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The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible
Acts 16:14
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There was a woman there named Lydia from the city of Thyatira. Her job was selling purple cloth. She was a worshiper of the true God. Lydia was listening to Paul, and the Lord opened her heart to accept what Paul was saying.
And a certayne woman named Lydia a seller of purple of the cite of Thiatira which worshipped God gave vs audience. Whose hert the Lorde opened that she attended vnto the thinges which Paul spake.
A certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, one who worshiped God, heard us; whose heart the Lord opened to listen to the things which were spoken by Sha'ul.
A woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple goods from the city of Thyatira, was listening to us. She was a worshiper of God, and the Lord opened her heart to listen carefully to what was being said by Paul.Luke 24:45;">[xr]
A woman named Lydia was listening; she was a seller of purple fabrics from the city of Thyatira, and a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul.
One of the listeners was a woman named Lydia from the city of Thyatira whose job was selling purple cloth. She worshiped God, and he opened her mind to pay attention to what Paul was saying.
And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple of the city of Thyatira, one that worshiped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened to give heed to the things which were spoken by Paul.
And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God, heard [us]: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended to the things which were spoken by Paul.
One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.
A certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, one who worshiped God, heard us; whose heart the Lord opened to listen to the things which were spoken by Paul.
And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, a worshiper of God, heard; whose heart the Lord opened to assent to the things which were spoken by Paul.
Among our hearers was one named Lydia, a dealer in purple goods. She belonged to the city of Thyateira, and was a worshipper of the true God. The Lord opened her heart, so that she gave attention to what Paul was saying.
And a womman, Lidda bi name, a purpuresse of the cite of Tiatirens, worschipinge God, herde; whos herte the Lord openyde to yyue tente to these thingis, that weren seid of Poul.
And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, one that worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, to give heed unto the things which were spoken by Paul.
One of them was Lydia, who was from the city of Thyatira and sold expensive purple cloth. She was a worshiper of the Lord God, and he made her willing to accept what Paul was saying.
A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a dealer in purple fabrics who was [already] a worshiper of God, listened to us; and the Lord opened her heart to pay attention and to respond to the things said by Paul.
And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, one that worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened to give heed unto the things which were spoken by Paul.
And a certain woman named Lydia, a trader in purple cloth of the town of Thyatira, and a God-fearing woman, gave ear to us: whose heart the Lord made open to give attention to the things which Paul was saying.
One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in fine purple cloth. She was already a "God-fearer," and the Lord opened up her heart to respond to what Sha'ul was saying.
And a certain woman, by name Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, who worshipped God, heard; whose heart the Lord opened to attend to the things spoken by Paul.
And a certain female, a seller of purple, who feared Aloha, her name was Lydia, of Theatira the city, (was there,) whose heart our Lord opened, and she heard that which Paulos spake.
And a certain woman who feared God, a seller of purple, whose name was Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, [fn] . Her heart our Lord opened, and she hearkened to what Paul spake.
And a certaine woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the citie of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard vs: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended vnto the things which were spoken of Paul.
One of them was Lydia from Thyatira, a merchant of expensive purple cloth, who worshiped God. As she listened to us, the Lord opened her heart, and she accepted what Paul was saying.
One of the women who listened sold purple cloth. She was from the city of Thyatira. Her name was Lydia and she was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to hear what Paul said.
A certain woman named Lydia, a worshiper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul.
And a certaine woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the citie of the Thyatirians, which worshipped God, heard vs: whose heart the Lorde opened, that she attended vnto the things, which Paul spake.
And a certain woman, named Lyd''i-a, a seller of purple of the city of Thy-a-ti''ra, feared God; her heart was so touched by our LORD that she listened to what Paul said.
And, a certain woman, by name Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, devout towards God, was hearkening, whose heart, the Lord, fully opened, to be giving heed unto the things being spoken by Paul.
