These Jerusalem Jews (devout or God-fearing men) are Jews who take God’s commandments seriously and make a diligent effort to live in obedience with the terms of the old covenant.1 Since Pentecost required all Jewish men to gather at Jerusalem, we can assume that those who did so are those who seek to obey God’s law. It is not clear if these Jews are the ones who came temporarily only for the feast or if they are now living in Jerusalem permanently (having previously lived in one of the specified countries).2 It is estimated that there were approximately 25,000 people living in Jerusalem at the time and that this number could swell up to 150,000 during times of festivals.
5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven.