39 But G1161 Paul G3972 said, G2036 I G1473 am G1510 G3303 a man G444 which am a Jew G2453 of Tarsus, G5018 a city in Cilicia, G2791 a citizen G4177 of no G3756 mean G767 city: G4172 and, G1161 I beseech G1189 thee, G4675 suffer G2010 me G3427 to speak G2980 unto G4314 the people. G2992
And G1161 the Lord G2962 said unto G4314 him, G846 Arise, G450 and go G4198 into G1909 the street G4505 which G3588 is called G2564 Straight, G2117 and G2532 enquire G2212 in G1722 the house G3614 of Judas G2455 for one called G3686 Saul, G4569 of Tarsus: G5018 for, G1063 behold, G2400 he prayeth, G4336
I G1473 am G1510 verily G3303 a man G435 which am a Jew, G2453 born G1080 in G1722 Tarsus, G5019 a city in Cilicia, G2791 yet G1161 brought up G397 in G1722 this G5026 city G4172 at G3844 the feet G4228 of Gamaliel, G1059 and taught G3811 according G2596 to the perfect manner G195 of the law G3551 of the fathers, G3971 and was G5225 zealous G2207 toward God, G2316 as G2531 ye G5210 all G3956 are G2075 this day. G4594
Then G1161 there arose G450 certain G5100 of G1537 the synagogue, G4864 which G3588 is called G3004 the synagogue of the Libertines, G3032 and G2532 Cyrenians, G2956 and G2532 Alexandrians, G221 and G2532 of them of G575 Cilicia G2791 and G2532 of Asia, G773 disputing G4802 with Stephen. G4736
Which when G1161 the brethren G80 knew, G1921 they brought G2609 him G846 down G2609 to G1519 Caesarea, G2542 and G2532 sent G1821 him G846 forth G1821 to G1519 Tarsus. G5019
And they wrote G1125 letters by G1223 them G5495 G846 after this manner; G3592 The apostles G652 and G2532 elders G4245 and G2532 brethren G80 send greeting G5463 unto the brethren G80 which G3588 are of G1537 the Gentiles G1484 in G2596 Antioch G490 and G2532 Syria G4947 and G2532 Cilicia: G2791
But G1161 Paul G3972 said G5346 unto G4314 them, G846 They have beaten G1194 us G2248 openly G1219 uncondemned, G178 being G5225 Romans, G4514 G444 and have cast G906 us into G1519 prison; G5438 and G2532 now G3568 do they thrust G1544 us G2248 out G1544 privily? G2977 nay G3756 verily; G1063 but G235 let them come G2064 themselves G846 and fetch G1806 us G2248 out. G1806
And G5037 as Paul G3972 was to be G3195 led G1521 into G1519 the castle, G3925 he said G3004 unto the chief captain, G5506 May G1487 G1832 I G3427 speak G2036 G5100 unto G4314 thee? G4571 G1161 Who G3588 said, G5346 Canst thou speak G1097 Greek? G1676
And G1161 as G5613 they bound G4385 G4385 him G846 with thongs, G2438 Paul G3972 said G2036 unto G4314 the centurion G1543 that stood by, G2476 Is it lawful G1487 G1832 for you G5213 to scourge G3147 a man G444 that is a Roman, G4514 and G2532 uncondemned? G178 When G1161 the centurion G1543 heard G191 that, he went G4334 and told G518 the chief captain, G5506 saying, G3004 Take heed G3708 what G5101 thou doest: G3195 G4160 for G1063 this G3778 man G444 is G2076 a Roman. G4514 Then G1161 the chief captain G5506 came, G4334 and said G2036 unto him, G846 Tell G3004 me, G3427 G1487 art G1488 thou G4771 a Roman? G4514 G1161 He said, G5346 Yea. G3483 And G5037 the chief captain G5506 answered, G611 With a great G4183 sum G2774 obtained G2932 I G1473 this G5026 freedom. G4174 And G1161 Paul G3972 said, G5346 But G1161 I G1473 G2532 was free born. G1080 Then G3767 straightway G2112 they departed G868 from G575 him G846 which G3588 should G3195 have examined G426 him: G846 and G1161 the chief captain G5506 also G2532 was afraid, G5399 after he knew G1921 that G3754 he was G2076 a Roman, G4514 and G2532 because G3754 he had G2258 bound G1210 him. G846
This G5126 man G435 was taken G4815 of G5259 the Jews, G2453 and G2532 should G3195 have been killed G337 of G5259 them: G846 then came I G2186 with G4862 an army, G4753 and rescued G1807 him, G846 having understood G3129 that G3754 he was G2076 a Roman. G4514
And G1161 when the governor G2232 had read G314 the letter, G2532 he asked G1905 of G1537 what G4169 province G1885 he was. G2076 And G2532 when he understood G4441 that G3754 he was of G575 Cilicia; G2791
But G1161 sanctify G37 the Lord G2962 God G2316 in G1722 your G5216 hearts: G2588 and G1161 be ready G2092 always G104 to G4314 give an answer G627 to every man G3956 that asketh G154 you G5209 a reason G3056 of G4012 the hope G1680 that is in G1722 you G5213 with G3326 meekness G4240 and G2532 fear: G5401
But G1063 let G3958 none G3361 G5100 of you G5216 suffer G3958 as G5613 a murderer, G5406 or G2228 as a thief, G2812 or G2228 as an evildoer, G2555 or G2228 as G5613 a busybody in other men's matters. G244 Yet G1161 if G1487 any man suffer as G5613 a Christian, G5546 let him G153 not G3361 be ashamed; G153 but G1161 let him glorify G1392 God G2316 on G1722 this G5129 behalf. G3313
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Acts 21
Commentary on Acts 21 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 21
We have, with a great deal of pleasure, attended the apostle in his travels throughout the Gentile nations to preach the gospel, and have seen a great harvest of souls gathered in to Christ; there we have seen likewise what persecutions he endured; yet still out of them all the Lord presently delivered him, 2 Tim. 3:11. But now we are to attend him to Jerusalem, and there into lasting bonds; the days of his service now seem to be over, and nothing to remain but days of suffering, days of darkness, for they are many. It is a thousand pities that such a workman should be laid aside; yet so it is, and we must not only acquiesce, as his friends then did, saying, "The will of the Lord be done;' but we must believe, and shall find reason to do so, that Paul in the prison, and at the bar, is as truly glorifying God, and serving Christ's interest, as Paul in the pulpit was. In this chapter we have,
Act 21:1-7
We may observe here,
Act 21:8-14
We have here Paul and his company arrived at length at Caesarea, where he designed to make some stay, it being the place where the gospel was first preached to the Gentiles, and the Holy Ghost fell upon them, ch. 10:1, 44. Now here we are told,
Act 21:15-26
In these verses we have,
Act 21:27-40
We have here Paul brought into a captivity which we are not likely to see the end of; for after this he is either hurried from one bar to another, or lies neglected, first in one prison and then in another, and can neither be tried nor bailed. When we see the beginning of a trouble, we know not either how long it will last or how it will issue.