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Acts 19:21--21:16

Context

A Riot in Ephesus

19:21 Now after all these things had taken place,¹ Paul resolved² to go to Jerusalem,³ passing through Macedonia⁴ and Achaia.⁵ He said,⁶ “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.”⁷ 19:22 So after sending⁸ two of his assistants,⁹ Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia,¹⁰ he himself stayed on for a while in the province of Asia.¹¹

19:23 At¹² that time¹³ a great disturbance¹⁴ took place concerning the Way.¹⁵ 19:24 For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines¹⁶ of Artemis,¹⁷ brought a great deal¹⁸ of business¹⁹ to the craftsmen. 19:25 He gathered²⁰ these²¹ together, along with the workmen in similar trades,²² and said, “Men, you know that our prosperity²³ comes from this business. 19:26 And you see and hear that this Paul has persuaded²⁴ and turned away²⁵ a large crowd,²⁶ not only in Ephesus²⁷ but in practically all of the province of Asia,²⁸ by saying²⁹ that gods made by hands are not gods at all.³⁰ 19:27 There is danger not only that this business of ours will come into disrepute,³¹ but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis³² will be regarded as nothing,³³ and she whom all the province of Asia³⁴ and the world worship will suffer the loss of her greatness.”³⁵

19:28 When³⁶ they heard³⁷ this they became enraged³⁸ and began to shout,³⁹ “Great is Artemis⁴⁰ of the Ephesians!” 19:29 The⁴¹ city was filled with the uproar,⁴² and the crowd⁴³ rushed to the theater⁴⁴ together,⁴⁵ dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, the Macedonians who were Paul’s traveling companions. 19:30 But when Paul wanted to enter the public assembly,⁴⁶ the disciples would not let him. 19:31 Even some of the provincial authorities⁴⁷ who were his friends sent⁴⁸ a message⁴⁹ to him, urging him not to venture⁵⁰ into the theater. 19:32 So then some were shouting one thing, some another, for the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had met together.⁵¹ 19:33 Some of the crowd concluded⁵² it was about⁵³ Alexander because the Jews had pushed him to the front.⁵⁴ Alexander, gesturing⁵⁵ with his hand, was wanting to make a defense⁵⁶ before the public assembly.⁵⁷ 19:34 But when they recognized⁵⁸ that he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison,⁵⁹ “Great is Artemis⁶⁰ of the Ephesians!” for about two hours.⁶¹ 19:35 After the city secretary⁶² quieted the crowd, he said, “Men of Ephesus, what person⁶³ is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is the keeper⁶⁴ of the temple of the great Artemis⁶⁵ and of her image that fell from heaven?⁶⁶ 19:36 So because these facts⁶⁷ are indisputable,⁶⁸ you must keep quiet⁶⁹ and not do anything reckless.⁷⁰ 19:37 For you have brought these men here who are neither temple robbers⁷¹ nor blasphemers of our goddess.⁷² 19:38 If then Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a complaint⁷³ against someone, the courts are open⁷⁴ and there are proconsuls; let them bring charges against one another there.⁷⁵ 19:39 But if you want anything in addition,⁷⁶ it will have to be settled⁷⁷ in a legal assembly.⁷⁸ 19:40 For⁷⁹ we are in danger of being charged with rioting⁸⁰ today, since there is no cause we can give to explain⁸¹ this disorderly gathering.”⁸² 19:41 After⁸³ he had said⁸⁴ this,⁸⁵ he dismissed the assembly.⁸⁶

Paul Travels Through Macedonia and Greece

20:1 After the disturbance had ended, Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging⁸⁷ them and saying farewell,⁸⁸ he left to go to Macedonia.⁸⁹ 20:2 After he had gone through those regions⁹⁰ and spoken many words of encouragement⁹¹ to the believers there,⁹² he came to Greece,⁹³ 20:3 where he stayed⁹⁴ for three months. Because the Jews had made⁹⁵ a plot⁹⁶ against him as he was intending⁹⁷ to sail⁹⁸ for Syria, he decided⁹⁹ to return through Macedonia.¹⁰⁰ 20:4 Paul¹⁰¹ was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea,¹⁰² Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica,¹⁰³ Gaius¹⁰⁴ from Derbe,¹⁰⁵ and Timothy, as well as Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia.¹⁰⁶ 20:5 These had gone on ahead¹⁰⁷ and were waiting for us in Troas.¹⁰⁸ 20:6 We¹⁰⁹ sailed away from Philippi¹¹⁰ after the days of Unleavened Bread,¹¹¹ and within five days¹¹² we came to the others¹¹³ in Troas,¹¹⁴ where we stayed for seven days. 20:7 On the first day¹¹⁵ of the week, when we met¹¹⁶ to break bread, Paul began to speak¹¹⁷ to the people, and because he intended¹¹⁸ to leave the next day, he extended¹¹⁹ his message until midnight. 20:8 (Now there were many lamps¹²⁰ in the upstairs room where we were meeting.)¹²¹ 20:9 A young man named Eutychus, who was sitting in the window,¹²² was sinking¹²³ into a deep sleep while Paul continued to speak¹²⁴ for a long time. Fast asleep,¹²⁵ he fell down from the third story and was picked up dead. 20:10 But Paul went down,¹²⁶ threw himself¹²⁷ on the young man,¹²⁸ put his arms around him,¹²⁹ and said, “Do not be distressed, for he is still alive!”¹³⁰ 20:11 Then Paul¹³¹ went back upstairs,¹³² and after he had broken bread and eaten, he talked with them¹³³ a long time, until dawn. Then he left. 20:12 They took the boy home alive and were greatly¹³⁴ comforted.

The Voyage to Miletus

20:13 We went on ahead¹³⁵ to the ship and put out to sea¹³⁶ for Assos,¹³⁷ intending¹³⁸ to take Paul aboard there, for he had arranged it this way.¹³⁹ He¹⁴⁰ himself was intending¹⁴¹ to go there by land.¹⁴² 20:14 When he met us in Assos,¹⁴³ we took him aboard¹⁴⁴ and went to Mitylene.¹⁴⁵ 20:15 We set sail¹⁴⁶ from there, and on the following day we arrived off Chios.¹⁴⁷ The next day we approached¹⁴⁸ Samos,¹⁴⁹ and the day after that we arrived at Miletus.¹⁵⁰ 20:16 For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus¹⁵¹ so as not to spend time¹⁵² in the province of Asia,¹⁵³ for he was hurrying¹⁵⁴ to arrive in Jerusalem,¹⁵⁵ if possible,¹⁵⁶ by the day of Pentecost. 20:17 From Miletus¹⁵⁷ he sent a message¹⁵⁸ to Ephesus, telling the elders of the church to come to him.¹⁵⁹

20:18 When they arrived, he said to them, “You yourselves know how I lived¹⁶⁰ the whole time I was with you, from the first day I set foot¹⁶¹ in the province of Asia,¹⁶² 20:19 serving the Lord with all humility¹⁶³ and with tears, and with the trials that happened to me because of the plots¹⁶⁴ of the Jews. 20:20 You know that I did not hold back from proclaiming¹⁶⁵ to you anything that would be helpful,¹⁶⁶ and from teaching you publicly¹⁶⁷ and from house to house, 20:21 testifying¹⁶⁸ to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus.¹⁶⁹ 20:22 And now,¹⁷⁰ compelled¹⁷¹ by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem¹⁷² without knowing what will happen to me there,¹⁷³ 20:23 except¹⁷⁴ that the Holy Spirit warns¹⁷⁵ me in town after town¹⁷⁶ that¹⁷⁷ imprisonment¹⁷⁸ and persecutions¹⁷⁹ are waiting for me. 20:24 But I do not consider my life¹⁸⁰ worth anything¹⁸¹ to myself, so that¹⁸² I may finish my task¹⁸³ and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the good news¹⁸⁴ of God’s grace.

