Acts 5:16 · Bible study
Acts 5:16 Commentary: Scope of Apostolic Healing
Greek · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Examine the distinction between physical sickness and demonic torment in Acts 5:16, and why 'they were all healed' matters for understanding apostolic power.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The apostles heal every person brought to them, both the physically ill and the demonically tormented, demonstrating the same comprehensive power Jesus displayed.
- Key words: ochlēoumenous ('vexed,' a medical term); akathartoi pneumata ('unclean spirits,' associated with uncleanness and impurity); etherapeuonto hapantes ('were healed all,' iterative imperfect implying repeated, complete healings).
- Main debate: Whether the distinction between 'sick' and 'tormented' implies separate causes or simply a description of symptoms. Commentators agree they are distinct categories.
- Theological theme: The continuation of Christ's healing ministry through the apostles, confirming the truth of the gospel and the authority of the Spirit-empowered church.
- Best use: A text for teaching on God's power to heal every kind of brokenness, while guarding against assuming all suffering is demonic.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Crowds also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those tormented by unclean spirits, and all of them were healed.
WEB World English Bible 2000
The multitude also came together from the cities around Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits; and they were all healed.
KJV King James Version 1769
There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And there also came together the multitude from the cities round about Jerusalem, bringing sick folk, and them that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and there were coming together also the people of the cities round about to Jerusalem, bearing ailing persons, and those harassed by unclean spirits--who were all healed.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And the multitude also of the cities round about came together to Jerusalem, bringing sick persons and persons beset by unclean spirits, who were all healed.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And there came also together to Jerusalem a multitude out of the neighbouring cities, bringing sick persons and such as were troubled with unclean spirits: who were all healed.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y aun de las ciudades vecinas concurría multitud á Jerusalem, trayendo enfermos y atormentados de espíritus inmundos; los cuales todos eran curados.
E também das cidades vizinhas vinha uma multidão a Jerusalém, trazendo enfermos, e atormentados por espíritos imundos, os quais todos eram curados.
La multitude accourait aussi des villes voisines à Jérusalem, amenant des malades et des gens tourmentés par des esprits impurs; et tous étaient guéris.
Es kamen auch herzu viele von den umliegenden Städten gen Jerusalem und brachten die Kranken und die von unsauberen Geistern gepeinigt waren; und wurden alle gesund.
En ook de menigte uit de omliggende steden kwamen gezamenlijk te Jeruzalem, brengende kranken, en die van onreine geesten gekweld waren; welke allen genezen werden.
E anche la moltitudine accorreva dalle città vicine a Gerusalemme, portando dei malati e dei tormentati da spiriti immondi; e tutti quanti eran sanati.
Schodziło się też i mnóstwo z okolicznych miast do Jeruzalemu, przynosząc chorych i nagabanych od duchów nieczystych; a ci wszyscy byli uzdrowieni.
Сходились также в Иерусалим многие из окрестных городов, неся больных и нечистыми духами одержимых, которые и исцелялись все.
還有 許多人 帶著 病人 和 被 污 鬼 纏磨的，從耶路撒冷 四圍的 城邑 來， 全 都得了醫治。
And numbers of people came together from the towns round about Jerusalem, with those who were ill and those who were troubled with unclean spirits: and they were all made well.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Acts 5:16
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that the verse draws a clear distinction between ordinary sickness and demonic affliction. Adam Clarke notes that the same distinction appears in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, the two categories are not identical. The Cambridge Bible adds that the verb for 'vexed' (ochlēoumenous) is a medical term used by Greek physicians, fitting Luke's own background as a doctor. Barnes points out that of those healed by Peter's shadow no direct affirmation is given, but here it is stated explicitly: 'they were healed every one.' Gill emphasizes that none went without a cure. The scope of apostolic power thus covers both physical and spiritual disorders, continuing the ministry pattern of Jesus himself (Matthew 4:24).
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The apostles healed every person brought to them, covering both physical sickness and demonic torment, as a demonstration of divine power confirming the gospel.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Distinction between physical sickness and demonic torment | The text clearly separates them, and commentators agree that not all illness is demonic in origin. | Some traditions see demonic oppression as rare and requiring special discernment; others understand a wider range of afflictions (e.g. chronic mental illness) as possibly involving spiritual bondage. |
| Universal healing in this passage | All who were brought were healed, there is no exception recorded. | Christians differ on whether this pattern was unique to the apostolic age (as a sign of their authority) or whether it models an expectation for healing ministry today. |
| The role of faith in healing | The people who brought the sick acted in faith, and the Cambridge Bible notes Christ's promise that 'all things are possible to one who believes.' | Some hold that the healed individuals' own faith was necessary; others emphasize the faith of those who brought them, or the sovereign will of God independent of human faith. |
| The shadow of Peter (v.15) vs. direct healing (v.16) | Both show the apostles as conduits of divine power, not sources of it. | Whether the shadow healings were actual miracles or merely a pious tradition is debated; Barnes notes that v.16 gives an explicit affirmation of healing not given for v.15. |
Historical & Cultural Context
This verse closes a major section of Acts 5 (vv.12, 16) that follows the sobering judgment on Ananias and Sapphira. Matthew Henry observes that after God 'came out of his place to punish,' the gospel power returned to its proper channel of mercy. The apostles are now working signs and wonders openly in Solomon's Porch, a colonnade on the east side of the temple complex. The people hold the apostles in high honor, and believers are added in increasing numbers, both men and women (v.14).
Just before this verse, the sick were being brought into the streets so that Peter's shadow might fall on them (v.15). Barnes notes that of those shadow-healings no direct confirmation is given; but here the result is unmistakable. The crowd now comes from the towns 'round about' Jerusalem, the Greek word perix occurs only here in the New Testament, meaning the surrounding district, not just the immediate suburbs. The Cambridge Bible remarks that Luke uses polis (city) even for settlements as small as Nazareth, so the geographical reach is wide.
The healing ministry mirrors Christ's own pattern: Matthew 4:24 describes Jesus healing 'all who were sick, afflicted with various diseases and torments, possessed with demons.' The apostles are not inventing a new practice; they are extending the same compassionate power. Yet this success also provokes the religious leaders: immediately after this summary, the high priest and the Sadducees arrest the apostles out of jealousy (v.17, 18). The healing wave becomes the catalyst for fresh persecution, a pattern repeated through Acts.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants affecting the meaning of this verse. The best manuscripts support the reading reflected in the standard English translations.
Reception History
This verse has been valued across traditions as a demonstration that the apostles' power continued Christ's own healing ministry. Early Christian writers saw it as fulfillment of Jesus's promise that believers would do 'greater works' (John 14:12). Reformed commentators such as those behind the Geneva Bible noted the full healing as a sign of divine favor confirming the apostles' message. Matthew Henry observed that after the judgment on Ananias and Sapphira, the gospel power returned to mercy. In modern times, the verse is often used in Pentecostal and charismatic contexts as a pattern for healing evangelism, while others see the scope of healing here as unique to the apostolic period, serving as authentication rather than a permanent model.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Sickness and spiritual torment are distinct but both real. The text keeps these categories separate (Clarke). Not every illness is demonic, but the apostles' authority covers both, a reminder that God's power meets every kind of human brokenness.
- No case was beyond the apostles' reach. 'They were healed every one' (Gill). The completeness of the healing underscores that the power at work is not human but the resurrected Christ acting through his witnesses.
- Success invites opposition. The very healings that draw the crowds also spark the jealousy of the Sadducees (v.17, 18). Faithfulness brings both fruit and friction.
Five-point outline
- The gathering: 'a multitude from the cities round about', the word spreads outward, not just inward.
- The action: 'bringing sick folks', faith in action, as friends and family carry the helpless to the apostles.
