Acts 2:37 (KJV)

Passage

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?

Nearby Context

Acts 2:35 Until I make thy foes thy footstool.

Acts 2:36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

Acts 2:37 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?

Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Acts 2:39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the LORD our God shall call.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "heard", "pricked", "heart", "said", "peter", "rest", "apostles", and "brethren". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "heard" and "pricked", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 36's "Therefore let all the house of Israel..." into verse 38's "Then Peter said unto them Repent and...", so "heard" and "pricked" belong inside that flow. In Acts context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "heard" and "pricked" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.