Acts 21:40

Acts 21:40 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And when he had given him licence, Paul stood on the stairs, and beckoned with the hand unto the people. And when there was made a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue, saying,
• New International Version (NIV)After receiving the commander’s permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd. When they were all silent, he said to them in Aramaic:
• English Standard Version (ESV)And when he had given him permission, Paul, standing on the steps, motioned with his hand to the people. And when there was a great hush, he addressed them in the Hebrew language, saying:
• New King James Version (NKJV)So when he had given him permission, Paul stood on the stairs and motioned with his hand to the people. And when there was a great silence, he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, saying,

Context of Acts 21:40

38Then you are not the Egyptian who some time ago stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out into the wilderness?” 39But Paul said, “I am a Jew of Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no insignificant city; and I beg you, allow me to speak to the people.” When he had given him permission, Paul, standing on the stairs, motioned to the people with his hand; and when there was a great silence, he spoke to them in the Hebrew dialect, saying,

Acts 21:40 word by word

ἐπιτρέψαντος δὲ αὐτοῦ ὁ Παῦλος ἑστὼς ἐπὶ τῶν ἀναβαθμῶν κατέσεισεν τῇ χειρὶ τῷ λαῷ, πολλῆς δὲ σιγῆς γενομένης προσεφώνησεν τῇ Ἑβραΐδι διαλέκτῳ λέγων·¶Read the interlinear

• When he had givenἐπιτρέπωepitrepō · to permitG2010
• PaulΠαῦλοςPaulos · PaulG3972
• standingἵστημιhistēmi · to standG2476
• the stairsἀναβαθμόςanabathmos · stairsG304
• motionedκατασείωkataseiō · to signalG2678
• to the peopleλαόςlaos · a peopleG2992
• with his handχείρcheir · handG5495
• was a greatπολύςpolus polos · muchG4183
• silenceσιγήsigē · silenceG4602
• he spokeπροσφωνέωprosphōneō · to call to/summonG4377
• HebrewἙβραΐςHebrais · HebrewG1446
• dialectδιάλεκτοςdialektos · languageG1258
• sayingλέγωlegō · to sayG3004

Cross-references for Acts 21:40

• Acts 21:35When Paul got to the stairs, it came about that he was carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob;
• 2 Kings 9:13Then they hurried, and each man took his garment and put it under him on the bare steps, and blew the trumpet, saying, “Jehu is king!”
• Acts 12:17But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had led him out of the prison. And he said, “Report these things to James and the brothers.” Then he left and went to another place.
• Acts 13:16Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said, “Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen:
• Acts 19:33Some of the crowd concluded it was Alexander, since the Jews had put him forward; and having motioned with his hand, Alexander was intending to make a defense to the assembly.
• Acts 22:2And when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew dialect, they became even more quiet; and he said,
• Acts 6:1Now at this time, as the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint developed on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food.
• Acts 26:14And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’
• Luke 23:38Now there was also an inscription above Him, “THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”
• John 5:2Now in Jerusalem, by the Sheep Gate, there is a pool which in Hebrew is called Bethesda, having five porticoes.
• John 19:13Therefore when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out, and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Pavement--but in Hebrew, Gabbatha.
• Revelation 9:11They have as king over them, the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the name Apollyon.
• Revelation 16:16And they gathered them together to the place which in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon.

Commentaries on Acts 21:40

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 40Paul stood on the stairs - Where he was out of the reach of the mob, and was surrounded by the Roman soldiers. Beckoned with the hand - Waving the hand, which was the sign that he was about to address the people. So Virgil says of Turnus, when he wished, by single combat between himself and Aeneas, to put an end to the war: - Significatque manu, et magno simul incipit ore: Parcite jam, Rutuli; et vos tela inhibete, Latini. He beckoned with his hand, and…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 40Licence - Liberty; permission. On the stairs - See the notes on Acts 21:35. Beckoned with the hand - Waving the hand as a sign that he was about to address them, and to produce silence and attention. See Acts 12:17. In the Hebrew tongue - The language which was spoken by the Jews, which was then a mixture of the Chaldee and Syriac, called Syro-Chaldaic. This language he doubtless used on this occasion in preference to the Greek, because it was understood…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 21:40

• Claudius Lysius
• Hebrew
• Minister, Christian
• Paul
• Prisoners

In the dictionaries

• Paul
• Paul, Saul
• Appeal
• Claudius
• Discover
• James
• John
• Ready
• Unlade
• Acts of the Apostles

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