Acts 15:20

American Standard Version (1901)

but that we write unto them, that they abstain from the pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from what is strangled, and from blood.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Ἀλλὰ ἐπιστεῖλαι αὐτοῖς, τοῦ ἀπέχεσθαι ἀπὸ τῶν ἀλισγημάτων τῶν εἰδώλων, καὶ τῆς πορνείας, καὶ τοῦ πνικτοῦ, καὶ τοῦ αἵματος.

Transliteration

But to episteilai to them, to apechesthai apo tōn alisgēmatōn tōn eidōlōn, and tēs porneias, and the pniktou, and the haimatos.

Grammar Details

• *alla*: conjunction - but/rather
• *episteilai*: aorist, infinitive, active - to write/send [a letter]
• *autois*: dative, masculine, plural - to them
• *tou apechesthai*: present, infinitive, middle, articular - the abstaining
• *apo*: preposition + genitive - from
• *tōn alisgēmatōn*: genitive, neuter, plural - the pollutions/defilements
• *tōn eidōlōn*: genitive, neuter, plural - of idols
• *tēs porneias*: genitive, feminine, singular - sexual immorality
• *tou pniktou*: genitive, neuter, singular - what is strangled
• *tou haimatos*: genitive, neuter, singular - the blood

Word Meanings

• *episteilai*: to write/send [a letter]/instruct
• *apechesthai*: to abstain/keep away/refrain
• *alisgēmatōn*: pollutions/defilements/contaminations
• *eidōlōn*: idols/images
• *porneias*: sexual immorality/fornication
• *pniktou*: what is strangled/strangled meat
• *haimatos*: blood

