Act 21:1-18 | NET2full | STEP | After we tore ourselves away from them , we put out to sea , and sailing a straight course , we came to Cos , on the next day to Rhodes , and from there to Patara .

‏ Acts 21:1-18

Paul’s Journey to Jerusalem

1 After ^{▼▼tn 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 (apospasthentas, “tearing ourselves away”) is prior to the departure of the ship, it has been translated as antecedent action (“after”).} we ^{▼▼sn This marks the beginning of one of the “we” sections in Acts (16:10-17; 20:5-15; 21:1-18; 27:1-28:16). These have been traditionally understood to mean that the author was in the company of Paul for this part of the journey.} tore ourselves away ^{▼▼tn 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.”} from them, we put out to sea, ^{▼▼tn 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.”} and sailing a straight course, ^{▼▼tn 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.”} we came to Cos, ^{▼▼sn Cos was an island in the Aegean Sea.} on the next day to Rhodes, ^{▼▼sn Rhodes was an island off the southwestern coast of Asia Minor.} and from there to Patara. ^{▼▼sn Patara was a city in Lycia on the southwestern coast of Asia Minor. The entire journey was about 185 mi (295 km).} 2 We found ^{▼▼tn Grk “and finding.” The participle εὑρόντες (heurontes) 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.} a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, ^{▼▼sn Phoenicia was the name of an area along the Mediterranean coast north of Palestine.} went aboard, ^{▼▼tn Grk “going aboard, we put out to sea.” The participle ἐπιβάντες (epibantes) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.} and put out to sea. ^{▼▼tn 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.”} 3 After we sighted Cyprus ^{▼▼sn Cyprus is a large island in the Mediterranean off the south coast of Asia Minor.} and left it behind on our port side, ^{▼▼sn The expression left it behind on our port side here means “sailed past to the south of it” since the ship was sailing east.} we sailed on to Syria and put in ^{▼▼tn 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.”} at Tyre ^{▼▼sn 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.} because the ship was to unload its cargo there. 4 After we located ^{▼▼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 (aneurontes) has been taken temporally.} the disciples, we stayed there ^{▼▼tn BDAG 154 s.v. αὐτοῦ states, “deictic adv. designating a position relatively near or far…there…Ac 21:4.”} seven days. They repeatedly told ^{▼▼tn The imperfect verb ἔλεγον (elegon) has been taken iteratively.} Paul through the Spirit ^{▼▼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.} not to set foot ^{▼▼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.} in Jerusalem. 5 When ^{▼▼tn 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.} our time was over, ^{▼▼tn 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.”} we left and went on our way. All of them, with their wives and children, accompanied ^{▼▼tn Grk “accompanying.” Due to the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was begun in the translation and the participle προπεμπόντων (propempontōn) translated as a finite verb.} us outside of the city. After ^{▼▼tn 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.} kneeling down on the beach and praying, ^{▼▼sn On praying in Acts, see 1:14, 24; 2:47; 4:23; 6:6; 10:2; 12:5, 12; 13:3; 16:25.} 6 we said farewell ^{▼▼tn 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.”} to one another. Then ^{▼▼tn 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.} we went aboard the ship, and they returned to their own homes. ^{▼▼tn Grk “to their own”; the word “homes” is implied.} 7 We continued the voyage from Tyre ^{▼▼sn Tyre was a city and seaport on the coast of Phoenicia.} and arrived at Ptolemais, ^{▼▼sn Ptolemais was a seaport on the coast of Palestine about 30 mi (48 km) south of Tyre.} and when we had greeted the brothers, we stayed with them for one day. 8 On the next day we left ^{▼▼tn Grk “On the next day leaving, we came.” The participle ἐξελθόντες (exelthontes) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.} and came to Caesarea, ^{▼▼sn 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).} and entered ^{▼▼tn Grk “and entering…we stayed.” The participle εἰσελθόντες (eiselthontes) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.} the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, ^{▼▼sn Philip was one of the seven deacons appointed in the Jerusalem church (Acts 6:1-7).} and stayed with him. 9 (He had four unmarried ^{▼▼tn Grk “virgin.” While the term παρθένος (parthenos) 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).} daughters who prophesied.) ^{▼▼sn 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).}

10 While we remained there for a number of days, ^{▼▼tn 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.”} a prophet named Agabus ^{▼▼sn Agabus also appeared in Acts 11:28. He was from Jerusalem, so the two churches were still in contact with one another.} came down from Judea. 11 He came ^{▼▼tn 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 (elthōn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.} to us, took ^{▼▼tn 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.} Paul’s belt, ^{▼▼sn The belt was a band or sash used to keep money as well as to gird up the tunic (BDAG 431 s.v. ζώνη).} tied ^{▼▼tn The participle δήσας (dēsas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.} his own hands and feet with it, ^{▼▼tn The words “with it” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.} 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 over ^{▼▼tn Grk “and will deliver him over into the hands of” (a Semitic idiom).} ^{▼▼sn The Jews…will tie up…and will hand him over. As later events will show, the Jews in Jerusalem did not personally tie Paul up and hand him over to the Gentiles, but their reaction to him was the cause of his arrest (Acts 21:27-36).} to the Gentiles.’” 12 When we heard this, both we and the local people ^{▼▼tn Or “the people there.”} begged him not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul replied, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking ^{▼▼tn 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).} my heart? For I am ready not only to be tied up, ^{▼▼tn L&N 18.13 has “to tie objects together—‘to tie, to tie together, to tie up.’” The verb δέω (deō) 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.} but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” 14 Because he could not be persuaded, ^{▼▼tn The participle πειθομένου (peithomenou) in this genitive absolute construction has been translated as a causal adverbial participle.} we said no more except, ^{▼▼tn Grk “we became silent, saying.”} “The Lord’s will be done.” ^{▼▼sn “The Lord’s will be done.” Since no one knew exactly what would happen, the matter was left in the Lord’s hands.}

15 After these days we got ready ^{▼▼tn Or “we made preparations.”} and started up ^{▼▼tn Grk “were going up”; the imperfect verb ἀνεβαίνομεν (anebainomen) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.} ^{▼▼sn In colloquial speech Jerusalem was always said to be “up” from any other location in Palestine. The group probably covered the 65 mi (105 km) in two days using horses. Their arrival in Jerusalem marked the end of Paul’s third missionary journey.} to Jerusalem. 16 Some of the disciples from Caesarea ^{▼▼sn 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.} came along with us too, and brought us to the house ^{▼▼tn Grk “to Mnason…”; the words “the house of” are not in the Greek text, but are implied by the verb ξενισθῶμεν (xenisthōmen).} of Mnason of Cyprus, a disciple from the earliest times, ^{▼▼tn 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.”} with whom we were to stay. 17 When we arrived in Jerusalem, the brothers welcomed us gladly. ^{▼▼tn Or “warmly” (see BDAG 144 s.v. ἀσμένως).} 18 The next day Paul went in with us to see James, and all the elders were there. ^{▼▼tn BDAG 760 s.v. παραγίνομαι 1 has this use under the broad category of meaning “draw near, come, arrive, be present.”} ^{▼▼sn All the elders were there. This meeting shows how the Jerusalem church still regarded Paul and his mission with favor, but also with some concerns because of the rumors circulating about his actions.}