Acts 15:1

Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

And certain having come down from Judea, were teaching the brethren -- `If ye be not circumcised after the custom of Moses, ye are not able to be saved;'

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

¶Καί τινες κατελθόντες ἀπὸ τῆς Ἰουδαίας ἐδίδασκον τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς, ὅτι Ἐὰν μὴ περιτέμνησθε τῷ ἔθει Μωϋσέως, οὐ δύνασθε σωθῆναι.

Transliteration

And tines having katelthontes from tēs Ioudaias were edidaskon the adelphous, that If not you are peritemneisthe to the ethei Mōuseōs, not you are dunasthe to be sōthēnai.

Grammar Details

• *tines*: nominative, masculine, plural - certain ones/some
• *katelthontes*: aorist participle, active, nominative, masculine, plural - having come down
• *tēs Ioudaias*: genitive, feminine, singular - of Judea
• *edidaskon*: imperfect, active, 3rd person, plural - were teaching [continuous action]
• *adelphous*: accusative, masculine, plural - brothers
• *peritemneisthe*: present, subjunctive, passive, 2nd person, plural - you are circumcised
• *ethei*: dative, neuter, singular - custom/manner
• *Mōuseōs*: genitive, masculine, singular - of Moses
• *dunasthe*: present, indicative, middle/passive, 2nd person, plural - you are able
• *sōthēnai*: aorist, infinitive, passive - to be saved

Word Meanings

• *katelthontes*: having come down/descended
• *edidaskon*: were teaching/instructing
• *ethei*: custom/tradition/practice
• *sōthēnai*: to be saved/delivered/preserved

