Acts 6:10

Amplified Bible

But they were not able to successfully withstand and cope with the wisdom and the intelligence [and the power and inspiration] of the Spirit by whom he was speaking.

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
But the Spirit was helping him speak with wisdom. His words were so strong that these Jews could not argue with him.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And they coulde not resist the wysdome and the sprete with which he spake.

Hebrew Names Version
They weren't able to withstand the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke.

International Standard Version
But they couldn't resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he kept speaking.Exodus 4:12; Isaiah 54:17; Luke 21:15; Acts 5:39;">[xr]

New American Standard Bible
But they were unable to cope with his wisdom and the Spirit by whom he was speaking.

New Century Version
But the Spirit was helping him to speak with wisdom, and his words were so strong that they could not argue with him.

Update Bible Version
And they were not able to withstand the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke.

Webster's Bible Translation
And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spoke.

English Standard Version
But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.

World English Bible
They weren't able to withstand the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And they were not able to withstand the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spake.

Weymouth's New Testament
They were quite unable, however, to resist the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And thei miyten not withstonde the wisdom and the spirit, that spak.

English Revised Version
And they were not able to withstand the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spake.

Berean Standard Bible
but they could not stand up to his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke.

Contemporary English Version
But they were no match for Stephen, who spoke with the great wisdom that the Spirit gave him.

American Standard Version
And they were not able to withstand the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spake.

Bible in Basic English
But they were not able to get the better of him, for his words were full of wisdom and of the Spirit.

Complete Jewish Bible
but they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by which he spoke.

Darby Translation
And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke.

Etheridge Translation
and were not able to stand against the wisdom and the spirit which spake in him.

Murdock Translation
And they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit that spoke by him.

King James Version (1611)
And they were not able to resist the wisedome and the spirit by which he spake.

New Living Translation
None of them could stand against the wisdom and the Spirit with which Stephen spoke.

New Life Bible
Stephen spoke with wisdom and power given by the Holy Spirit. They were not able to say anything against what he said.

New Revised Standard
But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke.

Geneva Bible (1587)
But they were not able to resist the wisdome, and the Spirit by the which he spake.

George Lamsa Translation
But they were unable to stand up against the wisdom and the spirit by which he spoke.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking,

Douay-Rheims Bible
And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit that spoke.

Revised Standard Version
But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And they coulde not resiste the wisedome and the spirite by the whiche he spake.

Good News Translation
But the Spirit gave Stephen such wisdom that when he spoke, they could not refute him.

Christian Standard Bible®
But they were unable to stand up against his wisdom and the Spirit by whom he was speaking.

King James Version
And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake.

Lexham English Bible
And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.

Literal Translation
And they had no strength to stand against the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke.

Young's Literal Translation
and they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit with which he was speaking;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and they coulde not resiste the wyssdome and the sprete, out of the which he spake.

Mace New Testament (1729)
but as they were not able to withstand the force of that sublime knowledge which appeared in his discourse,

New English Translation
Yet they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke.

New King James Version
And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke.

Simplified Cowboy Version
They tried to trap Steve with fancy words and accusations, but they were no match for the wisdom from the Holy Ghost with which Steve spoke.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
But they were unable to cope with the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.

Legacy Standard Bible
But they were unable to oppose the wisdom and the Spirit by whom he was speaking.

Contextual Overview

⁸Now Stephen, full of grace (divine blessing, favor) and power, was doing great wonders and signs (attesting miracles) among the people. ⁹However, some men from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen (freed Jewish slaves), both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and [the province of] Asia, rose up and questioned and argued with Stephen. ¹⁰But they were not able to successfully withstand and cope with the wisdom and the intelligence [and the power and inspiration] of the Spirit by whom he was speaking.¹¹Then [to attack him another way] they secretly instructed men to say, "We have heard this man [Stephen] speak blasphemous (slanderous, sacrilegious, abusive) words against Moses and against God." ¹²And they provoked and incited the people, as well as the elders and the scribes, and they came up to Stephen and seized him and brought him before the Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court). ¹³They presented false witnesses who said, "This man never stops speaking against this holy place and the Law [of Moses]; ¹⁴for we have heard him say that this Jesus the Nazarene will tear down this place and will change the traditions and customs which Moses handed down to us." ¹⁵Then all those who were sitting in the Council, stared [intently] at him, and they saw that Stephen's face was like the face of an angel.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

able: Acts 5:39, Acts 7:51, Exodus 4:12, Isaiah 54:17, Jeremiah 1:18, Jeremiah 1:19, Jeremiah 15:20, Ezekiel 3:27, Matthew 10:19, Matthew 10:20, Luke 12:11, Luke 12:12, Luke 21:15, John 7:46

the spirit: Job 32:8, Job 32:18, Micah 3:8, Luke 1:17, 1 Corinthians 2:4

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 24:16 - Is this Daniel 1:17 - God Matthew 7:29 - having Matthew 22:22 - they marvelled Mark 1:22 - they were Mark 13:11 - take Luke 4:22 - the gracious Luke 14:6 - General Acts 4:16 - and we Acts 6:5 - Stephen Acts 6:8 - full Acts 7:55 - full Acts 9:22 - confounded Acts 9:29 - disputed Acts 13:12 - being Acts 13:45 - spake 1 Corinthians 1:27 - General Ephesians 1:17 - the spirit 1 Thessalonians 2:2 - much

Cross-References

Genesis 5:32
After Noah was five hundred years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And they were not able to resist the wisdom,.... In Beza's most ancient copy, and in another manuscript it is added, "which was in him"; that divine wisdom, which the Spirit of wisdom gave him; they were not a match for him with respect to the knowledge of divine things; they could not answer the wise arguments he made use of, fetched out of the Scriptures of truth, in which he was well versed, and had a large knowledge of:

and the Spirit by which he spake; that is, the Holy Spirit, as the above exemplars of Beza, and the Ethiopic version read; the meaning is, they could not resist the Holy Spirit, by which Stephen spake, so as to overcome him, or put Stephen to silence, or confute him; otherwise they did resist him, or oppose themselves to him, but in vain, and without success; for they always resisted the Holy Ghost in Christ and in his apostles, as their fathers before them resisted him in the prophets, as Stephen observes to them, Acts 7:51 hereby was fulfilled what our Lord promised to his disciples, Matthew 10:19.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

To resist - That is, they were not able to “answer” his arguments.

The wisdom - This properly refers to his knowledge of the Scriptures; his skill in what “the Jews” esteemed to be wisdom - acquaintance with their sacred writings, opinions, etc.

And the spirit - This has been commonly understood of the Holy Spirit, by which he was aided; but it rather means the “energy, power,” or “ardor” of Stephen. He “evinced” a spirit of zeal and sincerity which they could not withstand; which served, more than mere argument could have done, to convince them that he was right. The evidence of sincerity, honesty, and zeal in a public speaker will often go further to convince the great mass of mankind, than the most able argument if delivered in a cold and indifferent manner.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Acts 6:10. They there not able to resist the wisdom, c.] He was wise, well exercised and experienced, in Divine things and, as appears by his defence, in the following chapter, well versed in the Jewish history. The spirit by which he spake was the Holy Spirit, and its power was irresistible. They were obliged either to yield to its teachings, or were confounded by its truth. Several MSS. add to this verse, because he reproved them with boldness, they could not resist the truth. This reading is not genuine, though it exists (but in different forms) in some good MSS.