Bible Strands
Acts 1:10
They were looking intently into the sky as He was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The disciples stand on the ground immediately after Jesus ascends and is hidden by a cloud. They are confronted by two men in white garments who appear beside them.
The words — ἀτενίζοντες (atenizontes) translates to "looking intently," describing their fixed gaze upward. πορευομὲνου (poreuomenou) means "as He was going," tying their attention to the moment of departure.
The thread — The sudden appearance of white-clad figures mirrors the angelic manifestations recorded in Luke 24:4, John 20:12, and Mark 16:5, where radiant messengers appear at resurrection sites.
Why it lands — The text states the disciples were fixed on the sky before the men interrupted them. It requires the reader to observe how human fixation on departure is met with a direct question about their posture.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
Cross-references
- Luke 24:4 While they were puzzling over this, suddenly two men in radiant apparel stood beside them.
- John 20:12 and she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and the other at the feet.
- Mark 16:5 When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.
- Revelation 7:14 “Sir,” I answered, “you know.” So he replied, “These are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
- Daniel 7:9 As I continued to watch, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took His seat. His clothing was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze.
- Matthew 17:2 There He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.
- Matthew 28:3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow.
- Acts 10:30 Cornelius answered: “Four days ago I was in my house praying at this, the ninth hour. Suddenly a man in radiant clothing stood before me
- 2 Kings 2:11 As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire with horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up into heaven in a whirlwind.
- Acts 10:3 One day at about the ninth hour, he had a clear vision of an angel of God who came to him and said, “Cornelius!”