Acts 26:20

Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

but to those in Damascus first, and to those in Jerusalem, to all the region also of Judea, and to the nations, I was preaching to reform, and to turn back unto God, doing works worthy of reformation;

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἐν Δαμασκῷ πρῶτον, καὶ Ἱεροσολύμοις, εἰς πᾶσάν τε τὴν χώραν τῆς Ἰουδαίας, καὶ τοῖς Ἔθνεσιν, ἀπήγγελλον μετανοεῖν καὶ ἐπιστρέφειν ἐπὶ τὸν Θεόν, ἄξια τῆς μετανοίας ἔργα πράσσοντας.

Transliteration

But to those in Damaskō prōton, and Hierosolymois, to all te the chōran of Ioudaias, and to the Ethnesin, I apēngellon to metanoein and to epistrephein to the Theon, worthy of the metanoias erga prassontas.

Grammar Details

• *Damaskō*: dative, feminine, singular - Damascus
• *prōton*: adverb - first
• *Hierosolymois*: dative, neuter, plural - Jerusalem
• *te*: conjunction - and/also
• *chōran*: accusative, feminine, singular - region/country
• *Ioudaias*: genitive, feminine, singular - Judea
• *Ethnesin*: dative, neuter, plural - Gentiles/nations
• *apēngellon*: imperfect active, 1st singular - I was proclaiming
• *metanoein*: present active infinitive - to repent
• *epistrephein*: present active infinitive - to turn
• *Theon*: accusative, masculine, singular - God
• *metanoias*: genitive, feminine, singular - repentance
• *erga*: accusative, neuter, plural - works/deeds
• *prassontas*: present active participle, accusative, masculine, plural - doing/practicing

Word Meanings

• *prōton*: first/firstly/at first
• *chōran*: region/country/land
• *Ethnesin*: Gentiles/nations/peoples
• *apēngellon*: I was proclaiming/declaring/announcing
• *metanoein*: to repent/to change one's mind
• *epistrephein*: to turn/to return/to convert
• *metanoias*: repentance/change of mind
• *erga*: works/deeds/actions
• *prassontas*: doing/practicing/performing