And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, one that worshipped God, did hear: whose heart the Lord opened to attend to those things which were said by Paul.
One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyati'ra, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to give heed to what was said by Paul.
And a certayne woman, named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the citie of the Thyatirians, which worshipped God, gaue vs audience: Whose hearte the Lorde opened, that she attended vnto the thynges which Paul spake.
One of those who heard us was Lydia from Thyatira, who was a dealer in purple cloth. She was a woman who worshiped God, and the Lord opened her mind to pay attention to what Paul was saying.
A God-fearing woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, was listening. The Lord opened her heart to respond to what Paul was saying.
And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.
And a certain woman named Lydia from the city of Thyatira, a merchant dealing in purple cloth who showed reverence for God, was listening. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was being said by Paul.
And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple of the city of Thyatira, one reverencing God, listened, whose heart the Lord opened thoroughly to pay attention to the things being spoken by Paul.
and a certain woman, by name Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, worshipping God, was hearing, whose heart the Lord did open to attend to the things spoken by Paul;
And a deuoute woman (named Lydia) a seller of purple, out of the cite of Thiatira, herkened to, whose hert the LORDE opened that she gaue hede vnto the thinges that Paul spake.
so we took our places, and convers'd with the women, that came there. one of them was nam'd Lydia of Thyatira, a trader in purple, and a Jewish proselyte. she heard us: and the Lord inclin'd her heart to attend to what Paul said.
A woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, a God-fearing woman, listened to us. The Lord opened her heart to respond to what Paul was saying.
Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul.
One of them was Lady Lydia from Thyatira. She was a peddler of fine purple cloth and a believer in God. She listened to what we had to say, and God opened her heart to believe in Jesus.
A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul.
And a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening, whose heart the Lord opened to pay attention to the things spoken by Paul.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
Lydia: Acts 16:40
Thyatira: Revelation 1:11, Revelation 2:18-24
worshipped: Acts 8:27, Acts 10:2, Acts 18:7, John 12:20
whose: Acts 11:21, Psalms 110:3, Song of Solomon 5:4, Isaiah 50:5, Luke 24:45, John 6:44, John 6:45, Romans 9:16, 1 Corinthians 3:6, 1 Corinthians 3:7, 2 Corinthians 3:14-16, 2 Corinthians 4:4-6, Ephesians 1:17, Ephesians 1:18, Philippians 2:13, James 1:16, James 1:17, Revelation 3:7, Revelation 3:20
Reciprocal: Nehemiah 8:3 - ears Job 33:16 - openeth Job 36:10 - openeth Proverbs 11:16 - gracious Matthew 13:11 - Because Matthew 13:23 - good Luke 19:48 - were very attentive to hear him Luke 22:12 - he Luke 24:29 - General Acts 8:12 - they believed Acts 18:8 - believed 1 Corinthians 2:5 - but 1 Corinthians 2:14 - neither Ephesians 2:8 - that Philippians 1:6 - begun Philippians 4:3 - help Colossians 1:6 - knew 1 Thessalonians 1:5 - but 1 Thessalonians 2:13 - because 1 Timothy 5:10 - if she have lodged
Cross-References
Then they turned back to invade En-mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and they conquered the whole territory of the Amalekites, as well as the Amorites who lived in Hazazon-tamar.
So that place was called Beersheba, because it was there that the two of them swore an oath.
Now Isaac had just returned from Beer-lahai-roi, for he was living in the Negev.
