Acts 15:20

KJV1611 – Modern English

But that we write to them to abstain from the pollution of idols, from sexual immorality, from things 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

Other Translations

• Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

  Instead, we should write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, sexual immorality, meat that has been strangled, and blood.

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  but{G235} that we write{G1989} unto them,{G846} that they abstain{G567} from{G575} the pollutions{G234} of idols,{G1497} and{G2532} from fornication,{G4202} and{G2532} from what is strangled,{G4156} and{G2532} from blood.{G129}

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  But{G235} that we write{G1989}{(G5658)} unto them{G846}, that they abstain{G567}{(G5733)} from{G575} pollutions{G234} of idols{G1497}, and{G2532} from fornication{G4202}, and{G2532} from things strangled{G4156}, and{G2532} from blood{G129}.

• Tyndale Bible (1526/1534)

  but yt we write vnto them yt they abstayne them selves fro filthynes of ymages fro fornicacio from straglyd and fro bloude.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  but to wryte vnto them, that they absteyne them selues from fylthynesse of Idols, from whordome, and from strangled, and bloude.

• 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.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  But that we write vnto them, that they absteyne themselues from fylthynesse of idols, and fro fornication, and from strangled, and from blood.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and [from] fornication, and [from] things strangled, and [from] blood.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  but that we write to them that they abstain from the pollution of idols, from sexual immorality, from what is strangled, and from blood.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  but to write to them to abstain from the pollutions of the idols, and the whoredom, and the strangled thing; and the blood;

• 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.

• 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.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  But that we give them orders to keep themselves from things offered to false gods, and from the evil desires of the body, and from the flesh of animals put to death in ways against the law, and from blood.

• World English Bible (2000)

  but that we write to them that they abstain from the pollution of idols, from sexual immorality, from what is strangled, and from blood.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  but that we should write them a letter telling them to abstain from things defiled by idols and from sexual immorality and from what has been strangled and from blood.

