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Acts 21:16-40

Context
21:16 Some of the disciples from Caesarea¹ came along with us too, and brought us to the house² of Mnason of Cyprus, a disciple from the earliest times,³ with whom we were to stay. 21:17 When we arrived in Jerusalem, the brothers welcomed us gladly.⁴ 21:18 The next day Paul went in with us to see James, and all the elders were there.⁵ 21:19 When Paul⁶ had greeted them, he began to explain⁷ in detail⁸ what God⁹ had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. 21:20 When they heard this, they praised¹⁰ God. Then they said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews¹¹ there are who have believed, and they are all ardent observers¹² of the law.¹³ 21:21 They have been informed about you – that you teach all the Jews now living¹⁴ among the Gentiles to abandon¹⁵ Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children¹⁶ or live¹⁷ according to our customs. 21:22 What then should we do? They will no doubt¹⁸ hear that you have come. 21:23 So do what¹⁹ we tell you: We have four men²⁰ who have taken²¹ a vow;²² 21:24 take them and purify²³ yourself along with them and pay their expenses,²⁴ so that they may have their heads shaved.²⁵ Then²⁶ everyone will know there is nothing in what they have been told²⁷ about you, but that you yourself live in conformity with²⁸ the law.²⁹ 21:25 But regarding the Gentiles who have believed, we have written a letter, having decided³⁰ that they should avoid³¹ meat that has been sacrificed to idols³² and blood and what has been strangled³³ and sexual immorality.” 21:26 Then Paul took the men the next day,³⁴ and after he had purified himself³⁵ along with them, he went to the temple and gave notice³⁶ of the completion of the days of purification,³⁷ when³⁸ the sacrifice would be offered for each³⁹ of them. 21:27 When the seven days were almost over,⁴⁰ the Jews from the province of Asia⁴¹ who had seen him in the temple area⁴² stirred up the whole crowd⁴³ and seized⁴⁴ him, 21:28 shouting, “Men of Israel,⁴⁵ help! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people, our law,⁴⁶ and this sanctuary!⁴⁷ Furthermore⁴⁸ he has brought Greeks into the inner courts of the temple⁴⁹ and made this holy place ritually unclean!”⁵⁰ 21:29 (For they had seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him previously, and⁵¹ they assumed Paul had brought him into the inner temple courts.)⁵² 21:30 The whole city was stirred up,⁵³ and the people rushed together.⁵⁴ They seized⁵⁵ Paul and dragged him out of the temple courts,⁵⁶ and immediately the doors were shut. 21:31 While they were trying⁵⁷ to kill him, a report⁵⁸ was sent up⁵⁹ to the commanding officer⁶⁰ of the cohort⁶¹ that all Jerusalem was in confusion.⁶² 21:32 He⁶³ immediately took⁶⁴ soldiers and centurions⁶⁵ and ran down to the crowd.⁶⁶ When they saw⁶⁷ the commanding officer⁶⁸ and the soldiers, they stopped beating⁶⁹ Paul. 21:33 Then the commanding officer⁷⁰ came up and arrested⁷¹ him and ordered him to be tied up with two chains;⁷² he⁷³ then asked who he was and what⁷⁴ he had done. 21:34 But some in the crowd shouted one thing, and others something else,⁷⁵ and when the commanding officer⁷⁶ was unable⁷⁷ to find out the truth⁷⁸ because of the disturbance,⁷⁹ he ordered Paul⁸⁰ to be brought into the barracks.⁸¹ 21:35 When he came to the steps, Paul⁸² had to be carried⁸³ by the soldiers because of the violence⁸⁴ of the mob, 21:36 for a crowd of people⁸⁵ followed them,⁸⁶ screaming, “Away with him!” 21:37 As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks,⁸⁷ he said⁸⁸ to the commanding officer,⁸⁹ “May I say⁹⁰ something to you?” The officer⁹¹ replied,⁹² “Do you know Greek?⁹³ 21:38 Then you’re not that Egyptian who started a rebellion⁹⁴ and led the four thousand men of the ‘Assassins’⁹⁵ into the wilderness⁹⁶ some time ago?”⁹⁷ 21:39 Paul answered,⁹⁸ “I am a Jew⁹⁹ from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of an important city.¹⁰⁰ Please¹⁰¹ allow me to speak to the people.” 21:40 When the commanding officer¹⁰² had given him permission,¹⁰³ Paul stood¹⁰⁴ on the steps and gestured¹⁰⁵ to the people with his hand. When they had become silent,¹⁰⁶ he addressed¹⁰⁷ them in Aramaic,¹⁰⁸