Referenced Verses

• Matt 3:8 : 8 bear, therefore, fruits worthy of the reformation,
• Acts 3:19 : 19 reform ye, therefore, and turn back, for your sins being blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,
• Acts 2:38 : 38 and Peter said unto them, `Reform, and be baptized each of you on the name of Jesus Christ, to remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit,
• Matt 9:13 : 13 but having gone, learn ye what is, Kindness I will, and not sacrifice, for I did not come to call righteous men, but sinners, to reformation.'
• Acts 9:35 : 35 and all those dwelling at Lydda, and Saron saw him, and did turn to the Lord.
• Acts 11:18 : 18 And they, having heard these things, were silent, and were glorifying God, saying, `Then, indeed, also to the nations did God give the reformation to life.'
• Acts 11:26-30 : 26 and having found him, he brought him to Antioch, and it came to pass that they a whole year did assemble together in the assembly, and taught a great multitude, the disciples also were divinely called first in Antioch Christians. 27 And in those days there came from Jerusalem prophets to Antioch, 28 and one of them, by name Agabus, having stood up, did signify through the Spirit a great dearth is about to be throughout all the world -- which also came to pass in the time of Claudius Caesar -- 29 and the disciples, according as any one was prospering, determined each of them to send for ministration to the brethren dwelling in Judea, 30 which also they did, having sent unto the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.
• Acts 13:46-48 : 46 And speaking boldly, Paul and Barnabas said, `To you it was necessary that first the word of God be spoken, and seeing ye do thrust it away, and do not judge yourselves worthy of the life age-during, lo, we do turn to the nations; 47 for so hath the Lord commanded us: I have set thee for a light of nations -- for thy being for salvation unto the end of the earth.' 48 And the nations hearing were glad, and were glorifying the word of the Lord, and did believe -- as many as were appointed to life age-during;
• Acts 14:15-21 : 15 and saying, `Men, why these things do ye? and we are men like-affected with you, proclaiming good news to you, from these vanities to turn unto the living God, who made the heaven, and the earth, and the sea, and all the things in them; 16 who in the past generations did suffer all the nations to go on in their ways, 17 though, indeed, without witness He did not leave himself, doing good -- from heaven giving rains to us, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness;' 18 and these things saying, scarcely did they restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them. 19 And there came thither, from Antioch and Iconium, Jews, and they having persuaded the multitudes, and having stoned Paul, drew him outside of the city, having supposed him to be dead; 20 and the disciples having surrounded him, having risen he entered into the city, and on the morrow he went forth with Barnabas to Derbe. 21 Having proclaimed good news also to that city, and having discipled many, they turned back to Lystra, and Iconium, and Antioch,
• Acts 15:19 : 19 wherefore I judge: not to trouble those who from the nations do turn back to God,
• Acts 17:30 : 30 the times, indeed, therefore, of the ignorance God having overlooked, doth now command all men everywhere to reform,
• Acts 20:21 : 21 testifying fully both to Jews and Greeks, toward God reformation, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
• Acts 22:17-22 : 17 `And it came to pass when I returned to Jerusalem, and while I was praying in the temple, I came into a trance, 18 and I saw him saying to me, Haste and go forth in haste out of Jerusalem, because they will not receive thy testimony concerning me; 19 and I said, Lord, they -- they know that I was imprisoning and was scourging in every synagogue those believing on thee; 20 and when the blood of thy witness Stephen was being poured forth, I also was standing by and assenting to his death, and keeping the garments of those putting him to death; 21 and he said unto me, Go, because to nations far off I will send thee.' 22 And they were hearing him unto this word, and they lifted up their voice, saying, `Away from the earth with such an one; for it is not fit for him to live.'
• Acts 26:17 : 17 delivering thee from the people, and the nations, to whom now I send thee,
• Rom 2:4 : 4 or the riches of His goodness, and forbearance, and long-suffering, dost thou despise? -- not knowing that the goodness of God doth lead thee to reformation!
• Rom 11:18-20 : 18 do not boast against the branches; and if thou dost boast, thou dost not bear the root, but the root thee! 19 Thou wilt say, then, `The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in;' right! 20 by unbelief they were broken off, and thou hast stood by faith; be not high-minded, but be fearing;
• 2 Cor 3:16 : 16 and whenever they may turn unto the Lord, the vail is taken away.
• 2 Cor 7:10 : 10 for the sorrow toward God reformation to salvation not to be repented of doth work, and the sorrow of the world doth work death,
