Acts 21:4

21:4 After we located ¹  the disciples, we stayed there ²  seven days. They repeatedly told ³  Paul through the Spirit ⁴  not to set foot ⁵  in Jerusalem. ⁶ 

Acts 21:7

21:7 We continued the voyage from Tyre ⁷  and arrived at Ptolemais, ⁸  and when we had greeted the brothers, we stayed with them for one day.

Acts 20:16

20:16 For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus ⁹  so as not to spend time ¹⁰  in the province of Asia, ¹¹  for he was hurrying ¹²  to arrive in Jerusalem, ¹³  if possible, ¹⁴  by the day of Pentecost.

¹ tn BDAG 78 s.v. ἀνευρίσκω has “look/search for (w. finding presupposed) τινά…τοὺς μαθητάς Ac 21:4.” The English verb “locate,” when used in reference to persons, has the implication of both looking for and finding someone. The participle ἀνευρόντες (aneuronte") has been taken temporally.

² tn BDAG 154 s.v. αὐτοῦ states, “deictic adv. designating a position relatively near or far…there…Ac 21:4.”

³ tn The imperfect verb ἔλεγον (elegon) has been taken iteratively.

⁴ sn Although they told this to Paul through the Spirit, it appears Paul had a choice here (see v. 14). Therefore this amounted to a warning: There was risk in going to Jerusalem, so he was urged not to go.

⁵ tn BDAG 367 s.v. ἐπιβαίνω places Ac 21:4 under 1, “go up/upon, mount, board…πλοίῳ…Ac 27:2…Abs. go on board, embark…21:1 D, 2. – So perh. also ἐ. εἰς ᾿Ιεροσόλυμα embark for Jerusalem (i.e. to the seaport of Caesarea) vs. 4.” BDAG notes, however, “But this pass. may also belong to 2. to move to an area and be there, set foot in.” Because the message from the disciples to Paul through the Holy Spirit has the character of a warning, the latter meaning has been adopted for this translation.

⁶ map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

⁷ sn Tyre was a city and seaport on the coast of Phoenicia.

⁸ sn Ptolemais was a seaport on the coast of Palestine about 30 mi (48 km) south of Tyre.

⁹ map For location see JP1-D2; JP2-D2; JP3-D2; JP4-D2.

¹⁰ tn Grk “so that he might not have to spend time.” L&N 67.79 has “ὅπως μὴ γένηται αὐτῷ χρονοτριβῆσαι ἐν τῇ ᾿Ασίᾳ ‘so as not to spend any time in the province of Asia’ Ac 20:16.”

¹¹ tn Grk “Asia”; in the NT this always refers to the Roman province of Asia, made up of about one-third of the west and southwest end of modern Asia Minor. Asia lay to the west of the region of Phrygia and Galatia. The words “the province of” are supplied to indicate to the modern reader that this does not refer to the continent of Asia.

¹² tn Or “was eager.”

¹³ map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

¹⁴ tn Grk “if it could be to him” (an idiom).