Acts 14:9 kjv
The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed,
Acts 14:9 nkjv
This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed,
Acts 14:9 niv
He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed
Acts 14:9 esv
He listened to Paul speaking. And Paul, looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to be made well,
Acts 14:9 nlt
and listening as Paul preached. Looking straight at him, Paul realized he had faith to be healed.
Acts 14 9 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 1:3 | And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. | God's word creates. |
| 1 Sam 16:7 | ...for the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” | God perceives the inner condition. |
| Psa 107:20 | He sent out his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave. | God's word brings healing and deliverance. |
| Isa 55:11 | ...so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty...accomplish what I desire...prosper... | God's word is effective and powerful. |
| Mt 9:22 | Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has made you well.” | Faith preceding physical healing. |
| Mt 9:28-29 | Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you”; and their eyes were opened. | Healing directly tied to the recipient's faith. |
| Mk 5:34 | He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed...” | Jesus commends and connects healing to faith. |
| Mk 6:5-6 | He could not do any miracles there...except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their lack of faith. | Lack of faith hindering miracles. |
| Lk 5:24-25 | ...“I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” Immediately he stood up... | Jesus demonstrates divine authority to heal. |
| Lk 17:19 | Then Jesus said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” | Faith as the condition for healing. |
| Lk 18:42 | Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.” | Blind man's faith bringing sight. |
| Jn 5:8-9 | Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” At once the man was cured... | Jesus' command instantly brings wholeness. |
| Acts 3:16 | By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong...the faith that comes through Jesus has given him complete wholeness... | Healing through faith in Jesus' name. |
| Acts 4:29-30 | Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness...that signs and wonders may be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” | Prayer for signs to accompany bold preaching. |
| Acts 5:1-11 | Peter discerning the lie of Ananias and Sapphira. | Apostolic spiritual discernment. |
| Acts 8:6 | When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention... | Hearing and seeing leading to belief. |
| Acts 13:8-10 | Paul discerning the evil of Elymas. | Paul's spiritual insight into people. |
| Acts 15:12 | The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. | Signs and wonders confirming apostolic ministry. |
| Rom 1:16 | For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes... | Gospel as the power of God for salvation/wholeness. |
| Rom 15:18-19 | ...what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done— by the power of signs and wonders, through the power of the Spirit of God. | Signs and wonders confirm Paul's ministry. |
| 1 Cor 12:7-10 | ...to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits... | Gifts of the Spirit, including discernment and healing. |
| 2 Cor 12:12 | I persevered in displaying among you the marks of a true apostle, including signs, wonders and miracles. | Miracles validate apostolic calling. |
| Heb 2:4 | God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. | God confirms His message through signs. |
Acts 14 verses
Acts 14 9 Meaning
This verse describes a pivotal moment during Paul's ministry in Lystra. It shows a crippled man, lame from birth, intently listening to Paul preach the Gospel. Through a discerning, focused gaze, Paul perceived a genuine faith in the man's heart – a faith specifically to receive healing from God. This spiritual insight enabled Paul to act, leading to the man's miraculous healing in the subsequent verse. It underscores the essential role of hearing the Word, divine discernment, and personal faith in God's manifest power.
Acts 14 9 Context
Acts chapter 14 describes Paul and Barnabas's missionary journey through the regions of Iconium and Lystra. After facing persecution and attempted stoning in Iconium (Acts 14:1-7), they fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities in Lycaonia, where they continued to preach the Gospel. Lystra was a Roman colony, but its populace was largely rustic and retained local traditions, including the worship of Greek deities. The events of verse 9 immediately follow the introduction of a man who had been crippled from birth and had never walked (Acts 14:8). This verse sets the stage for a miraculous healing, which profoundly impacted the people of Lystra, leading them initially to worship Paul and Barnabas as gods, a stark demonstration of the clash between pagan idolatry and the power of the one true God.
