Acts 21:38

Acts 21:38 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Art not thou that Egyptian, which before these days madest an uproar, and leddest out into the wilderness four thousand men that were murderers?
• New International Version (NIV)“Aren’t you the Egyptian who started a revolt and led four thousand terrorists out into the wilderness some time ago?”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Are you not the Egyptian, then, who recently stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out into the wilderness?"
• New King James Version (NKJV)Are you not the Egyptian who some time ago stirred up a rebellion and led the four thousand assassins out into the wilderness?”

Context of Acts 21:38

36And the crowd followed behind, shouting, “Kill him, kill him!” 37As Paul was about to be taken inside, he said to the commander, “May I have a word with you?” “Do you know Greek?” the commander asked, surprised. “Aren’t you the Egyptian who led a rebellion some time ago and took 4,000 members of the Assassins out into the desert?” 39“No,” Paul replied, “I am a Jew and a citizen of Tarsus in Cilicia, which is an important city. Please, let me talk to these people.” 40The commander agreed, so Paul stood on the stairs and motioned to the people to be quiet. Soon a deep silence enveloped the crowd, and he addressed them in their own language, Aramaic.

Acts 21:38 word by word

οὐκ ἄρα σὺ εἶ ὁ Αἰγύπτιος ὁ πρὸ τούτων τῶν ἡμερῶν ἀναστατώσας καὶ ἐξαγαγὼν εἰς τὴν ἔρημον τοὺς τετρακισχιλίους ἄνδρας τῶν σικαρίων;¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Artεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• notοὐou · noG3756
• thouσύsu · youG4771
• ·ἆραara · no?G687
• EgyptianΑἰγύπτιοςAiguptios · EgyptianG124
• beforeπρόpro · beforeG4253
• theseοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• daysἡμέραhēmera · dayG2250
• madest an uproarἀναστατόωanastatoō · to cause troubleG387
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• leddest outἐξάγωexagō · to lead outG1806
• intoεἰςeis · towardG1519
• the wildernessἔρημοςerēmos · desertedG2048
• four thousandτετρακισχίλιοιtetrakischilioi · four thousandG5070
• menἀνήρanēr · manG435
• that were murderersσικάριοςsikarios · assassinG4607

Cross-references for Acts 21:38

• Acts 5:36Some time ago there was that fellow Theudas, who pretended to be someone great. About 400 others joined him, but he was killed, and all his followers went their various ways. The whole movement came to nothing.
• Matthew 5:11“God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers.
• 1 Corinthians 4:13We appeal gently when evil things are said about us. Yet we are treated like the world’s garbage, like everybody’s trash—right up to the present moment.

Commentaries on Acts 21:38

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 38Art not thou that Egyptian, etc. - The history to which Claudius Lysias refers is taken from Josephus, Ant. lib. xx. cap. 7, sec. 6, and War, lib. ii. cap. 13, sec. 5, and is in substance as follows: An Egyptian, whose name is not known, pretended to be a prophet, and told his followers that the walls of Jerusalem would fall down before them, if they would assist him in making an attack on the city. He had address enough to raise a rabble of 30,000 men…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 38Art not thou that Egyptian? - That Egyptian was probably a Jew who resided in Egypt. Josephus has given an account of this Egyptian which strikingly accords with the statement here recorded by Luke. See Josephus, Antiq., book 20, chapter 8, section 6, and Jewish Wars, book 2, chapter 13, section 5. The account which he gives is, that this Egyptian, whose name he does not mention, came from Egypt to Jerusalem, and said that he was a prophet, and advised…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 27-40Verses 27-40 In the temple, where Paul should have been protected as in a place of safety, he was violently set upon. They falsely charged him with ill doctrine and ill practice against the Mosaic ceremonies. It is no new thing for those who mean honestly and act regularly, to have things laid to their charge which they know not and never thought of. It is common for the wise and good to have that charged against them by malicious people, with which they…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 37-40The commander had mistaken Paul for an Egyptian false messiah who had planned to seize power from the Romans around AD 54 (roughly three years earlier; see Josephus, War 2.13.5). Paul corrected the mistake, gained permission to speak to the people, and addressed the crowd in Aramaic, the common language of Judea. He gave a strong statement of his faith in Jesus as the Messiah (Acts 22:1–21).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 37-4037-40. Art not thou that Egyptian, &c.--The form of the question implies that the answer is to be in the negative, and is matter of some surprise: "Thou art not then?" &c.Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 21:38

• Citizens
• Claudius Lysius
• Egyptians
• Minister, Christian
• Paul
• Prisoners

In the dictionaries

• Egyptian
• Egypt, Egyptian
• Four Thousand
• Appeal
• Claudius
• Discover
• James
• John
• Lysias, Claudius
• Ready

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