• Eph 4:17-5:25 : 17 This, then, I say, and I testify in the Lord; ye are no more to walk, as also the other nations walk, in the vanity of their mind, 18 being darkened in the understanding, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart, 19 who, having ceased to feel, themselves did give up to the lasciviousness, for the working of all uncleanness in greediness; 20 and ye did not so learn the Christ, 21 if so be ye did hear him, and in him were taught, as truth is in Jesus; 22 ye are to put off concerning the former behaviour the old man, that is corrupt according to the desires of the deceit, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and to put on the new man, which, according to God, was created in righteousness and kindness of the truth. 25 Wherefore, putting away the lying, speak truth each with his neighbour, because we are members one of another; 26 be angry and do not sin; let not the sun go down upon your wrath, 27 neither give place to the devil; 28 whoso is stealing let him no more steal, but rather let him labour, working the thing that is good with the hands, that he may have to impart to him having need. 29 Let no corrupt word out of your mouth go forth, but what is good unto the needful building up, that it may give grace to the hearers; 30 and make not sorrowful the Holy Spirit of God, in which ye were sealed to a day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil-speaking, be put away from you, with all malice, 32 and become one to another kind, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, according as also God in Christ did forgive you. 1 Become, then, followers of God, as children beloved, 2 and walk in love, as also the Christ did love us, and did give himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for an odour of a sweet smell, 3 and whoredom, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as becometh saints; 4 also filthiness, and foolish talking, or jesting, -- the things not fit -- but rather thanksgiving; 5 for this ye know, that every whoremonger, or unclean, or covetous person, who is an idolater, hath no inheritance in the reign of the Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with vain words, for because of these things cometh the anger of God upon the sons of the disobedience, 7 become not, then, partakers with them, 8 for ye were once darkness, and now light in the Lord; as children of light walk ye, 9 for the fruit of the Spirit `is' in all goodness, and righteousness, and truth, 10 proving what is well-pleasing to the Lord, 11 and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of the darkness and rather even convict, 12 for the things in secret done by them it is a shame even to speak of, 13 and all the things reproved by the light are manifested, for everything that is manifested is light; 14 wherefore he saith, `Arouse thyself, thou who art sleeping, and arise out of the dead, and the Christ shall shine upon thee.' 15 See, then, how exactly ye walk, not as unwise, but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil; 17 because of this become not fools, but -- understanding what `is' the will of the Lord, 18 and be not drunk with wine, in which is dissoluteness, but be filled in the Spirit, 19 speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to the God and Father; 21 subjecting yourselves to one another in the fear of God. 22 The wives! to your own husbands subject yourselves, as to the Lord, 23 because the husband is head of the wife, as also the Christ `is' head of the assembly, and he is saviour of the body, 24 but even as the assembly is subject to Christ, so also `are' the wives to their own husbands in everything. 25 The husbands! love your own wives, as also the Christ did love the assembly, and did give himself for it,
• Eph 6:1-9 : 1 The children! obey your parents in the Lord, for this is righteous; 2 honour thy father and mother, 3 which is the first command with a promise, `That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live a long time upon the land.' 4 And the fathers! provoke not your children, but nourish them in the instruction and admonition of the Lord. 5 The servants! obey the masters according to the flesh with fear and trembling, in the simplicity of your heart, as to the Christ; 6 not with eye-service as men-pleasers, but as servants of the Christ, doing the will of God out of soul, 7 with good-will serving, as to the Lord, and not to men, 8 having known that whatever good thing each one may do, this he shall receive from the Lord, whether servant or freeman. 9 And the masters! the same things do ye unto them, letting threatening alone, having known that also your Master is in the heavens, and acceptance of persons is not with him.
• 1 Thess 1:9 : 9 for they themselves concerning us do declare what entrance we had unto you, and how ye did turn unto God from the idols, to serve a living and true God,
• 2 Tim 2:25-26 : 25 in meekness instructing those opposing -- if perhaps God may give to them repentance to an acknowledging of the truth, 26 and they may awake out of the devil's snare, having been caught by him at his will.
