What Does Acts 2:21 Mean in the King James?
And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
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
Calling on the Lord’s nature is the doorway through which anyone may be brought out.
THE MEANING
Whoever calls on the Lord’s name is delivered: the promise holds now for any person who calls. The name is the Lord’s nature, so the call reaches toward who the Lord is, and deliverance means being brought out.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The belief that deliverance belongs only to the worthy or specially chosen dissolves here: the verse says “whosoever,” with calling, not status, as its stated threshold.
THE ROOT
σωθήσεται
sōthēsetai
GROWS FROM
σῴζω
sōzō
Deliver, rescue, bring out.
The form rendered “saved” belongs to the same word family as σωτηρία (sōtēria, deliverance) and σωτήρ (sōtēr, deliverer). The verse presents rescue as being brought out, and opens that movement to whoever calls.
ALSO GROWS
sōtēria: Deliverance, rescue.
σωτηρία
The related noun names the deliverance promised to the one who calls.
sōtēr: Deliverer, rescuer.
σωτήρ
This related word names the one who brings a person out.
ὄνομα
ónoma
GROWS FROM
ὀνοματ-
onomat-
Name, identity, designation, or reputation.
“The name of the Lord” reaches beyond a spoken title to the Lord’s identity and nature. The call is directed toward who the Lord is, and that is where the verse places deliverance.
ALSO GROWS
onomazō: To name or call by name.
ὀνομάζω
This verb shows the name as something spoken to identify who someone is.
onomasía: Naming or designation.
ὀνομασία
This related noun keeps identity and naming joined, adding depth to “the name of the Lord.”
ἐπικαλέσηται
epikalesētai
GROWS FROM
καλέω (kaleō), with ἐπί (epi)
Call or summon; the compound means call upon.
“call” in this verse is epikalesētai. The verb describes a directed appeal: a person calls upon the Lord. Its word family includes both a calling and one who is summoned, placing the person who calls within a relationship rather than treating the words as a formula.
ALSO GROWS
kaleō: To call, summon, or invite.
καλέω
This verb is the base of the compound used for calling upon the Lord.
klēsis: Calling or summons.
κλῆσις
This related noun shows the same root extending from the act of calling to the call itself.
THE PATTERN
The Lord’s deliverance is open to everyone who calls upon the Lord.
And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.THE THREAD
And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.Acts 2:21 repeats Joel’s promise; the Greek wording shares ἐπικαλέσηται (epikalesētai, “call upon”) and σωθήσεται (sōthēsetai, “will be delivered”). Joel then names Zion, Jerusalem, and the remnant whom the LORD calls, opening the promise further.
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