Acts 11:20

Acts 11:20

And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus.

a. NLT: However, some of the believers who went to Antioch from Cyprus and Cyrene began preaching to the Gentiles about the Lord Jesus. [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

b. NIV: Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. [THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by Permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.]

c. YLT: and there were certain of them men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who having entered into Antioch, were speaking unto the Hellenists, proclaiming good news -- the Lord Jesus, [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.] 

d. Amplified Bible Classic: But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on returning to Antioch spoke to the Greeks also, proclaiming [to them] the good news (the Gospel) about the Lord Jesus. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

e. Worrell Translation: And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene; who, indeed, having come to Antioch, were speaking to the Greeks also, publishing the glad tidings of the Lord Jesus. [Copyright 1904 by A.S. Worrell. Copyright assigned to the Assemblies of God, Springfield, MO. This edition was published 1980 by the Gospel Publishing House, Springfield, MO 65802. Printed in the U.S.A.]

1. “And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene…”

a. And [Strong: 1161 * de deh a primary particle (adversative or continuative); but, and, etc.:--also, and, but, moreover, now (often unexpressed in English).]

b. some [Strong: 5100 * tis tis an enclitic indefinite pronoun; some or any person or object:--a (kind of), any (man, thing, thing at all), certain (thing), divers, he (every) man, one (X thing), ought, + partly, some (man, -body, - thing, -what), (+ that no-)thing, what(-soever), X wherewith, whom(-soever), whose(-soever).]

c. of [Strong: 1537 * ek ek or ex ex a primary preposition denoting origin (the point whence action or motion proceeds), from, out (of place, time, or cause; literal or figurative; direct or remote):--after, among, X are, at, betwixt(-yond), by (the means of), exceedingly, (+ abundantly above), for(- th), from (among, forth, up), + grudgingly, + heartily, X heavenly, X hereby, + very highly, in, ...ly, (because, by reason) of, off (from), on, out among (from, of), over, since, X thenceforth, through, X unto, X vehemently, with(-out). Often used in composition, with the same general import; often of completion.]

d. them [Strong: 846 * autos ow-tos' from the particle au (perhaps akin to the base of 109 through the idea of a baffling wind) (backward); the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative 1438) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons:--her, it(-self), one, the other, (mine) own, said, (self-), the) same, ((him-, my-, thy- )self, (your-)selves, she, that, their(-s), them(-selves), there(-at, - by, -in, -into, -of, -on, -with), they, (these) things, this (man), those, together, very, which.]

e. were [Strong: 2258 * en ane imperfect of 1510; I (thou, etc.) was (wast or were):--+ agree, be, X have (+ charge of), hold, use, was(-t), were.]

f. men [Strong: 435 * aner an'-ayr a primary word (compare 444); a man (properly as an individual male):--fellow, husband, man, sir.]

g. of Cyprus [Strong: 2954 * Kupros koo'-pros of uncertain origin; Cyprus, an island in the Mediterranean:--Cyprus.]

h. and [Strong: 2532 * kai kahee apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:--and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

i. Cyrene [Strong: 2956 * Kurenaios koo-ray-nah'-yos from 2957; i.e. Cyrenaean, i.e. inhabitant of Cyrene:--of Cyrene, Cyrenian.]

2. “…which, when they were come to Antioch spake unto the Grecians…”

a. which [Strong: 3748 * hostis hos'-tis, including the feminine hetis hay'-tis, and the neuter ho,ti hot'-ee from 3739 and 5100; which some, i.e. any that; also (definite) which same:--X and (they), (such) as, (they) that, in that they, what(-soever), whereas ye, (they) which, who(-soever).]

b. when they were come [1525 * eiserchomai ice-er'-khom-ahee from 1519 and 2064; to enter (literally or figuratively):--X arise, come (in, into), enter in(-to), go in (through).]

c. to Antioch [Strongs: 490 * Antiocheia an-tee-okh'-i-ah from Antiochus (a Syrian king); Antiochia, a place in Syria:--Antioch.]