Acts 14 9 Word analysis
- He was listening (ἀκούων - akouōn): This present participle implies continuous action, not just a casual hearing but an attentive and ongoing reception of Paul's message. It suggests a receptive heart and an engagement with the preached word.
- to Paul as he spoke (τοῦ λαλοῦντος - tou lalountos): Emphasizes Paul's verbal declaration of the Gospel. It was the content of Paul's message, likely concerning Jesus Christ, His resurrection, and the power of God, that was being absorbed by the man.
- Paul looked directly at him (ἀτενίσας - atenisas): This Greek word is strong, meaning to fix one's eyes upon, to gaze intently, or to stare. It signifies a concentrated and purposeful look. Paul's gaze here suggests a moment of divine revelation or spiritual discernment rather than mere observation. It reflects the Holy Spirit guiding Paul's attention to this specific individual.
- saw (ἰδὼν - idōn): From horao, to see, but in this context, coupled with "looked directly," it implies a spiritual insight or a knowing perception. Paul "saw" not just the man's physical lameness but his inner spiritual state and receptivity.
- that he had faith (ὅτι πίστιν εἶχεν - hoti pistin eichen): "Faith" (pistis) is a foundational New Testament concept. It signifies a trusting belief, a conviction, and reliance on God's power and promises. Paul perceived this internal disposition, not necessarily through words or overt actions from the man, but through divine revelation or observation of his sincere responsiveness to the Word.
- to be healed (σωθῆναι - sōthēnai): From the verb sōzō. While sōzō most commonly means "to save" (spiritually), it also carries the meaning of "to be made well," "to be cured," or "to be made whole" physically. In this specific context, it clearly refers to physical restoration. The passive voice indicates that the healing is something done to him by God, not something he effects himself, though his faith is the channel through which he receives it.
- "He was listening...as he spoke": This highlights the foundational role of hearing the Word of God (Rom 10:17). The man's receptive listening was crucial; faith comes by hearing.
- "Paul looked directly at him, saw...faith": This shows Paul's spiritual sensitivity and reliance on the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 12:7-11). It was not just Paul's human observation but a Spirit-given discernment that enabled him to perceive the man's faith, providing the cue for the subsequent command. This immediate spiritual perception demonstrates the authentic work of an apostle led by God.
- "faith to be healed": This specifies the object and nature of the man's faith. It was a focused faith, not a general belief in God, but a specific belief in God's power to heal him through Paul's ministry. It implies the man grasped the possibility and was ready to receive a miracle based on Paul's preaching. This distinguishes genuine faith from mere hope or a wish.
Acts 14 9 Bonus section
The passive voice of "to be healed" (σωθῆναι - sōthēnai) emphasizes that God is the primary agent of healing, acting upon the man, while the man's faith serves as the necessary receptivity. The healing itself, described in Acts 14:10, directly validates Paul's preaching and confirms the divine origin of his message in the eyes of the Lystrans. This public miracle serves as an undeniable sign, proving that the God Paul preached was real and powerful, contrasting sharply with the impotent local deities and setting the stage for the dramatic reaction of the crowd who then mistook Barnabas and Paul for pagan gods (Zeus and Hermes) in their attempt to offer sacrifices.
Acts 14 9 Commentary
Acts 14:9 provides a powerful snapshot of God's sovereign work intersecting with human responsiveness and Spirit-empowered ministry. The verse reveals that the Word of God, as preached by Paul, has an intrinsic power to generate faith. As the crippled man intently absorbed Paul's message, a living faith began to stir within him, a specific belief in God's ability to heal his physical condition. Paul, guided by the Holy Spirit, did not act arbitrarily. His intense gaze was an act of spiritual discernment, enabling him to perceive the man's ready heart. This highlights that while God is always able, His miraculous power often flows through the channel of receptive faith and is sometimes discerned and activated by those ministering under divine anointing. This interplay between the preached Word, the Holy Spirit's discernment, and individual faith is a recurring pattern in biblical healing accounts, illustrating that miracles are not just displays of raw power but are connected to the spiritual principles of the Kingdom.