Referenced Verses

• Lev 3:17 : 17 It shall be a perpetual statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings, that you eat neither fat nor blood.
• Acts 15:29 : 29 that you abstain from food offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.
• Rev 2:14 : 14 But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.
• Rev 2:20 : 20 Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce my servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.
• Gen 9:4 : 4 But flesh with its life, which is the blood, you shall not eat.
• Deut 12:16 : 16 Only you shall not eat the blood; you shall pour it on the earth like water.
• Deut 15:23 : 23 Only you shall not eat its blood; you shall pour it upon the ground as water.
• Ezek 4:14 : 14 Then I said, Ah Lord GOD! behold, my soul has not been polluted, for from my youth up till now I have not eaten of that which dies of itself or is torn in pieces, neither has abominable flesh come into my mouth.
• Lev 17:10-14 : 10 And whatever man there is of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that dwell among you, that eats any manner of blood; I will set my face against that soul that eats 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 makes atonement for the soul. 12 Therefore I said to the children of Israel, No soul of you shall eat blood, nor shall any stranger who dwells among you eat blood. 13 And whatever man there is of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that dwell among you, who hunts and catches any beast or fowl that may be eaten, he shall pour out its blood, and cover it with dust. 14 For it is the life of all flesh; its blood is for the life thereof: therefore I said to the children of Israel, You shall not eat the blood of any flesh: for the life of all flesh is its blood; whoever eats it shall be cut off.
• Acts 21:25 : 25 As for the Gentiles who believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, except only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality.
• 1 Cor 6:9 : 9 Do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor the effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
• 1 Cor 6:18 : 18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man does is outside the body; but he who commits fornication sins against his own body.
• Exod 34:15-16 : 15 Lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice to their gods, and one of them invites you, and you eat his sacrifice. 16 And you take their daughters for your sons, and their daughters go whoring after their gods, and make your sons go whoring after their gods.
• 1 Cor 7:2 : 2 Nevertheless, to avoid sexual immorality, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
• 1 Cor 8:1 : 1 Now concerning things offered to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.
• 1 Cor 8:4-9 : 4 Therefore, concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one. 5 For though there are those called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), 6 Yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through Him we live. 7 However, not everyone has this knowledge; for some, with consciousness of the idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol, and their weak conscience is defiled. 8 But food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we better, nor if we do not eat are we worse. 9 But take care lest this liberty of yours somehow becomes a stumbling block to those who are weak. 10 For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol's temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat things offered to idols? 11 And through your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? 12 But when you sin against the brethren and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will eat no meat as long as the world stands, lest I make my brother stumble.
• 1 Cor 10:7-8 : 7 Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. 8 Do not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell.
• 1 Cor 10:14-28 : 14 Therefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 17 For although we are many, we are one bread and one body: for we all partake of that one bread. 18 Consider Israel after the flesh: are not those who eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? 19 What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? 20 But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God: and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons: you cannot partake of the Lord's table and of the table of demons. 22 Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He? 23 All things are lawful for me, but not all things are beneficial: all things are lawful for me, but not all things build up. 24 Let no one seek his own good, but each one the good of others. 25 Whatever is sold in the market, eat, asking no question for conscience' sake: 26 For the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof. 27 If any of those who do not believe invite you to a meal, and you wish to go, eat whatever is set before you, asking no question for conscience' sake. 28 But if anyone says to you, "This was offered to idols," do not eat it for the sake of the one who informed you, and for conscience' sake: for the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof:
• 2 Cor 12:21 : 21 And lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and that I shall mourn for many who have sinned already and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed.
• Gal 5:19 : 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are these: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,
• Eph 5:3 : 3 But sexual immorality, and all impurity, or greed, let it not even be mentioned among you, as is proper for saints;
• Col 3:5 : 5 Therefore, put to death your members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
• 1 Thess 4:3 : 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification, that you should abstain from fornication:
• 1 Tim 4:4-5 : 4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused, if it is received with thanksgiving; 5 For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
• Heb 12:16 : 16 Lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright.
• Heb 13:4 : 4 Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.
• 1 Pet 4:3 : 3 For the time past of our life may suffice us to have done the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in sensuality, lusts, excess of wine, revelings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:
• 1 Cor 6:13 : 13 Food for the stomach, and the stomach for food; but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.
• 1 Cor 5:11 : 11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone who is called a brother if he is sexually immoral, or greedy, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person.
• Rev 9:20 : 20 But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and 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 foot on the land.
• Rev 10:8 : 8 And the voice which I heard from heaven spoke to me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the land.
• Num 25:2 : 2 And they called the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods.
• Lev 7:23-27 : 23 Speak to the children of Israel, saying, You shall not eat any fat, of ox, or of sheep, or of goat. 24 And the fat of an animal that dies of itself, and the fat of an animal that is torn by beasts, may be used for any other purpose: but you shall not eat of it. 25 For whoever eats the fat of the animal of which men offer an offering made by fire to the LORD, even the soul who eats it shall be cut off from his people. 26 Moreover, you shall not eat any blood, whether it is of bird or animal, in any of your dwellings. 27 Whatever soul it is that eats any blood, even that soul shall be cut off from his people.
• Gen 35:2 : 2 Then Jacob said to his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the foreign gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your clothes:
• Exod 20:3-5 : 3 You shall have no other gods before Me. 4 You shall not make for yourself any carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me.
• Exod 20:23 : 23 You shall not make anything to be with Me—gods of silver or gods of gold you shall not make for yourselves.
• Ezek 20:30-31 : 30 Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD; Are you polluted after the manner of your fathers? and commit you harlotry after their abominations? 31 For when you offer your gifts, when you make your sons to pass through the fire, you pollute yourselves with all your idols, even to this day: and shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, says the Lord GOD, I will not be inquired of by you.
• Ezek 33:25 : 25 Therefore say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD; You eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes toward your idols, and shed blood: and shall you possess the land?
• Dan 1:8 : 8 But Daniel resolved in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's delicacies, nor with the wine he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.
• 1 Sam 14:32 : 32 The people rushed on the spoil, took sheep, oxen, and calves, slaughtered them on the ground, and the people ate them with the blood.
• Ps 106:37-39 : 37 Yes, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons, 38 And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; and the land was polluted with blood. 39 Thus they were defiled with their own works, and played the harlot with their own inventions.
• Deut 12:23-25 : 23 Only be sure that you do not eat the blood, for the blood is the life; and you may not eat the life with the meat. 24 You shall not eat it; you shall pour it upon the earth like water. 25 You shall not eat it, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, when you do what is right in the sight of the LORD.
• Deut 14:21 : 21 You shall not eat of anything that dies of itself: you shall give it to the stranger that is within your gates, that he may eat it; or you may sell it to an alien: for you are a holy people to the LORD your God. You shall not boil a young goat in its mother's milk.