[21:16] ¹sn 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] ²tn Grk “to Mnason…”; the words “the house of” are not in the Greek text, but are implied by the verb ξενισθῶμεν (xenisqwmen).

[21:16] ³tn 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.”

[21:17] ⁴tn Or “warmly” (see BDAG 144 s.v. ἀσμένως).

[21:18] ⁵tn BDAG 760 s.v. παραγίνομαι 1 has this use under the broad category of meaning “draw near, come, arrive, be present.”

[21:19] ⁶tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:19] ⁷tn Or “to report,” “to describe.” The imperfect verb ἐξηγεῖτο (exhgeito) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.

[21:19] ⁸tn BDAG 293 s.v. εἷς 5.e has “καθ᾿ ἕν one after the other (hence τὸ καθ᾿ ἕν ‘a detailed list’: PLille 11, 8 [III bc]; PTebt. 47, 34; 332, 16) J 21:25. Also καθ᾿ ἕν ἕκαστον…Ac 21:19.”

[21:19] ⁹sn Note how Paul credited God with the success of his ministry.

[21:20] ¹⁰tn Or “glorified.”

[21:20] ¹¹tn Grk “how many thousands there are among the Jews.”

[21:20] ¹²tn Or “are all zealous for the law.” BDAG 427 s.v. ζηλωτής 1.a.β has “of thing…τοῦ νόμου an ardent observer of the law Ac 21:20.”

[21:20] ¹³sn That is, the law of Moses. These Jewish Christians had remained close to their Jewish practices after becoming believers (1 Cor 7:18-19; Acts 16:3).

[21:21] ¹⁴tn BDAG 511 s.v. κατά B.1.a has “τοὺς κ. τὰ ἔθνη ᾿Ιουδαίους the Judeans (dispersed) throughout the nations 21:21.” The Jews in view are not those in Palestine, but those who are scattered throughout the Gentile world.

[21:21] ¹⁵tn Or “to forsake,” “to rebel against.” BDAG 120 s.v. ἀποστασία has “ἀποστασίαν διδάσκεις ἀπὸ Μωϋσέως you teach (Judeans) to abandon Moses Ac 21:21.”

[21:21] ¹⁶sn That is, not to circumcise their male children. Biblical references to circumcision always refer to male circumcision.

[21:21] ¹⁷tn Grk “or walk.”

[21:22] ¹⁸tn L&N 71.16 has “pertaining to being in every respect certain – ‘certainly, really, doubtless, no doubt.’…‘they will no doubt hear that you have come’ Ac 21:22.”

[21:23] ¹⁹tn Grk “do this that.”

[21:23] ²⁰tn Grk “There are four men here.”

[21:23] ²¹tn L&N 33.469 has “‘there are four men here who have taken a vow’ or ‘we have four men who…’ Ac 21:23.”

[21:23] ²²tn On the term for “vow,” see BDAG 416 s.v. εὐχή 2.

[21:24] ²³sn That is, undergo ritual cleansing. Paul’s cleansing would be necessary because of his travels in “unclean” Gentile territory. This act would represent a conciliatory gesture. Paul would have supported a “law-free” mission to the Gentiles as an option, but this gesture would represent an attempt to be sensitive to the Jews (1 Cor 9:15-22).

[21:24] ²⁴tn L&N 57.146 has “δαπάνησον ἐπ᾿ αὐτοῖς ‘pay their expenses’ Ac 21:24.”

[21:24] ²⁵tn The future middle indicative has causative force here. BDAG 686 s.v. ξυράω has “mid. have oneself shaved…τὴν κεφαλήν have one’s head shaved…Ac 21:24.”

