Tree of Life Version
Acts 21:39
39Paul said, “I am a Jewish man from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no insignificant city. I beg you, let me speak to the people.”
Acts 21:39 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)But Paul said, I am a man which am a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city: and, I beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the people.
- New International Version (NIV)Paul answered, “I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city. Please let me speak to the people.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)Paul replied, "I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no obscure city. I beg you, permit me to speak to the people."
- New King James Version (NKJV)But Paul said, “I am a Jew from Tarsus, in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city; and I implore you, permit me to speak to the people.”
Context of Acts 21:39
37As Paul was about to be brought into the headquarters, he said to the commander, “Can I say something to you?” The commander said, “You know Greek? 38Then you’re not the Egyptian who stirred up a rebellion some time ago—and led four thousand men of the Assassins out into the desert?” Paul said, “I am a Jewish man from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no insignificant city. I beg you, let me speak to the people.” 40When the commander had given him permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the people with his hand. When there was a great hush, he spoke to them in Aramaic, saying:
Read all of Acts 21Acts 21:39 word by word
Εἶπεν δὲ ὁ Παῦλος· ἐγὼ ἄνθρωπος μέν εἰμι Ἰουδαῖος Ταρσεὺς τῆς Κιλικίας οὐκ ἀσήμου πόλεως πολίτης, δέομαι δέ σου· ἐπίτρεψόν μοι λαλῆσαι πρὸς τὸν λαόν.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Butδέde · thenG1161
- Paulὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- PaulΠαῦλοςPaulos · PaulG3972
- saidλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- Iἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- amεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- a manἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
- ·μένmen · on the other handG3303
- a JewἸουδαῖοςIoudaios · JewG2453
- of TarsusΤαρσεύςTarseus · of TarsusG5018
- in CiliciaΚιλικία, ΚιλικίαKilikia · CiliciaG2791
- a citizenπολίτηςpolitēs · citizenG4177
- ofἄσημοςasēmos · insignificantG767
- noοὐou · noG3756
- cityπόλιςpolis · cityG4172
- I beseechδέομαιdeomai · to prayG1189
- theeσύsu · youG4771
- sufferἐπιτρέπωepitrepō · to permitG2010
- to speakλαλέωlaleō · to speakG2980
- untoπρόςpros · to/withG4314
- the peopleλαόςlaos · a peopleG2992
Cross-references for Acts 21:39
- Acts 9:11The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street named Straight, and ask in the house of Judah for someone from Tarsus named Saul. For look, he is praying;
- Acts 22:3“I am a Jewish man, born in Tarsus of Cilicia but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, trained strictly according to the Torah of our fathers, being zealous for God just as all of you are today.
- Acts 23:34Upon reading the letter, the governor asked what province he was from. When he learned that Paul was from Cilicia,
- Acts 6:9But some men from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen—both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, as well as some from Cilicia and Asia—stood up and began arguing with Stephen.
- Acts 15:23and this letter along with them: “The emissaries and the elders, your brothers, To the Gentile brothers of Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Greetings!
- Acts 16:37But Paul said to the officers, “They have beaten us publicly without a trial—men who are Roman citizens—and have thrown us into prison. And now they are sending us away secretly? No! Let them come themselves and lead us out!”
- Acts 22:25But when they stretched him out with straps, Paul said to the centurion standing there, “Is it legal for you to scourge a man who is a Roman citizen without due process?”
- Acts 23:27This man was seized by the Judean leaders and was about to be killed by them, when I came on the scene with the soldiers and rescued him, having learned that he is a Roman citizen.
- Acts 21:37As Paul was about to be brought into the headquarters, he said to the commander, “Can I say something to you?” The commander said, “You know Greek?
- 1 Peter 3:15Instead sanctify Messiah as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you,
- 1 Peter 4:15For let none of you suffer as a murderer or thief or evildoer or as a troublemaker.
Commentaries on Acts 21:39
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 39I am a man which am a Jew - A periphrasis for, I am a Jew. See the note on Acts 7:2. Of Tarsus - no mean city - In the notes on Acts 9:11, I have shown that Tarsus was a city of considerable importance, and in some measure a rival to Rome and Athens; and that, because of the services tendered to the Romans by the inhabitants, Julius Caesar endowed them with all the rights and privileges of Roman citizens. When St. Paul calls it no mean city, he speaks a…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 39A Jew of Tarsus - A Jew by birth. Of no mean city - Not obscure, or undistinguished. He could claim an honorable birth, so far as the place of his nativity was concerned. See the notes on Acts 9:11. Tarsus was much celebrated for its learning, and was at one time the rival of Alexandria and Athens. Xenophon calls it a great and flourishing city. Josephus (Antiq., book 2, chapter 6, section 6) says that it was the metropolis, and most renowned city among…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 21:39
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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