Acts 15:21

Easy-to-Read Version

They should not do any of these things, because there are still men in every city who teach the Law of Moses. The words of Moses have been read in the synagogue every Sabbath day for many years."

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
For since ancient times, Moses has had those who proclaim him in every city, and every Sabbath day he is read aloud in the synagogues.”

King James Version (1611)
For Moses of olde time hath in euery citie them that preach him, being read in the Synagogues euery Sabbath day.

King James Version
For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.

English Standard Version
For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues."

New American Standard Bible
"For from ancient generations Moses has those who preach him in every city, since he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath."

New Century Version
They should do these things, because for a long time in every city the law of Moses has been taught. And it is still read in the synagogue every Sabbath day."

Amplified Bible
"For from ancient generations [the writing of] Moses has been preached in every city, since he is read aloud in the synagogues every Sabbath."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"For Moses from ancient generations has in every city those who preach him, since he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath."

Legacy Standard Bible
For from ancient generations, Moses has those who preach him in every city, since he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath."

Berean Standard Bible
For Moses has been proclaimed in every city from ancient times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath."

Contemporary English Version
We must remember that the Law of Moses has been preached in city after city for many years, and every Sabbath it is read when we Jews meet.

Complete Jewish Bible
For from the earliest times, Moshe has had in every city those who proclaim him, with his words being read in the synagogues every Shabbat."

Darby Translation
For Moses, from generations of old, has in every city those who preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath.

Geneva Bible (1587)
For Moses of olde time hath in euery citie them that preache him, seeing he is read in the Synagogues euery Sabbath day.

George Lamsa Translation
For Moses, from the very early centuries, had preachers in the synagogues in every city to read his books on every sabbath day.

Good News Translation
For the Law of Moses has been read for a very long time in the synagogues every Sabbath, and his words are preached in every town."

Lexham English Bible
For Moses has those who proclaim him in every city from ancient generations, because he is read aloud in the synagogues on every Sabbath."

Literal Translation
For in every city from ancient generations Moses has those proclaiming him, having been read in the synagogues on every sabbath.

American Standard Version
For Moses from generations of old hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath.

Bible in Basic English
For Moses, from times long past, has his preachers in every town, reading his law in the Synagogues every Sabbath.

Hebrew Names Version
For Moshe from generations of old has in every city those who preach him, being read in the synagogues every Shabbat."

International Standard Version
After all, Moses has had people to proclaim him in every city for generations, and on every Sabbath he is read aloud in the synagogues."Acts 13:15,27;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
For Musha from former generations in all cities hath had preachers in the synagogues who on all shabaths read him.

Murdock Translation
For in every city, from former ages, Moses hath heralds in the synagogues, who read him every sabbath.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
For Moyses of olde tyme, hath in euery citie, them that preache hym in the synagogues, when he is read euery Sabboth day.

English Revised Version
For Moses from generations of old hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath.

World English Bible
For Moses from generations of old has in every city those who preach him, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath."

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
For Moses hath of old time them that preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every sabbath-day.

Weymouth's New Testament
For Moses from the earliest times has had his preachers in every town, being read, as he is, Sabbath after Sabbath, in the various synagogues."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For Moyses of elde tymes hath in alle citees hem that prechen him in synagogis, where bi ech sabat he is red.

Update Bible Version
For Moses from generations of old has in every city those that preach him, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.

Webster's Bible Translation
For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath.

New English Translation
For Moses has had those who proclaim him in every town from ancient times, because he is read aloud in the synagogues every Sabbath."

New King James Version
For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath."

New Living Translation
For these laws of Moses have been preached in Jewish synagogues in every city on every Sabbath for many generations."

New Life Bible
For the Law of Moses has been read in every city from the early days. It has been read in the Jewish places of worship on every Day of Rest."

New Revised Standard
For in every city, for generations past, Moses has had those who proclaim him, for he has been read aloud every sabbath in the synagogues."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
For, Moses, out of ancient generation, hath, in every city, them who proclaim him; seeing, that in the synagogues, every sabbath, he is read.

Douay-Rheims Bible
For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him in the synagogues, where he is read every sabbath.

Revised Standard Version
For from early generations Moses has had in every city those who preach him, for he is read every sabbath in the synagogues."

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
For Moses of olde tyme hath in every cite that preache him and he is rede in the synagoges every saboth daye.

Young's Literal Translation
for Moses from former generations in every city hath those preaching him -- in the synagogues every sabbath being read.'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
For Moses hath of olde tyme in euery cite them that preach him: and he is red in the synagoges euery Sabbath daye.

Mace New Testament (1729)
for as to the law of Moses, that has been published in every city a considerable time, being read in the synagogues every sabbath-day.

Simplified Cowboy Version
This is all wisdom from Moses that has been taught for centuries. It would be harder to change it than follow it. And following these doesn't hurt anyone."

