Acts 19:7
New International Version
There were about twelve men in all.

New Living Translation
There were about twelve men in all.

English Standard Version
There were about twelve men in all.

Berean Standard Bible
There were about twelve men in all.

Berean Literal Bible
And there were in all about twelve men.

King James Bible
And all the men were about twelve.

New King James Version
Now the men were about twelve in all.

New American Standard Bible
There were about twelve men in all.

NASB 1995
There were in all about twelve men.

NASB 1977
And there were in all about twelve men.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now there were in all about twelve men.

Amplified Bible
There were about twelve men in all.

Christian Standard Bible
Now there were about twelve men in all.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Now there were about 12 men in all.

American Standard Version
And they were in all about twelve men.

Contemporary English Version
There were about twelve men in this group.

English Revised Version
And they were in all about twelve men.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
About twelve men were in the group.

Good News Translation
They were about twelve men in all.

International Standard Version
There were about twelve men in all.

Majority Standard Bible
There were about twelve men in all.

NET Bible
(Now there were about twelve men in all.)

New Heart English Bible
They were about twelve men in all.

Webster's Bible Translation
And all the men were about twelve.

Weymouth New Testament
They numbered in all about twelve men.

World English Bible
They were about twelve men in all.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and all the men were, as it were, twelve.

Berean Literal Bible
And there were in all about twelve men.

Young's Literal Translation
and all the men were, as it were, twelve.

Smith's Literal Translation
And all the men were about twelve.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And all the men were about twelve.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Now the men were about twelve in all.

New American Bible
Altogether there were about twelve men.

New Revised Standard Version
altogether there were about twelve of them.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And there were in all twelve persons.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But they were all of twelve men.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
And all the men were about twelve.

Godbey New Testament
And they were all about twelve men.

Haweis New Testament
And the men were in all about twelve.

Mace New Testament
the number of them being about twelve.

Weymouth New Testament
They numbered in all about twelve men.

Worrell New Testament
And all the men were about twelve.

Worsley New Testament
And he went into the synagogue,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Holy Spirit Received at Ephesus
6And when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. 7 There were about twelve men in all. 8Then Paul went into the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God.…

Cross References
Acts 1:15
In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (a gathering of about a hundred and twenty) and said,

Acts 2:41
Those who embraced his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to the believers that day.

Acts 4:4
But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand.

Acts 10:44-48
While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard his message. / All the circumcised believers who had accompanied Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. / For they heard them speaking in tongues and exalting God. Then Peter said, ...

Acts 11:15-17
As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, just as He had fallen upon us at the beginning. / Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ / So if God gave them the same gift He gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to hinder the work of God?”

Acts 13:2
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

Acts 18:8
Crispus, the synagogue leader, and his whole household believed in the Lord. And many of the Corinthians who heard the message believed and were baptized.

Acts 20:28
Keep watch over yourselves and the entire flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood.

Acts 21:20
When they heard this, they glorified God. Then they said to Paul, “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law.

1 Corinthians 12:13
For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free, and we were all given one Spirit to drink.

Ephesians 4:4-6
There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; / one Lord, one faith, one baptism; / one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Matthew 3:11
I baptize you with water for repentance, but after me will come One more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

Luke 3:16
John answered all of them: “I baptize you with water, but One more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

John 1:33
I myself did not know Him, but the One who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is He who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’

Numbers 11:25
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.


Treasury of Scripture

And all the men were about twelve.

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Numbered Twelve
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Numbered Twelve
Acts 19
1. The Holy Spirit is given by Paul's hands.
8. The Jews blaspheme his doctrine, which is confirmed by miracles.
13. The Jewish exorcists,
16. are beaten by a man who had an evil spirit.
19. Conjuring books are burnt.
21. Demetrius, for love of gain, raises an uproar against Paul;
35. which is appeased by the town clerk.














There were about
The phrase "about" suggests an approximation, indicating that the exact number might not have been precisely counted or deemed crucial for the narrative. This reflects the common practice in ancient texts where exact numbers were often less significant than the general idea or message being conveyed. The use of "about" also highlights the focus on the event's significance rather than the specific details.

twelve men
The number twelve holds significant biblical symbolism, often representing completeness or the people of God. In the Old Testament, there were twelve tribes of Israel, and in the New Testament, Jesus chose twelve apostles. This number could symbolize a new beginning or a continuation of God's work through a complete group, echoing the foundational role of the twelve apostles in the early church. The presence of twelve men here may suggest a parallel to the twelve apostles, indicating a new phase of ministry or a foundational group for the spread of the Gospel in Ephesus.

in all
The phrase "in all" emphasizes the totality and unity of the group. It suggests that these men were collectively significant in the context of the narrative. This unity could be seen as a reflection of the early Christian community's emphasis on fellowship and shared mission. The mention of their total number underscores their role as a cohesive group, possibly indicating their collective impact on the spread of Christianity in the region. This unity is a recurring theme in the Acts of the Apostles, where the early church is often depicted as a unified body working together for the Gospel.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Paul
The apostle who is central to the events in Acts 19. He is on his third missionary journey, spreading the Gospel and establishing churches.

2. Ephesus
A major city in Asia Minor where Paul encounters the twelve men. It was known for its temple to Artemis and was a significant center for early Christianity.

3. Twelve Men
A group of disciples in Ephesus who had received John's baptism but had not yet received the Holy Spirit until Paul laid hands on them.

4. John's Baptism
Refers to the baptism of repentance that John the Baptist preached, which these men had received.

5. Holy Spirit
The third person of the Trinity, whose indwelling presence is a mark of the New Covenant and was received by the twelve men after Paul's intervention.
Teaching Points
The Importance of the Holy Spirit
The passage highlights the necessity of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer. Without the Holy Spirit, the twelve men were incomplete in their faith journey.

Transition from Old to New Covenant
The experience of the twelve men illustrates the transition from the baptism of repentance (John's baptism) to the baptism of the Holy Spirit, signifying the New Covenant in Christ.

Role of Discipleship
Paul's role in guiding these men to a fuller understanding of their faith underscores the importance of discipleship and teaching in the Christian community.

Unity in the Body of Christ
The number twelve may symbolize completeness and unity, reflecting the unity that the Holy Spirit brings to the body of Christ.(7) And all the men were about twelve.--Better, The men were in all about twelve. The whole narrative seems to imply that they were not individual cases, occurring here and there from time to time, but were living together as a kind of ascetic community, attending the meetings of the Church, yet not sharing the fulness of its life.

Verse 7. - They were in all about twelve men for all the men were about twelve, A.V.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
There were
ἦσαν (ēsan)
Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

about
ὡσεὶ (hōsei)
Adverb
Strong's 5616: As if, as it were, like; with numbers: about. From hos and ei; as if.

twelve
δώδεκα (dōdeka)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 1427: Twelve; the usual way in which the Twelve apostles of Jesus are referred to. From duo and deka; two and ten, i.e. A dozen.

men
ἄνδρες (andres)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 435: A male human being; a man, husband. A primary word; a man.

in all.
πάντες (pantes)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3956: All, the whole, every kind of. Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole.


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NT Apostles: Acts 19:7 They were about twelve men in all (Acts of the Apostles Ac)
Acts 19:6
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