Acts 13:2–3
The Spirit sets apart Barnabas and Saul for his work
Study it word by word2And while they were serving the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart now for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
3Then, after fasting and praying and laying their hands on them, they sent them off.
In its context
1Now there were in Antioch, in the assembly that was there, prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
…
4So they, sent out by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus.
5And when they were in Salamis, they were announcing the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews; and they also had John as their assistant.
Its words in the original
- λειτουργούντωνleitourgountōn· serve, minister
Serve, minister, especially in the worship of God; also serve others.
- κυρίῳkyriōi· Lord, lord
Lord, master, owner. Said of God, the Lord; in Old Testament quotations it stands for the name YHWH.
- νηστευόντωνnēsteuontōn· fast
Fast: go without food for a time in order to seek God.
- εἶπενeipen· say
Say, speak; in the passive, "be called".
- πνεῦμαpneuma· spirit, Spirit
Spirit; also wind and breath. With "holy", the Holy Spirit of God.
- ἅγιονhagion· holy
Holy: set apart for God, pure, belonging to him.
- ἈφορίσατεAphorisate· set apart, separate
Separate, set apart; also mark off by boundaries.
- δήdē· indeed, then
A particle that adds force: "then", "indeed", "certainly".
- ΒαρναβᾶνBarnaban· Barnabas
Barnabas, the surname given to Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus; it was explained as "son of encouragement". He traveled and worked with Paul.
- ΣαῦλονSaulon· Saul
Saul, the Hebrew name of the apostle Paul, used in its Greek form.
- ἔργονergon· work
Work, deed, what someone does.
- προσκέκλημαιproskeklēmai· summon
Call to oneself, summon.
- τότεtote· then
Then, at that time.
- προσευξάμενοιproseuxamenoi· pray
Pray: speak with God.
- ἐπιθέντεςepithentes· put on, lay on
Put on, lay on.
- χεῖραςcheiras· hand
Hand.
- ἀπέλυσανapelysan· release, send away
Release, let go, send away; said of a wife, divorce her.