Lectionary Calendar
Saturday, December 20th, 2025
the Third Week of Advent
Attention!
For 10¢ a day you can enjoy StudyLight.org ads
free while helping to build churches and support pastors in Uganda.
Click here to learn more!

Read the Bible

Bishop's Bible

Acts 15:13

And when they helde their peace, Iames aunswered, saying: Men and brethren, hearken vnto me.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Antioch;   Catholicity;   Church;   Circumcision;   Council;   Doctrines;   Elder;   Gentiles;   James;   Law;   Titus;   Scofield Reference Index - Church;   Gentiles;   Kingdom of Heaven;   Program;   Thompson Chain Reference - James;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Justification before God;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Circumcision;   Council;   James;   Meats;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Antioch in syria;   James the brother of jesus;   Timothy;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Amos, Theology of;   Apostle;   Circumcision;   Jude, Theology of;   Legalism;   Overseer;   Sermon on the Mount;   Worship;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Abstinence;   Ordination;   Presbyterians;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Apostle;   James;   Peter;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Church;   James;   James, the General Epistle of;   Religion;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Acts;   Barnabas;   Council of Jerusalem;   Disciples;   Galatians, Letter to the;   Resurrection of Jesus Christ;   Romans, Book of;   Unity;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Antioch;   Church;   Council;   Galatians, Epistle to the;   James;   James, Epistle of;   Paul the Apostle;   Peter;   Power of the Keys;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Brethren of the Lord (2);   Divisions;   Ebionism (2);   James Epistle of;   James, the Lord's Brother;   Law;   Peter;   Resurrection of Christ;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Barnabas ;   Elders;   James, Son of Alphaeus;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Antioch;   James;   Smith Bible Dictionary - James the Less,;   Paul;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - James;   Synods;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Law of Moses, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Chronology of the New Testament;   James;   Peter, Simon;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Barnabas;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - New Testament;   Saul of Tarsus;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for November 10;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
After they stopped speaking, James responded: “Brothers and sisters, listen to me.
King James Version (1611)
And after they had helde their peace, Iames answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken vnto me.
King James Version
And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me:
English Standard Version
After they finished speaking, James replied, "Brothers, listen to me.
New American Standard Bible
After they stopped speaking, James responded, saying, "Brothers, listen to me.
New Century Version
After they finished speaking, James said, "Brothers, listen to me.
Amplified Bible
When they had finished speaking, James replied, "Brothers, listen to me.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
After they had stopped speaking, James answered, saying, "Brethren, listen to me.
Legacy Standard Bible
Now after they had stopped speaking, James answered, saying, "Brothers, listen to me.
Berean Standard Bible
When they had finished speaking, James declared, "Brothers, listen to me!
Contemporary English Version
After they had finished speaking, James said: My friends, listen to me!
Complete Jewish Bible
Ya‘akov broke the silence to reply. "Brothers," he said, "hear what I have to say.
Darby Translation
And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Brethren, listen to me:
Easy-to-Read Version
When they finished speaking, James said, "My brothers, listen to me.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And when they helde their peace, Iames answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken vnto me.
George Lamsa Translation
And when they had ceased speaking, James rose up and said, Men and brethren, hear me:
Good News Translation
When they had finished speaking, James spoke up: "Listen to me, my friends!
Lexham English Bible
And after they had stopped speaking, James answered, saying, "Men and brothers, listen to me!
Literal Translation
And after they were silent, James responded, saying, Men, brothers, hear me:
American Standard Version
And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Brethren, hearken unto me:
Bible in Basic English
And when they had come to an end, James, answering, said, My brothers, give ear to me:
Hebrew Names Version
After they were silent, Ya`akov answered, "Brothers, listen to me.
International Standard Version
After they had finished speaking, James responded by saying, "Brothers, listen to me.Acts 12:17;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
AND after they were silent, Jakub arose, and said, Men, brethren, hear me:
Murdock Translation
And after they ceased, James arose and said: Men, brethren, hearken to me.
English Revised Version
And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Brethren, hearken unto me:
World English Bible
After they were silent, James answered, "Brothers, listen to me.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And when they held their peace, James answered, saying, Brethren, hearken to me.
Weymouth's New Testament
When they had finished speaking, James said, "Brethren, listen to me.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And aftir that thei helden pees, James answeride, and seide, Britheren, here ye me.
Update Bible Version
And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men, brothers, listen to me:
Webster's Bible Translation
And after they held their peace, James answered, saying, Men, brethren, hearken to me.
New English Translation
After they stopped speaking, James replied, "Brothers, listen to me.
New King James Version
And after they had become silent, James answered, saying, "Men and brethren, listen to me:
New Living Translation
When they had finished, James stood and said, "Brothers, listen to me.
New Life Bible
When they finished speaking, James said, "Brothers, listen to me.
New Revised Standard
After they finished speaking, James replied, "My brothers, listen to me.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, after they held their peace, James answered, saying - Brethren! hearken unto me.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying: Men, brethren, hear me.
Revised Standard Version
After they finished speaking, James replied, "Brethren, listen to me.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And when they helde their peace Iames answered sayinge: Men and brethren herken vnto me.
Young's Literal Translation
and after they are silent, James answered, saying, `Men, brethren, hearken to me;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Afterwarde whan they helde their peace, Iames answered, and sayde: Ye men and brethren, herke vnto me,
Mace New Testament (1729)
After they had done speaking, James assum'd the discourse, and said, my brethren, give me your attention.
Simplified Cowboy Version
When they were done, Jesus's brother James stood up and said, "Listen to me, boys.

