Acts 21:40

Acts 21:40 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And when he had given him licence, Paul stood on the stairs, and beckoned with the hand unto the people. And when there was made a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue, saying,
• New International Version (NIV)After receiving the commander’s permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd. When they were all silent, he said to them in Aramaic:
• English Standard Version (ESV)And when he had given him permission, Paul, standing on the steps, motioned with his hand to the people. And when there was a great hush, he addressed them in the Hebrew language, saying:
• New King James Version (NKJV)So when he had given him permission, Paul stood on the stairs and motioned with his hand to the people. And when there was a great silence, he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, saying,

Context of Acts 21:40

38“Aren’t you the Egyptian who incited a rebellion some time ago and led four thousand members of the Assassins into the wilderness?” 39But Paul answered, “I am a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city. Now I beg you to allow me to speak to the people.” Having received permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd. A great hush came over the crowd, and he addressed them in Hebrew:

Acts 21:40 word by word

ἐπιτρέψαντος δὲ αὐτοῦ ὁ Παῦλος ἑστὼς ἐπὶ τῶν ἀναβαθμῶν κατέσεισεν τῇ χειρὶ τῷ λαῷ, πολλῆς δὲ σιγῆς γενομένης προσεφώνησεν τῇ Ἑβραΐδι διαλέκτῳ λέγων·¶Read the interlinear

• ·δέde · thenG1161
• Having received permissionαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• Having received permissionἐπιτρέπωepitrepō · to permitG2010
• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• PaulΠαῦλοςPaulos · PaulG3972
• stoodἵστημιhistēmi · to standG2476
• onἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
• stepsἀναβαθμόςanabathmos · stairsG304
• motionedκατασείωkataseiō · to signalG2678
• crowdλαόςlaos · a peopleG2992
• ·χείρcheir · handG5495
• A greatπολύςpolus polos · muchG4183
• hushσιγήsigē · silenceG4602
• came overγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
• he addressedπροσφωνέωprosphōneō · to call to/summonG4377
• HebrewἙβραΐςHebrais · HebrewG1446
• Hebrewδιάλεκτοςdialektos · languageG1258
• Hebrewλέγωlegō · to sayG3004

Cross-references for Acts 21:40

• Acts 21:35When Paul reached the steps, he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob.
• 2 Kings 9:13Quickly, each man took his garment and put it under Jehu on the bare steps. Then they blew the ram’s horn and proclaimed, “Jehu is king!”
• Acts 12:17Peter motioned with his hand for silence, and he described how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. “Send word to James and to the brothers,” he said, and he left for another place.
• Acts 13:16Paul stood up, motioned with his hand, and began to speak: “Men of Israel and you Gentiles who fear God, listen to me!
• Acts 19:33The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander forward to explain himself, and he motioned for silence so he could make his defense to the people.
• Acts 22:2When they heard him speak to them in Hebrew, they became even more quiet. Then Paul declared,
• Acts 6:1In those days when the disciples were increasing in number, the Grecian Jews among them began to grumble against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.
• Acts 26:14We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice say to me in Hebrew, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’
• Luke 23:38Above Him was posted an inscription: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
• John 5:2Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool with five covered colonnades, which in Hebrew is called Bethesda.
• John 19:13When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat on the judgment seat at a place called the Stone Pavement, which in Hebrew is Gabbatha.
• Revelation 9:11They were ruled by a king, the angel of the Abyss. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek it is Apollyon.
• Revelation 16:16And they assembled the kings in the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.

Commentaries on Acts 21:40

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 40Paul stood on the stairs - Where he was out of the reach of the mob, and was surrounded by the Roman soldiers. Beckoned with the hand - Waving the hand, which was the sign that he was about to address the people. So Virgil says of Turnus, when he wished, by single combat between himself and Aeneas, to put an end to the war: - Significatque manu, et magno simul incipit ore: Parcite jam, Rutuli; et vos tela inhibete, Latini. He beckoned with his hand, and…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 40Licence - Liberty; permission. On the stairs - See the notes on Acts 21:35. Beckoned with the hand - Waving the hand as a sign that he was about to address them, and to produce silence and attention. See Acts 12:17. In the Hebrew tongue - The language which was spoken by the Jews, which was then a mixture of the Chaldee and Syriac, called Syro-Chaldaic. This language he doubtless used on this occasion in preference to the Greek, because it was understood…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 27-40Verses 27-40 In the temple, where Paul should have been protected as in a place of safety, he was violently set upon. They falsely charged him with ill doctrine and ill practice against the Mosaic ceremonies. It is no new thing for those who mean honestly and act regularly, to have things laid to their charge which they know not and never thought of. It is common for the wise and good to have that charged against them by malicious people, with which they…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 37-40The commander had mistaken Paul for an Egyptian false messiah who had planned to seize power from the Romans around AD 54 (roughly three years earlier; see Josephus, War 2.13.5). Paul corrected the mistake, gained permission to speak to the people, and addressed the crowd in Aramaic, the common language of Judea. He gave a strong statement of his faith in Jesus as the Messiah (Acts 22:1–21).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 37-4037-40. Art not thou that Egyptian, &c.--The form of the question implies that the answer is to be in the negative, and is matter of some surprise: "Thou art not then?" &c.Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 21:40

• Claudius Lysius
• Hebrew
• Minister, Christian
• Paul
• Prisoners

In the dictionaries

• Paul
• Paul, Saul
• Appeal
• Claudius
• Discover
• James
• John
• Ready
• Unlade
• Acts of the Apostles

Commentaries on Acts 21

• 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