Acts 19:21

A Riot in Ephesus

19:21 Now after all these things had taken place, ¹  Paul resolved ²  to go to Jerusalem, ³  passing through Macedonia ⁴  and Achaia. ⁵  He said, ⁶  “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.” ⁷ 

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

[19:21]  ² tn 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]  ³ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

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

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

[19:21]  ⁶ tn 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]  ⁷ sn This is the first time Paul mentions Rome. He realized the message of Christianity could impact that society even at its heights.