Referenced Verses

• Lev 3:17 : 17 It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwellings, that ye shall eat neither fat nor blood.
• Acts 15:29 : 29 that ye abstain from things sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication; from which if ye keep yourselves, it shall be well with you. Fare ye well.
• Rev 2:14 : 14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there some that hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit fornication.
• Rev 2:20 : 20 But I have [this] against thee, that thou sufferest the woman Jezebel, who calleth herself a prophetess; and she teacheth and seduceth my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed to idols.
• Gen 9:4 : 4 But flesh with the life thereof, [which is] the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.
• Deut 12:16 : 16 Only ye shall not eat the blood; thou shalt pour it out upon the earth as water.
• Deut 15:23 : 23 Only thou shalt not eat the blood thereof; thou shalt pour it out upon the ground as water.
• Ezek 4:14 : 14 Then said I, Ah Lord Jehovah! behold, my soul hath not been polluted; for from my youth up even till now have I not eaten of that which dieth of itself, or is torn of beasts; neither came there abominable flesh into my mouth.
• Lev 17:10-14 : 10 And whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among them, that eateth any manner of blood, I will set my face against that soul that eateth blood, and will cut him off from among his people. 11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh atonement by reason of the life. 12 Therefore I said unto the children of Israel, No soul of you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger that sojourneth among you eat blood. 13 And whatsoever man there be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among them, who taketh in hunting any beast or bird that may be eaten; he shall pour out the blood thereof, and cover it with dust. 14 For as to the life of all flesh, the blood thereof is [all one] with the life thereof: therefore I said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh; for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof: whosoever eateth it shall be cut off.
• Acts 21:25 : 25 But as touching the Gentiles that have believed, we wrote, giving judgment that they should keep themselves from things sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what is strangled, and from fornication.
• 1 Cor 6:9 : 9 Or know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with men,
• 1 Cor 6:18 : 18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
• Exod 34:15-16 : 15 lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they play the harlot after their gods, and sacrifice unto their gods, and one call thee and thou eat of his sacrifice; 16 and thou take of their daughters unto thy sons, and their daughters play the harlot after their gods, and make thy sons play the harlot after their gods.
• 1 Cor 7:2 : 2 But, because of fornications, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.
• 1 Cor 8:1 : 1 Now concerning things sacrificed to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but love edifieth.
• 1 Cor 8:4-9 : 4 Concerning therefore the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that no idol is [anything] in the world, and that there is no God but one. 5 For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or on earth; as there are gods many, and lords many; 6 yet to us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we unto him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we through him. 7 Howbeit there is not in all men that knowledge: but some, being used until now to the idol, eat as [of] a thing sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled. 8 But food will not commend us to God: neither, if we eat not, are we the worse; nor, if we eat, are we the better. 9 But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to the weak. 10 For if a man see thee who hast knowledge sitting at meat in an idol's temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be emboldened to eat things sacrificed to idols? 11 For through thy knowledge he that is weak perisheth, the brother for whose sake Christ died. 12 And thus, sinning against the brethren, and wounding their conscience when it is weak, ye sin against Christ. 13 Wherefore, if meat causeth my brother to stumble, I will eat no flesh for evermore, that I cause not my brother to stumble.
• 1 Cor 10:7-8 : 7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. 8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.
• 1 Cor 10:14-28 : 14 Wherefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say. 16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a communion of the body of Christ? 17 seeing that we, who are many, are one bread, one body: for we are all partake of the one bread. 18 Behold Israel after the flesh: have not they that eat the sacrifices communion with the altar? 19 What say I then? that a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20 But [I say], that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have communion with demons. 21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of demons: ye cannot partake of the table of the Lord, and of the table of demons. 22 Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he? 23 All things are lawful; but not all things are expedient. All things are lawful; but not all things edify. 24 Let no man seek his own, but [each] his neighbor's [good] . 25 Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, eat, asking no question for conscience' sake, 26 for the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof. 27 If one of them that believe not biddeth you [to a feast], and ye are disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience' sake. 28 But if any man say unto you, This hath been offered in sacrifice, eat not, for his sake that showed it, and for conscience sake:
• 2 Cor 12:21 : 21 lest again when I come my God should humble me before you, and I should mourn for many of them that have sinned heretofore, and repented not of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they committed.
• Gal 5:19 : 19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these] : fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
• Eph 5:3 : 3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as becometh saints;
• Col 3:5 : 5 Put to death therefore your members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry;
• 1 Thess 4:3 : 3 For this is the will of God, [even] your sanctification, that ye abstain from fornication;
• 1 Tim 4:4-5 : 4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, if it be received with thanksgiving: 5 for it is sanctified through the word of God and prayer.
• Heb 12:16 : 16 lest [there be] any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one mess of meat sold his own birthright.
• Heb 13:4 : 4 [ Let] marriage [be] had in honor among all, and [let] the bed [be] undefiled: for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.
• 1 Pet 4:3 : 3 For the time past may suffice to have wrought the desire of the Gentiles, and to have walked in lasciviousness, lusts, winebibbings, revellings, carousings, and abominable idolatries:
• 1 Cor 6:13 : 13 Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall bring to nought both it and them. But the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body:
• 1 Cor 5:11 : 11 but as it is, I wrote unto you not to keep company, if any man that is named a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such a one no, not to eat.
• Rev 9:20 : 20 And the rest of mankind, who were not killed with these plagues, repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and the idols of gold, and of silver, and of brass, and of stone, and of wood; which can neither see, nor hear, nor walk:
• Rev 10:2 : 2 and he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left upon the earth;
• Rev 10:8 : 8 And the voice which I heard from heaven, [I heard it] again speaking with me, and saying, Go, take the book which is open in the hand of the angel that standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.
• Num 25:2 : 2 for they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods; and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods.
• Lev 7:23-27 : 23 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Ye shall eat no fat, of ox, or sheep, or goat. 24 And the fat of that which dieth of itself, and the fat of that which is torn of beasts, may be used for any other service; but ye shall in no wise eat of it. 25 For whosoever eateth the fat of the beast, of which men offer an offering made by fire unto Jehovah, even the soul that eateth it shall be cut off from his people. 26 And ye shall eat no manner of blood, whether it be of bird or of beast, in any of your dwellings. 27 Whosoever it be that eateth any blood, that soul shall be cut off from his people.
• Gen 35:2 : 2 Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the foreign gods that are among you, and purify yourselves, and change your garments:
• Exod 20:3-5 : 3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 4 Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image, nor any likeness [of any thing] that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: 5 thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them; for I Jehovah thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, upon the third and upon the fourth generation of them that hate me,
• Exod 20:23 : 23 Ye shall not make [other gods] with me; gods of silver, or gods of gold, ye shall not make unto you.
• Ezek 20:30-31 : 30 Wherefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Do ye pollute yourselves after the manner of your fathers? and play ye the harlot after their abominations? 31 and when ye offer your gifts, when ye make your sons to pass through the fire, do ye pollute yourselves with all your idols unto this day? and shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, I will not be inquired of by you;
• Ezek 33:25 : 25 Wherefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Ye eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes unto your idols, and shed blood: and shall ye possess the land?
• Dan 1:8 : 8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the king's dainties, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.
• 1 Sam 14:32 : 32 and the people flew upon the spoil, and took sheep, and oxen, and calves, and slew them on the ground; and the people did eat them with the blood.
• Ps 106:37-39 : 37 Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto demons, 38 And shed innocent blood, Even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, Whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan; And the land was polluted with blood. 39 Thus were they defiled with their works, And played the harlot in their doings.
• Deut 12:23-25 : 23 Only be sure that thou eat not the blood: for the blood is the life; and thou shalt not eat the life with the flesh. 24 Thou shalt not eat it; thou shalt pour it out upon the earth as water. 25 Thou shalt not eat it; that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, when thou shalt do that which is right in the eyes of Jehovah.
• Deut 14:21 : 21 Ye shall not eat of anything that dieth of itself: thou mayest give it unto the sojourner that is within thy gates, that he may eat it; or thou mayest sell it unto a foreigner: for thou art a holy people unto Jehovah thy God. Thou shalt not boil a kid in its mother's milk.