Acts 2:6

Amplified Bible

And when this sound was heard, a crowd gathered, and they were bewildered because each one was hearing those in the upper room speaking in his own language or dialect.

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
A large crowd came together because they heard the noise. They were surprised because, as the apostles were speaking, everyone heard in their own language.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
When this was noysed aboute the multitude came to gether and were astonyed because that every man hearde the speake his awne touge.

Hebrew Names Version
When this sound was heard, the multitude came together, and were bewildered, because everyone heard them speaking in his own language.

International Standard Version
When that sound came, the crowd rushed together and was startled because each one heard the disciplesthem">[fn] speaking in his own language.

New American Standard Bible
And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together and they were bewildered, because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language.

New Century Version
When they heard this noise, a crowd came together. They were all surprised, because each one heard them speaking in his own language.

Update Bible Version
And when this sound was heard, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because every man heard them speaking in his own language.

Webster's Bible Translation
Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because every man heard them speak in his own language.

English Standard Version
And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language.

World English Bible
When this sound was heard, the multitude came together, and were bewildered, because everyone heard them speaking in his own language.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together and were confounded, because every man heard them speaking in his own language.

Weymouth's New Testament
So when this noise was heard, they came crowding together, and were amazed because everyone heard his own language spoken.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And whanne this vois was maad, the multitude cam togidere, and thei weren astonyed in thouyt, for ech man herde hem spekinge in his langage.

English Revised Version
And when this sound was heard, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speaking in his own language.

Berean Standard Bible
And when this sound rang out, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking his own language.

Contemporary English Version
And when they heard this noise, a crowd gathered. But they were surprised, because they were hearing everything in their own languages.

American Standard Version
And when this sound was heard, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speaking in his own language.

Bible in Basic English
And when this sound came to their ears, they all came together, and were greatly surprised because every man was hearing the words of the disciples in his special language.

Complete Jewish Bible
When they heard this sound, a crowd gathered; they were confused, because each one heard the believers speaking in his own language.

Darby Translation
But the rumour of this having spread, the multitude came together and were confounded, because each one heard them speaking in his own dialect.

Etheridge Translation
And when that voice was made, the whole people assembled and were perturbed, because every man of them heard as they spoke in their (several) tongues.

Murdock Translation
And when that sound occurred, all the people collected together; and they were agitated, because they every one heard them speaking in their own languages.

King James Version (1611)
Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that euery man heard them speake in his owne language.

New Living Translation
When they heard the loud noise, everyone came running, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers.

New Life Bible
When they heard this strange sound, they gathered together. They all listened! It was hard for them to believe they were hearing words in their own language.

New Revised Standard
And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Nowe when this was noised, the multitude came together and were astonied, because that euery man heard them speake his owne language.

George Lamsa Translation
And as the sound took place, all the people gathered together, and they were confused because every man heard them speak in his own language.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And this sound occurring the throng came together and was thrown into confusion, because each one severally heard in his own language them who were speaking;

Douay-Rheims Bible
And when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded in mind, because that every man heard them speak in his own tongue.

Revised Standard Version
And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in his own language.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
When this was noysed about, the multitude came together and were astonnyed, because that euery man hearde them speake with his owne language.

Good News Translation
When they heard this noise, a large crowd gathered. They were all excited, because all of them heard the believers talking in their own languages.

Christian Standard Bible®
When this sound occurred, a crowd came together and was confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language.

King James Version
Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.

Lexham English Bible
And when this sound occurred, the crowd gathered and was in confusion, because each one was hearing them speaking in his own language.

Literal Translation
But this sound occurring, the multitude came together and were confounded, because they each heard them speaking in his own dialect.

Young's Literal Translation
and the rumour of this having come, the multitude came together, and was confounded, because they were each one hearing them speaking in his proper dialect,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Now whan this voyce came to passe, the multitude came together, and were astonyed: For euery one herde, that they spake with his awne tunge.

Mace New Testament (1729)
and upon the rumour of this event, the multitude came together, and were confounded, every man hearing the disciples speak in his own language.

New English Translation
When this sound occurred, a crowd gathered and was in confusion, because each one heard them speaking in his own language.

New King James Version
And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language.

Simplified Cowboy Version
when they heard the sound, they followed it to its source. When they arrived where the sound came from, they were astonished because every person heard the cowboys speaking in their native language.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together, and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language.

Legacy Standard Bible
And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language.

