1 And it came to pass, at our sailing, having been parted from them, having run direct, we came to Coos, and the succeeding [day] to Rhodes, and there to Patara, 2 and having found a ship passing over to Phoenicia, having gone on board, we sailed, 3 and having discovered Cyprus, and having left it on the left, we were sailing to Syria, and landed at Tyre, for there was the ship discharging the cargo. 4 And having found out the disciples, we tarried there seven days, and they said to Paul, through the Spirit, not to go up to Jerusalem; 5 but when it came that we completed the days, having gone forth, we went on, all bringing us on the way, with women and children, to the outside of the city, and having bowed the knees on the shore, we prayed, 6 and having embraced one another, we embarked in the ship, and they returned to their own friends. 7 And we, having finished the course, from Tyre came down to Ptolemais, and having greeted the brothers, we remained one day with them; 8 and on the next day Paul and his company having gone forth, we came to Caesarea, and having entered into the house of Philip the evangelist—who is of the seven—we remained with him, 9 and this one had four daughters, virgins, prophesying. 10 And we remaining many more days, there came down a certain one from Judea, a prophet, by name Agabus, 11 and he having come to us, and having taken up the girdle of Paul, having also bound his own hands and feet, said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit: The man whose is this girdle—so will the Jews in Jerusalem bind, and they will deliver [him] up into the hands of nations.” 12 And when we heard these things, we called on [him]—both we, and those of that place—not to go up to Jerusalem, 13 and Paul answered, “Why are you weeping, and crushing 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 he not being persuaded, we were silent, saying, “The will of the LORD be done.” 15 And after these days, having taken [our] vessels, we were going up to Jerusalem, 16 and there went also of the disciples from Caesarea with us, bringing with them him with whom we may lodge, a certain Mnason of Cyprus, an aged disciple. 17 And we having come to Jerusalem, the brothers gladly received us, 18 and on the next day Paul was going in with us to James, all the elders also came, 19 and having greeted them, he was expounding, one by one, each of the things God did among the nations through his ministry, 20 and they having heard, were glorifying the LORD. They also said to him, “You see, brother, how many myriads there are of Jews who have believed, and all are zealous of the Law, 21 and they are instructed concerning you, that you teach departure from Moses to all Jews among the nations, saying not to circumcise the children, nor to walk after the customs; 22 what then is it? Certainly the multitude must come together, for they will hear that you have come. 23 This, therefore, that we say to you, do. We have four men having a vow on themselves, 24 having taken these, be purified with them, and be at expense with them, that they may shave the head, and all may know that the things of which they have been instructed concerning you are nothing, but you walk—yourself also—keeping the Law. 25 And concerning those of the nations who have believed, we have written, having given judgment, that they observe no such thing, except to keep themselves both from idol-sacrifices, and blood, and a strangled thing, and whoredom.” 26 Then Paul, having taken the men, on the following day, having purified himself with them, was entering into the temple, announcing the fulfilment of the days of the purification, until the offering was offered for each one of them. 27 And as the seven days were about to be fully ended, the Jews from Asia having beheld him in the temple, were stirring up all the multitude, and they laid hands on him, 28 crying out, “Men, Israelites, help! This is the man who, against the people, and the Law, and this place, is teaching all everywhere; and further, also, he brought Greeks into the temple, and has defiled this holy place”; 29 for they had seen before Trophimus, the Ephesian, in the city with him, whom they were supposing that Paul brought into the temple. 30 All the city was also moved and there was a running together of the people, and having laid hold on Paul, they were drawing him out of the temple, and immediately were the doors shut, 31 and they seeking to kill him, a rumor came to the chief captain of the band that all Jerusalem has been thrown into confusion, 32 who, at once, having taken soldiers and centurions, ran down on them, and they having seen the chief captain and the soldiers, left off beating Paul. 33 Then the chief captain, having come near, took him, and commanded [him] to be bound with two chains, and was inquiring who he may be, and what it is he has been doing, 34 and some were crying out one thing, and some another, among the multitude, and not being able to know the certainty because of the tumult, he commanded him to be carried into the stronghold, 35 and when he came on the steps, it happened he was carried by the soldiers, because of the violence of the multitude, 36 for the crowd of the people was following after, crying, “Away with him.” 37 And Paul being about to be led into the stronghold, says to the chief captain, “Is it permitted to me to say anything to you?” And he said, “Do you know Greek? 38 Are you not, then, the Egyptian who made an uprising before these days, and led the four thousand men of the assassins into the desert?” 39 And Paul said, “I, indeed, am a man, a Jew, of Tarsus of Cilicia, a citizen of no insignificant city; and I implore you, permit me to speak to the people.” 40 And he having given him leave, Paul having stood on the stairs, beckoned with the hand to the people, and there having been a great silence, he spoke to them in the Hebrew dialect, saying:
Acts · Literal Standard Version
Acts 21 Literal Standard Version
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)