New English Translation
Acts 21:24
24take them and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses, so that they may have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself live in conformity with the law.
Acts 21:24 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law.
- New International Version (NIV)Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law.
- English Standard Version (ESV)take these men and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses, so that they may shave their heads. Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself also live in observance of the law.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Take them and be purified with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads, and that all may know that those things of which they were informed concerning you are nothing, but that you yourself also walk orderly and keep the law.
Context of Acts 21:24
22What then should we do? They will no doubt hear that you have come. 23So do what we tell you: We have four men who have taken a vow; take them and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses, so that they may have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself live in conformity with the law. 25But regarding the Gentiles who have believed, we have written a letter, having decided that they should avoid meat that has been sacrificed to idols and blood and what has been strangled and sexual immorality.” 26Then Paul took the men the next day, and after he had purified himself along with them, he went to the temple and gave notice of the completion of the days of purification, when the sacrifice would be offered for each of them.
Read all of Acts 21Acts 21:24 word by word
τούτους παραλαβὼν ἁγνίσθητι σὺν αὐτοῖς καὶ δαπάνησον ἐπ᾽ αὐτοῖς ἵνα ξυρήσονται τὴν κεφαλήν, καὶ γνώσονται πάντες ὅτι ὧν κατήχηνται περὶ σοῦ οὐδέν ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ στοιχεῖς καὶ αὐτὸς φυλάσσων τὸν νόμον.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Themοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
- takeπαραλαμβάνωparalambanō · to takeG3880
- and purify thyselfἁγνίζωhagnizō · to purifyG48
- withσύνsun · withG4862
- themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- be at chargesδαπανάωdapanaō · to spendG1159
- withἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
- thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
- they may shaveξυράωxuraō · to shaveG3587
- headsὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- headsκεφαλήkephalē · headG2776
- allπᾶςpas · allG3956
- may knowγινώσκωginōskō · to knowG1097
- thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
- those thingsὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
- whereof they were informedκατηχέωkatēcheō · to instructG2727
- concerningπερίperi · aboutG4012
- theeσύsu · youG4771
- areεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- nothingοὐδείςoudeis · noneG3762
- butἀλλάalla · butG235
- walkest orderlyστοιχέωstoicheō · to followG4748
- and keepestφυλάσσωphulassō · to keep/guard: observeG5442
- the lawνόμοςnomos · lawG3551
Cross-references for Acts 21:24
- Acts 21:26Then Paul took the men the next day, and after he had purified himself along with them, he went to the temple and gave notice of the completion of the days of purification, when the sacrifice would be offered for each of them.
- Acts 24:18which I was doing when they found me in the temple, ritually purified, without a crowd or a disturbance.
- Exodus 19:10The Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and sanctify them today and tomorrow, and make them wash their clothes
- Numbers 19:17“‘For a ceremonially unclean person you must take some of the ashes of the heifer burnt for purification from sin and pour fresh running water over them in a vessel.
- 2 Chronicles 30:18The majority of the many people from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun were ceremonially unclean, yet they ate the Passover in violation of what is prescribed in the law. For Hezekiah prayed for them, saying: “May the Lord, who is good, forgive
- Job 1:5When the days of their feasting were finished, Job would send for them and sanctify them; he would get up early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job thought, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s customary practice.
- Job 41:25When it rises up, the mighty are terrified, at its thrashing about they withdraw.
- John 3:25Now a dispute came about between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew concerning ceremonial washing.
- Hebrews 9:10They served only for matters of food and drink and various washings; they are external regulations imposed until the new order came.
- Acts 18:18Paul, after staying many more days in Corinth, said farewell to the brothers and sailed away to Syria accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. He had his hair cut off at Cenchrea because he had made a vow.
- Numbers 6:5“‘All the days of the vow of his separation no razor may be used on his head until the time is fulfilled for which he separated himself to the Lord. He will be holy, and he must let the locks of hair on his head grow long.
- Judges 13:5Look, you will conceive and have a son. You must never cut his hair, for the child will be dedicated to God from birth. He will begin to deliver Israel from the power of the Philistines.”
- Judges 16:17Finally he told her his secret. He said to her, “My hair has never been cut, for I have been dedicated to God from the time I was conceived. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me; I would become weak, and be just like all other men.”
- 1 Corinthians 9:20To the Jews I became like a Jew to gain the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) to gain those under the law.
- Galatians 2:12Until certain people came from James, he had been eating with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he stopped doing this and separated himself because he was afraid of those who were pro-circumcision.
Commentaries on Acts 21:24
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 24Be at charges with them - Or, rather, be at charges for them: help them to bear the expense of that vow. Eight lambs, four rams, besides oil, flour, etc., were the expenses on this occasion. See the notes on Numbers 6:1-21 (note). Thou - walkest orderly and keepest the law - Perhaps this advice meant no more than, Show them, by such means as are now in thy power, that thou art not an enemy to Moses; that thou dost still consider the law to be holy, and…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 24Them take - Take with you. Join yourself with them. And purify thyself with them - Join them in observing the forms of purification prescribed by the Law of Moses in the observance of the vow of the Nazarite. The purifying here refers to the vows of sanctity which the Nazarites were to observe. They were to abstain from wine and strong drink; they were to eat no grapes, moist or dried; they were to come near no dead body, nor to make themselves “unclean”…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 19-26Verses 19-26 Paul ascribed all his success to God, and to God they gave the praise. God had honoured him more than any of the apostles, yet they did not envy him; but on the contrary, glorified the Lord. They could not do more to encourage Paul to go on cheerfully in his work. James and the elders of the church at Jerusalem, asked Paul to gratify the believing Jews, by some compliance with the ceremonial law. They thought it was prudent in him to conform…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20-25The leaders of the Jerusalem church urged Paul to strengthen his credibility. They encouraged him to demonstrate that he was not teaching Jews to abandon the laws of Moses. Meanwhile, the leaders did not force Jewish rules on Gentile converts. They had determined these terms earlier and would respect them (15:22–29).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 20-2520-25. they glorified the Lord, &c.--constrained to justify his course, notwithstanding the Jewish complexion of the Christianity of Jerusalem.Read the comment
Topics related to Acts 21:24
In the dictionaries
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
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