Acts 2:8
New International Version
Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language?

New Living Translation
and yet we hear them speaking in our own native languages!

English Standard Version
And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language?

Berean Standard Bible
How is it then that each of us hears them in his own native language?

Berean Literal Bible
And how do we each hear our own language in which we were born?

King James Bible
And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?

New King James Version
And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born?

New American Standard Bible
And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born?

NASB 1995
“And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born?

NASB 1977
“And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born?

Legacy Standard Bible
And how is it that we each hear them in our own language in which we were born?

Amplified Bible
Then how is it that each of us hears in our own language or native dialect?

Christian Standard Bible
How is it that each of us can hear them in our own native language?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
How is it that each of us can hear in our own native language?

American Standard Version
And how hear we, every man in our own language wherein we were born?

Contemporary English Version
Then why do we hear them speaking our very own languages?

English Revised Version
And how hear we, every man in our own language, wherein we were born?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Why do we hear them speaking in our native dialects?

Good News Translation
How is it, then, that all of us hear them speaking in our own native languages?

International Standard Version
So how is it that each one of us hears them speaking in his own native language:

Majority Standard Bible
How is it then that each of us hears them in his own native language?

NET Bible
And how is it that each one of us hears them in our own native language?

New Heart English Bible
How do we hear, everyone in our own native language?

Webster's Bible Translation
And how do we hear every man in our own language, wherein we were born?

Weymouth New Testament
How then does each of us hear his own native language spoken by them?

World English Bible
How do we hear, everyone in our own native language?
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And how do we hear, each in our proper dialect, in which we were born?

Berean Literal Bible
And how do we each hear our own language in which we were born?

Young's Literal Translation
and how do we hear, each in our proper dialect, in which we were born?

Smith's Literal Translation
And how hear we each in our own dialect, in which we were born?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And how have we heard, every man our own tongue wherein we were born?

Catholic Public Domain Version
And how is it that we have each heard them in our own language, into which we were born?

New American Bible
Then how does each of us hear them in his own native language?

New Revised Standard Version
And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language?
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
How is it that we hear every man in our own native language?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
“How are we hearing, everyone, his own dialect in which we were born?”
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
And how is it that we hear, every one in our own language in which we were born?

Godbey New Testament
And how do we hear each one in our own dialect in which we were born,

Haweis New Testament
And how do we hear every man in our own peculiar dialect, in which from our birth we were brought up?

Mace New Testament
how comes it then that we hear every man talking in our own native tongue?

Weymouth New Testament
How then does each of us hear his own native language spoken by them?

Worrell New Testament
And how do we hear, each in our own language in which we were born;

Worsley New Testament
and how do we every one hear them in our own native tongue?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Holy Spirit at Pentecost
7Astounded and amazed, they asked, “Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? 8 How is it then that each of us hears them in his own native language? 9Parthians, Medes, and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,…

Cross References
Genesis 11:7-9
Come, let Us go down and confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.” / So the LORD scattered them from there over the face of all the earth, and they stopped building the city. / That is why it is called Babel, for there the LORD confused the language of the whole world, and from that place the LORD scattered them over the face of all the earth.

Isaiah 28:11
Indeed, with mocking lips and foreign tongues, He will speak to this people

1 Corinthians 14:21
It is written in the Law: “By strange tongues and foreign lips I will speak to this people, but even then they will not listen to Me, says the Lord.”

Zephaniah 3:9
For then I will restore pure lips to the peoples, that all may call upon the name of the LORD and serve Him shoulder to shoulder.

Deuteronomy 28:49
The LORD will bring a nation from afar, from the ends of the earth, to swoop down upon you like an eagle—a nation whose language you will not understand,

Isaiah 33:19
You will no longer see the insolent, a people whose speech is unintelligible, who stammer in a language you cannot understand.

Jeremiah 5:15
Behold, I am bringing a distant nation against you, O house of Israel,” declares the LORD. “It is an established nation, an ancient nation, a nation whose language you do not know and whose speech you do not understand.

1 Corinthians 12:10
to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in various tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.

1 Corinthians 12:28
And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, and those with gifts of healing, helping, administration, and various tongues.

