Acts 20:3

Acts 20:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And there abode three months. And when the Jews laid wait for him, as he was about to sail into Syria, he purposed to return through Macedonia.
• New International Version (NIV)where he stayed three months. Because some Jews had plotted against him just as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia.
• English Standard Version (ESV)There he spent three months, and when a plot was made against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia.
• New King James Version (NKJV)and stayed three months. And when the Jews plotted against him as he was about to sail to Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia.

Context of Acts 20:3

1After the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples, and when he had encouraged them he told them goodbye, and set off to go to Macedonia. 2After he had gone through those districts and had encouraged the believers, he came to Greece. And he stayed three months, and when a plot was formed against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia (northern Greece). 4He was accompanied by Sopater of Berea, the son of Pyrrhus, and by Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, and by Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia. 5These men went on ahead and were waiting for us (including Luke) at Troas.

Acts 20:3 word by word

ποιήσας τε μῆνας τρεῖς, γενομένης ἐπιβουλῆς αὐτῷ ὑπὸ τῶν Ἰουδαίων μέλλοντι ἀνάγεσθαι εἰς τὴν Συρίαν, ἐγένετο γνώμης τοῦ ὑποστρέφειν διὰ Μακεδονίας.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andτεte · and/bothG5037
• abodeποιέωpoieō · to do/make: spend(TIME)G4160
• threeτρεῖςtreis tria · ThreeG5140
• monthsμήνmēn · monthG3376
• And whenὑπόhupo · by/under: byG5259
• the Jewsὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the JewsἸουδαῖοςIoudaios · JewG2453
• laid waitγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
• laid waitἐπιβουλήepiboulē · plotG1917
• for himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• as he was aboutμέλλωmellō · to ensueG3195
• to sailἀνάγωanagō · to leadG321
• intoεἰςeis · towardG1519
• SyriaΣυρίαSuria · SyriaG4947
• he purposedγνώμηgnōmē · resolutionG1106
• to returnὑποστρέφωhupostrephō · to returnG5290
• throughδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
• MacedoniaΜακεδονίαMakedonia · MacedoniaG3109

Cross-references for Acts 20:3

• Acts 20:19serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and trials which came on me because of the plots of the Jews [against me];
• Acts 9:23After considerable time had passed [about three years or so], the Jews plotted together to kill him,
• Acts 23:12Now when day came, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves under an oath (curse), saying that they would not eat or drink until they had killed Paul.
• Acts 25:3asking as a concession against Paul, that he would have him brought to Jerusalem; (meanwhile planning an ambush to kill him on the way).
• Ezra 8:31We set out from the river Ahava on the twelfth [day] of the first month to go to Jerusalem; and the hand of our God was upon us, and He rescued us from the hand of the enemy and those who lay in ambushes along the way.
• Proverbs 1:11If they say, “Come with us; Let us lie in wait to shed blood, Let us ambush the innocent without cause;
• Jeremiah 5:26For wicked men are found among My people, They watch like fowlers who lie in wait; They set a trap, They catch men.
• 2 Corinthians 7:5For even when we arrived in Macedonia our bodies had no rest, but we were oppressed at every turn—conflicts and disputes without, fears and dread within.
• 2 Corinthians 11:26many times on journeys, [exposed to] danger from rivers, danger from bandits, danger from my own countrymen, danger from the Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger on the sea, danger among those posing as believers;
• Acts 18:18Paul stayed for a while longer, and then told the brothers and sisters goodbye and sailed for Syria; and he was accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchrea [the southeastern port of Corinth] he had his hair cut, because he was keeping a [Nazirite] vow [of abstention].
• Acts 21:3After we came in sight of Cyprus, leaving it on our left (port side), we sailed on to Syria and put in at Tyre; for there the ship was to unload her cargo.
• Galatians 1:21Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia.
• 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].”
• 2 Corinthians 1:15It was with this confidence that I planned at first to visit you, so that you might receive twice a token of grace;

Commentaries on Acts 20:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3Abode three months - Partly, as we may suppose, at Corinth, at Athens, and in Achaia; from which place he is supposed to have sent his epistle to the Romans, because he continued longer here than at any other place, and mentions several of the Corinthians in his salutations to the believers of Rome. When the Jesus laid wait for him - Paul had determined to go by sea to Syria, and from thence to Jerusalem. This was the first object of his journey; and this…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3And there abode - Why he remained here is unknown. It is probable that while in Greece he wrote the Epistle to the Romans. Compare Romans 15:25-27. And when the Jews laid wait for him - There was a design formed against him by the Jews, which they sought to execute. Why they formed this purpose the historian has not informed us. As he was about to sail - It would seem from this, that the design of the Jews was to attack the ship in which he was about to…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2-3Paul traveled from Macedonia to Greece, specifically Corinth in Achaia, where he stayed for three months (see study note on 18:1 and 2 Corinthians 13:1). During this time, Paul probably wrote his letter to the Romans (see Romans Book Introduction, “Date, Place, and Occasion of Writing”). a plot against him: See Acts 9:23–25, 28–30; 23:12–35; 25:3.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. And there abode three months--Though the province only is here mentioned, it is the city of Corinth that is meant, as the province of "Macedonia" (Ac 20:1) meant the city of Philippi. Some rough work he anticipated on his arrival at Corinth (2Co 10:1-8, 11; 13:1-10) though he had reason to expect satisfaction on the whole; and as we know there were other churches in Achaia besides that at Corinth (2Co 1:1; 11:10), he would have time enough to pay them…Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 20:3

• Macedonia
• Minister, Christian
• Paul
• Philippi
• Timothy

In the dictionaries

• Macedonia
• Syria
• Syria, Ashur
• Appoint
• Bind
• Bishop
• Corinthians, Second Epistle to the
• Counsel
• Count
• Course

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