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

1When the uproar was over, Paul sent for the disciples, encouraged them, said goodbye, and left for Macedonia. 2He went through that region and spoke many words of encouragement to the people. Then he went to Greece and stayed there for three months. When Paul was going to board a ship for Syria, he found out that the Jews were plotting to kill him. So he decided to go back through Macedonia. 4Sopater (son of Pyrrhus) from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia accompanied Paul. 5All these men went ahead and were waiting for us in 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 20:19I humbly served the Lord, often with tears in my eyes. I served the Lord during the difficult times I went through when the Jews plotted against me.
• Acts 9:23Later the Jews planned to murder Saul,
• Acts 23:12In the morning the Jews formed a conspiracy. They asked God to curse them if they ate or drank anything before they had killed Paul.
• Acts 25:3Festus to do them the favor of having Paul brought to Jerusalem. The Jews had a plan to ambush and kill Paul as he traveled to Jerusalem.
• Ezra 8:31Then we left the Ahava River on the twelfth day of the first month to go to Jerusalem. God was guiding us, and he rescued us from our enemies and from ambushes along the way.
• Proverbs 1:11If they say, “Come with us. Let’s set an ambush to kill someone. Let’s hide to ambush innocent people for fun.
• Jeremiah 5:26“Wicked people are found among my people. They lie in ambush like bird catchers. They set traps and catch people.
• 2 Corinthians 7:5Ever since we arrived in the province of Macedonia, we’ve had no rest. Instead, we suffer in a number of ways. Outwardly we have conflicts, and inwardly we have fears.
• 2 Corinthians 11:26Because I’ve traveled a lot, I’ve faced dangers from raging rivers, from robbers, from my own people, and from other people. I’ve faced dangers in the city, in the open country, on the sea, and from believers who turned out to be false friends.
• Acts 18:18After staying in Corinth quite a while longer, Paul left ⌞for Ephesus⌟. Priscilla and Aquila went with him. In the city of Cenchrea, Aquila had his hair cut, since he had taken a vow. From Cenchrea they took a boat headed for Syria
• Acts 21:3We could see the island of Cyprus as we passed it on our left and sailed to Syria. We landed at the city of Tyre, where the ship was to unload its cargo.
• Galatians 1:21Then I went to the regions of Syria and Cilicia.
• Acts 19:21After all these things had happened, Paul decided to go to Jerusalem by traveling through Macedonia and Greece. He said, “After I have been there, I must see Rome.”
• 2 Corinthians 1:15Confident of this, I had previously wanted to visit you so that you could benefit twice.

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