1 Corinthians 12:30
Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?

Mark 16:17
And these signs will accompany those who believe: In My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;

Acts 10:46
For they heard them speaking in tongues and exalting God. Then Peter said,

Acts 19:6
And when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.

Romans 15:19
by the power of signs and wonders, and by the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.

1 Corinthians 14:2
For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men, but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries in the Spirit.


Treasury of Scripture

And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?

Jump to Previous
Born Dialect Hear Hearing Hears Language Native Ours Proper Tongue Wherein Words
Jump to Next
Born Dialect Hear Hearing Hears Language Native Ours Proper Tongue Wherein Words
Acts 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.














How is it
This phrase reflects the astonishment and bewilderment of the crowd witnessing the event. The Greek word used here, "πῶς" (pōs), indicates a sense of wonder and inquiry. It suggests that the observers are grappling with an unexpected phenomenon that defies their understanding. This moment is pivotal as it marks the fulfillment of Jesus' promise of the Holy Spirit, demonstrating God's power and the breaking of human limitations.

that each of us
The phrase emphasizes the inclusivity of the event. The Greek word "ἡμεῖς" (hēmeis) is used, which means "we" or "us," indicating that the experience was shared by all present, regardless of their background. This highlights the universal nature of the Gospel message, which transcends cultural and linguistic barriers, uniting diverse peoples under the message of Christ.

hears them
The act of hearing is central to this verse. The Greek word "ἀκούομεν" (akouomen) is used, meaning "we hear." This implies not just the physical act of hearing but also understanding and receiving the message. It signifies the work of the Holy Spirit in enabling comprehension and acceptance of the Gospel, a divine intervention that allows the message to penetrate hearts and minds.

in our own
This phrase underscores the personal and intimate nature of the experience. The Greek word "ἡμετέρα" (hēmeteros) means "our own," indicating possession and familiarity. It suggests that God meets individuals where they are, speaking to them in a way that is personal and relatable, thus making the message of salvation accessible to everyone.

native language
The term "native language" is translated from the Greek "διαλέκτῳ" (dialektō), which refers to a dialect or language specific to a region or people. This highlights the miraculous nature of the event, as the apostles, unlearned in these languages, were empowered by the Holy Spirit to speak them fluently. It signifies the reversal of the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11), where language was a barrier, now transformed into a means of unity and understanding through the Spirit's work.

(8) And how hear we every man in our own tongue?--We have here, it is obvious, a composite utterance, in which the writer embodies the manifold expressions which came from those who represented the several nationalities that are afterwards enumerated.

Verse 8. - Language for tongue, A.V. Language (διαλέκτῳ, as in Acts 1:19). It only occurs in the New Testament in the Acts, and may mean either language or dialect. Here it is properly rendered language, and is synonymous with γλώσσαις in ver. 11.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
How is it then that
πῶς (pōs)
Adverb
Strong's 4459: Adverb from the base of pou; an interrogative particle of manner; in what way?; also as exclamation, how much!

each
ἕκαστος (hekastos)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1538: Each (of more than two), every one. As if a superlative of hekas; each or every.

of us
ἡμεῖς (hēmeis)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person Plural
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

hears [them]
ἀκούομεν (akouomen)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural
Strong's 191: To hear, listen, comprehend by hearing; pass: is heard, reported. A primary verb; to hear.

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.

his
ἡμῶν (hēmōn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Plural
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

own
ἰδίᾳ (idia)
Adjective - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 2398: Pertaining to self, i.e. One's own; by implication, private or separate.

native
ἐγεννήθημεν (egennēthēmen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 1st Person Plural
Strong's 1080: From a variation of genos; to procreate; figuratively, to regenerate.

language?
διαλέκτῳ (dialektō)
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 1258: Language, speech, conversation, manner of speaking. From dialegomai; a discourse, i.e. 'dialect'.


Links
Acts 2:8 NIV
Acts 2:8 NLT
Acts 2:8 ESV
Acts 2:8 NASB
Acts 2:8 KJV

Acts 2:8 BibleApps.com
Acts 2:8 Biblia Paralela
Acts 2:8 Chinese Bible
Acts 2:8 French Bible
Acts 2:8 Catholic Bible

NT Apostles: Acts 2:8 How do we hear everyone in our (Acts of the Apostles Ac)
Acts 2:7
Top of Page
Top of Page