What Does Acts 7:54 Mean in the King James?
When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.
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 Greek verb carries the image of being sawn through: here, what reaches the heart becomes rage rather than surrender.
THE MEANING
When a truth reaches you deeply, the impact does not itself mean you are yielding to it; it can become anger toward the voice that exposes you. Here the heart’s agitation shows itself outwardly as teeth grinding against the speaker.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
Being deeply moved by a hard truth does not necessarily mean you are becoming receptive to it.
THE ROOT
διεπρίοντο
diepríonto
GROWS FROM
πρίζω
prízō
to saw
The sawing image gives “cut to the heart” a forceful, abrasive edge; in Acts 5:33, the same phrase leads into a plot to kill. Here the gnashing teeth show that being struck inwardly can manifest as hostility rather than surrender.
ALSO GROWS
diapriō: to saw through; figuratively, to become enraged
διαπρίω
This is the verb form behind the phrase in Acts 7:54 and Acts 5:33, where the inward impact leads to open hostility.
eprísthēsan: they were sawn asunder
ἐπρίσθησαν
Hebrews 11:37 uses a form from the same root for literal sawing, making the violent force of the image audible beneath “cut.”
THE PATTERN
A word that reaches the heart exposes itself in what follows: the heart may open to change or harden into hostility.
Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.THE THREAD
When they heard that, they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them.Acts 5:33 uses the same Greek verb, διαπρίω (diapriō, to saw through; figuratively, to become enraged). There the response is a plan to kill; here it is teeth grinding, so the shared root makes the anger in “cut to the heart” plain.
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