After Abraham's death, God blessed his son Isaac, who lived near Beer-lahai-roi.
and they went back to Moses, Aaron, and the whole congregation of Israel in the Wilderness of Paran at Kadesh. They brought back a report for all the congregation and showed them the fruit of the land.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
And a certain woman, named Lydia,.... Whether this woman was a Jewess or a Gentile, is not certain, her name will not determine; she might be called so from the country of Lydia, which was in Asia minor, and where was Thyatira, her native place; Horace makes frequent mention of one of this name g and it might be a Jewish name; we read of R. Simeon ben Lydia h; and as these seem to be Jewish women that met at this oratory, she might be one:
a seller of purple; either of purple silks, much wore in the eastern countries; or of the purple dye, which in,
"Then Judas returned to spoil the tents, where they got much gold, and silver, and blue silk, and purple of the sea, and great riches.'' (1 Maccabees 4:23)
is called "purple of the sea", or "sea purple"; it being the blood or juice of a turbinated shell fish, which the Jews call חלזון, "Chalson": this they speak of as a shellfish; hence those words i,
"go and learn of the Chalson, for all the while it grows, its shell grows with it:''
and that purple was dyed with the blood of it, appears from the following instances; "the best fruits in the land", Genesis 43:11 are interpreted k, the things that are the most famous in the world, as the Chalson, c. with whose blood, as the gloss on the passage says, they dye purple: and the purple dyed with this was very valuable, and fetched a good price the tribe of Zebulun is represented l, as complaining to God, that he had given to their brethren fields and vineyards, to them mountains and hills, to their brethren lands, and to them seas and rivers; to which it is replied, all will stand in need of thee, because of Chalson; as it is said, Deuteronomy 33:19 "They shall suck of the abundance of the seas"; the gloss upon it, interpreting the word Chalson, is, it comes out of the sea to the mountains, and with its blood they dye purple, which is sold at a very dear price. The text in Deuteronomy 33:19 is thus paraphrased by Jonathan the Targumist;
"at the shore of the sea they dwell (i.e. they of the tribe of Zebulun), and they delight themselves with (the fish) Tuny, and take Chalson, and with its blood dye purple the threads of their garments.''
And so Maimonides says m, that they use this in dying the fringes on the borders of their garments; after they have scoured the wool, and the like, that it may take the dye, he says,
"they take of the blood of Chalson, which is a fish whose colour is like the colour of purple, and its blood is black like ink, and it is found in the salt sea,''
particularly about Tyre; so the husbandmen in Jeremiah 52:16 are interpreted n, they that catch Chalson from the ladder of Tyre to Chippah, or the shore; the gloss explains it, those that squeeze and press the Chalson, to fetch out its blood: and with all this agree the modern accounts given of purple, as follow;
"purple was much esteemed among the ancients, especially the Tyrian purple; which underwent more dyes than the rest, and which was almost peculiar to emperors and kings, yet this purple did not exceed that now in use.--The ancient purple was tinged, or given with the blood or juice of a precious turbinated testaceous sea fish, called by the Greeks πορφυρα, and by the Latins "purpura".--In the seas of the Spanish West Indies, about Nicoya, is found a shell fish, which perfectly resembles the ancient "purpura", and in all probability is the very same--these are gathered very plentifully in the spring, and by rubbing one against another, yield a kind of saliva, or thick glair, resembling soft wax; but the purple dye is in the throat of the fish, and the finest part in a little white vein--the chief riches of Nicoya consist in this fish; cloth of Segovia dyed with it, is sold for twenty crowns the ell.--In the Philosoph. Transact., we have an account of a purple fish discovered in 1686, by Mr. W. Cole, on the coasts of Somersetshire, South Wales, c, where it is found in great abundance.--The fish is a kind of "buccinum", a name given by the ancients to all fishes, whose shell bears any resemblance to a hunting horn and it appears from Pliny, that part of the ancient purple was taken from this kind of shell fish. The Caribbee Islands have likewise their "purple" fish; it is called "burgan", being of the size of the end of the finger, and resembling our periwinkles; its shell is of a brownish azure, its flesh white, its intestines of a very bright red, the colour whereof appears through the body; and it is this that dyes that froth, which it casts when taken, and which is at first of a violet hue, bordering on blue; to oblige them to yield the greater quantity of froth, they lay them on a plate, and shake and beat them against one another, upon which the plate is immediately covered with the froth, which is received on a linen cloth, and becomes "purple", in proportion as it dries o.''