20:25 “And now¹⁸⁵ I know that none¹⁸⁶ of you among whom I went around proclaiming the kingdom¹⁸⁷ will see me¹⁸⁸ again. 20:26 Therefore I declare¹⁸⁹ to you today that I am innocent¹⁹⁰ of the blood of you all.¹⁹¹ 20:27 For I did not hold back from¹⁹² announcing¹⁹³ to you the whole purpose¹⁹⁴ of God. 20:28 Watch out for¹⁹⁵ yourselves and for all the flock of which¹⁹⁶ the Holy Spirit has made you overseers,¹⁹⁷ to shepherd the church of God¹⁹⁸ that he obtained¹⁹⁹ with the blood of his own Son.²⁰⁰ 20:29 I know that after I am gone²⁰¹ fierce wolves²⁰² will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 20:30 Even from among your own group²⁰³ men²⁰⁴ will arise, teaching perversions of the truth²⁰⁵ to draw the disciples away after them. 20:31 Therefore be alert,²⁰⁶ remembering that night and day for three years I did not stop warning²⁰⁷ each one of you with tears. 20:32 And now I entrust²⁰⁸ you to God and to the message²⁰⁹ of his grace. This message²¹⁰ is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 20:33 I have desired²¹¹ no one’s silver or gold or clothing. 20:34 You yourselves know that these hands of mine²¹² provided for my needs and the needs of those who were with me. 20:35 By all these things,²¹³ I have shown you that by working in this way we must help²¹⁴ the weak,²¹⁵ and remember the words of the Lord Jesus that he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”²¹⁶

20:36 When²¹⁷ he had said these things, he knelt down²¹⁸ with them all and prayed. 20:37 They all began to weep loudly,²¹⁹ and hugged²²⁰ Paul and kissed him,²²¹ 20:38 especially saddened²²² by what²²³ he had said, that they were not going to see him²²⁴ again. Then they accompanied²²⁵ him to the ship.

Paul’s Journey to Jerusalem

21:1 After²²⁶ we²²⁷ tore ourselves away²²⁸ from them, we put out to sea,²²⁹ and sailing a straight course,²³⁰ we came to Cos,²³¹ on the next day to Rhodes,²³² and from there to Patara.²³³ 21:2 We found²³⁴ a ship crossing over to Phoenicia,²³⁵ went aboard,²³⁶ and put out to sea.²³⁷ 21:3 After we sighted Cyprus²³⁸ and left it behind on our port side,²³⁹ we sailed on to Syria and put in²⁴⁰ at Tyre,²⁴¹ because the ship was to unload its cargo there. 21:4 After we located²⁴² the disciples, we stayed there²⁴³ seven days. They repeatedly told²⁴⁴ Paul through the Spirit²⁴⁵ not to set foot²⁴⁶ in Jerusalem.²⁴⁷ 21:5 When²⁴⁸ our time was over,²⁴⁹ we left and went on our way. All of them, with their wives and children, accompanied²⁵⁰ us outside of the city. After²⁵¹ kneeling down on the beach and praying,²⁵² 21:6 we said farewell²⁵³ to one another.²⁵⁴ Then²⁵⁵ we went aboard the ship, and they returned to their own homes.²⁵⁶ 21:7 We continued the voyage from Tyre²⁵⁷ and arrived at Ptolemais,²⁵⁸ and when we had greeted the brothers, we stayed with them for one day. 21:8 On the next day we left²⁵⁹ and came to Caesarea,²⁶⁰ and entered²⁶¹ the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven,²⁶² and stayed with him. 21:9 (He had four unmarried²⁶³ daughters who prophesied.)²⁶⁴

21:10 While we remained there for a number of days,²⁶⁵ a prophet named Agabus²⁶⁶ came down from Judea. 21:11 He came²⁶⁷ to us, took²⁶⁸ Paul’s belt,²⁶⁹ tied²⁷⁰ his own hands and feet with it,²⁷¹ and said, “The Holy Spirit says this: ‘This is the way the Jews in Jerusalem will tie up the man whose belt this is, and will hand him over²⁷² to the Gentiles.’” 21:12 When we heard this, both we and the local people²⁷³ begged him not to go up to Jerusalem. 21:13 Then Paul replied, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking²⁷⁴ my heart? For I am ready not only to be tied up,²⁷⁵ but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” 21:14 Because he could not be persuaded,²⁷⁶ we said no more except,²⁷⁷ “The Lord’s will be done.”²⁷⁸

21:15 After these days we got ready²⁷⁹ and started up²⁸⁰ to Jerusalem. 21:16 Some of the disciples from Caesarea²⁸¹ came along with us too, and brought us to the house²⁸² of Mnason of Cyprus, a disciple from the earliest times,²⁸³ with whom we were to stay.

[19:21] ¹tn Grk “all these things had been fulfilled.”

[19:21] ²tn Grk “Paul purposed in [his] spirit” (an idiom). According to BDAG 1003 s.v. τίθημι 1.b.ε the entire idiom means “to resolve” (or “decide”): “ἔθετο ὁ Παῦλος ἐν τῷ πνεύματι w. inf. foll. Paul resolved 19:21.”

[19:21] ³map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[19:21] ⁴sn Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.

[19:21] ⁵sn Achaia was the Roman province of Achaia located across the Aegean Sea from Ephesus. Its principal city was Corinth.

[19:21] ⁶tn Grk “Achaia, saying.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence and the awkwardness in English of having two participial clauses following one another (“passing through…saying”), the participle εἰπών (eipwn) has been translated as a finite verb and a new sentence begun here in the translation.

[19:21] ⁷sn This is the first time Paul mentions Rome. He realized the message of Christianity could impact that society even at its heights.

[19:22] ⁸tn The aorist participle ἀποστείλας (aposteila") has been taken temporally reflecting action antecedent to that of the main verb (ἐπέσχεν, epescen).

[19:22] ⁹tn Grk “two of those who ministered to him.”

[19:22] ¹⁰sn Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.

[19:22] ¹¹tn 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.

[19:23] ¹²tn Grk “There happened at that time.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated. Instead the verb “took place” has been supplied in the translation.

[19:23] ¹³tn BDAG 512 s.v. κατά B.2.a, “in definite indications of time…Of the past: κ. ἐκεῖνον τὸν καιρόν at that time, then…Ac 12:1; 19:23.”

[19:23] ¹⁴tn Grk “no little disturbance” (an idiom; see BDAG 991 s.v. τάραχος 2).

[19:23] ¹⁵sn The Way refers to the Christian movement (Christianity).

[19:24] ¹⁶tn BDAG 665 s.v. ναός 1.a states, “Specif. of temples: of replicas of the temple of Artemis at Ephesus 19:24…but here, near ἱερόν vs. 27…ναός can be understood in the more restricted sense shrine, where the image of the goddess stood.”

[19:24] ¹⁷sn Artemis was the name of a Greek goddess worshiped particularly in Asia Minor, whose temple, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, was located just outside the city of Ephesus.

[19:24] ¹⁸tn Grk “brought not a little business” (an idiom).

[19:24] ¹⁹sn A great deal of business. The charge that Christianity brought economic and/or social upheaval was made a number of times in Acts: 16:20-21; 17:6-7; 18:13.

[19:25] ²⁰tn Grk “gathering.” The participle συναθροίσας (sunaqroisa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[19:25] ²¹tn Grk “whom”; because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“whom”) has been replaced with a pronoun (“these”) and a new sentence begun in the translation.

[19:25] ²²sn Workmen in similar trades. In effect, Demetrius gathered the Ephesian chamber of commerce together to hear about the threat to their prosperity.

[19:25] ²³tn Another possible meaning is “that this business is an easy way for us to earn a living.”

[19:26] ²⁴tn Grk “persuading.” The participle πείσας (peisa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[19:26] ²⁵tn Or “misled.”

[19:26] ²⁶tn BDAG 472 s.v. ἱκανός 3.a has “of pers. ὄχλος a large crowd…Ac 11:24, 26; 19:26.”

[19:26] ²⁷map For location see JP1 D2; JP2 D2; JP3 D2; JP4 D2.

[19:26] ²⁸tn Grk “Asia”; see the note on this word in v. 22.

[19:26] ²⁹tn The participle λέγων (legwn) has been regarded as indicating instrumentality.

[19:26] ³⁰tn The words “at all” are not in the Greek text but are implied.

[19:27] ³¹tn Or “come under public criticism.” BDAG 101 s.v. ἀπελεγμός has “come into disrepute Ac 19:27.”

[19:27] ³²sn Artemis was the name of a Greek goddess worshiped particularly in Asia Minor, whose temple, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, was located just outside the city of Ephesus.

[19:27] ³³tn BDAG 597 s.v. λογίζομαι 1.b has “εἰς οὐθὲν λογισθῆναι be looked upon as nothing…Ac 19:27.”

[19:27] ³⁴tn Grk “Asia”; see the note on this word in v. 22.

[19:27] ³⁵tn Or “her magnificence.” BDAG 488 s.v. καθαιρέω 2.b has “καθαιρεῖσθαι τῆς μεγαλειότητος αὐτῆς suffer the loss of her magnificence Ac 19:27”; L&N 13.38 has “‘and to have her greatness done away with’ Ac 19:27.”

[19:28] ³⁶tn Grk “And when.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[19:28] ³⁷tn Grk “And hearing.” The participle ἀκούσαντες (akousante") has been taken temporally.

[19:28] ³⁸tn Grk “they became filled with rage” (an idiom). The reaction of the Ephesians here is like that of the Jews earlier, though Luke referred to “zeal” or “jealousy” in the former case (Acts 7:54).

[19:28] ³⁹tn Grk “and began shouting, saying.” The imperfect verb ἔκραζον (ekrazon) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect. The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in English and has not been translated.

[19:28] ⁴⁰sn Artemis was a Greek goddess worshiped particularly in Asia Minor, whose temple, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, was located just outside the city of Ephesus.

[19:29] ⁴¹tn Grk “And the.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[19:29] ⁴²tn L&N 39.43 has “‘the uproar spread throughout the whole city’ (literally ‘the city was filled with uproar’) Ac 19:29.” BDAG 954 s.v. σύγχυσις has “confusion, tumult.”

[19:29] ⁴³tn Grk “they”; the referent (the crowd) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[19:29] ⁴⁴sn To the theater. This location made the event a public spectacle. The Grand Theater in Ephesus (still standing today) stood facing down the main thoroughfare of the city toward the docks. It had a seating capacity of 25,000.

[19:29] ⁴⁵tn Grk “to the theater with one accord.”

[19:30] ⁴⁶tn Or “enter the crowd.” According to BDAG 223 s.v. δῆμος 2, “in a Hellenistic city, a convocation of citizens called together for the purpose of transacting official business, popular assembly…εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὸν δ. go into the assembly 19:30.”

[19:31] ⁴⁷tn Grk “Asiarchs” (high-ranking officials of the province of Asia).

[19:31] ⁴⁸tn Grk “sending”; the participle πέμψαντες (pemyante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[19:31] ⁴⁹tn The words “a message” are not in the Greek text but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[19:31] ⁵⁰tn BDAG 242-43 s.v. δίδωμι 11 has “to cause (oneself) to go, go, venture somewhere (cp. our older ‘betake oneself’)…Ac 19:31.” The desire of these sympathetic authorities was surely to protect Paul’s life. The detail indicates how dangerous things had become.

[19:32] ⁵¹tn Or “had assembled.”

[19:33] ⁵²tn Or “Some of the crowd gave instructions to.”

[19:33] ⁵³tn The words “it was about” are not in the Greek text but are implied; ᾿Αλέξανδρον (Alexandron) is taken to be an accusative of general reference.

[19:33] ⁵⁴tn BDAG 865 s.v. προβάλλω 1 has “to cause to come forward, put forward…τινά someone…push someone forward to speak in the theater…Ac 19:33.”

[19:33] ⁵⁵tn Or “motioning.”

[19:33] ⁵⁶sn The nature of Alexander’s defense is not clear. It appears he was going to explain, as a Jew, that the problem was not caused by Jews, but by those of “the Way.” However, he never got a chance to speak.

[19:33] ⁵⁷tn Or “before the crowd.” According to BDAG 223 s.v. δῆμος 2, “in a Hellenistic city, a convocation of citizens called together for the purpose of transacting official business, popular assembly…ἀπολογεῖσθαι τῷ δ. make a defense before the assembly vs. 33.”

[19:34] ⁵⁸tn Grk “But recognizing.” The participle ἐπιγνόντες (epignonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[19:34] ⁵⁹tn Grk “[they shouted] with one voice from all of them” (an idiom).

[19:34] ⁶⁰sn Artemis was a Greek goddess worshiped particularly in Asia Minor, whose temple, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, was located just outside the city of Ephesus, 1.25 mi (2 km) northeast of the Grand Theater. Dimensions were 418 ft by 239 ft (125 m by 72 m) for the platform; the temple proper was 377 ft by 180 ft (113 m by 54 m). The roof was supported by 117 columns, each 60 ft (18 m) high by 6 ft (1.8 m) in diameter. The Emperor Justinian of Byzantium later took these columns for use in construction of the Hagia Sophia, where they still exist (in modern day Istanbul).

[19:34] ⁶¹sn They all shouted…for about two hours. The extent of the tumult shows the racial and social tensions of a cosmopolitan city like Ephesus, indicating what the Christians in such locations had to face.

[19:35] ⁶²tn Or “clerk.” The “scribe” (γραμματεύς, grammateu") was the keeper of the city’s records.

[19:35] ⁶³tn This is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo").

