1Now it came to pass, that when we had departed from them and set sail, running a straight course we came to Cos, the following day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. 2And finding a ship sailing over to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail. 3When we had sighted Cyprus, we passed it on the left, sailed to Syria, and landed at Tyre; for there the ship was to unload her cargo. 4And finding disciples, we stayed there seven days. They told Paul through the Spirit not to go up to Jerusalem. 5And when we had come to the end of those days, we departed and went on our way; and they all accompanied us, with women and children, till we were out of the city. And we knelt down on the shore and prayed. 6When we had taken our leave of one another, we boarded the ship, and they returned home. 7And when we had finished our voyage from Tyre, we came to Ptolemais, greeted the brethren, and stayed with them one day. 8On the next day we who were Paul's companions departed and came to Caesarea, and entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. 9Now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied. 10And as we stayed many days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11And when he had come to us, he took Paul's waistband, binding his own hands and feet, and said, Thus says the Holy Spirit, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this waistband, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles. 12Now when we heard these things, both we and those from that place begged him not to go up to Jerusalem. 13Then Paul answered, What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. 14So when he would not be persuaded, we kept quiet, saying, The will of the Lord be done. 15And after those days we packed and went up to Jerusalem. 16Also some of the disciples from Caesarea went with us and brought with them Mnason, a certain Cypriot, one of the original disciples, with whom we were to lodge. 17And when we had come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. 18And on the following day Paul went in with us to Jacob, and all the elders were present. 19And when he had greeted them, he related one by one the things which God had worked among the Gentiles through his ministry. 20And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord. And they said to him, You see, brother, how many countless Jews there are who believe, and they also are all zealous for the Law; 21but they have been informed about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs. 22What then? The assembly must certainly meet, for they will hear that you have come. 23Therefore do what we tell you: We have four men who have a vow. 24Take them and be purified with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads, and that all may know that those things of which they were informed concerning you are nothing, but that you yourself also walk orderly and keep the Law. 25But concerning the Gentiles who believe, we have written and concluded that they should observe no such thing, except that they should keep themselves from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual perversion. 26Then Paul took the men, and the next day, having been purified with them, entered the temple to declare the fulfillment of the days of purification, until an offering should be brought for each one of them. 27Now when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, 28crying out, Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, the Law, and this place; and furthermore he also brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place. 29(For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.) 30And all the city was in a commotion; and the people ran together, seized Paul, and dragged him out of the temple; and immediately the doors were shut. 31Now as they were seeking to kill him, news came to the commander of the garrison that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. 32He immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down to them. And when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. 33Then the commander came near and took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains; and he asked who he was and what he had done. 34And some among the multitude cried one thing and some another. So when he could not ascertain the truth because of the tumult, he commanded him to be led away into the barracks. 35And when he reached the stairs, it happened that he was carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd. 36For the multitude of the people followed after, crying out, Away with him! 37Then as Paul was about to be led into the barracks, he said to the commander, May I speak to you? He replied, Do you speak Greek? 38Are you not the Egyptian who some time ago stirred up trouble and led the four thousand assassins out into the wilderness? 39But Paul said, I am a Jew from Tarsus, in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city; and I ask you, allow me to speak to the people. 40So when he had given him permission, Paul stood on the stairs and motioned with his hand to the people. And when there was a great silence, he spoke to them in the Hebrew dialect, saying,
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 SAILING FROM EPHESUS, THEY LAND AT TYRE, AND THENCE SAILING TO PTOLEMAIS, THEY PROCEED BY LAND TO CĆSAREA AND JERUSALEM. (Acts 21:1-16)
we were gotten--"torn."
from them--expressing the difficulty and pain of the parting.
with a straight course--running before the wind, as
Acts 16:11.
unto Coos--Cos, an island due south from Miletus, which they would reach in about six hours, and coming close to the mainland.
the day following unto Rhodes--another island, some fifty miles to the southeast, of brilliant classic memory and beauty.
thence unto Patara--a town on the magnificent mainland of Lycia, almost due east from Rhodes. It was the seat of a celebrated oracle of Apollo.
2 And finding a ship--their former one going no farther, probably.
to Phśnica--(See on
Acts 11:19).
went abroad--One would almost think this extracted from a journal of the voyage, so graphic are its details.
3 when we . . . discovered--"sighted," as the phrase is.
Cyprus, we left it on the left hand--that is, steered southeast of it, leaving it on the northwest.
sailed into--"unto"
Syria, and landed at Tyre--the celebrated seat of maritime commerce for East and West. It might be reached from Patara in about two days.
there the ship was to unlade her burden--which gave the apostle time for what follows.
4 finding disciples--finding out the disciples, implying some search. They would expect such, from what is recorded,
Acts 11:19. Perhaps they were not many; yet there were gifted ones among them.
who said to Paul . . . that he should not go up to Jerusalem--(See on
Acts 20:23; also see on
Acts 21:11-
Acts 21:14).
5 they all brought us on our way with wives and children . . . and we kneeled down on the shore and prayed--(See on
Acts 20:36). Observe here that the children of these Tyrian disciples not only were taken along with their parents, but must have joined in this act of solemn worship. See on
Eph 6:1.
7 when we had finished our course--completing the voyage
from Tyre, we came--which they would do the same day.
to Ptolemais--anciently called Accho (
Judg 1:31), now St. Jean d'Acre, or Acre.
and saluted the brethren, and abode, &c.--disciples gathered probably as at Tyre, on the occasion mentioned (
Acts 11:19).
8 next day we that were of Paul's company departed--(The words "the were of Paul's company" are omitted in the best manuscripts. They were probably added as the connecting words at the head of some church lessons).
and came to Cćsarea--a run along the coast, southward, of some thirty miles.
Philip the evangelist--a term answering apparently very much to our missionary [HOWSON], by whose ministry such joy had been diffused over Samaria and the Ethiopian eunuch had been baptized (Acts 8:4-40).
one of the seven--deacons, who had "purchased to himself a good degree" (
1Tim 3:13). He and Paul now meet for the first time, some twenty-five years after that time.
9 the same man had four daughters . . . which did prophesy--fulfilling
Joel 2:28 (see
Acts 2:18). This is mentioned, it would seem, merely as a high distinction divinely conferred on so devoted a servant of the Lord Jesus, and probably indicates the high tone of religion in his family.
10 tarried there many--"a good many"
days--Finding himself in good time for Pentecost at Jerusalem, he would feel it a refreshing thing to his spirit to hold Christian communion for a few days with such a family.
there came down from Judea--the news of Paul's arrival having spread.
a certain prophet . . . Agabus--no doubt the same as in
Acts 11:28.
11 So shall the Jews bind the man that owneth this girdle, &c.--For though the Romans did it, it was at the Jews' instigation (
Acts 21:33;
Acts 28:17). Such dramatic methods of announcing important future events would bring the old prophets to remembrance. (Compare
Isa 20:2, &c.;
Jer 13:1, and
Ezek 5:1, &c.). This prediction and that at Tyre (
Acts 21:4) were intended, not to prohibit him from going, but to put his courage to the test and when he stood the test, to deepen and mature it.
12 we and they at that place--the Cćsarean Christians.
besought him--even with tears,
Acts 21:13.
not to go to Jerusalem.
13 Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart--Beautiful union of manly resoluteness and womanly tenderness, alike removed from mawkishness and stoicism!
I am ready not to be bound only--"If that is all, let it come."
but to die, &c.--It was well he could add this, for he had that also to do.
15 we took up our carriages--"our baggage."
and went up to Jerusalem--for the fifth time after his conversion, thus concluding his third missionary tour, which proved his last, so far as recorded; for though he accomplished the fourth and last part of the missionary plan sketched out (
Acts 19:21) --"After I have been at Jerusalem, I must also see Rome"--it was as "a prisoner of Jesus Christ."
16 went with us . . . and brought with them--rather, "brought us to."
One Mnason of Cyprus, an old disciple, &c.--not an "aged" disciple, but probably "a disciple of old standing," perhaps one of the three thousand converted on the day of Pentecost, or, more likely still, drawn to the Saviour Himself during His lifetime. He had come, probably, with the other Cyprians (
Acts 11:20), to Antioch, "preaching the Lord Jesus unto the Grecians," and now he appears settled at Jerusalem.
