Acts 15:20

Geneva Bible (1560)

But that we send vnto them, that they absteine themselues from filthinesse of idoles, and fornication, and that that 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 This shalbe a perpetual ordinance for your generations, throughout al your dwellings, so that ye shall eate neither fatte nor blood.
• Acts 15:29 : 29 That is, that ye absteine from things offered to idoles, and blood, and that that is strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keepe your selues, ye shall doe well. Fare ye well.
• Rev 2:14 : 14 But I haue a fewe things against thee, because thou hast there them that maintaine the doctrine of Balaam, which taught Balac to put a stumbling blocke before ye children of Israel, that they should eate of things sacrificed vnto Idoles, and commit fornication.
• Rev 2:20 : 20 Notwithstanding, I haue a few things against thee, that thou sufferest the woman Iezabel, which calleth her selfe a prophetesse, to teache and to deceiue my seruants to make them commit fornication, and to eate meates sacrificed vnto idoles.
• Gen 9:4 : 4 But flesh with the life thereof, I meane, with the blood thereof, shall ye not eate.
• Deut 12:16 : 16 Onely ye shal not eat the blood, but powre it vpon the earth as water.
• Deut 15:23 : 23 Onely thou shalt not eate the blood thereof, but powre it vpon the ground as water.
• Ezek 4:14 : 14 Then said I, Ah, Lord God, beholde, my soule hath not bene polluted: for from my youth vp, euen vnto this houre, I haue not eaten of a thing dead, or torne in pieces, neither came there any vncleane flesh in my mouth.
• Lev 17:10-14 : 10 Likewise whosoeuer he be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that soiourne among them, that eateth any blood, I will euen set my face against that person that eateth blood, & will cut him off from among his people. 11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I haue giuen it vnto you to offer vpon the altar, to make an atonemet for your soules: for this blood shall make an atonement for the soule. 12 Therefore I saide vnto ye children of Israel, None of you shall eate blood: neither the stranger that soiourneth among you, shall eate blood. 13 Moreouer whosoeuer he be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that soiourne among the, which by hunting taketh any beast or foule that may be eaten, he shal powre out the blood thereof, and couer it with dust: 14 For ye life of all flesh is his blood, it is ioyned with his life: therefore I sayd vnto the children of Israel, Ye shall eate the blood of no flesh: for the life of al flesh is the blood thereof: whosoeuer eateth it, shalbe cut off.
• Acts 21:25 : 25 For as touching ye Gentiles, which beleeue, we haue written, & determined that they obserue no such thing, but that they keepe themselues from things offred to idoles, and from blood, and from that that is strangled, and from fornication.
• 1 Cor 6:9 : 9 Knowe yee not that the vnrighteous shall not inherite the kingdome of God? Be not deceiued: neither fornicatours, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor wantons, nor buggerers,
• 1 Cor 6:18 : 18 Flee fornication: euery sinne that a man doeth, is without the bodie: but hee that committeth fornication, sinneth against his owne bodie.
• Exod 34:15-16 : 15 Lest thou make a compact with the inhabitantes of the lande, and when they goe a whoring after their gods, and doe sacrifice vnto their gods, some man call thee, & thou eate of his sacrifice: 16 And least thou take of their daughters vnto thy sonnes, and their daughters goe a whoring after their gods, and make thy sonnes goe a whoring after their gods.
• 1 Cor 7:2 : 2 Neuertheles, to auoide fornication, let euery man haue his wife, and let euery woman haue her owne husband.
• 1 Cor 8:1 : 1 And as touching things sacrificed vnto idols, wee knowe that wee all haue knowledge: knowledge puffeth vp, but loue edifieth.