[21:24] ²⁶tn 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.

[21:24] ²⁷tn The verb here describes a report or some type of information (BDAG 534 s.v. κατηχέω 1).

[21:24] ²⁸tn Grk “adhere to the keeping of the law.” L&N 41.12 has “στοιχέω: to live in conformity with some presumed standard or set of customs – ‘to live, to behave in accordance with.’”

[21:24] ²⁹sn The law refers to the law of Moses.

[21:25] ³⁰tn L&N 13.154 has “‘having decided that they must keep themselves from food offered to idols, from blood, from an animal that has been strangled, and from sexual immorality’ Ac 21:25.”

[21:25] ³¹tn This is a different Greek word than the one used in Acts 15:20, 29. BDAG 1068 s.v. φυλάσσω 3 has “to be on one’s guard against, look out for, avoid…w. acc. of pers. or thing avoided…Ac 21:25.” The Greek word used in Acts 15:20, 29 is ἀπέχω (apecw). The difference in meaning, although slight, has been maintained in the translation.

[21:25] ³²tn There is no specific semantic component in the Greek word εἰδωλόθυτος that means “meat” (see BDAG 280 s.v. εἰδωλόθυτος; L&N 5.15). The stem –θυτος means “sacrifice” (referring to an animal sacrificially killed) and thereby implies meat.

[21:25] ³³sn What has been strangled. That is, to refrain from eating animals that had been killed without having the blood drained from them. According to the Mosaic law (Lev 17:13-14) Jews were forbidden to eat flesh with the blood still in it (note the preceding provision in this verse, and blood).

[21:26] ³⁴tn BDAG 422 s.v. ἔχω 11.b.β has “temporal, to be next, immediately following…τῇ ἐχομένῃ…on the next day Lk 13:33…Ac 20:15; w. ἡμέρᾳ added…21:26.”

[21:26] ³⁵tn That is, after he had undergone ritual cleansing. The aorist passive participle ἁγνισθείς (Jagnisqei") has been taken temporally of antecedent action.

[21:26] ³⁶tn Grk “entered the temple, giving notice.” The participle διαγγέλλων (diangellwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[21:26] ³⁷sn The days of purification refers to the days of ritual cleansing.

[21:26] ³⁸tn Grk “until” (BDAG 423 s.v. ἕως 1.b.β.א), but since in English it is somewhat awkward to say “the completion of the days of purification, until the sacrifice would be offered,” the temporal clause was translated “when the sacrifice would be offered.” The point is that the sacrifice would be offered when the days were completed. Paul honored the request of the Jewish Christian leadership completely. As the following verse makes clear, the vow was made for seven days.

[21:26] ³⁹tn Grk “for each one.”

[21:27] ⁴⁰tn BDAG 975 s.v. συντελέω 4 has “to come to an end of a duration, come to an end, be over…Ac 21:27.”

[21:27] ⁴¹tn 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.

[21:27] ⁴²tn Grk “in the temple.” See the note on the word “temple” in v. 28.

[21:27] ⁴³tn Or “threw the whole crowd into consternation.” L&N 25.221 has “συνέχεον πάντα τὸν ὄχλον ‘they threw the whole crowd into consternation’ Ac 21:27. It is also possible to render the expression in Ac 21:27 as ‘they stirred up the whole crowd.’”

[21:27] ⁴⁴tn Grk “and laid hands on.”

[21:28] ⁴⁵tn Or “Israelite men,” although this is less natural English. The Greek term here is ἀνήρ (anhr), which only exceptionally is used in a generic sense of both males and females. In this context, it is conceivable that this is a generic usage since “the whole crowd” is mentioned in v. 27, although it can also be argued that these remarks were addressed primarily to the men present, even if women were there.

[21:28] ⁴⁶sn The law refers to the law of Moses.

[21:28] ⁴⁷tn Grk “this place.”

[21:28] ⁴⁸tn BDAG 400 s.v. ἔτι 2.b has “ἔ. δὲ καί furthermore…al. ἔ. τε καί…Lk 14:26; Ac 21:28.” This is a continuation of the same sentence in Greek, but due to the length and complexity of the Greek sentence and the tendency of contemporary English to use shorter sentences, a new sentence was begun here in the translation.