[19:35] ⁶⁴tn See BDAG 670 s.v. νεωκόρος. The city is described as the “warden” or “guardian” of the goddess and her temple.

[19:35] ⁶⁵sn Artemis was a Greek goddess worshiped particularly in Asia Minor, whose temple, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, was located just outside the city of Ephesus.

[19:35] ⁶⁶tn Or “from the sky” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”).

[19:36] ⁶⁷tn Grk “these things.”

[19:36] ⁶⁸tn The genitive absolute construction with the participle ὄντων (ontwn) has been translated as a causal adverbial participle. On the term translated “indisputable” see BDAG 68-69 s.v. ἀναντίρρητος which has “not to be contradicted, undeniable.”

[19:36] ⁶⁹tn Grk “it is necessary that you be quiet.”

[19:36] ⁷⁰tn L&N 88.98 has “pertaining to impetuous and reckless behavior – ‘reckless, impetuous.’…‘so then, you must calm down and not do anything reckless’ Ac 19:36.” The city secretary was asking that order be restored.

[19:37] ⁷¹tn Or perhaps, “desecrators of temples.”

[19:37] ⁷²sn Nor blasphemers of our goddess. There was no formal crime with which Paul could be charged. He had the right to his religion as long as he did not act physically against the temple. Since no overt act had taken place, the official wanted the community to maintain the status quo on these religious matters. The remarks suggest Paul was innocent of any civil crime.

[19:38] ⁷³tn BDAG 600 s.v. λόγος 1.a.ε has “ἔχειν πρός τινα λόγον have a complaint against someone…19:38.”

[19:38] ⁷⁴tn L&N 56.1 has ‘if Demetrius and his workers have an accusation against someone, the courts are open’ Ac 19:38.”

[19:38] ⁷⁵tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text but is implied. The official’s request is that the legal system be respected.

[19:39] ⁷⁶tn Or “anything more than this.”

[19:39] ⁷⁷tn Or “resolved.”

[19:39] ⁷⁸tn Or “in a legal meeting of the citizens.” L&N 30.81 has “ἐν τῇ ἐννόμῳ ἐκκλησίᾳ ἐπιλυθήσεται ‘it will have to be settled in a legal meeting of the citizens’ Ac 19:39.” This meeting took place three times a year.

[19:40] ⁷⁹tn Grk “For indeed.” The ascensive force of καί (kai) would be awkward to translate here.

[19:40] ⁸⁰tn The term translated “rioting” refers to a revolt or uprising (BDAG 940 s.v. στάσις 2, 3). This would threaten Roman rule and invite Roman intervention.

[19:40] ⁸¹tn Or “to account for.” Grk “since there is no cause concerning which we can give account concerning this disorderly gathering.” The complexity of the Greek relative clause (“which”) and the multiple prepositions (“concerning”) have been simplified in the translation consistent with contemporary English style.

[19:40] ⁸²tn Or “commotion.” BDAG 979 s.v. συστροφή 1 gives the meaning “a tumultuous gathering of people, disorderly/seditious gathering or commotion…Ac 19:40.”

[19:41] ⁸³tn Grk “And after.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[19:41] ⁸⁴tn Grk “And saying.” The participle εἰπών (eipwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[19:41] ⁸⁵tn Grk “these things.”

[19:41] ⁸⁶sn Verse 41 in the English text is included as part of verse 40 in the standard critical editions of the Greek NT.

[20:1] ⁸⁷tn Or “exhorting.”

[20:1] ⁸⁸tn Or “and taking leave of them.”

[20:1] ⁸⁹sn Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.

[20:2] ⁹⁰tn BDAG 633 s.v. μέρος 1.b.γ gives the meanings “the parts (of a geographical area), region, district,” but the use of “district” in this context probably implies too much specificity.

[20:2] ⁹¹tn Grk “and encouraging them with many words.” The participle παρακαλέσας (parakalesa", “encouraging”) has been translated by the phrase “spoken…words of encouragement” because the formal equivalent is awkward in contemporary English.

[20:2] ⁹²tn Grk “[to] them”; the referent (the believers there) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[20:2] ⁹³tn In popular usage the term translated “Greece” here could also refer to the Roman province officially known as Achaia (BDAG 318 s.v. ῾Ελλάς).

[20:3] ⁹⁴tn BDAG 841 s.v. ποιέω 5.c, “w. an acc. of time spend, stay.”

[20:3] ⁹⁵tn The participle βενομένης (benomenh") has been translated as a causal adverbial participle. L&N 30.71 has “ἐπιβουλῆς αὐτῷ ὑπὸ τῶν ᾿Ιουδαίων ‘because the Jews had made a plot against him’ Ac 20:3.”

[20:3] ⁹⁶sn This plot is one of several noted by Luke (Acts 9:20; 20:19; 23:30).

[20:3] ⁹⁷tn BDAG 628 s.v. μέλλω 1.c.γ has “denoting an intended action: intend, propose, have in mind…Ac 17:31; 20:3, 7, 13ab; 23:15; 26:2; 27:30.”

[20:3] ⁹⁸tn BDAG 62 s.v. ἀνάγω 4 gives “put out to sea” here (as a nautical technical term). However, since the English expression “put out to sea” could be understood to mean Paul was already aboard the ship (which is not clear from the context), the simpler expression “sail” is used at this point in the translation.

[20:3] ⁹⁹tn BDAG 199 s.v. γίνομαι 7 has “ἐγένετο γνώμης he decided Ac 20:3.”

[20:3] ¹⁰⁰sn Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.

[20:4] ¹⁰¹tn Grk “He”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[20:4] ¹⁰²sn Berea (alternate spelling in NRSV Beroea; Greek Beroia) was a very old city in Macedonia on the river Astraeus about 45 mi (75 km) from Thessalonica.

[20:4] ¹⁰³tn Grk “of the Thessalonians.”

[20:4] ¹⁰⁴tn Grk “and Gaius,” but this καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.

[20:4] ¹⁰⁵sn Derbe was a city in Lycaonia about 30 mi (50 km) southeast of Lystra.

[20:4] ¹⁰⁶tn Grk “the Asians Tychicus and Trophimus.” In the NT “Asia” 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.

[20:5] ¹⁰⁷tn Grk “These, having gone on ahead, were waiting.” The participle προελθόντες (proelqonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[20:5] ¹⁰⁸sn Troas was a port city (and surrounding region) on the northwest coast of Asia Minor.

[20:6] ¹⁰⁹sn This marks the beginning of another “we” section in Acts. These have been traditionally understood to mean that Luke was in the company of Paul for this part of the journey.

[20:6] ¹¹⁰map For location see JP1 C1; JP2 C1; JP3 C1; JP4 C1.

[20:6] ¹¹¹sn The days of Unleavened Bread refer to the week following Passover. Originally an agricultural festival commemorating the beginning of harvest, it was celebrated for seven days beginning on the fifteenth day of the month Nisan (March-April). It was later combined with Passover (Exod 12:1-20; Ezek 45:21-24; Matt 26:17; Luke 22:1).

[20:6] ¹¹²tn BDAG 160 s.v. ἄχρι 1.a.α has “ἄ. ἡμερῶν πέντε within five days Ac 20:6.”

[20:6] ¹¹³tn Grk “to them”; the referent (the others mentioned in v. 4) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[20:6] ¹¹⁴sn Troas was a port city (and surrounding region) on the northwest coast of Asia Minor. From Philippi to Troas was about 125 mi (200 km).

[20:7] ¹¹⁵sn On the first day. This is the first mention of a Sunday gathering (1 Cor 16:2).

[20:7] ¹¹⁶tn Or “assembled.”

[20:7] ¹¹⁷tn The verb διαλέγομαι (dialegomai) is frequently used of Paul addressing Jews in the synagogue. As G. Schrenk (TDNT 2:94-95) points out, “What is at issue is the address which any qualified member of a synagogue might give.” Other examples of this may be found in the NT in Matt 4:23 and Mark 1:21. In the context of a Christian gathering, it is preferable to translate διελέγετο (dielegeto) simply as “speak” here. The imperfect verb διελέγετο has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.

[20:7] ¹¹⁸tn BDAG 628 s.v. μέλλω 1.c.γ has “denoting an intended action: intend, propose, have in mind…Ac 17:31; 20:3, 7, 13ab; 23:15; 26:2; 27:30.”

[20:7] ¹¹⁹tn Or “prolonged.”

[20:8] ¹²⁰tn More commonly λαμπάς (lampa") means “torch,” but here according to BDAG 585 s.v. λαμπάς 2, “lamp…w. a wick and space for oil.”

[20:8] ¹²¹sn This is best taken as a parenthetical note by the author.

[20:9] ¹²²tn This window was probably a simple opening in the wall (see also BDAG 462 s.v. θυρίς).

[20:9] ¹²³tn Grk “sinking into a deep sleep.” BDAG 529 s.v. καταφέρω 3 has “ὕπνῳ βαθεῖ sink into a deep sleep…Ac 20:9a.” The participle καταφερόμενος (kataferomeno") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[20:9] ¹²⁴tn The participle διαλεγομένου (dialegomenou) has been taken temporally.

[20:9] ¹²⁵tn BDAG 529 s.v. καταφέρω 3 has “κατενεχθεὶς ἀπὸ τοῦ ὔπνου overwhelmed by sleep vs. 9b,” but this expression is less common in contemporary English than phrases like “fast asleep” or “sound asleep.”

[20:10] ¹²⁶tn Grk “going down.” The participle καταβάς (katabas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[20:10] ¹²⁷tn BDAG 377 s.v. ἐπιπίπτω 1.b has “ἐπέπεσεν αὐτῷ he threw himself upon him Ac 20:10.”

[20:10] ¹²⁸tn Grk “on him”; the referent (the young man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[20:10] ¹²⁹tn BDAG 959 s.v. συμπεριλαμβάνω has “to throw one’s arms around, embrace w. acc. to be supplied Ac 20:10.” However, “embraced the young man” might be taken (out of context) to have erotic implications, while “threw his arms around him” would be somewhat redundant since “threw” has been used in the previous phrase.

[20:10] ¹³⁰tn Grk “for his life is in him” (an idiom).

[20:11] ¹³¹tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[20:11] ¹³²tn Grk “going back upstairs.” The participle ἀναβάς (anabas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[20:11] ¹³³tn Grk “talking with them.” The participle ὁμιλήσας (Jomilhsas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[20:12] ¹³⁴tn Grk “were not to a moderate degree” (an idiom). L&N 78.11 states: “μετρίως: a moderate degree of some activity or state – ‘moderately, to a moderate extent.’ ἤγαγον δὲ τὸν παῖδα ζῶντα, καὶ παρεκλήθησαν οὐ μετρίωθς ‘they took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted’ Ac 20:12. In Ac 20:12 the phrase οὐ μετρίως, literally ‘not to a moderate degree,’ is equivalent to a strong positive statement, namely, ‘greatly’ or ‘to a great extent.’”

[20:13] ¹³⁵tn Grk “going on ahead.” The participle προελθόντες (proelqonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[20:13] ¹³⁶tn BDAG 62 s.v. ἀνάγω 4, “as a nautical t.t. (ἀ. τὴν ναῦν put a ship to sea), mid. or pass. ἀνάγεσθαι to begin to go by boat, put out to sea.”

[20:13] ¹³⁷sn Assos was a city of Mysia about 24 mi (40 km) southeast of Troas.

[20:13] ¹³⁸tn BDAG 628 s.v. μέλλω 1.c.γ has “denoting an intended action: intend, propose, have in mind…Ac 17:31; 20:3, 7, 13ab; 23:15; 26:2; 27:30.”

[20:13] ¹³⁹tn Or “for he told us to do this.” Grk “for having arranged it this way, he.” The participle διατεταγμένος (diatetagmeno") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. BDAG 237 s.v. διατάσσω 1 has “οὕτως διατεταγμένος ἦν he had arranged it so Ac 20:13.” L&N 15.224 has “‘he told us to do this.”

[20:13] ¹⁴⁰tn A new sentence was begun here in the translation because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence; in Greek this is part of the preceding sentence beginning “We went on ahead.”

[20:13] ¹⁴¹tn BDAG 628 s.v. μέλλω 1.c.γ has “denoting an intended action: intend, propose, have in mind…Ac 17:31; 20:3, 7, 13ab; 23:15; 26:2; 27:30.”

[20:13] ¹⁴²tn Or “there on foot.”

[20:14] ¹⁴³sn Assos was a city of Mysia about 24 mi (40 km) southeast of Troas.

[20:14] ¹⁴⁴tn Grk “taking him aboard, we.” The participle ἀναλαβόντες (analabonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[20:14] ¹⁴⁵sn Mitylene was the most important city on the island of Lesbos in the Aegean Sea. It was about 44 mi (70 km) from Assos.

[20:15] ¹⁴⁶tn Grk “setting sail from there.” The participle ἀποπλεύσαντες (apopleusante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[20:15] ¹⁴⁷tn Or “offshore from Chios.”

[20:15] ¹⁴⁸tn Or “crossed over to,” “arrived at.” L&N 54.12 has “παραβάλλω: (a technical, nautical term) to sail up to or near – ‘to approach, to arrive at, to sail to.’ παρεβάλομεν εἰς Σάμον ‘we approached Samos’ or ‘we arrived at Samos’ Ac 20:15.”

[20:15] ¹⁴⁹sn Samos is an island in the Aegean Sea off the western coast of Asia Minor.

[20:15] ¹⁵⁰sn Miletus was a seaport on the western coast of Asia Minor about 40 mi (70 km) south of Ephesus. From Mitylene to Miletus was about 125 mi (200 km).

[20:16] ¹⁵¹map For location see JP1 D2; JP2 D2; JP3 D2; JP4 D2.

[20:16] ¹⁵²tn 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.”

[20:16] ¹⁵³tn 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.

[20:16] ¹⁵⁴tn Or “was eager.”

[20:16] ¹⁵⁵map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[20:16] ¹⁵⁶tn Grk “if it could be to him” (an idiom).

[20:17] ¹⁵⁷sn Miletus was a seaport on the western coast of Asia Minor about 45 mi (72 km) south of Ephesus.

