What Does Acts 10:31 Mean in the King James?
And said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
What you say in prayer and what you give in generosity are both already present in God’s sight.
THE MEANING
Your prayer is heard, and your generosity remains before God as a memorial. The verse places inward words and outward giving together in God’s attention.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The belief that a private prayer or a small act of generosity disappears unseen does not hold here.
THE ROOT
μνημόσυνον
mnēmosynon
GROWS FROM
μνη-
mnē-
Memory, remembrance; keeping in mind.
The word translated “remembrance” also means a memorial: something that stands as a reminder. Your giving is not merely recalled later; it is pictured as present before God. That same word appears when the angel says the prayers and alms have come up before God.
ALSO GROWS
mnēmē: Memory, remembrance.
μνήμη
It shares the memory-root and shows that “remembrance” concerns what is held in mind.
mnēmoneuō: Remember, call to mind.
μνημονεύω
This verb makes the same root active: what is remembered is brought to mind.
ἐλεημοσύνη
eleēmosynē
GROWS FROM
ἐλεε-
elee-
Mercy, compassion expressed toward another.
“Alms” belongs to the Greek word-family for mercy, so the giving carries compassion in concrete form. The verse holds that merciful giving alongside prayer as something God sees.
ALSO GROWS
eleos: Mercy.
ἔλεος
It names the compassion at the heart of the word for alms.
eleeō: Show mercy, act compassionately.
ἐλεέω
It shows the family moving from mercy as a quality to mercy expressed in action.
THE PATTERN
What is offered in prayer or mercy is held in God’s sight rather than lost.
Remember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice; Selah.That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.THE THREAD
And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.The angel’s message uses the same Greek word for “remembrance” and “memorial.” Here, the prayers and alms are pictured as coming up before God, opening the image of remembrance as what stands in God’s presence.
This reading is from Selah Verse.
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