Acts 20:16

Acts 20:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia: for he hasted, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost.
• English Standard Version (ESV)For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he might not have to spend time in Asia, for he was hastening to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost.
• New King James Version (NKJV)For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the Day of Pentecost.
• New Living Translation (NLT)Paul had decided to sail on past Ephesus, for he didn’t want to spend any more time in the province of Asia. He was hurrying to get to Jerusalem, if possible, in time for the Festival of Pentecost.

Context of Acts 20:16

14When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene. 15The next day we set sail from there and arrived off Chios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos, and on the following day arrived at Miletus. Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost. 17From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. 18When they arrived, he said to them: “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia.

Acts 20:16 word by word

κεκρίκει γὰρ ὁ Παῦλος παραπλεῦσαι τὴν Ἔφεσον, ὅπως μὴ γένηται αὐτῷ χρονοτριβῆσαι ἐν τῇ Ἀσίᾳ· ἔσπευδεν γὰρ εἰ δυνατὸν εἴη αὐτῷ τὴν ἡμέραν τῆς πεντηκοστῆς γενέσθαι εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Forγάρgar · forG1063
• Paulὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• PaulΠαῦλοςPaulos · PaulG3972
• had determinedκρίνωkrinō · to judgeG2919
• to sail byπαραπλέωparapleō · to sail pastG3896
• EphesusἜφεσοςEphesos · EphesusG2181
• becauseὅπωςhopōs · thatG3704
• heαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• wouldγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
• notμήmē · notG3361
• spend the timeχρονοτριβέωchronotribeō · to spend timeG5551
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• AsiaἈσίαAsia · AsiaG773
• he hastedσπεύδωspeudō · to hastenG4692
• ifεἰei · ifG1487
• it wereεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• possibleδυνατόςdunatos · ableG1415
• atεἰςeis · towardG1519
• JerusalemἹεροσόλυμαHierosoluma · JerusalemG2414
• the dayἡμέραhēmera · dayG2250
• of Pentecostπεντηκοστήpentēkostē · PentecostG4005

Cross-references for Acts 20:16

• Acts 20:13We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul aboard. He had made this arrangement because he was going there on foot.
• Acts 18:21But as he left, he promised, “I will come back if it is God’s will.” Then he set sail from Ephesus.
• Acts 19:21After all this had happened, Paul decided to go to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia and Achaia. “After I have been there,” he said, “I must visit Rome also.”
• Acts 21:4We sought out the disciples there and stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.
• Acts 12:13Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door.
• Acts 24:17“After an absence of several years, I came to Jerusalem to bring my people gifts for the poor and to present offerings.
• Romans 15:24I plan to do so when I go to Spain. I hope to see you while passing through and to have you assist me on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while.
• Acts 2:1When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.
• Exodus 34:22“Celebrate the Festival of Weeks with the firstfruits of the wheat harvest, and the Festival of Ingathering at the turn of the year.
• 1 Corinthians 16:8But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost,

Commentaries on Acts 20:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16To sail by Ephesus - Not to touch there at this time. To be at Jerusalem the day of pentecost - That he might have the opportunity of preaching the kingdom of God to multitudes of Jews from different places, who would come up to Jerusalem at that feast; and then he no doubt expected to see there a renewal of that day of pentecost in which the Spirit was poured out on the disciples, and in consequence of which so many were converted to God.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16To sail by Ephesus - The word “by” in our translation is ambiguous. We say to go by a place, meaning either to take it in our way and to go to it, or to go past it. Here it means the latter. He intended to sail past Ephesus without going to it. For he hasted … - Had he gone to Ephesus, he would probably have been so delayed in his journey that he could not reach Jerusalem at the time of Pentecost. The day of Pentecost - See the notes on Acts 2:1.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 13-16Verses 13-16 Paul hastened to Jerusalem, but tried to do good by the way, when going from place to place, as every good man should do. In doing God's work, our own wills and those of our friends must often be crossed; we must not spend time with them when duty calls us another way.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16The Feast of Pentecost was one of the three Jewish feasts that required Jewish men to travel to Jerusalem and worship (see study note on 2:1–4).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 15-1615-16. came the next day over against Chios--now Scio: one of the most beautiful of those islands between which and the coast the sail is so charming. They appear not to have touched at it. next day we arrived--"touched" or "put in." at Samos--another island coming quite close to the mainland, and about as far south of Chios as it is south of Lesbos. tarried--for the night. at Trogyllium--an anchorage on the projecting mainland, not more than a mile from…Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 20:16

• Asia
• Ephesus
• Feasts
• Paul
• Pentecost

In the dictionaries

• Asia
• Ephesus
• Jerusalem
• Paul
• Ephesus, Ephesian
• Paul, Saul
• Appoint
• Bind
• Bishop
• Counsel

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