While he clung to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astounded, ran together to them in the portico called Solomon’s.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The text highlights the healed man clinging to Peter and John, not just out of gratitude, but out of an impulse to "hold fast" to the source of this life-changing strength, a profound desire to remain connected to his benefactors. This image of him grasping them shows how truly amazed and perhaps even a little overwhelmed the crowd must have been, seeing this formerly helpless man now firmly attached to the apostles.
While he clung to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astounded, ran together to them in the portico called Solomon’s.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The healed beggar, overwhelmed with gratitude and excitement, clings to Peter and John. This dramatic public healing, witnessed by many, draws an enormous, astonished crowd into Solomon's Porch, creating a prime opportunity for Peter to preach.
Imagine the sheer disbelief and overwhelming joy! This healed man isn't just walking; he's glued to Peter and John. What does this intense attachment reveal?
The healed man's action of 'holding' Peter and John isn't just gratitude; it's a powerful visual of how God's touch transforms us. The Greek word used here, 'krateo', implies a strong, determined grip – he's clinging to the source of his new life.
Suddenly, the ordinary temple scene explodes into chaos. What's behind this 'utterly astounded' rush towards Peter and John?
The reaction of the crowd is immediate and overwhelming. They don't just notice the miracle; they are 'utterly astounded,' running together in a spontaneous surge of amazement.
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Understand the original words
stoa · Greek Noun
A colonnade or covered walkway, historically associated with the Temple in Jerusalem, providing a place for public gathering and teaching.
The miracle occurs in the context of the magnificent Second Temple complex, rebuilt by Herod the Great, a place of intense religious activity and Jewish expectation. The crowd's astonished reaction in the famous Solomon's Porch highlights the immense impact of the healing in a culturally and religiously charged environment.
c. 20 BC - 10 BC
Herod the Great Rebuilds the Temple
King Herod the Great begins an ambitious renovation of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, including the construction of magnificent porticoes, such as Solomon's Porch.
c. AD 30
Jesus' Crucifixion and Resurrection
Jesus of Nazareth is crucified in Jerusalem and, according to Christian belief, resurrected. His followers begin to form the early church.
c. AD 33
The Day of Pentecost
The Holy Spirit descends upon Jesus' followers in Jerusalem, empowering them to preach. This event marks a significant expansion of the early Christian movement.
c. AD 33— this verse
Healing of the Lame Man at the Temple
Peter and John, empowered by the Holy Spirit, heal a man lame from birth at the Beautiful Gate of the Jerusalem Temple. This miraculous event draws a large crowd.
c. AD 33
Peter's Sermon and the Crowd's Reaction
Following the healing, Peter preaches to the astonished crowd gathered in Solomon's Porch, explaining that the miracle was done in the name of Jesus. Many believe and are added to the church.
c. AD 35-40
Persecution of Early Christians
The rapid growth of the early church leads to opposition from Jewish religious authorities, resulting in the arrest and persecution of believers, including Peter and John.
This verse speaks of the 'stone that the builders rejected' becoming the cornerstone, echoing the theme of God using unexpected means, like a formerly crippled man and the apostles, to display His power.
John 9:24-25In this passage, the Pharisees question the formerly blind man about his healing. His simple, direct testimony ('One thing I know, that though I was blind, now I see') mirrors the healed man in Acts, who, by his very presence and clinging to Peter and John, testifies to the miracle.
Isaiah 35:5-6This prophecy foretells a time when 'the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped' and 'the lame man shall leap like a deer.' The healing in Acts 3 is a direct fulfillment of this Messianic promise.
Matthew 14:14When Jesus saw the large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. Similar to Peter and John in Acts 3, Jesus' compassionate action in healing a multitude drew people together and prepared them to hear His message.
Zechariah 8:20-23This passage describes a future time when people from many nations will seek the Lord and hold onto Jews, saying, 'Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.' The scene in Acts 3, with people running to Peter and John in amazement, foreshadows this future drawing together to God.
calvinActs 3:1-11: "Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour."
- Now, [or almost at that time,] Peter and John went up together into the temple, about the ninth hour of prayer. 2. Furthermore, a certain man, which was lame from his mother's womb, was carried; whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, that he might ask alms of those which entered into the temple. 3. When he saw Peter and John draw near to the templ…
barnesActs 3:11: "And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon's, greatly wondering."
Held Peter and John - The word "held" means that he "adhered" to them; he "joined himself" to them; he was desirous of "remaining" with them and "participating" with them. "He clung to his benefactors, and would not be separated from them" (Prof. Hackett). All the people ... - Excited by curiosity, they came together. The fact of…
The text highlights the healed man clinging to Peter and John, not just out of gratitude, but out of an impulse to "hold fast" to the source of this life-changing strength, a profound desire to remain connected to his benefactors. This image of him grasping them shows how truly amazed and perhaps even a little overwhelmed the crowd must have been, seeing this formerly helpless man now firmly attached to the apostles.
The healed beggar, overwhelmed with gratitude and excitement, clings to Peter and John. This dramatic public healing, witnessed by many, draws an enormous, astonished crowd into Solomon's Porch, creating a prime opportunity for Peter to preach.
The healed beggar, overwhelmed with gratitude and excitement, clings to Peter and John. This dramatic public healing, witnessed by many, draws an enormous, astonished crowd into Solomon's Porch, creating a prime opportunity for Peter to preach.
"While he clung to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astounded, ran together to them in the portico called Solomon’s." — The text highlights the healed man clinging to Peter and John, not just out of gratitude, but out of an impulse to "hold fast" to the source of this life-changing strength, a profound desire to remai…
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Last reviewed October 2026