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Acts 21

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The Journey to Jerusalem Continues 1–7

1
And when it came to pass that we were parted from them and had set sail, we came with a straight course unto Cos, and the next day unto Rhodes, and from thence unto Patara:
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and having found a ship crossing over unto Phoenicia, we went aboard, and set sail.
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And when we had come in sight of Cyprus, leaving it on the left hand, we sailed unto Syria, and landed at Tyre; for there the ship was to unlade her burden.
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And having found the disciples, we tarried there seven days: and these said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not set foot in Jerusalem. ​
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And when it came to pass that we had accomplished the days, we departed and went on our journey; and they all, with wives and children, brought us on our way till we were out of the city: and kneeling down on the beach, we prayed, and bade each other farewell; ​
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and we went on board the ship, but they returned home again.
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And when we had finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais; and we saluted the brethren, and abode with them one day.

Paul in Caesarea: Meeting Philip 8–14

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And on the morrow we departed, and came unto Cæsarea: and entering into the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, we abode with him. ​
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Now this man had four virgin daughters, who prophesied. ​
10
And as we tarried there some days, there came down from Judæa a certain prophet, named Agabus.
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And coming to us, and taking Paul’s girdle, he bound his own feet and hands, and said, Thus saith the Holy Spirit, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles. ​
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And when we heard these things, both we and they of that place besought him not to go up to Jerusalem.
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Then Paul answered, What do ye, weeping and breaking my heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. ​
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And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done. ​

Arrival in Jerusalem 15–17

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And after these days we took up our baggage and went up to Jerusalem.
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And there went with us also certain of the disciples from Cæsarea, bringing with them one Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we should lodge. ​
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And when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly.

Meeting with James and the Elders 18–26

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And the day following Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present. ​
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And when he had saluted them, he rehearsed one by one the things which God had wrought among the Gentiles through his ministry.
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And they, when they heard it, glorified God; and they said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of them that have believed; and they are all zealous for the law: ​
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and they have been informed concerning thee, that thou teachest all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs. ​
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What is it therefore? they will certainly hear that thou art come.
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Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men that have a vow on them;
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these take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges for them, that they may shave their heads: and all shall know that there is no truth in the things whereof they have been informed concerning thee; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, keeping the law. ​
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But as touching the Gentiles that have believed, we wrote, giving judgment that they should keep themselves from things sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what is strangled, and from fornication. ​
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Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them went into the temple, declaring the fulfilment of the days of purification, until the offering was offered for every one of them. ​

Paul is Arrested in the Temple 27–36

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And when the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the multitude and laid hands on him, ​
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crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man that teacheth all men everywhere against the people, and the law, and this place; and moreover he brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath defiled this holy place. ​
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For they had before seen with him in the city Trophimus the Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple. ​
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And all the city was moved, and the people ran together; and they laid hold on Paul, and dragged him out of the temple: and straightway the doors were shut.
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And as they were seeking to kill him, tidings came up to the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in confusion. ​
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And forthwith he took soldiers and centurions, and ran down upon them: and they, when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, left off beating Paul.
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Then the chief captain came near, and laid hold on him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains; and inquired who he was, and what he had done. ​
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And some shouted one thing, some another, among the crowd: and when he could not know the certainty for the uproar, he commanded him to be brought into the castle.
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And when he came upon the stairs, so it was that he was borne of the soldiers for the violence of the crowd;
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for the multitude of the people followed after, crying out, Away with him.

Paul Addresses the Tribune and the Crowd 37–40

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And as Paul was about to be brought into the castle, he saith unto the chief captain, May I say something unto thee? And he said, Dost thou know Greek? ​
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Art thou not then the Egyptian, who before these days stirred up to sedition and led out into the wilderness the four thousand men of the Assassins? ​
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But Paul said, I am a Jew, of Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city: and I beseech thee, give me leave to speak unto the people. ​
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And when he had given him leave, Paul, standing on the stairs, beckoned with the hand unto the people; and when there was made a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew language, saying, ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Acts 21

Verse 4

through the Spirit — The disciples at Tyre spoke 'through the Spirit', the same Spirit who, as Paul told the Ephesian elders, 'witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me' (Acts 20:23). Paul was already going 'bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem' (Acts 20:22), knowing only that 'bonds and afflictions' awaited him.

Verse 5

we kneeled down on the shore, and prayed — The whole company, 'with wives and children', brought Paul and his companions out of the city, and the farewell ended in prayer, as at Miletus: 'he kneeled down, and prayed with them all' (Acts 20:36). 'Shore' is aigialos, the beach, the word of Acts 27:39.

Verse 8

Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven — Philip was chosen with Stephen in Acts 6:5, preached in Samaria (Acts 8:5), and was 'found at Azotus' and came to Caesarea (Acts 8:40), where Paul now lodges with him. Euangelistes, 'evangelist', occurs only here, in Eph 4:11 and in 2 Tim 4:5.

Verse 9

four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy — The verb propheteuo recalls the promise quoted at Pentecost, 'your sons and your daughters shall prophesy' (Acts 2:17). Women had prophesied earlier in Israel, as Miriam (Ex 15:20) and Anna (Luke 2:36). The warning for Paul comes through Agabus (v.10).

Verse 11

took Paul's girdle, and bound his own hands and feet — A prophet's acted sign, like Ahijah's torn garment (1 Kings 11:30–31) and Jeremiah's linen girdle (Jer 13:1). 'Deliver' is paradidomi, the verb of 'he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles' said of Christ (Luke 18:32), and of Paul himself in Acts 28:17.

