1 And when, having got away from them, we at last sailed away, we came by a direct course to Cos, and on the morrow to Rhodes, and thence to Patara. 2 And having found a ship passing over into Phoenicia, we went on board and sailed; 3 and having sighted Cyprus, and left it on the left hand, we sailed to Syria, and made the land at Tyre, for there the ship was to discharge her cargo. 4 And having found out the disciples, we remained there seven days; who said to Paul by the Spirit not to go up to Jerusalem. 5 But when we had completed the days, we set out and took our journey, all of them accompanying us, with wives and children, till [we were] out of the city. And kneeling down upon the shore we prayed. 6 And having embraced one another, we went on board ship, and they returned home. 7 And we, having completed the voyage, arrived from Tyre at Ptolemais, and having saluted the brethren, we remained one day with them. 8 And leaving on the morrow, we came to Caesarea; and entering into the house of Philip the evangelist, who was of the seven, we abode with him. 9 Now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied. 10 And as we stayed there many days, a certain man, by name Agabus, a prophet, came down from Judaea, 11 and coming to us and taking the girdle of Paul, and having bound his own hands and feet, said, Thus saith the Holy Spirit, The man whose this girdle is shall the Jews thus bind in Jerusalem, and deliver him up into the hands of [the] Gentiles. 12 And when we heard these things, both we and those of the place besought [him] not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 But Paul answered, What do ye, 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. 14 And when he would not be persuaded, we were silent, saying, The will of the Lord be done. 15 And after these days, having got our effects ready, we went up to Jerusalem. 16 And [some] of the disciples from Caesarea went with us, bringing [with them] a certain Mnason, a Cyprian, an old disciple, with whom we were to lodge. 17 And when we arrived at Jerusalem the brethren gladly received us. 18 And on the morrow Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders came there. 19 And having saluted them, he related one by one the things which God had wrought among the nations by his ministry. 20 And they having heard [it] glorified God, and said to him, Thou seest, brother, how many myriads there are of the Jews who have believed, and all are zealous of the law. 21 And they have been informed concerning thee, that thou teachest all the Jews among the nations apostasy from Moses, saying that they should not circumcise their children, nor walk in the customs. 22 What is it then? a multitude must necessarily come together, for they will hear that thou art come. 23 This do therefore that we say to thee: We have four men who have a vow on them; 24 take these and be purified with them, and pay their expenses, that they may have their heads shaved; and all will know that [of those things] of which they have been informed about thee nothing is [true]; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, keeping the law. 25 But concerning [those of] the nations who have believed, we have written, deciding that they should [observe no such thing, only to] keep themselves both from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication. 26 Then Paul, taking the men, on the next day, having been purified, entered with them into the temple, signifying the time the days of the purification would be fulfilled, until the offering was offered for every one of them. 27 And when the seven days were nearly completed, the Jews from Asia, having seen him in the temple, set all the crowd in a tumult, and laid hands upon him, 28 crying, Israelites, help! this is the man who teaches all everywhere against the people, and the law, and this place, and has brought Greeks too into the temple, and profaned this holy place. 29 For they had before seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple. 30 And the whole city was moved, and there was a concourse of the people; and having laid hold on Paul they drew him out of the temple, and immediately the doors were shut. 31 And as they were seeking to kill him, a representation came to the chiliarch of the band that the whole of Jerusalem was in a tumult; 32 who, taking with him immediately soldiers and centurions, ran down upon them. But they, seeing the chiliarch and the soldiers, ceased beating Paul. 33 Then the chiliarch came up and laid hold upon him, and commanded [him] to be bound with two chains, and inquired who he might be, and what he had done. 34 And different persons cried some different thing in the crowd. But he, not being able to know the certainty on account of the uproar, commanded him to be brought into the fortress. 35 But when he got upon the stairs it was so that he was borne by the soldiers on account of the violence of the crowd. 36 For the multitude of the people followed, crying, Away with him. 37 But as he was about to be led into the fortress, Paul says to the chiliarch, Is it allowed me to say something to thee? And he said, Dost thou know Greek? 38 Thou art not then that Egyptian who before these days raised a sedition and led out into the wilderness the four thousand men of the assassins? 39 But Paul said, I am a Jew of Tarsus, citizen of no insignificant city of Cilicia, and I beseech of thee, allow me to speak to the people. 40 And when he had allowed him, Paul, standing on the stairs, beckoned with his hand to the people; and a great silence having been made, he addressed them in the Hebrew tongue, saying,
Acts 21 Darby Translation
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Agabus
A prophet who foretold a great famine in the days of Claudius and later bound his feet and hands with Paul's belt to predict Paul's arrest at Jerusalem.
Cited in the guide: Acts 11:28; Acts 21:10
Mnason
A Cypriot and early disciple with whom Paul and his companions lodged on the way to Jerusalem.
Cited in the guide: Acts 21:16
Trophimus
An Ephesian who accompanied Paul; Jews at Jerusalem falsely claimed Paul had brought him into the temple, and Paul later left him sick at Miletus.
Cited in the guide: Acts 20:4; Acts 21:29; 2 Timothy 4:20
Places
Caesarea Maritima
The Roman administrative capital of Judea. Peter brought the gospel to the Gentile Cornelius here, and Paul was imprisoned before appealing his case to Caesar.
Cited in the guide: Acts 10:1; Acts 23:23; Acts 25:11
Jerusalem
Set high in the Judean hills (~2,500 ft), Jerusalem was David's royal city, the site of the First and Second Temples, and the stage for Jesus' passion and the church's birth at Pentecost.
Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 5:6-9; Luke 19:41; Acts 1:8
Tarsus
A wealthy university city in Cilicia and Paul's hometown. He was also a Roman citizen by birth (Acts 22:28), which shaped his missionary strategy and legal appeals.
Cited in the guide: Acts 9:11; Acts 21:39; Acts 22:3
Cross references (40)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 1 Thessalonians 2:17; Luke 5:4; 1 Samuel 20:41–42; Acts 27:2; Acts 16:10–11
- 2 Acts 27:6; Acts 15:3; Acts 11:19; Jonah 1:3
- 3 Acts 12:20; Acts 4:36; Acts 27:4; Acts 21:16; Matthew 4:24
- 4 Acts 21:10–12; Acts 20:22–23; Acts 20:6–7; Matthew 10:11; Acts 11:26
- 5 Acts 20:36; Acts 9:40; Acts 20:38; Acts 15:3; Psalm 95:6
- 6 John 19:27; 2 Corinthians 2:13; John 1:11; John 7:53; John 16:32
- 7 Hebrews 13:24; Acts 28:12; Acts 18:22; Acts 21:10; Acts 21:19
- 8 Acts 6:5; Acts 8:26–40; Ephesians 4:11; Acts 8:5–13; 2 Timothy 4:5
- 9 Acts 2:17; Revelation 2:20; Exodus 15:20; Luke 2:36; Joel 2:28
- 10 Acts 11:28; Acts 21:4; Acts 20:16
- 11 Acts 21:33; Jeremiah 13:1–11; 1 Samuel 15:27–28; Ezekiel 24:19–25; 1 Kings 11:29–31
- 12 Acts 20:22; Matthew 16:21–23; Acts 21:4
- 13 Acts 20:24; Philippians 1:20–21; Philippians 2:17; Romans 8:35–37; Colossians 1:24
- 14 Luke 22:42; Matthew 26:42; Matthew 26:39; Matthew 6:10; 2 Kings 20:19
- 15 Acts 25:9; Acts 25:1; Acts 25:6; Acts 18:22
- 16 Proverbs 16:31; Acts 21:8; Acts 21:3–4; Psalm 92:14; Philemon 9
- 17 Acts 15:4; Hebrews 13:1–2; Romans 15:7; 3 John 7–8; Acts 21:7
- 18 Galatians 1:19; Acts 15:13; Acts 11:30; Galatians 2:9; Acts 15:23
- 19 Acts 14:27; Acts 1:17; Romans 15:18–19; 1 Corinthians 15:10; Acts 20:24
- 20 Romans 10:2; Galatians 1:14; Acts 22:3; Acts 11:18; Acts 15:1
- 21 Galatians 6:12–15; 1 Corinthians 9:19–21; Galatians 5:1–6; Acts 21:28; Acts 15:19–21
- 22 Acts 15:22; Acts 15:12; Acts 19:32
- 23 Acts 18:18; Numbers 6:2–7
- 24 Acts 21:26; Acts 18:18; Acts 24:18; 1 Corinthians 9:20; Exodus 19:14
- 25 Acts 15:29; Acts 15:19–20
- 26 Acts 24:18; Numbers 6:13–20; Acts 21:24; 1 Corinthians 9:20
- 27 Acts 26:21; Acts 24:18; Acts 13:50; Acts 14:19; Acts 5:18
- 28 Acts 24:5–6; Acts 21:21; Acts 26:20–21; Acts 6:13–14; Acts 19:26–28
- 29 Acts 20:4; 2 Timothy 4:20; Acts 18:19
- 30 Acts 26:21; 2 Corinthians 11:26; Acts 16:19–22; Acts 7:57–58; Acts 19:29
- 31 2 Corinthians 11:23–33; Acts 26:9–10; Acts 17:5; Acts 25:23; Acts 23:17
- 32 Acts 23:27; Acts 5:40; Isaiah 3:15; Acts 22:19; Acts 24:6
- 33 Ephesians 6:20; Acts 21:11; Acts 20:23; Acts 12:6; Acts 28:20
- 34 Acts 23:10; Acts 19:32; Acts 23:16; Acts 22:24; Acts 21:37
- 35 Genesis 6:11–12; Psalm 55:9; Habakkuk 1:2–3; Psalm 58:2; Jeremiah 23:10
- 36 John 19:15; Acts 22:22; Luke 23:18; 1 Corinthians 4:13; Acts 7:54
- 37 Acts 21:34; Luke 21:15; Matthew 10:18–20; Acts 19:30; Acts 21:19
- 38 Matthew 24:26; Acts 5:36–37; 1 Corinthians 4:13; Matthew 5:11
- 39 Acts 22:3; Acts 9:11; Acts 6:9; Acts 23:27; Acts 15:41
- 40 Acts 12:17; Acts 26:14; John 5:2; Acts 22:2; Acts 21:35
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
This was the Bishop of Jerusalem; and to him (Paul) is sent on an earlier occasion. This (James) was brother of the Lord; a great and admirable man. (To him, it says,) "Paul entered in with us." Mark the (Bishop's) unassuming behavior: "and the elders" (were present).
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 11 (1889)
Of which city was the Apostle Paul, being born in Tarsus of Cilicia. But some have understood by it Carthage, being haply sometimes so named, or in some language so signified.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)
This man gives directions to Paul himself, when he was after this come up again to Jerusalem, saying, "Thou seest, brother, how many thousands there are of them that are come together." So great was his understanding and his zeal, or rather so great the power of Christ.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
Thus, for instance, both Peter appears to have been "girded," and Paul; for it saith, "the man that owneth this girdle." And Elijah too was thus arrayed, and every one of the saints, because they were at work continually, laboring, and busying themselves either in journeyings, or about some other necessary matter; and not for this cause only, but also …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
For indeed even Paul was of them, and the thousands that believed in Jerusalem; for, "thou seest it is said, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe." And if some continued in their sin, to themselves let them impute their punishment.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)