17 PAUL REPORTS THE EVENTS OF HIS THIRD MISSIONARY JOURNEY--IN THE TEMPLE, PURIFYING HIMSELF FROM A JEWISH VOW, HE IS SEIZED BY A MOB AND BEATEN TO THE DANGER OF HIS LIFE--THE UPROAR BECOMING UNIVERSAL, THE ROMAN COMMANDANT HAS HIM BROUGHT IN CHAINS TO THE FORTRESS, FROM THE STAIRS OF WHICH HE IS PERMITTED TO ADDRESS THE PEOPLE. (Acts 21:17-40)
the brethren received us gladly--the disciples generally, as distinguished from the official reception recorded in
Acts 21:18.
18 Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present--to "report himself" formally to the acknowledged head of the church at Jerusalem, and his associates in office. See on
Acts 15:13. Had any other of the apostles been in Jerusalem on that occasion, it could hardly fail to have been noted.
19 he declared particularly--in detail.
what God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry--as on previous occasions (
Acts 14:27; and see
Rom 15:15); no doubt referring to the insidious and systematic efforts of the Judaizing party in a number of places to shrivel the Church of Christ into a Jewish sect, and his own counter-procedure.
20 they glorified the Lord, &c.--constrained to justify his course, notwithstanding the Jewish complexion of the Christianity of Jerusalem.
21 they are informed . . . that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles--those residing in heathen countries.
to forsake Moses, &c.--This calumny of the unbelieving Jews would find easy credence among the Christian zealots for Judaism.
23 we have four men--Christian Jews, no doubt.
which have a vow--perhaps kept ready on purpose.
24 be at charges with them--that is, defray the expense of the sacrifices legally required of them, along with his own, which was deemed a mark of Jewish generosity.
25 touching the Gentiles . . . we have written and concluded that they observe no such things, &c.--This shows that with all their conciliation to Jewish prejudice, the Church of Jerusalem was taught to adhere to the decision of the famous council held there (
Acts 15:19-
Acts 15:29).
26 to signify--that is, announce to the priest.
the accomplishment of the days of purification, &c.--(See on
Num 6:14-
Num 6:21).
27 the Jews . . . of Asia--in all likelihood those of Ephesus (since they recognized Trophimus apparently as a townsman,
Acts 21:29), embittered by their discomfiture (
Acts 19:9, &c.).
29 Trophimus--(See on
Acts 20:4).
30 took Paul, and drew him out of the temple; and forthwith the doors were shut--that the murder they meant to perpetrate might not pollute that holy place.
31 tidings came--literally, "went up," that is, to the fortress of Antonia, where the commandant resided. See on
Acts 21:32. This part of the narrative is particularly graphic.
32 the chief captain--"the chiliarch," or tribune of the Roman cohort, whose full number was one thousand men.
33 commanded him to be bound with two chains--(See on
Acts 12:6).
34 some cried one thing--The difficulty would be so to state his crimes as to justify their proceedings to a Roman officer.
to be carried into the castle--rather, perhaps, "the barracks," or that part of the fortress of Antonia appropriated to the soldiers. The fort was built by Herod on a high rock at the northwest corner of the great temple area, and called after Mark Antony.
35 Away with him--as before of his Lord (
Luke 23:18;
John 19:15).
37 Art not thou that Egyptian, &c.--The form of the question implies that the answer is to be in the negative, and is matter of some surprise: "Thou art not then?" &c.
38 madest an uproar, &c.--The narrative is given in JOSEPHUS [Wars of the Jews, 2.8.6; 13.5], though his two allusions and ours seem to refer to different periods of the rebellion.
39 a citizen of no mean city--(See on
Acts 16:37).
40 stood on the stairs--"What nobler spectacle than that of Paul at this moment! There he stood, bound with two chains, ready to make his defense to the people. The Roman commander sits by, to enforce order by his presence. An enraged populace look up to him from below. Yet in the midst of so many dangers, how self-possessed is he, how tranquil!" [CHRYSOSTOM (or in his name) in HACKETT].
a great silence--the people awed at the permission given him by the commandant, and seeing him sitting as a listener.
in the Hebrew tongue--the Syro-Chaldaic, the vernacular tongue of the Palestine Jews since the captivity.