[20:17] ¹⁵⁸tn The words “a message” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[20:17] ¹⁵⁹tn The words “to him” are not in the Greek text but are implied. L&N 33.311 has for the verb μετακαλέομαι (metakaleomai) “to summon someone, with considerable insistence and authority – ‘to summon, to tell to come.’”

[20:18] ¹⁶⁰tn Grk “You yourselves know, from the first day I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time.” This could be understood to mean “how I stayed with you the whole time,” but the following verses make it clear that Paul’s lifestyle while with the Ephesians is in view here. Thus the translation “how I lived the whole time I was with you” makes this clear.

[20:18] ¹⁶¹tn Or “I arrived.” BDAG 367 s.v. ἐπιβαίνω 2, “set foot in…εἰς τ. ᾿Ασίαν set foot in Asia Ac 20:18.” However, L&N 15.83 removes the idiom: “you know that since the first day that I came to Asia.”

[20:18] ¹⁶²tn Grk “Asia”; see the note on this word in v. 16.

[20:19] ¹⁶³sn On humility see 2 Cor 10:1; 11:7; 1 Thess 2:6; Col 3:12; Eph 4:2; Phil 2:3-11.

[20:19] ¹⁶⁴sn These plots are mentioned in Acts 9:24; 20:13.

[20:20] ¹⁶⁵tn Or “declaring.”

[20:20] ¹⁶⁶tn Or “profitable.” BDAG 960 s.v. συμφέρω 2.b.α has “τὰ συμφέροντα what advances your best interests or what is good for you Ac 20:20,” but the broader meaning (s.v. 2, “to be advantageous, help, confer a benefit, be profitable/useful”) is equally possible in this context.

[20:20] ¹⁶⁷tn Or “openly.”

[20:21] ¹⁶⁸tn BDAG 233 s.v. διαμαρτύρομαι 1 has “testify of, bear witness to (orig. under oath)…of repentance to Judeans and Hellenes Ac 20:21.”

[20:21] ¹⁶⁹tc Several mss, including some of the more important ones (Ì⁷⁴ א Α C [D] E 33 36 323 945 1175 1241 1505 1739 pm and a number of versions), read Χριστόν (Criston, “Christ”) at the end of this verse. This word is lacking in B H L P Ψ 614 pm. Although the inclusion is supported by many earlier and better mss, internal evidence is on the side of the omission: In Acts, both “Lord Jesus” and “Lord Jesus Christ” occur, though between 16:31 and the end of the book “Lord Jesus Christ” appears only in 28:31, perhaps as a kind of climactic assertion. Thus, the shorter reading is to be preferred.

[20:22] ¹⁷⁰tn Grk “And now, behold.” Here ἰδού (idou) has not been translated.

[20:22] ¹⁷¹tn Grk “bound.”

[20:22] ¹⁷²sn This journey to Jerusalem suggests a parallel between Paul and Jesus, since the “Jerusalem journey” motif figures so prominently in Luke’s Gospel (9:51-19:44).

[20:22] ¹⁷³tn BDAG 965 s.v. συναντάω 2 has τὰ ἐν αὐτῇ συναντήσοντα ἐμοὶ μὴ εἰδώς without knowing what will happen to me there Ac 20:22.”

[20:23] ¹⁷⁴tn BDAG 826 s.v. πλήν 1.d has “πλὴν ὅτι except that…Ac 20:23.”

[20:23] ¹⁷⁵tn The verb διαμαρτύρομαι (diamarturomai) can mean “warn” (BDAG 233 s.v. διαμαρτύρομαι 2 has “solemnly urge, exhort, warn…w. dat. of pers. addressed”), and this meaning better fits the context here, although BDAG categorizes Acts 20:23 under the meaning “testify of, bear witness to” (s.v. 1).

[20:23] ¹⁷⁶tn The Greek text here reads κατὰ πόλιν (kata polin).

[20:23] ¹⁷⁷tn Grk “saying that,” but the participle λέγον (legon) is redundant in English and has not been translated.

[20:23] ¹⁷⁸tn Grk “bonds.”

[20:23] ¹⁷⁹tn Or “troubles,” “suffering.” See Acts 19:21; 21:4, 11.

[20:24] ¹⁸⁰tn Grk “soul.”

[20:24] ¹⁸¹tn Or “I do not consider my life worth a single word.” According to BDAG 599 s.v. λόγος 1.a.α, “In the textually uncertain pass. Ac 20:24 the text as it stands in N., οὐδενὸς λόγου (v.l. λόγον) ποιοῦμαι τὴν ψυχὴν τιμίαν, may well mean: I do not consider my life worth a single word (cp. λόγου ἄξιον [ἄξιος 1a] and our ‘worth mention’).”

[20:24] ¹⁸²tn BDAG 1106 s.v. ὡς 9 describes this use as “a final particle, expressing intention/purpose, with a view to, in order to.”

[20:24] ¹⁸³tn Grk “course.” See L&N 42.26, “(a figurative extension of meaning of δρόμος ‘race’) a task or function involving continuity, serious, effort, and possibly obligation – ‘task, mission’…Ac 20:24.” On this Pauline theme see also Phil 1:19-26; Col 1:24; 2 Tim 4:6-7.

[20:24] ¹⁸⁴tn Or “to the gospel.”

[20:25] ¹⁸⁵tn Grk “And now, behold.” Here ἰδού (idou) has not been translated.

[20:25] ¹⁸⁶tn Grk “all of you…will not see.” Greek handles its negation somewhat differently from English, and the translation follows English grammatical conventions.

[20:25] ¹⁸⁷sn Note how Paul’s usage of the expression proclaiming the kingdom is associated with (and intertwined with) his testifying to the good news of God’s grace in v. 24. For Paul the two concepts were interrelated.

[20:25] ¹⁸⁸tn Grk “will see my face” (an idiom for seeing someone in person).

[20:26] ¹⁸⁹tn Or “testify.”

[20:26] ¹⁹⁰tn Grk “clean, pure,” thus “guiltless” (BDAG 489 s.v. καθαρός 3.a).

[20:26] ¹⁹¹tn That is, “that if any of you should be lost, I am not responsible” (an idiom). According to L&N 33.223, the meaning of the phrase “that I am innocent of the blood of all of you” is “that if any of you should be lost, I am not responsible.” However, due to the length of this phrase and its familiarity to many modern English readers, the translation was kept closer to formal equivalence in this case. The word “you” is not in the Greek text, but is implied; Paul is addressing the Ephesian congregation (in the person of its elders) in both v. 25 and 27.

[20:27] ¹⁹²tn Or “did not avoid.” BDAG 1041 s.v. ὑποστέλλω 2.b has “shrink from, avoid implying fear…οὐ γὰρ ὑπεστειλάμην τοῦ μὴ ἀναγγεῖλαι I did not shrink from proclaiming Ac 20:27”; L&N 13.160 has “to hold oneself back from doing something, with the implication of some fearful concern – ‘to hold back from, to shrink from, to avoid’…‘for I have not held back from announcing to you the whole purpose of God’ Ac 20:27.”

[20:27] ¹⁹³tn Or “proclaiming,” “declaring.”

[20:27] ¹⁹⁴tn Or “plan.”

[20:28] ¹⁹⁵tn Or “Be on your guard for” (cf. v. 29). Paul completed his responsibility to the Ephesians with this warning.