Verse 13

ready not to be bound only, but also to die — 'Ready' is hetoimos. Paul had said, 'neither count I my life dear unto myself' (Acts 20:24), and he expects Christ to be 'magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death' (Phil 1:20). 'Break mine heart' is synthrypto, to crush together, found only here.

Verse 14

The will of the Lord be done — Paul's companions yield in the words of Christ in Gethsemane, 'not my will, but thine, be done' (Luke 22:42), and thelema, will, is the same word. 'We ceased' is hesychazo, to be quiet, the verb of Acts 11:18, 'they held their peace'.

Verse 16

Mnason of Cyprus, an old disciple — 'Old' is archaios, of long standing, the word of Acts 15:7, 'a good while ago'. Cyprus was the home of Barnabas (Acts 4:36), and men of Cyprus had preached at Antioch (Acts 11:20). Mnason is the host 'with whom we should lodge' in Jerusalem.

Verse 18

unto James; and all the elders — This is James 'the Lord's brother' (Gal 1:19), who spoke at the council (Acts 15:13) and is named first among the 'pillars' (Gal 2:9). The elders (presbyteroi) are the body to which Barnabas and Saul had brought the famine relief (Acts 11:30). Only James and the elders are named here.

Verse 20

how many thousands — Myrias is a myriad, ten thousand, and here it is plural, so tens of thousands of believing Jews. The word is used in Acts 19:19 for the value of the burnt books. 'Zealous' is zelotes, the word Paul used of himself, 'zealous toward God' (Acts 22:3). First they 'glorified the Lord' at his report of the Gentiles (vv.19–20).

Verse 21

to forsake Moses — 'Forsake' is apostasia, a falling away, found elsewhere only in 2 Thess 2:3. The report was untrue, as v.24 says. Paul had circumcised Timothy (Acts 16:3), had himself taken a vow (Acts 18:18), and wrote, 'unto the Jews I became as a Jew' (1 Cor 9:20). 'Informed' is katecheo, to instruct.

Verse 24

be at charges with them — Dapanao is to bear the expense. The shaved heads and offerings match the Nazarite law, which ends a vow with offerings (Num 6:13–15) and the shaving of the head (Num 6:18), so paying the cost let the four complete it. Paul himself had once 'shorn his head in Cenchrea: for he had a vow' (Acts 18:18).

Verse 25

we have written and concluded — The reference is to the letter from Jerusalem (Acts 15:20, 29): abstain from idols, blood, 'things strangled' and fornication. Pniktos, 'strangled', occurs only in those two verses and here. Paul had delivered the decrees in the cities (Acts 16:4). 'No such thing' points back to the customs of v.21.

Verse 26

until that an offering should be offered for every one of them — Paul, 'purifying himself with them', entered the temple to give notice of the days of purification (ekplerosis, accomplishment, and hagnismos, purification, both found only here) until the prosphora, the offering, was made for each man. Paul later said they 'found me purified in the temple' (Acts 24:18).

Verse 27

the Jews which were of Asia — They came from the province where Paul had taught for two years, so that 'all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus' (Acts 19:10). Paul later said they 'ought to have been here before thee' (Acts 24:19). 'Stirred up' is syncheo, to throw into confusion, used again for the uproar in v.31.

Verse 28

against the people, and the law, and this place — The charge repeats the one brought against Stephen: 'blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law' (Acts 6:13). 'Polluted' is koinoo, to make common. The second charge, of bringing 'Greeks also into the temple', rests on a mistaken sight (v.29).

Verse 29

Trophimus an Ephesian — He had come with Paul from Asia (Acts 20:4). 'Supposed' is nomizo, to think, so the charge was a guess: the Asian Jews had seen him in the city and assumed the rest. Paul later left Trophimus 'at Miletum sick' (2 Tim 4:20).

Verse 31

the chief captain of the band — Chiliarchos is a commander of a thousand, and speira, 'band', the body of soldiers under him. He is named Claudius Lysias in Acts 23:26. 'Tidings' (phasis, a report) occurs only here. Paul later recalled that the Jews 'went about to kill me' (Acts 26:21).

Verse 33

two chains — Halysis is a chain; Peter had been 'bound with two chains' between two soldiers (Acts 12:6). The binding answers the sign of v.11, and Paul remains in chains to the end of Acts: 'for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain' (Acts 28:20).

Verse 37

Canst thou speak Greek? — Hellenisti, 'in Greek', occurs elsewhere only in John 19:20, of the title over the cross, written 'in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin'. Paul's Greek told the captain that he was not the man of v.38, and in v.39 he names himself a Jew of Tarsus.

Verse 38

that Egyptian — The captain took Paul for the leader of 'four thousand men that were murderers' in the wilderness. Sikarios, 'murderer', occurs only here and is a Latin word for a dagger-man. Earlier risings are named in Acts 5:36–37: Theudas with 'about four hundred', and Judas of Galilee, who 'drew away much people'.

Verse 39

a citizen of no mean city — 'Mean' is asemos, undistinguished, found only here. Tarsus was Paul's birthplace (Acts 22:3), and Barnabas went there 'to seek Saul' (Acts 11:25). 'Citizen' here is of Tarsus; his Roman citizenship comes out in Acts 22:25.

Verse 40

in the Hebrew tongue — Hebrais dialektos is also the language of the hearers in Acts 22:2 and of the voice that spoke to Paul in Acts 26:14. He 'beckoned' (kataseio) with the hand, as Peter did in Acts 12:17, and 'a great silence' followed.