What Does Acts 3:4 Mean in the King James?
And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.
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 first movement toward healing is reciprocal attention: Peter fixes his gaze on the man, then asks him to look back.
THE MEANING
You are met in a moment of mutual attention: a gaze settles on you, and you are invited to return it. Peter (Πέτρος, Pétros, “stone”) and John (Ἰωάννης, Iōannēs; יוֹחָנָן, Yōḥānān, “YHWH has shown favor”) stand together; before a remedy appears, the man is addressed as someone worth seeing.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
Need does not make you invisible until it is fixed.
THE ROOT
ἔμβλεψον
emblepson
GROWS FROM
βλεπ-
blep-
See, look, perceive.
“Look on” in this verse is emblepson. The imperative asks for a deliberate look toward someone. It follows Peter’s own fixed gaze, so seeing moves from focused regard to mutual encounter; this word family can also name sight regained.
ALSO GROWS
anablepō: Look up; regain sight.
ἀναβλέπω
The same seeing-root can describe sight returning, linking directed attention with restored vision.
apoblepō: Look toward; fix attention on.
ἀποβλέπω
This branch makes explicit the directed regard carried by Peter’s invitation.
THE PATTERN
A directed gaze makes attention personal before it becomes speech, judgment, or help.
And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.THE THREAD
And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.The same Greek verb, ἐμβλέπω (emblepō, “look upon”), describes Jesus turning his gaze toward Peter. Here Peter directs that focused regard toward the man at the gate and asks him to return it; the shared root holds seeing as personal encounter.
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