• 1 Cor 8:4-9 : 4 Concerning therefore the eating of things sacrificed vnto idoles, we knowe that an idole is nothing in the worlde, and that there is none other God but one. 5 For though there bee that are called gods, whether in heauen, or in earth (as there be many gods, and many lords) 6 Yet vnto vs there is but one God, which is that Father, of whome are all things, and we in him: and one Lorde Iesus Christ, by whome are all things, and we by him. 7 But euery man hath not that knowledge: for many hauing conscience of the idole, vntill this houre, eate as a thing sacrificed vnto the idole, and so their conscience being weake, is defiled. 8 But meate maketh not vs acceptable to God, for neither if we eate, haue we the more: neither if we eate not, haue we the lesse. 9 But take heede lest by any meanes this power of yours be an occasion of falling, to them that are weake. 10 For if any man see thee which hast knowledge, sit at table in the idoles temple, shal not the conscience of him which is weake, be boldened to eate those things which are sacrificed to idoles? 11 And through thy knowledge shall the weake brother perish, for whome Christ died. 12 Nowe when ye sinne so against the brethren, and wound their weake conscience, ye sinne against Christ. 13 Wherefore if meate offende my brother, I wil eate no flesh while the world standeth, that I may not offend my brother.
• 1 Cor 10:7-8 : 7 Neither bee ye idolaters as were some of them, as it is written, The people sate downe to eate and drinke, and rose vp to play. 8 Neither let vs commit fornication, as some of them committed fornication, and fell in one day three and twentie thousand.
• 1 Cor 10:14-28 : 14 Wherefore my beloued, flee from idolatrie. 15 I speake as vnto them which haue vnderstanding: iugde ye what I say. 16 The cup of blessing which we blesse, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we breake, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 17 For we that are many, are one bread and one body, because we all are partakers of one bread. 18 Beholde Israel, which is after the flesh: are not they which eate of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? 19 What say I then? that the idole is any thing? or that that which is sacrificed to idoles, is any thing? 20 Nay, but that these things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to deuils, and not vnto God: and I would not that ye should haue fellowship with the deuils. 21 Ye can not drinke the cup of the Lord, and the cup of the deuils. Ye can not be partakers of the Lords table, and of the table of the deuils. 22 Doe we prouoke the Lord to anger? are we stronger then he? 23 All things are lawfull for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawfull for me, but all things edifie not. 24 Let no man seeke his owne, but euery man anothers wealth. 25 Whatsoeuer is solde in the shambles, eate ye, and aske no question for conscience sake. 26 For the earth is the Lords, and all that therein is. 27 If any of them which beleeue not, call you to a feast, and if ye wil go, whatsoeuer is set before you, eate, asking no question for conscience sake. 28 But if any man say vnto you, This is sacrificed vnto idoles, eate it not, because of him that shewed it, and for the conscience (for the earth is the Lords, and all that therein is)
• 2 Cor 12:21 : 21 I feare least when I come againe, my God abase me among you, and I shall bewaile many of them which haue sinned already, and haue not repented of the vncleannesse, and fornication, and wantonnesse which they haue committed.
• Gal 5:19 : 19 Moreouer the workes of the flesh are manifest, which are adulterie, fornication, vncleannes, wantonnes,
• Eph 5:3 : 3 But fornication, and all vncleannesse, or couetousnesse, let it not be once named among you, as it becommeth Saintes,
• Col 3:5 : 5 Mortifie therefore your members which are on the earth, fornication, vncleannes, the inordinate affection, euill concupiscence, and couetousnes which is idolatrie.
• 1 Thess 4:3 : 3 For this is the will of God euen your sanctification, and that ye should abstaine from fornication,
• 1 Tim 4:4-5 : 4 For euery creature of God is good, and nothing ought to be refused, if it be receiued with thankesgiuing. 5 For it is sanctified by the worde of God, and prayer.
• Heb 12:16 : 16 Let there be no fornicator, or prophane person as Esau, which for one portion of meate solde his birthright.
• Heb 13:4 : 4 Mariage is honorable among all, and the bed vndefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will iudge.
• 1 Pet 4:3 : 3 For it is sufficient for vs that we haue spet the time past of ye life, after the lust of the Gentiles, walking in wantonnes, lustes, drunkenes, in gluttonie, drinkings, & in abominable idolatries.
• 1 Cor 6:13 : 13 Meates are ordeined for the bellie, & the belly for the meates: but God shall destroy both it, and them. Nowe the bodie is not for fornication, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the bodie.
