Acts 20:29

Acts 20:29 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
• New International Version (NIV)I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.
• English Standard Version (ESV)I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock;
• New King James Version (NKJV)For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.

Context of Acts 20:29

27I have told you everything that God wants you to know. 28You who are leaders should be careful about how you live. Also take care of the group of people that the Holy Spirit has chosen you to lead. Keep them safe like shepherds who take care of their sheep. All the believers belong to God because his Son, Jesus, died for them. He bought them with his blood which poured out on the cross. I know that trouble will come to you after I leave. Bad people will come to teach you. They will cause trouble for the believers, like dangerous wild animals that attack sheep. 30Even men from your own group of believers will teach things that are not true. They want to deceive other believers, so that they leave you and join with them. 31So be very careful! For three years I taught you, in the day and in the night. I warned you to be careful, so that I even cried about it.

Acts 20:29 word by word

Ἐγὼ οἶδα ὅτι εἰσελεύσονται μετὰ τὴν ἄφιξίν μου λύκοι βαρεῖς εἰς ὑμᾶς μὴ φειδόμενοι τοῦ ποιμνίου,Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Forγάρgar · forG1063
• Iἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• knowεἴδωeidō · to perceive: understandG1492
• thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• afterμετάmeta · with/afterG3326
• departingὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• departingἄφιξιςaphixis · departureG867
• shall grievousβαρύςbarus · weightyG926
• wolvesλύκοςlukos · wolfG3074
• enterεἰσέρχομαιeiserchomai · to enterG1525
• in amongεἰςeis · towardG1519
• youσύsu · youG4771
• notμήmē · notG3361
• sparingφείδομαιpheidomai · to spareG5339
• the flockποίμνιονpoimnion · flockG4168

Cross-references for Acts 20:29

• Zephaniah 3:3The rulers of the city make a very loud noise with their voices like big wild animals. Its judges are like hungry wolves. They are like wolves that have even eaten all an animal's bones before morning.
• Matthew 7:15‘Some people say that they are prophets from God. But their words are false. They seem to be like sheep that are not dangerous. But they are really like hungry wild dogs. What they teach will hurt you.
• Matthew 10:16Jesus then said to his disciples, ‘Listen well. I am sending you to people who will want to kill you. You will be like sheep among wild animals. You must watch carefully, like snakes do. But you must also be good and kind like doves.
• Luke 10:3Jesus then said, ‘I am sending you out, so go! But listen! You will be like young sheep among wild animals.
• John 10:12Another man may take care of sheep so that he gets money. But the sheep do not belong to him. A man like that is not the shepherd. If a wolf comes, a man like that runs away when he sees it. He leaves the sheep in danger. Then the wolf attacks the sheep. It causes them to run away in all directions.
• 2 Peter 2:1Many years ago, there were false prophets among God's people. They did not speak God's true messages. In the same way, there will also be false teachers among you. They will come among you and they will teach you things that are not true. Their wrong ideas will deceive people. Those false teachers will even speak against the Master, who paid the price for their sins. As a result, they will bring trouble on themselves that quickly destroys them.
• Jeremiah 13:20Leaders of Jerusalem, look up! See the enemy that is coming from the north. What has happened to your people? You were proud of them and you should have taken care of them. You are like shepherds who have lost their sheep.
• Jeremiah 23:1The Lord says, ‘Terrible trouble will come to the rulers of my people. They should have taken care of my people, as shepherds take care of their sheep. Instead, they have caused them to run away.’
• Ezekiel 34:2‘Son of man, you must speak my message to the shepherds of Israel to warn them. Tell them, “This is what the Almighty Lord says: Terrible trouble will come to you shepherds of Israel who only think about yourselves. Shepherds should take care of the sheep and feed them.
• Zechariah 11:17Bad things will happen to the bad shepherd who leaves his sheep. His enemy's knife will cut his arm and his right eye. His arm will become like a dry stick. And his right eye will no longer be able to see anything.’

Commentaries on Acts 20:29

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 29After my departing - Referring, most likely, to his death; for few of these evils took place during his life. Grievous wolves - Persons professing to be teachers; Judaizing Christians, who, instead of feeding the flock, would feed themselves, even to the oppression and ruin of the Church.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 29For I know this - By what he had seen in other places; by his knowledge of human nature, and of the dangers to which they were exposed; and by the guidance of inspiration. After my departure - His presence had been the means of guarding the church, and preserving it from these dangers. Now that the founder and guide of the church was to be removed, they would be exposed to dissensions and dangers. Grievous wolves - Heavy ͂ bareisstrong, mighty, dangerous…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 28-38Verses 28-38 If the Holy Ghost has made ministers overseers of the flock, that is, shepherds, they must be true to their trust. Let them consider their Master's concern for the flock committed to their charge. It is the church He has purchased with his own blood. The blood was his as Man; yet so close is the union between the Divine and human nature, that it is there called the blood of God, for it was the blood of Him who is God. This put such dignity…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 29-30savage wolves: Paul’s prophecy did in fact happen, prompting him to write to Timothy in Ephesus some five years later (see 1 Timothy 1:3–7, 19–20; 4:1–5; see also Matthew 7:15; 10:16; Mark 13:22; Luke 10:3; 2 Peter 2:1–22; 3:3).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 29-3029-30. after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you--Two classes of coming enemies are here announced, the one more external to themselves, the other bred in the bosom of their own community; both were to be teachers, but the one, "grievous wolves," not sparing, that is, making a prey of the flock; the other (Ac 20:30), simply sectarian "perverters" of the truth, with the view of drawing a party after them. Perhaps the one pointed to that…Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 20:29

• Elder
• Ephesus
• Miletus
• Minister, Christian
• Paul
• Watchfulness
• Wolf

In the dictionaries

• Appoint
• Bind
• Bishop
• Counsel
• Count
• Course
• Determine
• Draw
• Embrace
• Ephesians, Epistle to

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