[20:28] ¹⁹⁶tn Grk “in which.”

[20:28] ¹⁹⁷tn Or “guardians.” BDAG 379-80 s.v. ἐπίσκοπος 2 states, “The term was taken over in Christian communities in ref. to one who served as overseer or supervisor, with special interest in guarding the apostolic tradition…Ac 20:28.” This functional term describes the role of the elders (see v. 17). They were to guard and shepherd the congregation.

[20:28] ¹⁹⁸tc The reading “of God” (τοῦ θεοῦ, tou qeou) is found in א B 614 1175 1505 al vg sy; other witnesses have “of the Lord” (τοῦ κυρίου, tou kuriou) here (so Ì⁷⁴ A C* D E Ψ 33 1739 al co), while the majority of the later minuscule mss conflate these two into “of the Lord and God” (τοῦ κυρίου καὶ [τοῦ] θεοῦ, tou kuriou kai [tou] qeou). Although the evidence is evenly balanced between the first two readings, τοῦ θεοῦ is decidedly superior on internal grounds. The final prepositional phrase of this verse, διὰ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ ἰδίου (dia tou {aimato" tou idiou), could be rendered “through his own blood” or “through the blood of his own.” In the latter translation, the object that “own” modifies must be supplied (see tn below for discussion). But this would not be entirely clear to scribes; those who supposed that ἰδίου modified αἵματος would be prone to alter “God” to “Lord” to avoid the inference that God had blood. In a similar way, later scribes would be prone to conflate the two titles, thereby affirming the deity (with the construction τοῦ κυρίου καὶ θεοῦ following the Granville Sharp rule and referring to a single person [see ExSyn 272, 276-77, 290]) and substitutionary atonement of Christ. For these reasons, τοῦ θεοῦ best explains the rise of the other readings and should be considered authentic.

[20:28] ¹⁹⁹tn Or “acquired.”

[20:28] ²⁰⁰tn Or “with his own blood”; Grk “with the blood of his own.” The genitive construction could be taken in two ways: (1) as an attributive genitive (second attributive position) meaning “his own blood”; or (2) as a possessive genitive, “with the blood of his own.” In this case the referent is the Son, and the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity. See further C. F. DeVine, “The Blood of God,” CBQ 9 (1947): 381-408.

[20:29] ²⁰¹tn Grk “after my departure.”

[20:29] ²⁰²tn That is, people like fierce wolves. See BDAG 167-68 s.v. βαρύς 4 on the term translated “fierce.” The battle that will follow would be a savage one.

[20:30] ²⁰³tn Grk “from among yourselves.”

[20:30] ²⁰⁴tn The Greek term here is ἀνήρ (anhr), which only rarely is used in a generic sense to refer to both males and females. Since Paul is speaking to the Ephesian elders at this point and there is nothing in the context to suggest women were included in that group (“from among your own group”), it is most likely Paul was not predicting that these false teachers would include women.

[20:30] ²⁰⁵tn Grk “speaking crooked things”; BDAG 237 s.v. διαστρέφω 2 has “λαλεῖν διεστραμμένα teach perversions (of the truth) Ac 20:30.”

[20:31] ²⁰⁶tn Or “be watchful.”

[20:31] ²⁰⁷tn Or “admonishing.”

[20:32] ²⁰⁸tn Or “commend.” BDAG 772 s.v. παρατίθημι 3.b has “τινά τινι entrust someone to the care or protection of someone…Of divine protection παρέθεντο αὐτοὺς τῷ κυρίῳ Ac 14:23; cp. 20:32.”

[20:32] ²⁰⁹tn Grk “word.”

[20:32] ²¹⁰tn Grk “the message of his grace, which.” The phrase τῷ δυναμένῳ οἰκοδομῆσαι… (tw dunamenw oikodomhsai…) refers to τῷ λόγω (tw logw), not τῆς χάριτος (ths caritos); in English it could refer to either “the message” or “grace,” but in Greek, because of agreement in gender, the referent can only be “the message.” To make this clear, a new sentence was begun in the translation and the referent “the message” was repeated at the beginning of this new sentence.

[20:33] ²¹¹tn Traditionally, “coveted.” BDAG 371 s.v. ἐπιθυμέω 1 has “to have a strong desire to do or secure someth., desire, long for w. gen. of the thing desired…silver, gold, clothing Ac 20:33.” The traditional term “covet” is not in common usage and difficult for many modern English readers to understand. The statement affirms Paul’s integrity. He was not doing this for personal financial gain.

[20:34] ²¹²tn The words “of mine” are not in the Greek text, but are supplied to clarify whose hands Paul is referring to.

[20:35] ²¹³sn The expression By all these things means “In everything I did.”

[20:35] ²¹⁴tn Or “must assist.”

[20:35] ²¹⁵tn Or “the sick.” See Eph 4:28.

[20:35] ²¹⁶sn The saying is similar to Matt 10:8. Service and generosity should be abundant. Interestingly, these exact words are not found in the gospels. Paul must have known of this saying from some other source.

[20:36] ²¹⁷tn Grk “And when.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[20:36] ²¹⁸tn Grk “kneeling down…he prayed.” The participle θείς (qeis) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[20:37] ²¹⁹tn Grk “weeping a great deal,” thus “loudly” (BDAG 472 s.v. ἱκανός and BDAG 546 s.v. κλαυθμός).

[20:37] ²²⁰tn Grk “fell on Paul’s neck” (an idiom, see BDAG 1014 s.v. τράχηλος).

[20:37] ²²¹sn The Ephesians elders kissed Paul as a sign of both affection and farewell. The entire scene shows how much interrelationship Paul had in his ministry and how much he and the Ephesians meant to each other.

[20:38] ²²²tn Or “pained.”

[20:38] ²²³tn Grk “by the word that he had said.”

[20:38] ²²⁴tn Grk “to see his face” (an idiom for seeing someone in person).

[20:38] ²²⁵tn BDAG 873 s.v. προπέμπω 1 has “they accompanied him to the ship Ac 20:38.”

[21:1] ²²⁶tn Grk “It happened that when.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated. Since the action described by the participle ἀποσπασθέντας (apospasqenta", “tearing ourselves away”) is prior to the departure of the ship, it has been translated as antecedent action (“after”).

[21:1] ²²⁷sn This marks the beginning of another “we” section in Acts. These have been traditionally understood to mean that Luke was in the company of Paul for this part of the journey.

[21:1] ²²⁸tn BDAG 120 s.v. ἀποσπάω 2.b has “pass. in mid. sense ἀ. ἀπό τινος tear oneself away Ac 21:1”; LSJ 218 gives several illustrations of this verb meaning “to tear or drag away from.”

[21:1] ²²⁹tn BDAG 62 s.v. ἀνάγω 4, “as a nautical t.t. (ἀ. τὴν ναῦν put a ship to sea), mid. or pass. ἀνάγεσθαι to begin to go by boat, put out to sea.”

[21:1] ²³⁰tn BDAG 406 s.v. εὐθυδρομέω has “of a ship run a straight course”; L&N 54.3 has “to sail a straight course, sail straight to.”

[21:1] ²³¹sn Cos was an island in the Aegean Sea.