- The categories: 'sick' and 'vexed with unclean spirits', physical and spiritual, both within the scope of the gospel.
- The means: no formula, no shadow needed, simply the presence of the apostles empowered by the Spirit.
- The result: 'they were healed every one', a total victory that anticipates the final restoration of all things.
Illustration hooks
- A hospital emergency room where families bring loved ones with every kind of complaint, heart attack, seizure, overdose. The triage separates categories, yet the same team treats them all. Here the apostles are the team, and everyone is admitted.
- A community after a natural disaster, people from surrounding towns converge on a relief center carrying the injured, the traumatised, the displaced. That sense of desperate, collective movement mirrors the scene in Acts.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does God still heal like this today, and if so, why do we not see it as often?
- How do I know whether a struggle is physical, emotional, or spiritual in origin?
- What should I do when someone I pray for does not get healed?
Leading a Discussion
This verse captures a moment of intense gospel advance. After a severe act of judgment, the church experiences a wave of healing that draws people from miles away. But the same power that attracts the crowd also provokes the authorities. As you discuss, hold those two threads together: the reach of God's mercy and the cost of walking in that mercy.
Discussion questions
- What do you notice about the people being brought to the apostles? List the different groups mentioned.
- Why do you think the text separates 'sick folks' from those 'vexed with unclean spirits'? What difference does that distinction make?
- The verse says 'they were healed every one.' How does that phrase shape your understanding of the apostles' authority?
- Compare this scene with Jesus's healings in Matthew 4:24 and 8:16. What lines of continuity do you see? What differences?
- How do you personally distinguish between a physical illness and a spiritual or emotional struggle? When is that distinction helpful, and when might it be harmful?
- Read Acts 5:17, 18. Why do you think the religious leaders responded with jealousy instead of seeking the same power for themselves?
- If you were part of that crowd from the surrounding towns, what would you have expected or hoped for as you traveled to Jerusalem?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Matthew 4:24 | The report about him went out into all Syria. They brought to him all who were sick, afflicted with various diseases and torments, possessed with demons, epileptics, and paralytics; and he healed them. |
| Matthew 8:16 | When evening came, they brought to him many possessed with demons. He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, |
| Matthew 15:30 | Great multitudes came to him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others, and they put them down at his feet. He healed them, |
| Matthew 15:31 | so that the multitude wondered when they saw the mute speaking, the injured healed, the lame walking, and the blind seeing—and they glorified the God of Israel. |
| Mark 2:3 | Four people came, carrying a paralytic to him. |
| Mark 2:4 | When they could not come near to him for the crowd, they removed the roof where he was. When they had broken it up, they let down the mat that the paralytic was lying on. |
| Mark 6:54 | When they had come out of the boat, immediately the people recognized him, |
| Mark 6:56 | Wherever he entered—into villages, or into cities, or into the country—they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might just touch the fringe of his garment; and as many as touched him were made well. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
5 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes draws a careful distinction in the text: the people who were brought directly and afflicted by unclean spirits are expressly affirmed as healed. But of those who were laid in the streets hoping Peter's shadow might touch them, there is no direct statement that they were healed.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note emphasizes the complete and universal healing: all who were brought from the surrounding cities—both the physically sick and those tormented by unclean spirits—were healed. Not one was left unhealed.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill draws attention to the severity of demonic affliction: the unclean spirits not only possessed people but violently tormented them. Yet every single person who came was healed, which both confirmed the apostles' message and stirred up their enemies.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes the paradox in this passage: the awe of the miraculous judgments kept the unconverted from pretending to follow Christ, yet authentic conversions steadily multiplied. The fear restrained false profession while genuine faith continued to grow.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry points out that the judgment on Ananias and Sapphira was a brief interruption; the gospel power soon returned to its proper work of mercy and grace. The many public miracles demonstrated the apostles' divine authority and kept the church united in worship.