• Titus 2:2-9 : 2 aged men to be temperate, grave, sober, sound in the faith, in the love, in the endurance; 3 aged women, in like manner, in deportment as doth become sacred persons, not false accusers, to much wine not enslaved, of good things teachers, 4 that they may make the young women sober-minded, to be lovers of `their' husbands, lovers of `their' children, 5 sober, pure, keepers of `their own' houses, good, subject to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be evil spoken of. 6 The younger men, in like manner, be exhorting to be sober-minded; 7 concerning all things thyself showing a pattern of good works; in the teaching uncorruptedness, gravity, incorruptibility, 8 discourse sound, irreprehensible, that he who is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say concerning you. 9 Servants -- to their own masters `are' to be subject, in all things to be well-pleasing, not gainsaying, 10 not purloining, but showing all good stedfastness, that the teaching of God our Saviour they may adorn in all things. 11 For the saving grace of God was manifested to all men, 12 teaching us, that denying the impiety and the worldly desires, soberly and righteously and piously we may live in the present age, 13 waiting for the blessed hope and manifestation of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ,
• 1 Pet 1:14-16 : 14 as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves to the former desires in your ignorance, 15 but according as He who did call you `is' holy, ye also, become holy in all behaviour, 16 because it hath been written, `Become ye holy, because I am holy;'
• 1 Pet 2:9-9 : 9 and ye `are' a choice race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people acquired, that the excellences ye may shew forth of Him who out of darkness did call you to His wondrous light; 10 who `were' once not a people, and `are' now the people of God; who had not found kindness, and now have found kindness. 11 Beloved, I call upon `you', as strangers and sojourners, to keep from the fleshly desires, that war against the soul, 12 having your behaviour among the nations right, that in that which they speak against you as evil-doers, of the good works having beheld, they may glorify God in a day of inspection.
• 1 Pet 4:2-5 : 2 no more in the desires of men, but in the will of God, to live the rest of the time in the flesh; 3 for sufficient to us `is' the past time of life the will of the nations to have wrought, having walked in lasciviousnesses, desires, excesses of wines, revelings, drinking-bouts, and unlawful idolatries, 4 in which they think it strange -- your not running with them to the same excess of dissoluteness, speaking evil, 5 who shall give an account to Him who is ready to judge living and dead,
• 2 Pet 1:5-8 : 5 And this same also -- all diligence having brought in besides, superadd in your faith the worthiness, and in the worthiness the knowledge, 6 and in the knowledge the temperance, and in the temperance the endurance, and in the endurance the piety, 7 and in the piety the brotherly kindness, and in the brotherly kindness the love; 8 for these things being to you and abounding, do make `you' neither inert nor unfruitful in regard to the acknowledging of our Lord Jesus Christ,
• Rev 2:5 : 5 remember, then, whence thou hast fallen, and reform, and the first works do; and if not, I come to thee quickly, and will remove thy lamp-stand from its place -- if thou mayest not reform;
• Rev 2:21 : 21 and I did give to her a time that she might reform from her whoredom, and she did not reform;
• Rev 3:3 : 3 `Remember, then, how thou hast received, and heard, and be keeping, and reform: if, then, thou mayest not watch, I will come upon thee as a thief, and thou mayest not know what hour I will come upon thee.
• Rev 16:11 : 11 and they did speak evil of the God of the heaven, from their pains, and from their sores, and they did not reform from their works.
• Matt 21:30-32 : 30 `And having come to the second, he said in the same manner, and he answering said, I `go', sir, and went not; 31 which of the two did the will of the father?' They say to him, `The first.' Jesus saith to them, `Verily I say to you, that the tax-gatherers and the harlots do go before you into the reign of God, 32 for John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye did not believe him, and the tax-gatherers and the harlots did believe him, and ye, having seen, repented not at last -- to believe him.
• Mark 6:12 : 12 And having gone forth they were preaching that `men' might reform,
• Luke 1:16 : 16 and many of the sons of Israel he shall turn to the Lord their God,
