“What meaneth this?”
The full verse · Acts 2:12 · KJV
they , were in , , ?
Asked by
Crowd: the multitude of Jews, "devout men, out of every nation under heaven," dwelling at Jerusalem, who came together at the sound on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:5-6)
The Scene
On the day of Pentecost the multitude from every nation has heard the Galilean apostles speak "the wonderful works of God" in each listener's own tongue (Acts 2:6-11).
Why It Was Asked
The purpose behind the questionAmazement has turned into perplexity. The crowd could not deny what they heard, and they could not explain it. Barnes notes that "were in doubt" translates diaporeo, which describes a state of hesitancy or anxiety about an event. Gill says their doubt was "not whether the apostles spoke in various languages, nor about the sense of their words"; they seem, he says, to have understood what was said. What they did not understand was what it all meant. So they asked one another, honestly, "What meaneth this?"
The Response
What Scripture recordsNot everyone asked. "Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine" (Acts 2:13). Then Peter, "standing up with the eleven," answered the question directly: "these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel" (Acts 2:14-16). He went on to explain that the crucified and risen Jesus, exalted by the right hand of God, had poured out the Spirit (Acts 2:32-33), and ended, "God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ" (Acts 2:36).
Historical Context
The world behind the wordsThe verb behind "were in doubt" is diaporeo. Thayer defines it as "to be entirely at a loss, to be in perplexity." Luke uses it elsewhere for Herod, who "was perplexed" about reports of Jesus (Luke 9:7), and for Peter, who "doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean" (Acts 10:17).
The mockers' charge, "full of new wine" (Acts 2:13), is the first explanation Peter answers, pointing out that it was only "the third hour of the day" (Acts 2:15).
The Bigger Picture
Where this fits in God's storyThe crowd's question opened the door for Peter's sermon, and God answered it in two ways. First with Scripture: "this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel" (Acts 2:16). Then with the news of Jesus: the One they crucified had been raised and had poured out the Spirit (Acts 2:23-24, 33). The meaning of Pentecost, in Peter's answer, is Jesus.
The same event drew two responses. Some asked "What meaneth this?" and others mocked (Acts 2:12-13). By the end of the sermon, a new question is being asked: "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" (Acts 2:37). That same day "they that gladly received his word were baptized," about three thousand souls (Acts 2:41).
Look Closer
How did the crowd respond to what they saw and heard?
Carry the question into prayer and conversation.
Lord, when I see You at work and cannot explain it, what do You want me to understand from Your Word?
A prayer to carry into the day.
- When something about God puzzles you, do you tend to ask about it, or to explain it away? Why?
- Tell about a time when a question you had about God led you to a deeper understanding of Him.
For you, a small group, a friend, or the dinner table.
Being puzzled by God is not a failure of faith. The crowd at Pentecost did not understand what they saw, and they said so. Their honest question was answered by Peter's explanation of the gospel.
When you are "in doubt" about something God is doing, ask. Ask Him, ask others, and look for the answer where Peter found it, in the Scriptures and in Jesus.
This doesn't mean every question will be answered on the spot. But notice the difference between the two groups: some asked and kept listening, and others settled on a quick, dismissive answer (Acts 2:13). Keep asking, and keep listening.
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