[21:28] ⁴⁹tn Grk “into the temple.” The specific reference is to the Court of the Sons of Israel (see the note following the term “unclean” at the end of this verse). To avoid giving the modern reader the impression that they entered the temple building itself, the phrase “the inner courts of the temple” has been used in the translation.

[21:28] ⁵⁰tn Or “and has defiled this holy place.”

[21:29] ⁵¹tn Grk “whom.”

[21:29] ⁵²tn On the phrase “inner temple courts” see the note on the word “temple” in v. 28.

[21:30] ⁵³tn On this term see BDAG 545 s.v. κινέω 2.b.

[21:30] ⁵⁴tn Or “the people formed a mob.” BDAG 967 s.v. συνδρομή has “formation of a mob by pers. running together, running together…ἐγένετο σ. τοῦ λαοῦ the people rushed together Ac 21:30.”

[21:30] ⁵⁵tn Grk “and seizing.” The participle ἐπιλαβόμενοι (epilabomenoi) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was begun in the translation, and καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[21:30] ⁵⁶tn Grk “out of the temple.” See the note on the word “temple” in v. 28.

[21:31] ⁵⁷tn Grk “seeking.”

[21:31] ⁵⁸tn Or “information” (originally concerning a crime; BDAG 1050 s.v. φάσις).

[21:31] ⁵⁹tn Grk “went up”; this verb is used because the report went up to the Antonia Fortress where the Roman garrison was stationed.

[21:31] ⁶⁰tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). In Greek the term χιλίαρχος (ciliarco") literally described the “commander of a thousand,” but it was used as the standard translation for the Latin tribunus militum or tribunus militare, the military tribune who commanded a cohort of 600 men.

[21:31] ⁶¹sn A cohort was a Roman military unit of about 600 soldiers, one-tenth of a legion.

[21:31] ⁶²tn BDAG 953 s.v. συγχέω has “Pass. w. act.force be in confusion…ὅλη συγχύννεται ᾿Ιερουσαλήμ 21:31.”

[21:32] ⁶³tn Grk “who.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence and the tendency of contemporary English to use shorter sentences, the relative pronoun (“who”) was translated as a pronoun (“he”) and a new sentence was begun here in the translation.

[21:32] ⁶⁴tn Grk “taking…ran down.” The participle κατέδραμεν (katedramen) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[21:32] ⁶⁵sn See the note on the word centurion in 10:1.

[21:32] ⁶⁶tn Grk “to them”; the referent (the crowd) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:32] ⁶⁷tn Grk “seeing.” The participle ἰδόντες (idonte") has been taken temporally.

[21:32] ⁶⁸tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). See note on the term “commanding officer” in v. 31.

[21:32] ⁶⁹sn The mob stopped beating Paul because they feared the Romans would arrest them for disturbing the peace and for mob violence. They would let the Roman officials take care of the matter from this point on.

[21:33] ⁷⁰tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). See note on the term “commanding officer” in v. 31.

[21:33] ⁷¹tn Grk “seized.”

[21:33] ⁷²tn The two chains would be something like handcuffs (BDAG 48 s.v. ἅλυσις and compare Acts 28:20).

[21:33] ⁷³tn Grk “and he.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was begun in the translation, and καί (kai) has been replaced with a semicolon. “Then” has been supplied after “he” to clarify the logical sequence.

[21:33] ⁷⁴tn Grk “and what it is”; this has been simplified to “what.”

[21:34] ⁷⁵tn L&N 33.77 has “ἄλλοι δὲ ἄλλο τι ἐπεφώνουν ἐν τῷ ὄχλῳ ‘some in the crowd shouted one thing; others, something else’ Ac 21:34.”

[21:34] ⁷⁶tn Grk “he”; the referent (the commanding officer) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:34] ⁷⁷tn This genitive absolute construction has been translated temporally; it could also be taken causally: “and since the commanding officer was unable to find out the truth.”