Referenced Verses

• Acts 15:5 : 5 and there rose up certain of those of the sect of the Pharisees who believed, saying -- `It behoveth to circumcise them, to command them also to keep the law of Moses.'
• Acts 15:24 : 24 seeing we have heard that certain having gone forth from us did trouble you with words, subverting your souls, saying to be circumcised and to keep the law, to whom we did give no charge,
• Lev 12:3 : 3 and in the eighth day is the flesh of his foreskin circumcised;
• Acts 6:14 : 14 for we have heard him saying, That this Jesus the Nazarean shall overthrow this place, and shall change the customs that Moses delivered to us;'
• Gal 2:11-14 : 11 And when Peter came to Antioch, to the face I stood up against him, because he was blameworthy, 12 for before the coming of certain from James, with the nations he was eating, and when they came, he was withdrawing and separating himself, fearing those of the circumcision, 13 and dissemble with him also did the other Jews, so that also Barnabas was carried away by their dissimulation. 14 But when I saw that they are not walking uprightly to the truth of the good news, I said to Peter before all, `If thou, being a Jew, in the manner of the nations dost live, and not in the manner of the Jews, how the nations dost thou compel to Judaize?
• Gal 5:1-4 : 1 In the freedom, then, with which Christ did make you free -- stand ye, and be not held fast again by a yoke of servitude; 2 lo, I Paul do say to you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing; 3 and I testify again to every man circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law; 4 ye were freed from the Christ, ye who in law are declared righteous; from the grace ye fell away;
• 1 Cor 7:18-19 : 18 being circumcised -- was any one called? let him not become uncircumcised; in uncircumcision was any one called? let him not be circumcised; 19 the circumcision is nothing, and the uncircumcision is nothing -- but a keeping of the commands of God.
• Col 2:8 : 8 See that no one shall be carrying you away as spoil through the philosophy and vain deceit, according to the deliverance of men, according to the rudiments of the world, and not according to Christ,
• Col 2:11-12 : 11 in whom also ye were circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the sins of the flesh in the circumcision of the Christ, 12 being buried with him in the baptism, in which also ye rose with `him' through the faith of the working of God, who did raise him out of the dead.
• Col 2:16 : 16 Let no one, then, judge you in eating or in drinking, or in respect of a feast, or of a new moon, or of sabbaths,
• Gal 2:1 : 1 Then, after fourteen years again I went up to Jerusalem with Barnabas, having taken with me also Titus;
• Gal 2:3-4 : 3 but not even Titus, who `is' with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised -- 4 and `that' because of the false brethren brought in unawares, who did come in privily to spy out our liberty that we have in Christ Jesus, that us they might bring under bondage,
• Gal 5:6 : 6 for in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith through love working.
• Gal 6:13-16 : 13 for neither do those circumcised themselves keep the law, but they wish you to be circumcised, that in your flesh they may glory. 14 And for me, let it not be -- to glory, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which to me the world hath been crucified, and I to the world; 15 for in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation; 16 and as many as by this rule do walk -- peace upon them, and kindness, and on the Israel of God!
• Phil 3:2-3 : 2 look to the dogs, look to the evil-workers, look to the concision; 3 for we are the circumcision, who by the Spirit are serving God, and glorying in Christ Jesus, and in flesh having no trust,
• Acts 15:3 : 3 they indeed, then, having been sent forward by the assembly, were passing through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the nations, and they were causing great joy to all the brethren.
• John 7:22 : 22 because of this, Moses hath given you the circumcision -- not that it is of Moses, but of the fathers -- and on a sabbath ye circumcise a man;
• Acts 21:20 : 20 and they having heard, were glorifying the Lord. They said also to him, `Thou seest, brother, how many myriads there are of Jews who have believed, and all are zealous of the law,
• Rom 4:8-9 : 8 happy the man to whom the Lord may not reckon sin.' 9 `Is' this happiness, then, upon the circumcision, or also upon the uncircumcision -- for we say that the faith was reckoned to Abraham -- to righteousness? 10 how then was it reckoned? he being in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision; 11 and a sign he did receive of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith in the uncircumcision, for his being father of all those believing through uncircumcision, for the righteousness also being reckoned to them, 12 and father of circumcision to those not of circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of the faith, that `is' in the uncircumcision of our father Abraham.
• Acts 15:22 : 22 Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole assembly, chosen men out of themselves to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas -- Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren --
• Gen 17:10-27 : 10 this `is' My covenant which ye keep between Me and you, and thy seed after thee: Every male of you `is' to be circumcised; 11 and ye have circumcised the flesh of your foreskin, and it hath become a token of a covenant between Me and you. 12 `And a son of eight days is circumcised by you; every male to your generations, born in the house, or bought with money from any son of a stranger, who is not of thy seed; 13 he is certainly circumcised who `is' born in thine house, or bought with thy money; and My covenant hath become in your flesh a covenant age-during; 14 and an uncircumcised one, a male, the flesh of whose foreskin is not circumcised, even that person hath been cut off from his people; My covenant he hath broken.' 15 And God saith unto Abraham, `Sarai thy wife -- thou dost not call her name Sarai, for Sarah `is' her name; 16 and I have blessed her, and have also given to thee a son from her; and I have blessed her, and she hath become nations -- kings of peoples are from her.' 17 And Abraham falleth upon his face, and laugheth, and saith in his heart, `To the son of an hundred years is one born? or doth Sarah -- daughter of ninety years -- bear?' 18 And Abraham saith unto God, `O that Ishmael may live before Thee;' 19 and God saith, `Sarah thy wife is certainly bearing a son to thee, and thou hast called his name Isaac, and I have established My covenant with him, for a covenant age-during, to his seed after him. 20 As to Ishmael, I have heard thee; lo, I have blessed him, and made him fruitful, and multiplied him, very exceedingly; twelve princes doth he beget, and I have made him become a great nation; 21 and My covenant I establish with Isaac, whom Sarah doth bear to thee at this appointed time in the next year;' 22 and He finisheth speaking with him, and God goeth up from Abraham. 23 And Abraham taketh Ishmael his son, and all those born in his house, and all those bought with his money -- every male among the men of Abraham's house -- and circumciseth the flesh of their foreskin, in this self-same day, as God hath spoken with him. 24 And Abraham `is' a son of ninety and nine years in the flesh of his foreskin being circumcised; 25 and Ishmael his son `is' a son of thirteen years in the flesh of his foreskin being circumcised; 26 in this self-same day hath Abraham been circumcised, and Ishmael his son; 27 and all the men of his house -- born in the house, and bought with money from the son of a stranger -- have been circumcised with him.