It may be further observed, that the fringes which the Jews wore upon their garments, had on them a ribband of blue or purple, Numbers 15:38, for the word there used, is by the Septuagint rendered "purple", in Numbers 4:7 and sometimes "hyacinth"; and the whole fringe was by the Jews called תכלת, "purple" :hence it is said p,
"does not everyone that puts on the "purple" (i.e. the fringes on his garments) in Jerusalem, make men to wonder? and a little after, the former saints, or religious men, when they had wove in it (the garment) three parts, they put on it תכלת, "the purple".''
And there were persons who traded in these things, and were called
מוכרי תכלת, "sellers of purple" q, as here; that is, for the Tzitzith, or fringes for the borders of the garments, on which the ribband of blue or purple was put, as the gloss explains it: the Jews were very curious about the colour, and the dying of it; that it should be a colour that would hold and not change; and that the ribband be dyed on purpose for that use. Maimonides gives rules for the dying of it r, and they were no less careful of whom they bought it; for they say, that "the purple" was not to be bought, but of an approved person, or one that was authorized for that purpose s; and a scruple is raised by one, whether he had done right or no, in buying it of the family of a doctor deceased t: now since Lydia might be a Jewess, or at least, as appears by what follows, was a proselytess of the Jewish religion, this might be her business to sell the purple for their fringes, and it may be the fringes themselves; and if this was her employment, she was thoroughly a religious person in their way, since we find, that מוכרי תכלת, "sellers of purple", were free from reading
"hear O Israel", c. Deuteronomy 6:4 and "from prayer", and from the phylacteries, c. for this reason, because he that is employed in the commandment (in any work for it) was free from the commandment u''
and yet she attended at the place and time of prayer:
of the city of Thyatira which was in Lydia, or as others say in Mysia, which was in Asia Minor; Pliny w seems to place it in Ionia, by the river Lycus, and says it was formerly called Pelopia and Euhippa, and it was also called Semiramis; it had its name of Thyatira from Seleucus Nicanor, who being at war with Lysimachus near this place, and hearing he had a daughter born, called it Thygateira; though others say it was so called, because that when the Mysians were about to build a city, inquiring of the gods where they should build it, were told, that they should build it where a hart was struck, and appeared running; and δια το θυειν, because of the sacrificing of the hart, they called it Thyateira. The Turks now call it "Ak hissar", the white camp. This was Lydia's native place, from which she was now at a great distance, being either wholly removed hither, or was here upon business; for Thyatira was in Asia, and Philippi, where she now was, was in Europe:
which worshipped God; the true God, the God of Israel, and not the gods of the Gentiles, among whom she was; which shows, that she was either a Jewish woman, who had knowledge of the one true and living God, or at least a proselytess of the Jewish religion:
heard us; not alone, but with other women; and at first only externally, and not so as to understand and receive what she heard, until the efficacious grace of God was exerted upon her, signified in the following clause:
whose heart the Lord opened; which was before shut and barred, with the bars of ignorance, hardness, and unbelief. The heart of a sinner before conversion, is like a house shut up, and wholly in darkness; whatever degree of natural or moral light is in it, there is none in spiritual things; it is empty of the grace of God, of the fear of him, and love to him; it is without proper inhabitants, without God, Christ, and the Spirit; and is the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, who delight in dark and desolate places; it is bolted and barred with unbelief, and walled up, and even petrified and hardened with sin, and is guarded and garrisoned by Satan, and its goods are kept in peace by him: and this had been the case of Lydia; but now the Lord opened her understanding, and put light into it, which was before darkness itself; as to spiritual things; by which she saw her wretched, sinful, and