Bible Strands
Acts 3:4
Peter looked directly at him, as did John. “Look at us!” said Peter.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Peter addresses a lame beggar who has just requested money (Acts 3:3) as the man approaches the temple gate. John accompanies Peter but remains silent during this initial command.
The words — ἀτενίσας (atenisas) = having looked intently. The participle is nominative singular masculine, grammatically modifying only Peter, while John is merely introduced in a prepositional phrase.
The thread — This focused gaze appears in Acts 14:9 when Paul observes a man’s faith, and echoes Luke 4:20 where the synagogue crowd’s eyes remain fixed on Jesus. Jesus later ties such perception to belief in John 11:40.
Why it lands — The text commands the beggar to shift his focus from material expectation to the speakers themselves. A reader must recognize that divine attention precedes and redirects earthly requests.
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 Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.
Cross-references
- Acts 14:9 This man was listening to the words of Paul, who looked intently at him and saw that he had faith to be healed.
- John 11:40 Jesus replied, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”
- Luke 4:20 Then He rolled up the scroll, returned it to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on Him,
- Acts 3:12 And when Peter saw this, he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why are you surprised by this? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?
- John 5:6 When Jesus saw him lying there and realized that he had spent a long time in this condition, He asked him, “Do you want to get well?”
- Acts 11:6 I looked at it closely and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles, and birds of the air.