Contextual Overview

⁵Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout and God-fearing men from every nation under heaven. ⁶And when this sound was heard, a crowd gathered, and they were bewildered because each one was hearing those in the upper room speaking in his own language or dialect.⁷They were completely astonished, saying, "Look! Are not all of these who are speaking Galileans? ⁸"Then how is it that each of us hears in our own language or native dialect? ⁹"[Among us there are] Parthians, Medes and Elamites, and people of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia [Minor], ¹⁰Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, and the visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes (Gentile converts to Judaism), ¹¹Cretans and Arabs—we all hear them speaking in our [native] tongues about the mighty works of God!" ¹²And they were beside themselves with amazement and were greatly perplexed, saying one to another, "What could this mean?" ¹³But others were laughing and joking and ridiculing them, saying, "They are full of sweet wine and are drunk!"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

was noised abroad: Gr. voice was made

the multitude: Acts 3:11, 1 Corinthians 16:9, 2 Corinthians 2:12

confounded: or, troubled in mind, Matthew 2:3

Reciprocal: Genesis 11:1 - was Daniel 3:27 - the princes Daniel 4:1 - unto all Mark 2:1 - and it Acts 9:21 - amazed 1 Corinthians 14:22 - for a

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Now when this was noised abroad,.... Or "when this voice was made"; referring either to the sound, as of a mighty rushing wind, which came from heaven; and might not only be heard by those in the house, into which it came, but by the inhabitants of the city, as it came down from heaven; so the Arabic version renders it, "when the aforesaid sound was made": or else to the apostles' voice, and their speaking with divers tongues; which being heard by some, was told to others, and a rumour of it being made through the city,

the multitude came together; to the house, or temple, where the disciples were; and this multitude did not consist only of the devout Jews, before mentioned; but of others who scoffed and mocked at the apostles, and who had been concerned in the crucifying of Christ:

and were confounded; or "confused"; they ran and came together in a disorderly and tumultuous manner; the whole city was in an uproar, the assembly on this occasion was a perfect mob; their numbers were so large, that they were ready to thrust each other down, and trample one another under foot: the Vulgate Latin adds, "in mind"; they did not know what to think of things, they were so astonished at what they heard, that they were scarcely themselves; they were as persons stupid and senseless; being filled partly with shame and confusion, and partly with wonder and amazement, that these illiterate men, the followers of Jesus of Nazareth, whom they had crucified, and whose disciples they had in so much contempt, should have such extraordinary gifts bestowed on them:

because that every man heard them speak in his own language; which shows, what has been before observed, that one spake in one language, and another in another language; or the same person sometimes spoke one language, and sometimes another; so that in course, all languages were spoken by them; whence it appears, that it was not one language only which was spoken by the apostles, which men of different languages heard and understood, as if it was their own; for then the miracle must have been in the hearers, and not in the speakers; and the cloven tongues, as of fire, should rather have sat on them, than on the disciples; and these men be said to be filled with the gifts of the Holy Ghost, rather than they.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

When this was noised abroad - When the rumor of this remarkable transaction was spread, as it naturally would be.

Were confounded - συνεχύθη sunechuthē̄. The word used here means literally “to pour together,” hence, “to confound, confuse.” It is used:

(a)Of an assembly or multitude thrown into confusion, Acts 21:27;

(b)Of the mind as perplexed or confounded, as in disputation, Acts 9:22; and,

(c)Of persons in amazement or consternation, as in this place. They did not understand this; they could not account for it.

Every man heard them speak ... - Though the multitude spoke different tongues, yet they now heard Galileans use the language which they had learned in foreign nations. “His own language.” His own dialect - διαλέκτῳ dialektō. His own idiom, whether it was a foreign language, or whether it was a modification of the Hebrew. The word may mean either; but it is probable that the foreign Jews would greatly modify the Hebrew, or conform almost entirely to the language spoken in the country where they lived. We may remark here that this effect of the descent of the Holy Spirit was not special to that time. A work of grace on the hearts of people in a revival of religion will always “be noised abroad.” A multitude will come together, and God often, as he did here, makes use of this motive to bring them under the influence of religion. Curiosity was the motive here, and it was the occasion of their being brought under the power of truth, and of their conversion. In thousands of cases this has occurred since. The effect of what they saw was to confound them, to astonish them, and to throw them into deep perplexity. They made no complaint at first of the irregularity of what was done, but were all amazed and overwhelmed. So the effect of a revival of religion is often to convince the multitude that it is indeed a work of the Holy One; to amaze them by the display of his power; and to silence opposition and cavil by the manifest presence and the power of God. A few afterward began to cavil Acts 2:13, as some will always do in a revival; but the mass were convinced, as will be the case always, that this was a mighty display of the power of God.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Acts 2:6. When this was noised abroad — If we suppose that there was a considerable peal of thunder, which followed the escape of a vast quantity of electric fluid, and produced the mighty rushing wind already noticed on Acts 2:2, then the whole city must have been alarmed; and, as various circumstances might direct their attention to the temple, having flocked thither they were farther astonished and confounded to hear the disciples of Christ addressing the mixed multitude in the languages of the different countries from which these people had come.

Every man heard them speak in his own language. — Use may naturally suppose that, as soon as any person presented himself to one of these disciples, he, the disciple, was immediately enabled to address him in his own language, however various this had been from the Jewish or Galilean dialects. If a Roman presented himself, the disciple was immediately enabled to address him in Latin-if a Grecian, in Greek-an Arab, in Arabic, and so of the rest.