miserable state by nature, the insufficiency of all ways and means, and works, to justify and save her, and the necessity, suitableness, and fulness of grace and salvation by Christ; which was done by the same divine power, that at first created light in darkness: moreover, the Lord wrought upon her affections, and engaged them to divine and spiritual things; creating love in her soul to Christ, to his people, truths and ordinances; which was done by his almighty hand, taking away the stony heart, and giving an heart of flesh: he also removed the bar of unbelief, entered in himself, dispossessed Satan, and worked faith in her, to look to him, lay hold on him, and receive him, as her Saviour and Redeemer; making her willing in the day of his power, to be saved by him, and to serve him: it is a petition the Jews frequently make x, in their prayers to God,
דתפתח לבאי, "that thou wouldst open my heart", in thy law; or as sometimes, open our hearts in the doctrine of thy law: not Lydia herself, nor the Apostle Paul, but the Lord opened her heart; Jehovah the Father, who commanded light out of darkness; Jehovah the Son, who has the key of the house of David; Jehovah the Spirit, who convinces of sin, righteousness, and judgment:
that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul; concerning the person and offices of Christ, concerning his truths and ordinances, concerning free justification by his righteousness, pardon by his blood, and everlasting salvation by him; these things she hearkened unto in another manner than she had done; before she heard, but did not attend to what she heard; but faith coming by hearing, now she hears with the hearing of faith, and understands what she hears, and cordially receives and embraces it, and put into practice what she heard, submitting to the ordinance of Christ, as follows.
g Carm. l. 1. ode 8, 13, 25. & l. 3. ode 9. h Juchasin, fol. 105. 1. i Shirhashirim Rabba, fol. 18. 3. k Bereshit Rabbi, sect. 91. fol. 79. 4. & Mattanot Cehunah in ib. l T. Bab. Megilla, fol. 6. 1. m Hilchot Tzitzith, c. 2. sect. 2. n T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 26. 1. & 75. 1. o Chambers's Cyclopoedia in the word "Purple". p T. Bab. Menachot, fol. 40. 1, 2. q T. Bab. Pesachim, fol. 50. 2. r Maimon. Hilchot Tzitzith. c. 2. sect. 1, 2, 3. s Ib. sect. 4. t T. Bab. Avoda Zara, fol. 39. 1. u T. Bab. Succa, fol. 26. 1. w Nat. Hist. l. 5. c. 29. x Zohar in Exod. fol. 83. 1. Raziel, fol. 45. 1. & 42. 1, 2. Shaare Zion, fol. 53. 2. & 65. 1. Seder Tephillot. Ed. Basil. fol 74. 2.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
A seller of purple - Purple was a most valuable color, obtained usually from shellfish. It was chiefly worn by princes and by the rich, and the traffic in it might be very profitable. Compare the Isaiah 1:18 note; Luke 16:19 note.
The city of Thyatira - This was a city of Lydia, in Asia Minor, now called Akhisar. The art of dyeing was early cultivated in the neighborhood of Thyatira, as we learn from Homer (Iliad, iv. 141), and as is confirmed by inscriptions found in that city - a circumstance which may be referred to as confirming the veracity of the statements of Luke even in his casual allusions. Several of these inscriptions have been published. See the Life and Epistles of Paul, i. 295.
Which worshipped God - A religious woman, a proselyte. See the note at Acts 13:16.
Whose heart the Lord opened - See the note at Luke 24:45.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Acts 16:14. Lydia, a seller of purple — She probably had her name from the province of Lydia, in which the city of Thyatira was situated. The Lydian women have been celebrated for their beautiful purple manufactures.
Which worshipped God — That is, she was a proselyte to the Jewish religion; as were probably all the women that resorted hither.
Whose heart the Lord opened — As she was a sincere worshipper of God, she was prepared to receive the heavenly truths spoken by Paul and his companions; and, as she was faithful to the grace she had received, so God gave her more grace, and gave her now a Divine conviction that what was spoken by Paul was true; and therefore she attended unto the things-she believed them and received them as the doctrines of God; and in this faith she was joined by her whole family, and in it they were all baptized.
