Acts 15:39

Acts 15:39 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus;
• New International Version (NIV)They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus,
• English Standard Version (ESV)And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus,
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then the contention became so sharp that they parted from one another. And so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus;

Context of Acts 15:39

37Barnabas agreed and wanted to take along John Mark. 38But Paul disagreed strongly, since John Mark had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in their work. Their disagreement was so sharp that they separated. Barnabas took John Mark with him and sailed for Cyprus. 40Paul chose Silas, and as he left, the believers entrusted him to the Lord’s gracious care. 41Then he traveled throughout Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches there.

Acts 15:39 word by word

Ἐγένετο δὲ παροξυσμός, ὥστε ἀποχωρισθῆναι αὐτοὺς ἀπ᾽ ἀλλήλων, τόν τε Βαρναβᾶν παραλαβόντα τὸν Μᾶρκον ἐκπλεῦσαι εἰς Κύπρον.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
• the contentionπαροξυσμόςparoxusmos · stirring upG3948
• wasγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
• thatὥστεhōste · soG5620
• they departed asunderἀποχωρίζωapochōrizō · to separate fromG673
• oneαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• fromἀπόapo · away fromG575
• the otherἀλλήλωνallēlōn · one anotherG240
• and soτεte · and/bothG5037
• Barnabasὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• BarnabasΒαρνάβαςBarnabas · BarnabasG921
• tookπαραλαμβάνωparalambanō · to takeG3880
• MarkΜάρκοςMarkos · MarkG3138
• and sailedἐκπλέωekpleō · to sail out/awayG1602
• untoεἰςeis · towardG1519
• CyprusΚύπροςKupros · CyprusG2954

Cross-references for Acts 15:39

• Acts 15:2Paul and Barnabas disagreed with them, arguing vehemently. Finally, the church decided to send Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem, accompanied by some local believers, to talk to the apostles and elders about this question.
• Acts 6:1But as the believers rapidly multiplied, there were rumblings of discontent. The Greek-speaking believers complained about the Hebrew-speaking believers, saying that their widows were being discriminated against in the daily distribution of food.
• Psalms 106:33They made Moses angry, and he spoke foolishly.
• Psalms 119:96Even perfection has its limits, but your commands have no limit.
• Ecclesiastes 7:20Not a single person on earth is always good and never sins.
• Romans 7:18And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t.
• James 3:2Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.
• Acts 4:36For instance, there was Joseph, the one the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (which means “Son of Encouragement”). He was from the tribe of Levi and came from the island of Cyprus.
• Acts 11:20However, some of the believers who went to Antioch from Cyprus and Cyrene began preaching to the Gentiles about the Lord Jesus.
• Acts 13:4So Barnabas and Saul were sent out by the Holy Spirit. They went down to the seaport of Seleucia and then sailed for the island of Cyprus.
• Acts 27:4Putting out to sea from there, we encountered strong headwinds that made it difficult to keep the ship on course, so we sailed north of Cyprus between the island and the mainland.

Commentaries on Acts 15:39

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 39The contention was so sharp between them - For all this sentence, there is only in the Greek text ; there was therefore a paroxysm, an incitement, a stirring up, from , compounded of , intensive, and , to whet, or sharpen: there was a sharp contention. But does this imply anger or ill-will on either side? Certainly not. Here, these two apostles differed, and were strenuous, each in support of the part he had adopted. "Paul," as an ancient Greek…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 39And the contention was so sharp - The word used here ́ paroxusmosis that from which our word “paroxysm” is derived. It may denote “any excitement of mind,” and is used in a good sense in Hebrews 10:24. It here means, however, “a violent altercation” that resulted in their separation for a time, and in their engaging in different spheres of labor. And sailed into Cyprus - This was the native place of Barnabas. See the notes on Acts 4:36.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 36-41Verses 36-41 Here we have a private quarrel between two ministers, no less than Paul and Barnabas, yet made to end well. Barnabas wished his nephew John Mark to go with them. We should suspect ourselves of being partial, and guard against this in putting our relations forward. Paul did not think him worthy of the honour, nor fit for the service, who had departed from them without their knowledge, or without their consent: see ch. 13:13. Neither would…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 36-41The discordant separation of Paul and Barnabas is indicated by a very strong word in Greek (Their disagreement was so sharp). They were two dedicated men who disagreed about giving John Mark, Barnabas’s cousin, a second chance to join their missionary journey (Colossians 4:10). John Mark had left them in Pamphylia (see Acts 13:13). Eventually, Paul and John Mark made peace (2 Timothy 4:11).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3939. And the contention was so sharp between them--such was the "irritation," or "exacerbation." that they departed asunder one from the other--Said they not truly to the Lystrians that they were "men of like passions with them"; (Ac 14:15). But who was to blame? (1) That John Mark had either tired of the work or shrunk from the dangers and fatigues that yet lay before them, was undeniable; and Paul concluded that what he had done he might, and probably…Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 15:39

• Barnabas
• Cyprus
• Mark
• Minister, Christian
• Paul
• Strife

In the dictionaries

• Barnabas
• Cyprus
• Abstain
• Cause
• Choice
• Consider
• Conversion
• Council
• Declare
• Dissension

Commentaries on Acts 15

• 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