Acts 5:11Great fear came on the whole assembly, and on all who heard these things.
The setting
Jerusalem, ~33 AD. Late afternoon. Word spreads throughout the city about two deaths in one day at the Christian gathering. Both believers and curious onlookers are suddenly very quiet...
The emotion here: still processing the gravity of what just happened, writing with reverent awe
The original word
phobos (φόβος) — reverential fear that leads to proper respect, not terror but healthy awe
Why it matters
This fear led to explosive church growth - verse 14 says 'believers were increasingly added to the Lord'
Read with care
What most readers miss in Acts 5:11
The 'all who heard' includes people who weren't even there - this story spread like wildfire through Jerusalem
Common misconceptionPeople think this fear was unhealthy, but it actually purified the church and led to massive growth and genuine conversions.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Acts 5:11
Bible Genome reading
Acts 5:11 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Acts 5:11 comes from the book of Acts, written during the early_church period. These words are attributed to Luke. The dominant emotion in this verse is anxious, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include reverence, community response. Notable phrases: great fear came; whole assembly.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same anxious
“And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light.”
— 2 Corinthians 11:14
“Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”
— 2 Timothy 3:12
“The evil spirit answered, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?"”
— Acts 19:15
“I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'”
— Acts 22:7
“When we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is har…”
— Acts 26:14
Your reflection
What does Acts 5:11 mean to you, today?
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