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Acts 13:13

in Acts 13

After setting sail from Paphos, Paul and his companions came to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them to return to Jerusalem.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

Now Paul and his company set sail from Paphos, and came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John departed from them and returned to Jerusalem.

KJV

Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem.

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This verse in Acts 13

Commentary

12 notes on this verse

A commentator

Theophylact of Ohrid

Commentary on Acts · Written before 1107.

John, called Mark, accompanied them in their evangelical journey from Palestine to Perga of Pamphylia. Then, when the apostles hastened their journey and with a firm, unyielding spirit began to arm themselves for labors, Mark, being a weak man who did not dare to undertake …

This site's exposition

loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga

Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: Luke's own phrasing has quietly shifted from Barnabas and Saul to Paul and his company, marking the leadership Paul will carry for the rest of the book. John, departing from them, returned to Jerusalem, leaving the mission partway through for a reason Luke does not give here, though Paul's own later refusal to travel with him again in 15:38 calls it a departure rather than a release. The bench offers various explanations, homesickness, disagreement over the mission's Gentile direction, or the harder travel of the Anatolian interior, without the text settling which.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers5 voices

A commentator

Cassiodorus

Complexiones on the Acts of the Apostles · Written before 585.

proposed

"Now when Paul and they that were with him had sailed from Paphos," etc. When Paul and Barnabas had sailed from Paphos with the rest who had come with them, they came to Perge in Pamphilia, and passed through it. John, departing from them at …
There is, besides, another John mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles, with the surname Mark, whom Barnabas and Paul attached to themselves as companion, and of whom again it is said: "And they had also John to their minister." But whether this is the …

A commentator

John Chrysostom

Homily on Acts 28 · Written in the 5th century.

proposed

And (Paul) said not to the sorcerer, "Wilt thou not cease to pervert" the proconsul? What may be the reason of John's going back from them? For "John," it says, "departing from them returned to Jerusalem": (he does it) because they are undertaking a still longer journey: and yet he was their attendant, and as for the danger, they incurred it (not he).-Again, when they were come to Perga, they hastily passed by the other cities, for they were in haste to the metropolis, Antioch.

A commentator

John Chrysostom

Homily on Acts 28 · Written in the 5th century.

proposed

"Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia; and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem." And here again they entered the synagogues, in the character of Jews, that they might not be treated as enemies, and be driven away: and in this way they carried the whole matter successfully.

A commentator

Oecumenius

Commentary on Acts · Written before 550.

proposed

"John, having withdrawn." This is John, also called Mark, the cousin of Barnabas, who also wrote the Gospel according to Mark and was a disciple of Peter the chief, of whom he says in the Epistle: "Mark my son greets you." (1 Peter 5:13) Therefore …
5 more voices on this verse

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos,....

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

The heads of a sermon which Paul preached to the Jews at Antioch in Pisidia, in their synagogue, which is given us as a specimen of what they usually preached to the Jews, and the method they took with them,

The Nineteenth Century3 voices

Paul and his company - Those with him - Barnabas and John - and perhaps others who had been converted at Paphos; for it was common for many of the converts to Christianity to attend on the apostles in their travels. See Act 9:3 O. Loosed from Paphos - Departed from Paphos. See the notes on Act 13:6. They came to Perga in Pamphylia - Pamphylia was a province of Asia Minor, lying over against Cyprus, having Cilicia east, Lycia west, Pisidia north, and the Mediterranean south.

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

they came to Perga in Pamphylia--The distance from Paphos to Attalia, on the Gulf of Pamphylia (see on Ac 14:25), sailing in a northwest direction, is not much greater than from Seleucia to Salamis on the east.

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A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

Paul and his company loosed from Paphos - They sailed away from this island, leaving, it may be presumed, Elymas a sincere and deeply humbled penitent; and Sergius Paul, a thorough and happy believer in the doctrine of Christ. Previously to this time, St. Luke always mentions Barnabas before Paul; but after this he mentions Paul always first; probably after seeing how God had distinguished him in the late proceedings at Cyprus; as much of the Holy Spirit now rested upon him. They came to Perga in Pamphylia - As Perga was not a maritime town, it is conjectured that the apostles sailed up the river Cestrus, in order to come to this place, which, according to Strabo, was situated about sixty leagues up this river, and near to which was a famous temple dedicated to Diana. For Pamphylia, see Act 2:10. And John departing from them - Why John Mark left his brethren at this place we are not informed; probably he went to visit his pious mother Mary at Jerusalem, and to see Peter, to whom he is supposed to have been much attached. It certainly was not with the approbation of Paul that he left them at this place, as we learn from Act 15:38; yet his departure does not seem to have merited the displeasure of Barnabas; for John Mark having met these apostles at Antioch, when Paul purposed to revisit the various places where they had planted the word of God, Barnabas was willing to take him with them; but Paul would not consent, because he had departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work, Act 15:35-39, and this occasioned a separation between Barnabas and Paul. It does not appear that John Mark was under any obligation to accompany them any longer or any farther than he pleased. […]

The words behind it

21 Greek words

Every Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

14 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Acts 15:38But Paul thought it best not to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not accompanied them in the work.13 worksActs 12:12And when he had realized this, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered together and were praying.4 worksActs 27:5And when we had sailed across the open sea off the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia.3 worksActs 14:24–25After passing through Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia.3 worksActs 13:5–6When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. And John was with them as their helper.3 worksActs 2:10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome,3 works
The other 8 cross-references, with their words ▾
2 Timothy 4:11Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is useful to me in the ministry.2 worksActs 27:13When a gentle south wind began to blow, they thought they had their opportunity. So they weighed anchor and sailed along, hugging the coast of Crete.2 worksColossians 4:10My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you greetings, as does Mark the cousin of Barnabas. You have already received instructions about him: If he comes to you, welcome him.2 worksPhilemon 1:24as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.2 worksActs 15:37Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark.2 worksPhilippians 2:21For all the others look after their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.1 worksDaniel 11:35Some of the wise will fall, so that they may be refined, purified, and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time.1 works2 Timothy 4:10because Demas, in his love of this world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia.1 works

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Acts 2:10

    Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome,

    it leads to

    • Acts 15:38

      But Paul thought it best not to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not accompanied them in the work.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Zechariah 8:23

      This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue will tightly grasp the robe of a Jew, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for…

    • Acts 16:6

      After the Holy Spirit had prevented them from speaking the word in the province of Asia, they traveled through the region of Phrygia and Galatia.

    • Acts 13:43

      After the synagogue was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke to them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.

    • Acts 18:23

      After Paul had spent some time in Antioch, he traveled from place to place throughout the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.

  • Through

    Acts 27:5

    And when we had sailed across the open sea off the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia.

    it leads to

    • Acts 6:9

      But resistance arose from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and men from the provinces of Cilicia and Asia. They began to argue with Stephen,

    • Acts 15:41

      And he traveled through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

  • Through

    Acts 15:38

    But Paul thought it best not to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not accompanied them in the work.

    it leads to

    • Psalms 78:9

      The archers of Ephraim turned back on the day of battle.

Where this verse is studied

About Acts

The Ascension, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
The Ascension, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Acts: the study guide →Read Acts 13 →
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Cassiodorus, Complexiones on the Acts of the Apostles; Dionysius of Alexandria, Containing Various Sections of the Works, On the Authorship of Revelation; J. A. Alexander, The Acts of the Apostles Explained; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 28; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on Acts and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.

Read on in Acts 13 →