Acts 21:40

Acts 21:40 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And when he had given him licence, Paul stood on the stairs, and beckoned with the hand unto the people. And when there was made a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue, saying,
• New International Version (NIV)After receiving the commander’s permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd. When they were all silent, he said to them in Aramaic:
• English Standard Version (ESV)And when he had given him permission, Paul, standing on the steps, motioned with his hand to the people. And when there was a great hush, he addressed them in the Hebrew language, saying:
• New King James Version (NKJV)So when he had given him permission, Paul stood on the stairs and motioned with his hand to the people. And when there was a great silence, he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, saying,

Context of Acts 21:40

38“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.” The 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 21:40 word by word

ἐπιτρέψαντος δὲ αὐτοῦ ὁ Παῦλος ἑστὼς ἐπὶ τῶν ἀναβαθμῶν κατέσεισεν τῇ χειρὶ τῷ λαῷ, πολλῆς δὲ σιγῆς γενομένης προσεφώνησεν τῇ Ἑβραΐδι διαλέκτῳ λέγων·¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andδέde · thenG1161
• when he had givenἐπιτρέπωepitrepō · to permitG2010
• himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• Paulὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• PaulΠαῦλοςPaulos · PaulG3972
• stoodἵστημιhistēmi · to standG2476
• onἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
• the stairsἀναβαθμόςanabathmos · stairsG304
• and beckonedκατασείωkataseiō · to signalG2678
• with the handχείρcheir · handG5495
• unto the peopleλαόςlaos · a peopleG2992
• when there was madeγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
• a greatπολύςpolus polos · muchG4183
• silenceσιγήsigē · silenceG4602
• he spake untoπροσφωνέωprosphōneō · to call to/summonG4377
• in the HebrewἙβραΐςHebrais · HebrewG1446
• tongueδιάλεκτοςdialektos · languageG1258
• sayingλέγωlegō · to sayG3004

Cross-references for Acts 21:40

• Acts 21:35As Paul reached the stairs, the mob grew so violent the soldiers had to lift him to their shoulders to protect him.
• 2 Kings 9:13Then they quickly spread out their cloaks on the bare steps and blew the ram’s horn, shouting, “Jehu is king!”
• Acts 12:17He motioned for them to quiet down and told them how the Lord had led him out of prison. “Tell James and the other brothers what happened,” he said. And then he went to another place.
• Acts 13:16So Paul stood, lifted his hand to quiet them, and started speaking. “Men of Israel,” he said, “and you God-fearing Gentiles, listen to me.
• Acts 19:33The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander forward and told him to explain the situation. He motioned for silence and tried to speak.
• Acts 22:2When they heard him speaking in their own language, the silence was even greater.
• 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.
• Acts 26:14We all fell down, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is useless for you to fight against my will.’
• Luke 23:38A sign was fastened above him with these words: “This is the King of the Jews.”
• John 5:2Inside the city, near the Sheep Gate, was the pool of Bethesda, with five covered porches.
• John 19:13When they said this, Pilate brought Jesus out to them again. Then Pilate sat down on the judgment seat on the platform that is called the Stone Pavement (in Hebrew, Gabbatha).
• Revelation 9:11Their king is the angel from the bottomless pit; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon—the Destroyer.
• Revelation 16:16And the demonic spirits gathered all the rulers and their armies to a place with the Hebrew name Armageddon.

Commentaries on Acts 21:40

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 40Paul stood on the stairs - Where he was out of the reach of the mob, and was surrounded by the Roman soldiers. Beckoned with the hand - Waving the hand, which was the sign that he was about to address the people. So Virgil says of Turnus, when he wished, by single combat between himself and Aeneas, to put an end to the war: - Significatque manu, et magno simul incipit ore: Parcite jam, Rutuli; et vos tela inhibete, Latini. He beckoned with his hand, and…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 40Licence - Liberty; permission. On the stairs - See the notes on Acts 21:35. Beckoned with the hand - Waving the hand as a sign that he was about to address them, and to produce silence and attention. See Acts 12:17. In the Hebrew tongue - The language which was spoken by the Jews, which was then a mixture of the Chaldee and Syriac, called Syro-Chaldaic. This language he doubtless used on this occasion in preference to the Greek, because it was understood…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 21:40

• Claudius Lysius
• Hebrew
• Minister, Christian
• Paul
• Prisoners

In the dictionaries

• Paul
• Paul, Saul
• Appeal
• Claudius
• Discover
• James
• John
• Ready
• Unlade
• Acts of the Apostles

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