[21:34] ⁷⁸tn Or “find out what had happened”; Grk “the certainty” (BDAG 147 s.v. ἀσφαλής 2).

[21:34] ⁷⁹tn Or “clamor,” “uproar” (BDAG 458 s.v. θόρυβος).

[21:34] ⁸⁰tn Grk “him”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:34] ⁸¹tn Or “the headquarters.” BDAG 775 s.v. παρεμβολή 2 has “barracks/headquarters of the Roman troops in Jerusalem Ac 21:34, 37; 22:24; 23:10, 16, 32.”

[21:35] ⁸²tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:35] ⁸³sn Paul had to be carried. Note how the arrest really ended up protecting Paul. The crowd is portrayed as irrational at this point.

[21:35] ⁸⁴tn This refers to mob violence (BDAG 175 s.v. βία b).

[21:36] ⁸⁵tn Grk “the multitude of people.” While πλῆθος (plhqo") is articular, it has been translated “a crowd” since it was probably a subset of the larger mob that gathered in v. 30.

[21:36] ⁸⁶tn The word “them” is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[21:37] ⁸⁷tn Or “the headquarters.” BDAG 775 s.v. παρεμβολή 2 has “barracks/headquarters of the Roman troops in Jerusalem Ac 21:34, 37; 22:24; 23:10, 16, 32.”

[21:37] ⁸⁸tn Grk “says” (a historical present).

[21:37] ⁸⁹tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers) See note on the term “commanding officer” in v. 31.

[21:37] ⁹⁰tn Grk “Is it permitted for me to say” (an idiom).

[21:37] ⁹¹tn Grk “He”; the referent (the officer) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:37] ⁹²tn Grk “said.”

[21:37] ⁹³sn “Do you know Greek?” Paul as an educated rabbi was bilingual. Paul’s request in Greek allowed the officer to recognize that Paul was not the violent insurrectionist he thought he had arrested (see following verse). The confusion of identities reveals the degree of confusion dominating these events.

[21:38] ⁹⁴tn L&N 39.41 has “οὐκ ἄρα σὺ εἶ ὁ Αἰγύπτιος ὁ πρὸ τούτων τῶν ἡμερῶν ἀναστατώσας ‘then you are not that Egyptian who some time ago started a rebellion’ Ac 21:38.”

[21:38] ⁹⁵tn Grk “of the Sicarii.”

[21:38] ⁹⁶tn Or “desert.”

[21:38] ⁹⁷tn Grk “before these days.”

[21:39] ⁹⁸tn Grk “said.”

[21:39] ⁹⁹tn Grk “a Jewish man.”

[21:39] ¹⁰⁰tn Grk “of a not insignificant city.” The double negative, common in Greek, is awkward in English and has been replaced by a corresponding positive expression (BDAG 142 s.v. ἄσημος 1).

[21:39] ¹⁰¹tn Grk “I beg you.”

[21:40] ¹⁰²tn The referent (the commanding officer) has been supplied here in the translation for clarity.

[21:40] ¹⁰³tn Grk “Giving him permission.” The participle ἐπιτρέψαντος (epitreyanto") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[21:40] ¹⁰⁴tn Grk “standing.” The participle ἑστώς (Jestws) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[21:40] ¹⁰⁵tn Or “motioned.”

[21:40] ¹⁰⁶tn γενομένης (genomenhs) has been taken temporally. BDAG 922 s.v. σιγή has “πολλῆς σιγῆς γενομένης when a great silence had fallen = when they had become silent Ac 21:40.”

[21:40] ¹⁰⁷tn Or “spoke out to.” L&N 33.27 has “to address an audience, with possible emphasis upon loudness – ‘to address, to speak out to.’ πολλῆς δέ σιγῆς γενομένης προσεφώνησεν τῇ ᾿Εβραίδι διαλέκτῳ ‘when they were quiet, he addressed them in Hebrew’ Ac 21:40.”

[21:40] ¹⁰⁸tn Grk “in the Hebrew dialect, saying.” This refers to the Aramaic spoken in Palestine in the 1st century (BDAG 270 s.v. ῾Εβραΐς). The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in English and has not been translated.