New International Version
Acts 21:24
24Take 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.
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.
- 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.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Go with them to the Temple and join them in the purification ceremony, paying for them to have their heads ritually shaved. Then everyone will know that the rumors are all false and that you yourself observe the Jewish laws.
Context of Acts 21:24
22What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come, 23so do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a vow. 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. 25As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they should abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality.” 26The next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he went to the temple to give notice of the date when the days of purification would end and the offering would be made 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 21:26The next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he went to the temple to give notice of the date when the days of purification would end and the offering would be made for each of them.
- Acts 24:18I was ceremonially clean when they found me in the temple courts doing this. There was no crowd with me, nor was I involved in any disturbance.
- Exodus 19:10And the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes
- Numbers 19:17“For the unclean person, put some ashes from the burned purification offering into a jar and pour fresh water over them.
- 2 Chronicles 30:18Although most of the many people who came from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun had not purified themselves, yet they ate the Passover, contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May the Lord, who is good, pardon everyone
- Job 1:5When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would make arrangements for them to be purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular custom.
- Job 41:25When it rises up, the mighty are terrified; they retreat before its thrashing.
- John 3:25An argument developed between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing.
- Hebrews 9:10They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings—external regulations applying until the time of the new order.
- 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.
- Numbers 6:5“ ‘During the entire period of their Nazirite vow, no razor may be used on their head. They must be holy until the period of their dedication to the Lord is over; they must let their hair grow long.
- Judges 13:5You will become pregnant and have a son whose head is never to be touched by a razor because the boy is to be a Nazirite, dedicated to God from the womb. He will take the lead in delivering Israel from the hands of the Philistines.”
- Judges 16:17So he told her everything. “No razor has ever been used on my head,” he said, “because I have been a Nazirite dedicated to God from my mother’s womb. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as any other man.”
- 1 Corinthians 9:20To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law.
- Galatians 2:12For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group.
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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