Acts 15:39

Acts 15:39 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus;
• New International Version (NIV)They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus,
• English Standard Version (ESV)And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus,
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then the contention became so sharp that they parted from one another. And so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus;

Context of Acts 15:39

37Barnabas agreed and he wanted to take John Mark with them. 38But Paul did not think that this was right. He said to Barnabas, ‘John Mark did not remain with us until we had finished our work. He left us when we were in Pamphylia.’ Paul and Barnabas argued strongly about this. They could not agree, so they went in different directions. Barnabas took John Mark with him and they sailed to Cyprus. 40Paul chose Silas to go with him. The believers in Antioch asked the Lord God to take care of Paul and Silas. 41They travelled through Syria and Cilicia. Paul taught the believers in those regions. He helped them to be strong and to trust Jesus.

Acts 15:39 word by word

Ἐγένετο δὲ παροξυσμός, ὥστε ἀποχωρισθῆναι αὐτοὺς ἀπ᾽ ἀλλήλων, τόν τε Βαρναβᾶν παραλαβόντα τὸν Μᾶρκον ἐκπλεῦσαι εἰς Κύπρον.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
• the contentionπαροξυσμόςparoxusmos · stirring upG3948
• wasγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
• thatὥστεhōste · soG5620
• they departed asunderἀποχωρίζωapochōrizō · to separate fromG673
• oneαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• fromἀπόapo · away fromG575
• the otherἀλλήλωνallēlōn · one anotherG240
• and soτεte · and/bothG5037
• Barnabasὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• BarnabasΒαρνάβαςBarnabas · BarnabasG921
• tookπαραλαμβάνωparalambanō · to takeG3880
• MarkΜάρκοςMarkos · MarkG3138
• and sailedἐκπλέωekpleō · to sail out/awayG1602
• untoεἰςeis · towardG1519
• CyprusΚύπροςKupros · CyprusG2954

Cross-references for Acts 15:39

• Acts 15:2Paul and Barnabas did not agree with these men. They argued strongly against them. As a result, the believers in Antioch decided what to do. They chose Paul, Barnabas and some of the other believers to go to Jerusalem. They should go to meet with the apostles and the other leaders of the believers. The leaders should decide who was right in this quarrel.
• Acts 6:1At that time, more and more people became disciples of Jesus. Among the believers, some were Jews who spoke the Greek language. Others were Jews who spoke the Aramaic language. The Jews who spoke Greek had a problem with the other Jews. They said, ‘The widows in our group do not receive the right help. Each day, when you give out the food and money, our widows receive less than they should get.’
• Psalms 106:33Moses was so upset that he spoke in a careless way.
• Psalms 119:96I have learned that all things will come to an end, but your commands have no end.
• Ecclesiastes 7:20There is nobody on the earth who is so righteous that they always do what is right. There is nobody who never does a wrong thing.
• Romans 7:18I know that there is nothing good in me. I am weak and human. I want to do what is good. But I am unable to do it.
• James 3:2We all make many mistakes. So, if someone never says anything that is bad, that person is completely good. It shows that he has authority over his whole body.
• Acts 4:36One of the believers was called Joseph. He was from the family of Levi. He was from the island called Cyprus. The apostles called him Barnabas because he liked to help people.
• Acts 11:20Some of the believers were people who came from Cyprus and Cyrene. These men went to Antioch. There they told God's message to Gentiles, as well as to Jews. They told everyone the good news about the Lord Jesus.
• Acts 13:4The Holy Spirit sent Barnabas and Saul away from Antioch. They travelled to the town of Seleucia, which is near the coast. From there they travelled on a ship to an island called Cyprus.
• Acts 27:4Then we sailed out across the sea again. But the wind was blowing against our ship. So we sailed round the island called Cyprus. We sailed on the side of the island where the wind was not strong.

Commentaries on Acts 15:39

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 39The contention was so sharp between them - For all this sentence, there is only in the Greek text ; there was therefore a paroxysm, an incitement, a stirring up, from , compounded of , intensive, and , to whet, or sharpen: there was a sharp contention. But does this imply anger or ill-will on either side? Certainly not. Here, these two apostles differed, and were strenuous, each in support of the part he had adopted. "Paul," as an ancient Greek…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 39And the contention was so sharp - The word used here ́ paroxusmosis that from which our word “paroxysm” is derived. It may denote “any excitement of mind,” and is used in a good sense in Hebrews 10:24. It here means, however, “a violent altercation” that resulted in their separation for a time, and in their engaging in different spheres of labor. And sailed into Cyprus - This was the native place of Barnabas. See the notes on Acts 4:36.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 36-41Verses 36-41 Here we have a private quarrel between two ministers, no less than Paul and Barnabas, yet made to end well. Barnabas wished his nephew John Mark to go with them. We should suspect ourselves of being partial, and guard against this in putting our relations forward. Paul did not think him worthy of the honour, nor fit for the service, who had departed from them without their knowledge, or without their consent: see ch. 13:13. Neither would…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 36-41The discordant separation of Paul and Barnabas is indicated by a very strong word in Greek (Their disagreement was so sharp). They were two dedicated men who disagreed about giving John Mark, Barnabas’s cousin, a second chance to join their missionary journey (Colossians 4:10). John Mark had left them in Pamphylia (see Acts 13:13). Eventually, Paul and John Mark made peace (2 Timothy 4:11).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3939. And the contention was so sharp between them--such was the "irritation," or "exacerbation." that they departed asunder one from the other--Said they not truly to the Lystrians that they were "men of like passions with them"; (Ac 14:15). But who was to blame? (1) That John Mark had either tired of the work or shrunk from the dangers and fatigues that yet lay before them, was undeniable; and Paul concluded that what he had done he might, and probably…Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 15:39

• Barnabas
• Cyprus
• Mark
• Minister, Christian
• Paul
• Strife

In the dictionaries

• Barnabas
• Cyprus
• Abstain
• Cause
• Choice
• Consider
• Conversion
• Council
• Declare
• Dissension

Commentaries on Acts 15

• 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