d. spake [Strong: 2980 * laleo lal-eh'-o a prolonged form of an otherwise obsolete verb; to talk, i.e. utter words:--preach, say, speak (after), talk, tell, utter.]

e. unto [Strong: 4314 * pros pros a strengthened form of 4253; a preposition of direction; forward to, i.e. toward (with the genitive case, the side of, i.e. pertaining to; with the dative case, by the side of, i.e. near to; usually with the accusative case, the place, time, occasion, or respect, which is the destination of the relation, i.e. whither or for which it is predicated):--about, according to , against, among, at, because of, before, between, (where-)by, for, X at thy house, in, for intent, nigh unto, of, which pertain to, that, to (the end that), X together, to (you) -ward, unto, with(-in). In the comparative case, it denotes essentially the same applications, namely, motion towards, accession to, or nearness at.]

f. the [Strong: 3588. [tous] ὁ ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.] [Thayer: [tous] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.] [Additional variants: tē, hoi, oi, tēn,ta, tēs,tois, tō, tōn, hé  hē, hai ]

g. Grecians [Strong: 1675 * Hellenistes hel-lay-nis-tace' from a derivative of 1672; a Hellenist or Greek-speaking Jew:--Grecian.] [Zodhiates: a Jew by birth or religion who speaks Greek; used chiefly of foreign Jews and proselytes whether converted to Christianity or not, and in later editions Hellenas.] 

1). The Book of Acts, Stanley M. Horton, p140, Note 4.: “Many ancient manuscripts  have the word here for “Greek speakers” which is sometimes used for Greek speaking Jews, but in the context it clearly means Greek-speaking Gentiles.”

2). The Acts of the Apostles, Robert E. Tourville, p.217. “Some believers were so zealous for Christ that they could not limit their witness to Jews alone. These were from Cyprus and Cyrene. They “began speaking to the Greeks (Hellenas) also.” There are variants to this reading among the MSS but this is doubtless the correct text from manuscript evidence; also because the text would be pointless if these believers spoke to Greek-speaking Jews (hellenistas, 6:1). It is evident that this witnessing was a departure from the “Jews only” of the preceeding verse.”

3). Note DC: I have to believe as the two above scholars have written. Not only that, but it is here that Barnabas after seeing what was happening in Antioch, went to Tarsus to find Saul. Why? Because he knew that Saul’s ministry was to the Gentiles.

4). The Peshitta Translation of Acts 11:19, 20 is clearer. 

a). Peshitta: Acts 11:19, 20 Now those who had been dispersed by the persecution which occurred on account of Stephen traveled  as far as Phoenicia and even to the land of Cyprus and to Antioch, preaching the word to none but to the Jews only.

11:20 But there were some men among them from Cyprus and from Cyrene; these men entered into Antioch  and spoke to the Greeks and preached concerning our Lord Jesus.

5). The same God that gave the Gentile Cornelius a vision to send for Peter, gave Peter the vision of the animals to eat, also led these believers to speak to Gentiles. It was the will of God that Jews and Gentiles would be part of the same body of believers as the Jews.

a). Ephesians 3:1-8 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,

3:2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:

3:3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,

3:4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)

3:5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;

3:6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:

3:7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.

3:8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;

3. “…preaching the Lord Jesus.”

a. preaching [Strong: 2097 * euaggelizo yoo-ang-ghel-id'-zo from 2095 and 32; to announce good news ("evangelize") especially the gospel:--declare, bring (declare, show) glad (good) tidings, preach (the gospel).]

b. the [Strong: 3588. [ton] ὁ ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.] [Thayer: [ton] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.] [Additional variants: tē, hoi, oi, tēn,ta, tēs,tois, tō, tōn, hé  hē, hai ]

c. Lord [Strong: 2962 * kurios koo'-ree-os from kuros (supremacy); supreme in authority, i.e. (as noun) controller; by implication, Master (as a respectful title):-- God, Lord, master, Sir.]

d. Jesus [Strong: 2424 * Iesous ee-ay-sooce' of Hebrew origin (3091); Jesus (i.e. Jehoshua), the name of our Lord and two (three) other Israelites:--Jesus.]