Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. New Living Translation In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on my servants—men and women alike— and they will prophesy. English Standard Version even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. Berean Standard Bible Even on My menservants and maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. Berean Literal Bible And even on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out from My Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. King James Bible And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: New King James Version And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy. New American Standard Bible AND EVEN ON MY MALE AND FEMALE SERVANTS I WILL POUR OUT MY SPIRIT IN THOSE DAYS, And they will prophesy. NASB 1995 EVEN ON MY BONDSLAVES, BOTH MEN AND WOMEN, I WILL IN THOSE DAYS POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT And they shall prophesy. NASB 1977 EVEN UPON MY BONDSLAVES, BOTH MEN AND WOMEN, I WILL IN THOSE DAYS POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT And they shall prophesy. Legacy Standard Bible EVEN ON MY MALE SLAVES AND FEMALE SLAVES, I WILL IN THOSE DAYS POUR OUT MY SPIRIT And they shall prophesy. Amplified Bible EVEN ON MY BOND-SERVANTS, BOTH MEN AND WOMEN, I WILL IN THOSE DAYS POUR OUT MY SPIRIT And they shall prophesy. Berean Annotated Bible Even on My menservants {doulous} and maidservants {doulas} I will pour out My Spirit {Pneumatos} in those days, and they will prophesy. Christian Standard Bible I will even pour out my Spirit on my servants in those days, both men and women and they will prophesy. Holman Christian Standard Bible I will even pour out My Spirit on My male and female slaves in those days, and they will prophesy. American Standard Version Yea and on my servants and on my handmaidens in those days Will I pour forth of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. Contemporary English Version In those days I will give my Spirit to my servants, both men and women, and they will prophesy. English Revised Version Yea and on my servants and on my handmaidens in those days Will I pour forth of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. GOD'S WORD® Translation In those days I will pour my Spirit on my servants, on both men and women. They will speak what God has revealed. Good News Translation Yes, even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will proclaim my message. International Standard Version In those days I will even pour out my Spirit on my slaves, men and women alike, and they will prophesy. NET Bible Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. New Heart English Bible And even on my servants, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they will prophesy. Webster's Bible Translation And on my servants, and on my hand-maidens I will, in those days, pour out of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: Weymouth New Testament and even upon My bondservants, both men and women, at that time, I will pour out My Spirit, and they shall prophesy. Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleEven on My menservants and maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. World English Bible Yes, and on my servants and on my handmaidens in those days, I will pour out my Spirit, and they will prophesy. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionAnd also on My menservants, and on My maidservants, "" In those days, I will pour out of My Spirit, "" And they will prophesy; Berean Literal Bible And even on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out from My Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. Young's Literal Translation and also upon My men-servants, and upon My maid-servants, in those days, I will pour out of My Spirit, and they shall prophesy; Smith's Literal Translation And also upon my servants and upon my maids in those days will I pour out from my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleAnd upon my servants indeed, and upon my handmaids will I pour out in those days of my spirit, and they shall prophesy. Catholic Public Domain Version And certainly, upon my men and women servants in those days, I will pour out from my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. New American Bible Indeed, upon my servants and my handmaids I will pour out a portion of my spirit in those days, and they shall prophesy. New Revised Standard Version Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleAnd upon my servants and upon my maidservants will I pour out my spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy: Aramaic Bible in Plain English “And I shall pour out my Spirit upon my Servants and upon my handmaids and in those days they shall prophesy.” NT Translations Anderson New TestamentAnd also on my servants and on my handmaids, I will pour out of my Spirit in those days, and they shall prophesy. Godbey New Testament and upon my servants and my handmaidens I will pour out of my Spirit on those days, and they shall prophesy. Haweis New Testament and upon my servants and my handmaidens in those days will I pour out of my spirit; and they shall prophesy: Mace New Testament and on my servants, and on my handmaidens I will pour out of my spirit in those days, and they shall prophesy: Weymouth New Testament and even upon My bondservants, both men and women, at that time, I will pour out My Spirit, and they shall prophesy. Worrell New Testament yea, and on My servants and on My handmaidens in those days will I pour out of My Spirit, and they shall prophesy. Worsley New Testament yea and on my servants and on my handmaids, in those days, I will pour out of my Spirit, and they also shall prophesy. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Peter Preaches to the Crowd…17‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. 18 Even on My menservants and maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. 19I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke.… Cross References Even on My menservants and maidservants Joel 2:29 Even on My menservants and maidservants, I will pour out My Spirit in those days. Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Colossians 3:11 Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, or free, but Christ is all and is in all. I will pour out My Spirit Joel 2:28 And afterward, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Ezekiel 39:29 And I will no longer hide My face from them, for I will pour out My Spirit on the house of Israel, declares the Lord GOD.” Isaiah 44:3 For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and currents on the dry ground. I will pour out My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring. in those days, Jeremiah 31:33-34 “But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD. I will put My law in their minds and inscribe it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people. / No longer will each man teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquities and will remember their sins no more.” Ezekiel 36:26-27 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. / And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and to carefully observe My ordinances. Hebrews 8:10-12 For this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord. I will put My laws in their minds and inscribe them on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people. / No longer will each one teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest. / For I will forgive their iniquities and will remember their sins no more.” and they will prophesy. Numbers 11:25-29 Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and He took some of the Spirit that was on Moses and placed that Spirit on the seventy elders. As the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied—but they never did so again. / Two men, however, had remained in the camp—one named Eldad and the other Medad—and the Spirit rested on them. They were among those listed, but they had not gone out to the tent, and they prophesied in the camp. / A young man ran and reported to Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” … 1 Samuel 10:10 When Saul and his servant arrived at Gibeah, a group of prophets met him. Then the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he prophesied along with them. 1 Corinthians 14:31 For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. Numbers 11:29 But Moses replied, “Are you jealous on my account? I wish that all the LORD’s people were prophets and that the LORD would place His Spirit on them!” 1 Samuel 10:6 Then the Spirit of the LORD will rush upon you, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be transformed into a different person. 1 Samuel 19:20-24 he sent messengers to seize him. But when they saw the group of prophets prophesying, with Samuel leading them, the Spirit of God came upon them, and Saul’s messengers also began to prophesy. / When this was reported to Saul, he sent more messengers, but they began to prophesy as well. So Saul tried again and sent messengers a third time, and even they began to prophesy. / Finally, Saul himself left for Ramah and came to the large cistern at Secu, where he asked, “Where are Samuel and David?” “At Naioth in Ramah,” he was told. … Ezekiel 36:27 And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and to carefully observe My ordinances. Treasury of Scripture And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: on my servants. 1 Corinthians 7:21,22 Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather… Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. Colossians 3:11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. and they. Acts 2:17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: Jump to Previous Bondmen Bondservants Bondslaves Bondwomen Forth Handmaidens Maidservants Maid-Servants Menservants Men-Servants Pour Prophesy Prophets Servants Spirit Time Women Women-ServantsJump to Next Bondmen Bondservants Bondslaves Bondwomen Forth Handmaidens Maidservants Maid-Servants Menservants Men-Servants Pour Prophesy Prophets Servants Spirit Time Women Women-ServantsActs 2 1. The apostles, filled with the Holy Spirit, and speaking various languages, 12. are admired by some, and derided by others; 14. whom Peter disproves; 37. he baptizes a great number who were converted; 41. who afterwards devoutly and charitably converse together; 43. the apostles working many miracles, 46. and God daily increasing his church. Even on My menservants and maidservants This phrase highlights the inclusivity of God's promise, extending beyond societal hierarchies. In the ancient world, servants were often considered the lowest social class, yet God promises His Spirit to them as well. This reflects the breaking down of social barriers in the early Christian community, as seen in Galatians 3:28, where Paul states that there is neither slave nor free in Christ. The use of "menservants and maidservants" also echoes Joel 2:29, emphasizing the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. I will pour out My Spirit in those days and they will prophesy Persons / Places / Events 1. The ApostlesThe primary recipients of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, tasked with spreading the Gospel. 2. Jerusalem The location where the events of Pentecost took place, a significant city in Jewish history and the early Christian church. 3. The Holy Spirit The third person of the Trinity, whose outpouring is promised and fulfilled in this passage. 4. Servants (Men and Women) Represents all believers, indicating the inclusivity of God's promise to pour out His Spirit. 5. Pentecost The Jewish festival during which the Holy Spirit was poured out on the believers, marking the birth of the Church. Teaching Points Inclusivity of the Spirit's WorkThe Holy Spirit is poured out on all believers, regardless of gender or social status, highlighting the universal nature of God's promise. Empowerment for Ministry The outpouring of the Spirit equips believers to prophesy and serve, emphasizing the active role of the Spirit in the life of the Church. Fulfillment of Prophecy Acts 2:18 demonstrates the faithfulness of God in fulfilling His promises, encouraging believers to trust in His Word. Equality in Christ The passage underscores the spiritual equality of men and women, challenging cultural norms and promoting unity in the body of Christ. Active Participation in God's Mission Believers are called to be active participants in God's mission, using the gifts of the Spirit to edify the Church and reach the world. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of Acts 2:18?2. How does Acts 2:18 demonstrate the inclusivity of God's Spirit in ministry? 3. What role do "servants" play in the fulfillment of Acts 2:18's prophecy? 4. How does Acts 2:18 connect with Joel's prophecy in Joel 2:28-29? 