Acts 4:27 Meaning and Explanation
“For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The believers name the fulfillment: Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, gathered together against God's holy servant Jesus, whom he anointed.
What Does Acts 4:27 Mean?
The prayer lays recent history over the psalm, and the lines match: Herod and Pilate — rivals made friends by the trial (Luke 23:12) — with Gentiles and Israel together, every category of human power combined against 'thy holy child Jesus.'
The word for 'child' means both child and servant; it is the title of the Lord's Servant in Isaiah (Isaiah 52:13), the one anointed and obedient through suffering. The whole machinery of the world aligned against one Man, and he is the only figure in the scene God calls holy. Opposition to Jesus is old, organized — and already written down.
Acts 4:27 in the Original Language
pais (παῖς), 'child' -- a word meaning both child and servant, the title of the Lord's Servant in Isaiah.
Frequently Asked Questions About Acts 4:27
What does Acts 4:27 mean?
The believers name the fulfillment: Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, gathered together against God's holy servant Jesus, whom he anointed.