What Does Acts 11:21 Mean in the King James?

And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.

Acts 11:21 · KJV

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

The Lord’s hand is with them as trust takes the shape of turning toward the Lord.

THE MEANING

The Lord’s hand is with them, and many trust and turn toward the Lord. Trust does not remain an inward conclusion; the sentence gives it direction, toward the one trusted.

WHAT THIS UNDOES

The verse undoes the belief that trust is only inward agreement while a person stays pointed in the same direction: here, those who trust turn toward the Lord.

THE ROOT

ἐπέστρεψεν

epestrepsen from epistrephō

GROWS FROM

στρέφω

strephō

To turn or turn around.

The verb ⁨ἐπέστρεψεν⁩ (epestrepsen, “turned”) belongs to ⁨στρέφω⁩ (strephō, “turn”). “Unto the Lord” makes the direction explicit: trust moves toward its object.

ALSO GROWS

strephō: Turn, turn around.

στρέφω

This is the motion at the root of the passage’s verb, making the turn more than a change of opinion.

epistrophē: Turning, return; rendered “conversion” in Acts 15:3.

ἐπιστροφή

The related noun names the same movement, showing that turning is a recognizable return toward a new direction.

πιστεύσας

pisteusas from pisteuō

GROWS FROM

πιστ-

pist-

Trust and reliance; leaning one’s weight on someone.

“believed” in this verse is pisteusas from pisteuō. The verb ⁨πιστεύσας⁩ (pisteusas, “having trusted”) belongs to the ⁨πιστ-⁩ (pist-) family of trust and steadiness. Paired with turning toward the Lord, it presents belief as reliance with a direction, not bare assent.

ALSO GROWS

pistis: Trust, reliance.

πίστις

The related noun names the reliance carried by the verb translated “believed.”

pistos: Firm, steady; trustworthy.

πιστός

This related adjective lets the trust family carry the sense of steadiness as well as confidence.

THE PATTERN

Turning toward God is a concrete change of direction, not an inward claim left in place.

O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.

Hosea 14:1 · KJVThe call to return presents turning toward the LORD as a real reorientation.

For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;

1 Thessalonians 1:9 · KJVThe verse makes the direction plain: away from idols and toward God, with the turn expressed in service.

And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.

Luke 15:20 · KJVThe son’s return is an actual movement toward his father, and compassion meets him while he is still on the way.

THE THREAD

For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;

1 Thessalonians 1:9 · KJV

Here the same verb appears as ⁨ἐπεστρέψατε⁩ (epestrepsate, “you turned”), sharing the ⁨στρέφω⁩ (strephō, “turn”) root. “From idols to God” spells out the direction Acts 11:21 holds in “turned unto the Lord.”

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