5. How can we encourage others to embrace their spiritual gifts as in Acts 2:18? 6. In what ways can we recognize God's Spirit working through "servants" today? 7. How does Acts 2:18 support the idea of gender equality in spiritual gifts? 8. Why is prophecy emphasized in Acts 2:18 as a sign of the Holy Spirit's work? 9. How does Acts 2:18 relate to the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Acts 2? 11. Will there be a major revival during the end times? 12. How can 'tongues of fire' (Acts 2:3) be scientifically or physically explained? 13. Does Peter's citation of Joel (Acts 2:16-21) truly match the original prophecy, or is it taken out of context? 14. What is the Holy Spirit's outpouring? What Does Acts 2:18 Mean Even on My menservants and maidservants• The promise sweeps away social and gender barriers. In Christ, “there is neither Jew nor Greek… male nor female” (Galatians 3:28), and this verse announces the same leveling. • The Lord singles out “servants” to underscore that the gift is not earned by status, education, or lineage; it is grace for the lowly as well as the prominent. See 1 Corinthians 1:26-29, where God delights to choose what the world calls weak. • By echoing Joel 2:29, Peter shows the fulfillment has arrived. The same Spirit who empowered prophets like Moses now rests even on household workers and farmhands. I will pour out My Spirit • “Pour out” pictures lavish abundance, not a cautious trickle. Jesus used the same imagery: “Whoever believes in Me… ‘streams of living water will flow from within him.’ He was speaking about the Spirit” (John 7:38-39). • The promise was fulfilled at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). Tongues of fire, a rushing wind, and bold preaching revealed that the Spirit had truly been poured out. • This outpouring inaugurates a new covenant reality foretold in Ezekiel 36:27—God placing His Spirit within His people so they can walk in His statutes. in those days • The phrase ties Pentecost to “the last days” Peter mentions in Acts 2:17. According to Hebrews 1:2, we are already living in these final days; the clock started with Christ’s first coming and will run until His return. • “Those days” stretch across the entire church age, meaning the promise is ongoing, not a one-time historical flash. The same Spirit who fell in Acts 2 remains available today (Acts 2:39). and they will prophesy • Prophecy is Spirit-empowered speech that proclaims God’s truth. It can include foretelling future events (Acts 11:28) but often focuses on forthtelling—encouraging, exhorting, and building up the church (1 Corinthians 14:3). • Both men and women participate. Philip’s four daughters prophesied (Acts 21:9), and Paul urges all believers to “eagerly desire” this gift (1 Corinthians 14:1). • Prophecy remains subordinate to Scripture; it must align with the written Word (1 Thessalonians 5:19-21). Yet genuine Spirit-prompted prophecy keeps the church vibrant and mission-focused. summary Acts 2:18 announces that God’s generous, Spirit-powered ministry is for every believer, regardless of social rank or gender. The same Spirit who drenched the early church continues to flood willing hearts today, empowering us to speak His Word boldly and live holy lives while we await Christ’s return. (18) And on my servants and on my handmaidens . . .--This was the culminating point of the joyous prediction. Not on priests only, or those who had been trained in the schools of the prophets, but on slaves, male and female, should that gift be poured by Him who was no respecter of persons. The life of Amos, the herdsman of Tekoa, the "gatherer of sycomore fruit" (Amos 1:1; Amos 7:14), was, perhaps, the earliest example of the gift so bestowed. The apostolic age must have witnessed many. The fisherman of Galilee, who was now speaking, was the forerunner of thousands in whom the teaching of the Spirit has superseded the training of the schools.Verse 18. - Yea and for and, A.V.; pour forth for pour out, A.V.; in those days will I pour for I will pour... in those days, A.V. And they shall prophesy. These words are not found in the Hebrew or the LXX. The LXX. differ from the Hebrew in the addition of μοῦ after δούλους and δούλας. The Hebrew has merely "the servants and the handmaids," men and women of servile condition.Parallel Commentaries ... Greek Evenγε (ge) Particle Strong's 1065: A primary particle of emphasis or qualification. on ἐπὶ (epi) Preposition Strong's 1909: On, to, against, on the basis of, at. My μου (mou) Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Singular Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I. servants, δούλους (doulous) Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural Strong's 1401: (a) (as adj.) enslaved, (b) (as noun) a (male) slave. From deo; a slave. [both men] and καὶ (kai) Conjunction Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely. [women], δούλας (doulas) Noun - Accusative Feminine Plural Strong's 1399: A female slave, bonds-maid. Feminine of doulos; a female slave. I will pour out ἐκχεῶ (ekcheō) Verb - Future Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular Strong's 1632: Or ekchuno ek-khoo'-no from ek and cheo; to pour forth; figuratively, to bestow. My μου (mou) Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Singular Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I. Spirit Πνεύματός (Pneumatos) Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular Strong's 4151: Wind, breath, spirit. in ἐν (en) Preposition Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc. those ἐκείναις (ekeinais) Demonstrative Pronoun - Dative Feminine Plural Strong's 1565: That, that one there, yonder. From ekei; that one (neuter) thing); often intensified by the article prefixed. days, ἡμέραις (hēmerais) Noun - Dative Feminine Plural Strong's 2250: A day, the period from sunrise to sunset. and καὶ (kai) Conjunction Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely. they will prophesy. προφητεύσουσιν (prophēteusousin) Verb - Future Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural Strong's 4395: From prophetes; to foretell events, divine, speak under inspiration, exercise the prophetic office. Links Acts 2:18 NIVActs 2:18 NLT Acts 2:18 ESV Acts 2:18 NASB Acts 2:18 KJV Acts 2:18 BibleApps.com Acts 2:18 Biblia Paralela Acts 2:18 Chinese Bible Acts 2:18 French Bible Acts 2:18 Catholic Bible NT Apostles: Acts 2:18 Yes and on my servants and (Acts of the Apostles Ac) |
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