Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Peter emphasizes that Jesus received the promise of the Spirit from the Father after His exaltation. This highlights that the outpouring of the Spirit isn't a spontaneous event, but a direct consequence of Jesus' ascension and His active reception of authority and power from God.
Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus has been exalted to God's right hand, a position of supreme power and authority. From this vantage point, He has received the promised Holy Spirit from the Father and is now actively pouring it out, evident in the miraculous signs of speaking in tongues and divine utterance that the crowd is witnessing. This outpouring is the direct fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies and the direct result of Christ's ascension and divine enthronement.
What does it mean for Jesus to be 'exalted at the right hand of God'? This isn't just a nice picture; it's about power and authority.
Peter emphasizes that Jesus' exaltation to God's right hand is the crucial context for understanding the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. This isn't a passive position; it signifies Christ's supreme authority and power in heaven.
The Holy Spirit wasn't an afterthought. It was a promise, carefully planned and divinely given.
The verse highlights that Jesus 'received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit.' This points to a covenantal and planned outpouring, not a spontaneous event.
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The Pentecost event wasn't subtle. People saw and heard something undeniable. What made it so evident?
Peter concludes by stating that Jesus 'has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.' The effects of the Spirit's outpouring were immediately obvious and undeniable to the crowd.
Understand the original words
hypsoō · Greek Verb
To be raised to a position of supreme honor, power, and authority. It refers to Jesus’ return to heavenly glory and his assumption of his rightful place as Lord over all creation.
dexia · Greek Noun
A metaphor for the place of highest authority, power, and intimacy with God the Father. Sitting at the right hand signifies the sharing of divine rule.
epangelia · Greek Noun
A declaration or oath made by God regarding future blessing or divine intervention. It specifically refers here to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit promised by Jesus to his disciples.
Pneuma Hagion · Greek Noun
The third person of the Trinity, sent by the Father and the Son to indwell, empower, and guide believers in the mission of the Gospel.
This verse directly follows the dramatic events of Pentecost. Peter is explaining to the Jerusalem crowd that the astonishing display of speaking in different languages is not drunkenness, but the direct result of Jesus, now exalted to God's right hand, pouring out the promised Holy Spirit.
c. 30 AD— this verse
Jesus' Ascension to Heaven
Following his resurrection, Jesus ascends to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God, signifying his exalted status and authority.
c. 30 AD
Promise of the Holy Spirit
Before his ascension, Jesus promises his disciples that the Father will send the Holy Spirit to empower and guide them.
c. 30 AD
Pentecost Celebration in Jerusalem
The followers of Jesus gather in Jerusalem for the festival of Pentecost, a significant Jewish feast. This event becomes the backdrop for the outpouring of the Spirit.
c. 30 AD
Outpouring of the Holy Spirit
On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descends upon the disciples in a dramatic way, marked by the sound of a mighty wind and visible tongues of fire, enabling them to speak in other languages.
c. 30 AD
Peter's Sermon
Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, preaches to the assembled crowd, explaining the events of Pentecost as the fulfillment of prophecy and the work of the exalted Christ.
This passage explains that the Holy Spirit would not come to the disciples unless Jesus first ascended to the Father, directly linking Jesus' exaltation to the pouring out of the Spirit.
Psalm 110:1Peter quotes this Psalm to show that Jesus' sitting at the right hand of God, as mentioned in Acts, was a foretold event, establishing His authority and divine appointment.
Ephesians 4:8This verse parallels the idea of Christ receiving gifts for humanity after His ascension, connecting the 'promise of the Holy Spirit' in Acts with His triumphant return to heaven.
Acts 1:4This verse records Jesus' command to His disciples to wait for the 'promise of the Father,' which Peter directly links to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit they are witnessing in Acts 2.
Isaiah 44:3This Old Testament prophecy speaks of God pouring out His Spirit on His offspring, providing a prophetic backdrop to Peter's declaration of the promised Spirit being shed forth by Christ.
cambridgeActs 2:33: "Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear."
33 . Therefore being by [or at ] the right hand of God exalted ] i.e. into heaven. For not only are the Apostles and disciples witnesses of the Resurrection but also of the Ascension. the promise of the Holy Ghost ] called the promise of the Father in Acts 1:4 . Christ had told His disciples that the Father would send…
calvinActs 2:32-36: "This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses."
- This Jesus hath God raised up; whereof we all are witnesses. 33. He being therefore exalted by the right hand of God, and having received the promise of the Holy Ghost of the Father, he hath now shed forth that which ye now see and hear. 34. For David is not ascended into heaven: But he saith, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit at my right hand, 35. Until I make thine enemies thy footstool. 36. Therefore, let all the…
Peter emphasizes that Jesus received the promise of the Spirit from the Father after His exaltation. This highlights that the outpouring of the Spirit isn't a spontaneous event, but a direct consequence of Jesus' ascension and His active reception of authority and power from God.
Jesus has been exalted to God's right hand, a position of supreme power and authority. From this vantage point, He has received the promised Holy Spirit from the Father and is now actively pouring it out, evident in the miraculous signs of speaking in tongues and divine utterance that the crowd is witnessing. This outpouring is the direct fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies and the direct result of Christ's ascension and divine enthronement.
Jesus has been exalted to God's right hand, a position of supreme power and authority. From this vantage point, He has received the promised Holy Spirit from the Father and is now actively pouring it out, evident in the miraculous signs of speaking in tongues and divine utterance that the crowd is witnessing. This outpouring is the direct fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies and the direct result of Christ's ascension and divine enthronement.
"Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing." — Peter emphasizes that Jesus received the promise of the Spirit from the Father after His exaltation. This highlights that the outpouring of the Spirit isn't a spontaneous event, but a direct cons…
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Last reviewed October 2026