Acts 20:16

Acts 20:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia: for he hasted, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost.
• New International Version (NIV)Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.
• English Standard Version (ESV)For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he might not have to spend time in Asia, for he was hastening to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost.
• New King James Version (NKJV)For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the Day of Pentecost.

Context of Acts 20:16

14So when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and sailed on to Mitylene. 15Sailing from there, we arrived the next day [at a point] opposite Chios; the following day we crossed over to Samos, and the next day we arrived at Miletus [about 30 miles south of Ephesus]. Paul had decided to sail on past Ephesus so that he would not end up spending time [unnecessarily] in [the province of] Asia (modern Turkey); for he was in a hurry to be in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost. 17However, from Miletus he sent word to Ephesus and summoned the elders of the church [to meet him there]. 18And when they arrived he said to them: “You know well how I [lived when I] was with you, from the first day that I set foot in Asia [until now],

Acts 20:16 word by word

κεκρίκει γὰρ ὁ Παῦλος παραπλεῦσαι τὴν Ἔφεσον, ὅπως μὴ γένηται αὐτῷ χρονοτριβῆσαι ἐν τῇ Ἀσίᾳ· ἔσπευδεν γὰρ εἰ δυνατὸν εἴη αὐτῷ τὴν ἡμέραν τῆς πεντηκοστῆς γενέσθαι εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Forγάρgar · forG1063
• Paulὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• PaulΠαῦλοςPaulos · PaulG3972
• had determinedκρίνωkrinō · to judgeG2919
• to sail byπαραπλέωparapleō · to sail pastG3896
• EphesusἜφεσοςEphesos · EphesusG2181
• becauseὅπωςhopōs · thatG3704
• heαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• wouldγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
• notμήmē · notG3361
• spend the timeχρονοτριβέωchronotribeō · to spend timeG5551
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• AsiaἈσίαAsia · AsiaG773
• he hastedσπεύδωspeudō · to hastenG4692
• ifεἰei · ifG1487
• it wereεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• possibleδυνατόςdunatos · ableG1415
• atεἰςeis · towardG1519
• JerusalemἹεροσόλυμαHierosoluma · JerusalemG2414
• the dayἡμέραhēmera · dayG2250
• of Pentecostπεντηκοστήpentēkostē · PentecostG4005

Cross-references for Acts 20:16

• Acts 20:13But we went on ahead to the ship and set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul on board there; for that was what he had arranged, intending himself to go [a shorter route] by land.
• Acts 18:21but after telling them goodbye and saying, “I will return again if God is willing,” he set sail from Ephesus.
• Acts 19:21Now after these events, Paul determined in the Spirit that he would travel through Macedonia and Achaia (most of the Greek mainland), and go to Jerusalem, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome [and preach the good news of salvation].”
• Acts 21:4After looking up the disciples [in Tyre], we stayed there [with them] seven days; and they kept telling Paul through the [Holy] Spirit not to set foot in Jerusalem.
• Acts 12:13When he knocked at the door of the gateway, a servant-girl named Rhoda came to answer.
• Acts 24:17Now after several years I came [to Jerusalem] to bring to my people charitable contributions and offerings.
• Romans 15:24whenever I go [on my trip] to Spain—I hope to see you as I pass through [Rome], and to be helped on my journey there by you, after I have first enjoyed your company for a little while.
• Acts 2:1When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place,
• Exodus 34:22You shall observe and celebrate the Feast of Weeks (Harvest, First Fruits, or Pentecost), the first fruits of the wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering (Booths or Tabernacles) at the year’s end.
• 1 Corinthians 16:8But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost,

Commentaries on Acts 20:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16To sail by Ephesus - Not to touch there at this time. To be at Jerusalem the day of pentecost - That he might have the opportunity of preaching the kingdom of God to multitudes of Jews from different places, who would come up to Jerusalem at that feast; and then he no doubt expected to see there a renewal of that day of pentecost in which the Spirit was poured out on the disciples, and in consequence of which so many were converted to God.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16To sail by Ephesus - The word “by” in our translation is ambiguous. We say to go by a place, meaning either to take it in our way and to go to it, or to go past it. Here it means the latter. He intended to sail past Ephesus without going to it. For he hasted … - Had he gone to Ephesus, he would probably have been so delayed in his journey that he could not reach Jerusalem at the time of Pentecost. The day of Pentecost - See the notes on Acts 2:1.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 13-16Verses 13-16 Paul hastened to Jerusalem, but tried to do good by the way, when going from place to place, as every good man should do. In doing God's work, our own wills and those of our friends must often be crossed; we must not spend time with them when duty calls us another way.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16The Feast of Pentecost was one of the three Jewish feasts that required Jewish men to travel to Jerusalem and worship (see study note on 2:1–4).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 15-1615-16. came the next day over against Chios--now Scio: one of the most beautiful of those islands between which and the coast the sail is so charming. They appear not to have touched at it. next day we arrived--"touched" or "put in." at Samos--another island coming quite close to the mainland, and about as far south of Chios as it is south of Lesbos. tarried--for the night. at Trogyllium--an anchorage on the projecting mainland, not more than a mile from…Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 20:16

• Asia
• Ephesus
• Feasts
• Paul
• Pentecost

In the dictionaries

• Asia
• Ephesus
• Jerusalem
• Paul
• Ephesus, Ephesian
• Paul, Saul
• Appoint
• Bind
• Bishop
• Counsel

Commentaries on Acts 20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings