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.
• 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.
• New Living Translation (NLT)where he stayed for three months. He was preparing to sail back to Syria when he discovered a plot by some Jews against his life, so he decided to return through Macedonia.

Context of Acts 20:3

1When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples and, after encouraging them, said goodbye and set out for Macedonia. 2He traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived in Greece, 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. 4He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy also, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. 5These men went on ahead and waited 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

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 served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents.
• Acts 9:23After many days had gone by, there was a conspiracy among the Jews to kill him,
• Acts 23:12The next morning some Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.
• Acts 25:3They requested Festus, as a favor to them, to have Paul transferred to Jerusalem, for they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way.
• Ezra 8:31On the twelfth day of the first month we set out from the Ahava Canal to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was on us, and he protected us from enemies and bandits along the way.
• Proverbs 1:11If they say, “Come along with us; let’s lie in wait for innocent blood, let’s ambush some harmless soul;
• Jeremiah 5:26“Among my people are the wicked who lie in wait like men who snare birds and like those who set traps to catch people.
• 2 Corinthians 7:5For when we came into Macedonia, we had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn—conflicts on the outside, fears within.
• 2 Corinthians 11:26I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers.
• Acts 18:18Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sisters and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchreae because of a vow he had taken.
• Acts 21:3After sighting Cyprus and passing to the south of it, we sailed on to Syria. We landed at Tyre, where our ship was to unload its cargo.
• Galatians 1:21Then I went to Syria and Cilicia.
• 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.”
• 2 Corinthians 1:15Because I was confident of this, I wanted to visit you first so that you might 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