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

1After the uproar had ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and when he had encouraged them and taken his leave of them, he left to go to Macedonia. 2When he had gone through those regions and had given them much encouragement, he came to Greece. And there he spent three months, and when a plot was formed against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia. 4And he was accompanied by Sopater of Berea, the son of Pyrrhus, and by Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia. 5Now these had gone on ahead and were waiting for us at 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

• he spentποιέωpoieō · to do/make: spend(TIME)G4160
• threeτρεῖςtreis tria · ThreeG5140
• monthsμήνmēn · monthG3376
• a plotἐπιβουλήepiboulē · plotG1917
• was formedγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
• against him by the JewsἸουδαῖοςIoudaios · JewG2453
• as he wasμέλλωmellō · to ensueG3195
• setἀνάγωanagō · to leadG321
• SyriaΣυρίαSuria · SyriaG4947
• he decidedγνώμηgnōmē · resolutionG1106
• to returnὑποστρέφωhupostrephō · to returnG5290
• throughδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
• MacedoniaΜακεδονίαMakedonia · MacedoniaG3109

Cross-references for Acts 20:3

• Acts 20:19serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and trials which came upon me through the plots of the Jews;
• Acts 9:23When many days had elapsed, the Jews plotted together to do away with him,
• Acts 23:12When it was day, the Jews formed a conspiracy and put themselves under an oath, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul.
• Acts 25:3requesting a concession against Paul, that he might have him brought to Jerusalem (at the same time, setting an ambush to kill him on the way).
• Ezra 8:31Then we journeyed from the river Ahava on the twelfth of the first month to go to Jerusalem; and the hand of our God was upon us, and He rescued us from the hand of the enemy and the ambushes by the road.
• Proverbs 1:11If they say, “Come with us, Let’s lie in wait for blood, Let’s ambush the innocent without cause;
• Jeremiah 5:26For wicked people are found among My people, They watch like fowlers lying in wait; They set a trap, They catch people.
• 2 Corinthians 7:5For even when we came into Macedonia our flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted on every side: conflicts on the outside, fears inside.
• 2 Corinthians 11:26I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, dangers among false brothers;
• Acts 18:18Now Paul, when he had remained many days longer, took leave of the brothers and sisters and sailed away to Syria, and Priscilla and Aquila were with him. Paul first had his hair cut at Cenchrea, for he was keeping a vow.
• Acts 21:3When we came in sight of Cyprus, leaving it on the left, we kept sailing to Syria and landed at Tyre; for the ship was to unload its cargo there.
• Galatians 1:21Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia.
• Acts 19:21Now after these things were finished, Paul resolved in the Spirit to go to Jerusalem after he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.”
• 2 Corinthians 1:15In this confidence I intended at first to come to you, so that you might twice receive a blessing;

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