[21:1] ²³²sn Rhodes was an island off the southwestern coast of Asia Minor.

[21:1] ²³³sn Patara was a city in Lycia on the southwestern coast of Asia Minor. The entire journey was about 185 mi (295 km).

[21:2] ²³⁴tn Grk “and finding.” The participle εὑρόντες (Jeuronte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun in the translation.

[21:2] ²³⁵sn Phoenicia was the name of an area along the Mediterranean coast north of Palestine.

[21:2] ²³⁶tn Grk “going aboard, we put out to sea.” The participle ἐπιβάντες (epibante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[21:2] ²³⁷tn BDAG 62 s.v. ἀνάγω 4, “as a nautical t.t. (ἀ. τὴν ναῦν put a ship to sea), mid. or pass. ἀνάγεσθαι to begin to go by boat, put out to sea.”

[21:3] ²³⁸sn Cyprus is a large island in the Mediterranean off the south coast of Asia Minor.

[21:3] ²³⁹sn The expression left it behind on our port side here means “sailed past to the south of it” since the ship was sailing east.

[21:3] ²⁴⁰tn BDAG 531 s.v. κατέρχομαι 2 states, “arrive, put in, nautical t.t. of ships and those who sail in them, who ‘come down’ fr. the ‘high seas’…ἔις τι at someth. a harbor 18:22; 21:3; 27:5.”

[21:3] ²⁴¹sn Tyre was a city and seaport on the coast of Phoenicia. From Patara to Tyre was about 400 mi (640 km). It required a large cargo ship over 100 ft (30 m) long, and was a four to five day voyage.

[21:4] ²⁴²tn 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.

[21:4] ²⁴³tn BDAG 154 s.v. αὐτοῦ states, “deictic adv. designating a position relatively near or far…there…Ac 21:4.”

[21:4] ²⁴⁴tn The imperfect verb ἔλεγον (elegon) has been taken iteratively.

[21:4] ²⁴⁵sn 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.

[21:4] ²⁴⁶tn 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.

[21:4] ²⁴⁷map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[21:5] ²⁴⁸tn Grk “It happened that when.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[21:5] ²⁴⁹tn Grk “When our days were over.” L&N 67.71 has “ὅτε δὲ ἐγένετο ἡμᾶς ἐξαρτίσαι τὰς ἡμέρας ‘when we brought that time to an end’ or ‘when our time with them was over’ Ac 21:5.”

[21:5] ²⁵⁰tn Grk “accompanying.” Due to the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was begun in the translation and the participle προπεμπόντων (propempontwn) translated as a finite verb.

[21:5] ²⁵¹tn Grk “city, and after.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.

[21:5] ²⁵²sn On praying in Acts, see 1:14, 24; 2:47; 4:23; 6:6; 10:2; 12:5, 12; 13:3; 16:25.

[21:6] ²⁵³tn BDAG 98 s.v. ἀπασπάζομαι has “take leave of, say farewell to τινά someone…ἀπησπασάμεθα ἀλλήλους we said farewell to one another Ac 21:6.”

[21:6] ²⁵⁴sn These words are part of v. 5 in the standard critical Greek text.

[21:6] ²⁵⁵tn Grk “and.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was begun in the translation, and καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the logical sequence.

[21:6] ²⁵⁶tn Grk “to their own”; the word “homes” is implied.

[21:7] ²⁵⁷sn Tyre was a city and seaport on the coast of Phoenicia.

[21:7] ²⁵⁸sn Ptolemais was a seaport on the coast of Palestine about 30 mi (48 km) south of Tyre.

[21:8] ²⁵⁹tn Grk “On the next day leaving, we came.” The participle ἐξελθόντες (exelqonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[21:8] ²⁶⁰sn Caesarea was a city on the coast of Palestine south of Mount Carmel (not Caesarea Philippi). See the note on Caesarea in Acts 10:1. This was another 40 mi (65 km).

[21:8] ²⁶¹tn Grk “and entering…we stayed.” The participle εἰσελθόντες (eiselqonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[21:8] ²⁶²sn Philip was one of the seven deacons appointed in the Jerusalem church (Acts 6:1-7).

[21:9] ²⁶³tn Grk “virgin.” While the term παρθένος (parqeno") can refer to a woman who has never had sexual relations, the emphasis in this context seems to be on the fact that Philip’s daughters were not married (L&N 9.39).

[21:9] ²⁶⁴sn This is best taken as a parenthetical note by the author. Luke again noted women who were gifted in the early church (see Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 3.31; 3.39).

[21:10] ²⁶⁵tn BDAG 848 s.v. πολύς 1.b.α has “ἐπὶ ἡμέρας πλείους for a (large) number of days, for many days…Ac 13:31. – 21:10…24:17; 25:14; 27:20.”

[21:10] ²⁶⁶sn Agabus also appeared in Acts 11:28. He was from Jerusalem, so the two churches were still in contact with one another.

[21:11] ²⁶⁷tn Grk “And coming.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here. The participle ἐλθών (elqwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[21:11] ²⁶⁸tn Grk “and taking.” This καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more. The participle ἄρας (aras) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[21:11] ²⁶⁹sn The belt was a band or sash used to keep money as well as to gird up the tunic (BDAG 431 s.v. ζώνη).

[21:11] ²⁷⁰tn The participle δήσας (dhsas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[21:11] ²⁷¹tn The words “with it” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[21:11] ²⁷²tn Grk “and will deliver him over into the hands of” (a Semitic idiom).

[21:12] ²⁷³tn Or “the people there.”

[21:13] ²⁷⁴tn The term translated “breaking” as used by Josephus (Ant. 10.10.4 [10.207]) means to break something into pieces, but in its only NT use (it is a hapax legomenon) it is used figuratively (BDAG 972 s.v. συνθρύπτω).

[21:13] ²⁷⁵tn L&N 18.13 has “to tie objects together – ‘to tie, to tie together, to tie up.’” The verb δέω (dew) is sometimes figurative for imprisonment (L&N 37.114), but it is preferable to translate it literally here in light of v. 11 where Agabus tied himself up with Paul’s belt.

[21:14] ²⁷⁶tn The participle πειθομένου (peiqomenou) in this genitive absolute construction has been translated as a causal adverbial participle.

[21:14] ²⁷⁷tn Grk “we became silent, saying.”

[21:14] ²⁷⁸sn “The Lord’s will be done.” Since no one knew exactly what would happen, the matter was left in the Lord’s hands.

[21:15] ²⁷⁹tn Or “we made preparations.”

[21:15] ²⁸⁰tn Grk “were going up”; the imperfect verb ἀνεβαίνομεν (anebainomen) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.

[21:16] ²⁸¹sn Caesarea was a city on the coast of Palestine south of Mount Carmel (not Caesarea Philippi). See the note on Caesarea in Acts 10:1.

[21:16] ²⁸²tn Grk “to Mnason…”; the words “the house of” are not in the Greek text, but are implied by the verb ξενισθῶμεν (xenisqwmen).

[21:16] ²⁸³tn Or perhaps, “Mnason of Cyprus, one of the original disciples.” BDAG 137 s.v. ἀρχαῖος 1 has “ἀ. μαθητής a disciple of long standing (perh. original disc.) Ac 21:16.”