Contextual Overview

⁶ Then the apostles and the elders gathered to study this problem. ⁷ After a long debate, Peter stood up and said to them, "My brothers, I am sure you remember what happened in the early days. God chose me from among you to tell the Good News to those who are not Jewish. It was from me that they heard the Good News and believed. ⁸ God knows everyone, even their thoughts, and he accepted these non-Jewish people. He showed this to us by giving them the Holy Spirit the same as he did to us. ⁹ To God, those people are not different from us. When they believed, God made their hearts pure. ¹⁰ So now, why are you putting a heavy burden around the necks of the non-Jewish followers of Jesus? Are you trying to make God angry? We and our fathers were not able to carry that burden. ¹¹ No, we believe that we and these people will be saved the same way—by the grace of the Lord Jesus." ¹² Then the whole group became quiet. They listened while Paul and Barnabas told about all the miraculous signs and wonders that God had done through them among the non-Jewish people. ¹³ When they finished speaking, James said, "My brothers, listen to me. ¹⁴ Simon Peter has told us how God showed his love for the non-Jewish people. For the first time, God accepted them and made them his people. ¹⁵ The words of the prophets agree with this too:

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

sabbath: Acts 13:15, Acts 13:27, Nehemiah 8:1-12, Luke 4:16

Reciprocal: Leviticus 3:17 - blood Leviticus 23:3 - General Deuteronomy 31:11 - shalt read 2 Chronicles 17:9 - the book Nehemiah 8:2 - congregation Nehemiah 8:3 - he read Nehemiah 13:1 - they read Ezekiel 33:25 - Ye eat Mark 7:15 - nothing Luke 16:29 - have Acts 6:11 - against Moses Acts 17:1 - where 1 Timothy 4:4 - and James 1:1 - scattered Revelation 2:14 - eat

Cross-References

Genesis 15:15
"You yourself will live to be very old. You will die in peace and will be buried with your family.

Genesis 15:19
This is the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites,

Exodus 33:2
So I will send an angel to go before you, and I will defeat the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. I will force them to leave your land.

Exodus 34:11
Obey what I command you today, and I will force your enemies to leave your land. I will force out the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.

Deuteronomy 7:1
"The Lord your God will lead you into the land that you are entering to take for your own. He will force out many nations for you—the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—seven nations greater and more powerful than you.

Matthew 8:28
Jesus arrived at the other side of the lake in the country of the Gadarene people. There, two men who had demons inside them came to him. They lived in the burial caves and were so dangerous that no one could use the road by those caves.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him,.... That is, for many years past, even from the times of Ezra, the law of Moses has been publicly expounded by them, whom the Jews call Derashim, preachers, or expounders, in every city where there was a synagogue; and every city belonging to the Jews, were obliged to build a synagogue, yea, they were obliged to do it where there were but ten Israelites n: this is given by James as a reason why the Gentiles should be wrote unto concerning the above things; because that they hearing the law read and expounded every week, would be ready to conclude that they were obliged to submit unto it, as to circumcision, and other things; unless they were told that they were free from it; only in order to maintain peace with their brethren the Jews, it would be necessary for them to abstain from the above things: and it may also carry in it a reason, why the Jews need not be wrote unto, and why they had no reason to complain for thus writing to the Gentiles; since they had the law read and explained to them every week, and there would be no attempt to make any alteration in that form of service:

being read in the synagogues every sabbath day;

:-.

n Maimon. Tephilla, c. 11. sect. 1.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For Moses - The meaning of this verse is, that the Law of Moses, prohibiting these things, was read in the synagogues constantly. As these commands wore constantly read, and as the Jewish converts would not soon learn that their ceremonial law had ceased to be binding, it was deemed to be a matter of expediency that no needless offence should be given to them. For the sake of peace, it was better that they should abstain from meat offered to idols than to give offence to the Jewish converts. Compare 1 Corinthians 8:10-13.Of old time - Greek: from ancient generations. It is an established custom, and therefore his laws are well known, and have, in their view, not only the authority of revelation, but the venerableness of antiquity.

In every city - Where there were Jews. This was the case in all the cities to which the discussion here had reference.

Them that preach him - That is, by reading the Law of Moses. But, in addition to reading the Law, it was customary also to offer an explanation of its meaning. See the notes on Luke 4:16-22.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Acts 15:21. Moses of old time hath in every city — The sense of this verse seems to be this: As it was necessary to write to the Gentiles what was strictly necessary to be observed by them, relative to these points, it was not so to the converted Jews; for they had Moses, that is, the law, preached to them, κατα πολιν, in the city, that is, Antioch; and, by the reading of the law in the synagogues every Sabbath day, they were kept in remembrance of those institutions which the Gentiles, who had not the law, could not know. Therefore, James thought that a letter to the converted Gentiles would be sufficient, as the converted Jews had already ample instruction on these points.