• 1 Cor 5:11 : 11 But nowe I haue written vnto you, that ye companie not together: if any that is called a brother, be a fornicatour, or couetous, or an idolater, or a rayler, or a drunkard, or an extorsioner, with such one eate not.
• Rev 9:20 : 20 And the remnant of the men which were not killed by these plagues, repented not of the works of their handes that they should not worship deuils, and idoles of golde and of siluer, and of brasse, and of stone, and of wood, which neither can see, neither heare nor goe.
• Rev 10:2 : 2 And hee had in his hande a litle booke open, and he put his right foote vpon the sea, and his left on the earth,
• Rev 10:8 : 8 And the voyce which I heard from heauen, spake vnto me againe, and said, Go and take the litle booke which is open in the hand of the Angel, which standeth vpon the sea and vpon the earth.
• Num 25:2 : 2 Which called the people vnto the sacrifice of their gods, and the people ate, & bowed downe to their gods.
• Lev 7:23-27 : 23 Speake vnto the children of Israel, & say, Ye shall eate no fat of beeues, nor of sheepe, nor of goates: 24 Yet the fat of the dead beast, and the fat of that, which is torne with beastes, shalbe occupied to any vse, but ye shall not eate of it. 25 For whosoeuer eateth the fat of the beast, of the which he shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lorde, euen the person that eateth, shalbe cut off from his people. 26 Neither shall ye eate any blood, either of foule, or of beast in all your dwellings. 27 Euery person that eateth any blood, euen the same person shall be cut off from his people.
• Gen 35:2 : 2 Then saide Iaakob vnto his houshold and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and clense your selues, and change your garments:
• Exod 20:3-5 : 3 Thou shalt haue none other Gods before me. 4 Thou shalt make thee no grauen image, neither any similitude of things that are in heauen aboue, neither that are in the earth beneath, nor that are in the waters vnder the earth. 5 Thou shalt not bowe downe to them, neither serue them: for I am the Lord thy God, a ielous God, visiting the iniquitie of the fathers vpon the children, vpon the third generation and vpon the fourth of them that hate me:
• Exod 20:23 : 23 Ye shall not make therefore with me gods of siluer, nor gods of golde: you shall make you none.
• Ezek 20:30-31 : 30 Wherefore, say vnto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God, Are ye not polluted after the maner of your fathers? and commit ye not whoredome after their abominations? 31 For when you offer your giftes, and make your sonnes to passe through the fire, you pollute your selues with all your idoles vnto this day: shal I answere you when I am asked, O house of Israel? As I liue, saith the Lord God, I wil not answere you when I am asked.
• Ezek 33:25 : 25 Wherefore say vnto them, Thus saieth the Lorde God, Ye eate with the blood, and lift vp your eyes towarde your idoles, and sheade blood: should ye then possesse the land?
• Dan 1:8 : 8 But Daniel had determined in his heart, that hee woulde not defile him selfe with the portion of the Kings meate, nor with the wine which he dranke: therefore he required the chiefe of the Eunuches that he might not defile himselfe.
• 1 Sam 14:32 : 32 So the people turned to the spoile, & tooke sheepe, and oxen, and calues, and slewe them on the ground, and the people did eate them with the blood.
• Ps 106:37-39 : 37 Yea, they offered their sonnes, and their daughters vnto deuils, 38 And shed innocent blood, euen the blood of their sonnes, & of their daughters, whome they offred vnto the idoles of Canaan, and the lande was defiled with blood. 39 Thus were they steined with their owne woorkes, and went a whoring with their owne inuentions.
• Deut 12:23-25 : 23 Onely bee sure that thou eate not the blood: for the blood is the life, and thou maiest not eate the life with the flesh. 24 Therefore thou shalt not eat it, but powre it vpon the earth as water. 25 Thou shalt not eat it, that it may go wel with thee; and with thy children after thee, when thou shalt doe that which is right in the sight of the Lord:
• Deut 14:21 : 21 Ye shall eate of nothing that dieth alone, but thou shalt giue it vnto the stranger that is within thy gates, that he may eate it: or thou maiest sell it vnto a stranger: for thou art an holy people vnto the Lord thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mothers milke.