Christian Standard Bible
Acts 21:39
39Paul said, “I am a Jewish man from Tarsus of Cilicia, a citizen of an important city. Now I ask you, let me speak to the people.”
Acts 21:39 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)But Paul said, I am a man which am a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city: and, I beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the people.
- New International Version (NIV)Paul answered, “I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city. Please let me speak to the people.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)Paul replied, "I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no obscure city. I beg you, permit me to speak to the people."
- New King James Version (NKJV)But Paul said, “I am a Jew from Tarsus, in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city; and I implore you, permit me to speak to the people.”
Context of Acts 21:39
37As he was about to be brought into the barracks, Paul said to the commander, “Am I allowed to say something to you?” He replied, “You know how to speak Greek? 38Aren’t you the Egyptian who started a revolt some time ago and led four thousand men of the Assassins into the wilderness?” Paul said, “I am a Jewish man from Tarsus of Cilicia, a citizen of an important city. Now I ask you, let me speak to the people.” 40After he had given permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned with his hand to the people. When there was a great hush, he addressed them in Aramaic:
Read all of Acts 21Acts 21:39 word by word
Εἶπεν δὲ ὁ Παῦλος· ἐγὼ ἄνθρωπος μέν εἰμι Ἰουδαῖος Ταρσεὺς τῆς Κιλικίας οὐκ ἀσήμου πόλεως πολίτης, δέομαι δέ σου· ἐπίτρεψόν μοι λαλῆσαι πρὸς τὸν λαόν.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Butδέde · thenG1161
- Paulὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- PaulΠαῦλοςPaulos · PaulG3972
- saidλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- Iἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- amεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- a manἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
- ·μένmen · on the other handG3303
- a JewἸουδαῖοςIoudaios · JewG2453
- of TarsusΤαρσεύςTarseus · of TarsusG5018
- in CiliciaΚιλικία, ΚιλικίαKilikia · CiliciaG2791
- a citizenπολίτηςpolitēs · citizenG4177
- ofἄσημοςasēmos · insignificantG767
- noοὐou · noG3756
- cityπόλιςpolis · cityG4172
- I beseechδέομαιdeomai · to prayG1189
- theeσύsu · youG4771
- sufferἐπιτρέπωepitrepō · to permitG2010
- to speakλαλέωlaleō · to speakG2980
- untoπρόςpros · to/withG4314
- the peopleλαόςlaos · a peopleG2992
Cross-references for Acts 21:39
- Acts 9:11“Get up and go to the street called Straight,” the Lord said to him, “to the house of Judas, and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, since he is praying there.
- Acts 22:3He continued, “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel according to the strictness of our ancestral law. I was zealous for God, just as all of you are today.
- Acts 23:34After he read it, he asked what province he was from. When he learned he was from Cilicia,
- Acts 6:9Opposition arose, however, from some members of the Freedmen’s Synagogue, composed of both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and Asia, and they began to argue with Stephen.
- Acts 15:23They wrote: “From the apostles and the elders, your brothers, To the brothers and sisters among the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Greetings.
- Acts 16:37But Paul said to them, “They beat us in public without a trial, although we are Roman citizens, and threw us in jail. And now are they going to send us away secretly? Certainly not! On the contrary, let them come themselves and escort us out.”
- Acts 22:25As they stretched him out for the lash, Paul said to the centurion standing by, “Is it legal for you to scourge a man who is a Roman citizen and is uncondemned?”
- Acts 23:27When this man had been seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them, I arrived with my troops and rescued him because I learned that he is a Roman citizen.
- Acts 21:37As he was about to be brought into the barracks, Paul said to the commander, “Am I allowed to say something to you?” He replied, “You know how to speak Greek?
- 1 Peter 3:15but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.
- 1 Peter 4:15Let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or a meddler.
Commentaries on Acts 21:39
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 39I am a man which am a Jew - A periphrasis for, I am a Jew. See the note on Acts 7:2. Of Tarsus - no mean city - In the notes on Acts 9:11, I have shown that Tarsus was a city of considerable importance, and in some measure a rival to Rome and Athens; and that, because of the services tendered to the Romans by the inhabitants, Julius Caesar endowed them with all the rights and privileges of Roman citizens. When St. Paul calls it no mean city, he speaks a…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 39A Jew of Tarsus - A Jew by birth. Of no mean city - Not obscure, or undistinguished. He could claim an honorable birth, so far as the place of his nativity was concerned. See the notes on Acts 9:11. Tarsus was much celebrated for its learning, and was at one time the rival of Alexandria and Athens. Xenophon calls it a great and flourishing city. Josephus (Antiq., book 2, chapter 6, section 6) says that it was the metropolis, and most renowned city among…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 21:39
In the dictionaries
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
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