Contextual Overview

6 And the Apostles and elders came together, for to consider of this matter. 7 And when there had ben much disputyng, Peter rose vp, and sayde vnto the: Ye men & brethren, ye knowe how that a good while ago, God did chose among vs, that the gentiles by my mouth, shoulde heare the worde of the Gospel, and beleue. 8 And God whiche knoweth the heartes, bare them witnesse, and gaue vnto them the holy ghost, euen as he dyd vnto vs: 9 And put no difference betwene vs and them, purifiyng their heartes by fayth. 10 Nowe therfore, why tempt ye God, to put on the disciples neckes, the yoke which neither our fathers nor we were able to beare? 11 But we beleue, that through the grace of the Lorde Iesu Christe, we shalbe saued, euen as they. 12 Then all the multitude was scilent, and gaue audience to Barnabas and Paul, which tolde what signes and wonders, God had shewed among the gentiles by them. 13 And when they helde their peace, Iames aunswered, saying: Men and brethren, hearken vnto me. 14 Simeon tolde, howe God at the begynnyng dyd visite, to receaue of the gentiles, a people in his name. 15 And to this agree the wordes of the prophetes, as it is written:

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

after: 1 Corinthians 14:30-33, James 1:19

James: Acts 12:17, Acts 21:18, Mark 15:40, Galatians 1:19, Galatians 2:9, Galatians 2:12, James 1:1

Men: Acts 2:14, Acts 2:22, Acts 2:29, Acts 7:2, Acts 22:1

Reciprocal: Matthew 10:3 - James Mark 3:18 - James Luke 6:15 - James Acts 1:13 - James Acts 1:16 - Men

Cross-References

Genesis 15:1
After these thynges, the worde of the Lorde came vnto Abram in a vision, saying: feare not Abram I am thy shielde [and] thy exceedyng great rewarde.
Genesis 15:2
And Abram sayde: Lorde God what wylt thou geue me when I go chyldelesse, the chylde of the stewardship of my house is this Eleazer of Damasco?
Genesis 15:6
And [Abram] beleued the Lord, & that counted he to hym for righteousnesse.
Genesis 15:7
And agayne he saide vnto him: I am the Lorde that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to geue thee this lande, & that thou myghtest inherite it.
Genesis 15:8
And he sayde: Lorde God wherby shall I knowe that I shall inherite it?
Genesis 15:11
And when the foules fell on the carkases, Abram droue them away.
Genesis 15:12
And whe the sunne was downe, there fell a deepe sleepe vpon Abram: and lo, an horrour of great darknesse fell vpon hym.
Genesis 15:13
And he sayde vnto Abram: Knowe this of a suertie, that thy seede shalbe a straunger in a lande that is not theirs, and shall serue them, and they shall entreate them euyll foure hundreth yeres.
Genesis 17:8
And I wyll geue vnto thee and to thy seede after thee, the lande wherein thou art a strauger [euen] al the lande of Chanaan, for an euerlastyng possession, and wyll be their God.
Exodus 1:11
Therfore dyd they set taske maisters ouer them, to kepe the vnder with burthens: And they buylt vnto Pharao treasure cities, Pithom & Raamses.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And after they had held their peace,.... Meaning not the multitude, but Paul and Barnabas; when they had finished their account, and had done speaking:

James answered; or rose up, as the Syriac version reads, he stood up and began to speak. This was James the son of Alphaeus, one of the twelve apostles, sometimes called the brother of the Lord; for the other James, the son of Zebedee and brother of John, was dead, being killed by Herod, Acts 12:2 but this was the brother of Jude, and the same that wrote the epistle that bears his name: whether he was now bishop or pastor of the church at Jerusalem, is not certain; nor whether he was president in this council; the speeches made in it do not appear to be directed to him: he began his oration thus,

saying, men and brethren, hearken to me; the titles he uses, and the manner of desiring audience, were what were common with the Jews; see Acts 2:14.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

James answered - James the Less, son of Alpheus. See the notes on Acts 12:1.

Hearken unto me - This whole transaction shows that Peter had no such authority in the church as the papists pretend, for otherwise his opinion would have been followed without debate. James had an authority not less than that of Peter. It is possible that he might have been next in age (compare 1 Corinthians 15:7); and it seems morally certain that he remained for a considerable part of his life in Jerusalem, Acts 12:17; Acts 21:18; Galatians 1:19; Galatians 2:9, Galatians 2:12.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Acts 15:13. James answered — He was evidently president of the council, and is generally called bishop of Jerusalem. The rest either argued on the subject, or gave their opinion; James alone pronounced the definitive sentence. Had Peter been prince and head of the apostles, and of the Church, he would have appeared here in the character of judge, not of mere counsellor or disputant. Thy popish writers say that "James presided because the council was held in his own church." These men forget that there was not then what they term a Church on the face of the earth. The Church, or assembly of believers, then met in private houses; for there was no building for the exclusive purpose of Christian worship then, nor till long after. These writers also forget that the pope pretends to be the head of the catholic or universal Church; and, consequently, no man can preside where he is present, but himself. Peter did not preside here; and this was the first ecclesiastical council, and now, if ever, he should have assumed his character of prince and chief; but he did not; nor did any of the other apostles invite him to it, which they would have done had they thought that Jesus Christ constituted him head of the Church. From this very circumstance there is the most demonstrative evidence that Peter was no pope, and that the right of his pretended successor is a nonentity.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile