gospel says, "carried up": very likely by angels, since these not only attended him in his ascension, but are the chariots of the Lord, in which he went up to heaven; see ( Psalms 68:17 Psalms 68:18 ) nor is this at all inconsistent with his proper deity, or that divine power he had of elevating himself, which he could do without the assistance of others; but this makes for the glory of his majesty.

And a cloud received him out of their sight;
which was done partly for the same purpose, to add to the grandeur and magnificence of Christ's ascension; and partly to check the curiosity of the disciples, and prevent their gazing any more at him: and it may be that this, cloud was no other than a number of angels that appeared in this form; just as Elijah was taken up to heaven by angels, who appeared in the form of horses and chariots of fire; and the rather this may be the sense here, since it is certain, that there was a large number of angels which attended Christ at his ascension; and by whom he was then seen, ( Psalms 68:17 Psalms 68:18 ) ( John 1:51 ) ( 1 Timothy 3:16 ) whereas, if these are not intended by the cloud, no more than two are here taken notice of, and these not as going along with Christ, but staying behind to converse with his disciples; to which may be added, that Christ was "received" by this cloud which descended to meet him, and joining him, escorted him to heaven: at least it may be thought, if it was a real cloud, that there was a multitude of angels in it, which accompanied him to the heavenly regions; for it can hardly be thought that a multitude of the heavenly host should descend at his birth, and sing glory to God upon his coming into this world; and not as large a number attend him with shouts and acclamations, at his going out of it, when he had done his work he came about, and was ascending to his God and Father, to take his place at his right hand on his throne; see ( Psalms 47:5 ) . The Ethiopic version adds, "and he ascended to heaven".

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Acts 1:9 In-Context

7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.

11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”