And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
Read it in contextPeter explains the event
Start reading at Acts 2:14 (Acts 2:14 to Acts 2:36).
An editorial reading unit, not a claim that the surrounding context stops here. Book background below applies to the shared passage; individual verses may need more specific explanation.
Peter connects the event with Joel and proclaims Jesus' resurrection and exaltation, bringing his hearers to recognize the seriousness of their response to Him.
2:14But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:
2:15For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.
2:16But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
2:17And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
2:18And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
2:19And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
2:20The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:
2:21And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
2:22Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:
2:23Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
2:24Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.
2:25For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:
2:26Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:
2:27Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
2:28Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.
2:29Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.
2:30Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;
2:31He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.
2:32This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
2:33Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.
2:34For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,
2:35Until I make thy foes thy footstool.
2:36Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
Study content, not yet reviewed.
Who
Who wrote the book? Luke, the physician and companion of Paul, is the traditional author of Acts and the Gospel of Luke. Biblical references: Acts 1:1; Luke 1:3; Colossians 4:14. Historical source: Anchor Bible Dictionary, Luke–Acts. traditionally held
Who was present or being addressed in this passage? Peter, standing with the eleven, addresses the Jerusalem hearers as men of Judaea, inhabitants of Jerusalem, men of Israel, and the house of Israel. Passage: Acts 2:14–36. stated in the text
Who was the book written to? Theophilus, the same named recipient as Luke's Gospel, with the account also serving the wider Christian readership. Biblical references: Acts 1:1; Luke 1:3. stated in the text
What
What is the topic of this reading unit? Peter explains the event. Read Acts 2:14 through Acts 2:36 as a connected unit. interpretation
How does it contribute to the book? Peter connects the event with Joel and proclaims Jesus' resurrection and exaltation, bringing his hearers to recognize the seriousness of their response to Him. interpretation
When
When are the events or message set? Acts begins after Jesus' resurrection and follows the witness through Pentecost, expansion among peoples, and Paul's arrival in Rome. It does not give a final publication date. book background
Where
What is the book’s geographic setting? The movement extends from Jerusalem through Judea and Samaria toward wider regions and Rome, as announced in Acts 1:8. book background
Where does the context start?
This passage sits in Peter explains the event (Acts 2:14 to Acts 2:36).
Start reading at Acts 2:14. An editorial reading unit, not a claim that the surrounding context stops here. Book background below applies to the shared passage; individual verses may need more specific explanation.
How
How does this book connect with Jesus Christ? The risen Jesus commissions the witnesses, and their preaching centers on Him. The accounts include repentance, baptism in Jesus' name, and reception of the Holy Ghost; keep the details and order stated for each event. See Acts 1:8, Acts 2:38, Acts 10:44, Acts 10:48, Acts 19:5, Acts 19:6. interpretation
How should this book guide our response? Compare conversion accounts carefully, preserving what each one actually narrates. Do not invent an omitted detail or flatten every episode into an identical sequence. interpretation
What Scripture saysThe book opens by referring to the author's former treatise to Theophilus, tying it to Luke, and shifts into first-person plural in the travel accounts. Acts 1:1Acts 16:10
Early traditionEarly testimony names Luke.
What is debatedThe name is not in the text.
Old Testament prophecy and New Testament fulfillment
The notes distinguish explicit fulfillment statements from other explicit New Testament applications. They do not assume every detail of the surrounding prophecy has already been fulfilled.
Peter explicitly identifies the Pentecost outpouring with Joel's words and then tells his hearers to repent and be baptized in Jesus Christ's name, with the promise of the Holy Ghost. This connection does not assume every cosmic sign in Joel occurred on that day.
Cross references from CrossReferences-org (CC BY 4.0).
Time covered by Acts
About 30 years
AD 30 or 33Approximate beginning · Acts 1
The risen Jesus instructs His apostles
Acts begins after Jesus’ resurrection and describes His ascension.
About AD 62Approximate ending · Acts 28
Paul teaches while confined in Rome
The account closes with Paul receiving visitors and teaching during two full years in his rented lodging.
The narrative moves from Jerusalem to Rome over roughly three decades. Chapters do not represent equal amounts of time.
View historical notes and sources
Using a beginning in AD 30 or 33 and an ending around AD 62 gives approximately 29–32 years. These are reconstructed dates for the events, not a date for the writing of Acts. The book does not explicitly total its elapsed years.
See how this passage fits the chapter and the book.
Acts 2
Prefilled outline, not yet reviewed.
Acts addresses Theophilus as a continuation of the earlier account and follows the witnesses empowered by the Holy Ghost. Acts 1:8 supplies an important geographical frame: Jerusalem, Judaea and Samaria, and the uttermost part of the earth.
Connection to the wholeThe gathered believers are filled with the Holy Ghost and speak with other tongues, drawing a crowd whose questions lead into Peter's explanation.
Connection to the wholePeter connects the event with Joel and proclaims Jesus' resurrection and exaltation, bringing his hearers to recognize the seriousness of their response to Him.
Connection to the wholePeter answers the convicted hearers with repentance and baptism in Jesus Christ's name for remission of sins and the promise of the Holy Ghost.
Connection to the wholeThose who receive the word continue in the apostles' doctrine and common life, showing the ongoing setting of the church after their initial response.
interpretation
Suggested literary divisions. Headings summarize the passage; they are not part of the biblical text.
Acts
Prefilled outline, not yet reviewed.
Acts addresses Theophilus as a continuation of the earlier account and follows the witnesses empowered by the Holy Ghost. Acts 1:8 supplies an important geographical frame: Jerusalem, Judaea and Samaria, and the uttermost part of the earth.
Connection to the wholeJesus' promise, the coming of the Holy Ghost, Peter's preaching, and the hearers' response establish the beginning of the church's witness.
Connection to the wholePersecution scatters believers; new fields open, Saul is called, and the reception of Gentiles becomes a matter publicly explained to the church.
Connection to the wholeThe first missionary journey and the Jerusalem deliberation address the place of Gentile believers without making circumcision the entrance requirement.
Connection to the wholePaul and his companions travel through new regions and revisit churches, moving toward the journey to Jerusalem despite coming danger.
Connection to the wholePaul's custody becomes a setting for witness before authorities and brings him to Rome, where the account closes with continued proclamation.
interpretation
Suggested literary divisions. Headings summarize the passage; they are not part of the biblical text.