Acts 2:9 (DRB)

Passage

Parthians and Medes and Elamites and inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,

Nearby Context

Acts 2:7 And they were all amazed, and wondered, saying: Behold, are not all these that speak Galilean?

Acts 2:8 And how have we heard, every man our own tongue wherein we were born?

Acts 2:9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites and inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,

Acts 2:10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome,

Acts 2:11 Jews also, and proselytes, Cretes, and Arabians: we have heard them speak in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "parthians", "medes", "elamites", "inhabitants", "mesopotamia", "judea", "cappadocia", and "pontus". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "parthians" and "medes", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "And how have we heard every man..." into verse 10's "Phrygia and Pamphylia Egypt and the parts...", so "parthians" and "medes" 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 "parthians" and "medes" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.