• Luke 3:8-9 : 8 make, therefore, fruits worthy of the reformation, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have a father -- Abraham; for I say to you, that God is able out of these stones to raise children to Abraham; 9 and already also the axe unto the root of the trees is laid, every tree, therefore, not making good fruit is cut down, and to fire it is cast.' 10 And the multitudes were questioning him, saying, `What, then, shall we do?' 11 and he answering saith to them, `He having two coats -- let him impart to him having none, and he having victuals -- in like manner let him do.' 12 And there came also tax-gatherers to be baptised, and they said unto him, `Teacher, what shall we do?' 13 and he said unto them, `Exact no more than that directed you.' 14 And questioning him also were those warring, saying, `And we, what shall we do?' and he said unto them, `Do violence to no one, nor accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.'
• Luke 13:3 : 3 No -- I say to you, but, if ye may not reform, all ye even so shall perish.
• Luke 13:5 : 5 No -- I say to you, but, if ye may not reform, all ye in like manner shall perish.'
• Luke 15:7 : 7 `I say to you, that so joy shall be in the heaven over one sinner reforming, rather than over ninety-nine righteous men, who have no need of reformation.
• Luke 15:10 : 10 `So I say to you, joy doth come before the messengers of God over one sinner reforming.'
• Luke 19:8-9 : 8 And Zaccheus having stood, said unto the Lord, `Lo, the half of my goods, sir, I give to the poor, and if of any one anything I did take by false accusation, I give back fourfold.' 9 And Jesus said unto him -- `To-day salvation did come to this house, inasmuch as he also is a son of Abraham;
• Luke 24:46-47 : 46 and he said to them -- `Thus it hath been written, and thus it was behoving the Christ to suffer, and to rise out of the dead the third day, 47 and reformation and remission of sins to be proclaimed in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem:
• Ps 22:27 : 27 Remember and return unto Jehovah, Do all ends of the earth, And before Thee bow themselves, Do all families of the nations,
• Isa 55:7 : 7 Forsake doth the wicked his way, And the man of iniquity his thoughts, And he returneth to Jehovah, and He pitieth him, And unto our God for He multiplieth to pardon.
• Jer 31:19-20 : 19 For after my turning back I repented, And after my being instructed I struck on the thigh, I have been ashamed, I have also blushed, For I have borne the reproach of my youth. 20 A precious son is Ephraim to Me? A child of delights? For since My speaking against him, I do thoroughly remember him still, Therefore have My bowels been moved for him, I do greatly love him, An affirmation of Jehovah.
• Lam 3:40 : 40 We search our ways, and investigate, And turn back unto Jehovah.
• Ezek 18:30-32 : 30 Therefore, each according to his ways I judge you, O house of Israel? An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, Turn ye back, yea, turn yourselves back, From all your transgressions, And iniquity is not to you for a stumbling-block, 31 Cast from off you all your transgressions, By which ye have transgressed, And make to you a new heart, and a new spirit, And why do ye die, O house of Israel? 32 For I have no pleasure in the death of the dying, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, And turn ye back and live!
• Hos 12:6 : 6 And thou, through thy God, dost turn, Kindness and judgment keep thou, And wait on thy God continually.
• Hos 14:2 : 2 Take with you words, and turn to Jehovah, Say ye unto Him: `Take away all iniquity, and give good, And we do render the fruit of our lips.
• Matt 3:2 : 2 and saying, `Reform, for come nigh hath the reign of the heavens,'
• Acts 9:15 : 15 And the Lord said unto him, `Be going on, because a choice vessel to Me is this one, to bear My name before nations and kings -- the sons also of Israel;
• Acts 9:19-29 : 19 and having received nourishment, was strengthened, and Saul was with the disciples in Damascus certain days, 20 and immediately in the synagogues he was preaching the Christ, that he is the Son of God. 21 And all those hearing were amazed, and said, `Is not this he who laid waist in Jerusalem those calling on this name, and hither to this intent had come, that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?' 22 And Saul was still more strengthened, and he was confounding the Jews dwelling in Damascus, proving that this is the Christ. 23 And when many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel together to kill him, 24 and their counsel against `him' was known to Saul; they were also watching the gates both day and night, that they may kill him, 25 and the disciples having taken him, by night did let him down by the wall, letting down in a basket. 26 And Saul, having come to Jerusalem, did try to join himself to the disciples, and they were all afraid of him, not believing that he is a disciple, 27 and Barnabas having taken him, brought `him' unto the apostles, and did declare to them how in the way he saw the Lord, and that he spake to him, and how in Damascus he was speaking boldly in the name of Jesus. 28 And he was with them, coming in and going out in Jerusalem, 29 and speaking boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, he was both speaking and disputing with the Hellenists, and they were taking in hand to kill him,
• Matt 4:17 : 17 From that time began Jesus to proclaim and to say, `Reform ye, for come nigh hath the reign of the heavens.'