Acts 17:10
in Acts 17As soon as night had fallen, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went into the Jewish synagogue.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Beroea: who when they were come thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.
KJV
And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.
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This verse in Acts 17
Commentary
7 notes on this verseAnd the brethren,.... The believers in Thessalonica, the young converts there, who were full of love and affection to their spiritual fathers: immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea; another city in Macedonia: and so it is placed by Pliny (l) in the north part of it; and, according to Ptolomy (m) it was, in that part of Macedonia called Emathia, and was not far from Pella, the native place of Alexander the great.
This site's exposition
sent away Paul and Silas by night
on Acts 17:10-12
The brethren send Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and the Bereans searched the scriptures daily to test what they heard, more noble than those in Thessalonica in Luke's own verdict on their manner of receiving the word. Their nobility is not credulity but its opposite, readiness of mind joined to the discipline of checking the preacher against the text itself. Many of them believe, honourable Greek women and men not a few, the same mixed harvest of Jew and God-fearing Gentile the mission has gathered everywhere. The bench across the centuries commends Berea as the model hearer, testing every sermon, including its own, against scripture.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
"And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews." See how the persecutions in every case extend the preaching.
"And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble," it says, "than they of Thessalonica: more noble," i.e. more gentle in their behavior: "in that they received the word with all readiness," and this not inconsiderately, but with a strictness wherein was no passion, "searching the Scriptures whether these things were so." ... "Now these," it says, "were more noble than those in Thessalonica:" i.e. they were not men practising base things, but some were convinced, and the others who were not, did nothing of that sort. "Daily," it says, "searching the Scriptures whether these things were so:" not merely upon a sudden impetus or burst of zeal. "More noble," it says: i.e. in point of virtue.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Thus out of the eater came forth meat, and the devil was outshot in his own bow; he thought by persecuting the apostles to stop the progress of the gospel, but it was so overruled as to be made to further it. The care that the brethren took of Paul and Silas, when they perceived how the plot was laid against them: They immediately sent them away by night, incognito, to Berea.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
Sent away Paul and Silas by night - Fearing some farther machinations of the Jews and their associates. Berea - This was another city of Macedonia, on the same gulf with Thessalonica; and not far from Pella, the birth place of Alexander the Great.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas - Compare Act 9:25. They did this for their safety. Yet this was not done until the gospel had taken deep root in Thessalonica. Having preached there, and laid the foundation of a church; having thus accomplished the purpose for which they went there, they prepared to leave the city. Unto Berea - This was a city of Macedonia, near Mount Cithanes. “Bercea is on the eastern slope of the Olympian range, and commands an extensive view of the plain which is watered by the Haliacmon and Axius. It has many natural advantages, and is now considered one of the most agreeable towns in Rumili. Plane trees spread a grateful shade over its gardens. Streams of water are in every street. Its ancient name is said to have been derived from the abundance of its waters; and the name still survives in the modern Verria, or Kara-Verria. It is situated o the left of the Haliacmon, about 5 miles from the point where that river breaks through an immense rocky ravine from the mountains to the plain. A few insignificant ruins of the Greek and Roman periods may yet be noticed. It still boasts of 18,000 or 20,000 inhabitants, and is placed in the second rank of the cities of European Turkey” - Life and Epistles of Paul.
The words behind it
23 Greek wordsEvery 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.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Οἱ | hoi | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δὲ | de | And | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| ἀδελφοὶ | adelphoi | the brothers | G80 → | 343 times |
| εὐθέως | eutheos | immediately | G2112 → | 87 times |
| διὰ | dia | through | G1223 → | 664 times |
| νυκτὸς | nuktos | night | G3571 → | 61 times |
| ἐξέπεμψαν | exepempsan | sent away | G1599 → | |
| τόν | ton | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| τε | te | both | G5037 → | 213 times |
| Παῦλον | paulon | Paul | G3972 → | 158 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| τὸν | ton | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Σιλᾶν | silan | Silas | G4609 → | 12 times |
| εἰς | eis | to | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| Βέροιαν, | beroian | Berea, | G960 → | |
| οἵτινες | oitines | who | G3748 → | 144 times |
| παραγενόμενοι | paragenomenoi | having arrived | G3854 → | 36 times |
| εἰς | eis | into | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| τὴν | ten | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| συναγωγὴν | sunagogen | synagogue | G4864 → | 56 times |
| τῶν | ton | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Ἰουδαίων | ioudaion | Jews | G2453 → | 192 times |
| ἀπῄεσαν. | apeesan | were going. | G549 → |
Οἱ<the>
hoiG3588 →19766 times
δὲAnd
deG1161 →2765 times
ἀδελφοὶthe brothers
adelphoiG80 →343 times
εὐθέωςimmediately
eutheosG2112 →87 times
διὰthrough
diaG1223 →664 times
νυκτὸςnight
nuktosG3571 →61 times
ἐξέπεμψανsent away
exepempsanG1599 →
τόν<the>
tonG3588 →19766 times
τεboth
teG5037 →213 times
ΠαῦλονPaul
paulonG3972 →158 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
τὸν<the>
tonG3588 →19766 times
ΣιλᾶνSilas
silanG4609 →12 times
εἰςto
eisG1519 →1755 times
Βέροιαν,Berea,
beroianG960 →
οἵτινεςwho
oitinesG3748 →144 times
παραγενόμενοιhaving arrived
paragenomenoiG3854 →36 times
εἰςinto
eisG1519 →1755 times
τὴνthe
tenG3588 →19766 times
συναγωγὴνsynagogue
sunagogenG4864 →56 times
τῶνof the
tonG3588 →19766 times
ἸουδαίωνJews
ioudaionG2453 →192 times
ἀπῄεσαν.were going.
apeesanG549 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach 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 20:4Paul was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia.
it leads to
- Acts 19:29
Soon the whole city was in disarray. They rushed together into the theatre, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia.
- 2 Timothy 4:20
Erastus has remained at Corinth, and Trophimus I left sick in Miletus.
- Ephesians 6:21
Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know about me and what I am doing.
- 2 Timothy 4:12
Tychicus, however, I have sent to Ephesus.
- Acts 19:29
Through
1 Thessalonians 2:2As you are aware, we had already endured suffering and shameful treatment in Philippi. But in the face of strong opposition, we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of…
it leads to
- Acts 16:22–24
The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered that they be stripped and beaten with rods.
- Acts 4:13
When they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they marveled and took note that these men had been with Jesus.
- Acts 16:22–24
Through
Acts 9:25One night, however, his disciples took him and lowered him in a basket through a window in the wall.
it leads to
- Joshua 2:15
Then Rahab let them down by a rope through the window, since the house where she lived was built into the wall of the city.
- 2 Corinthians 11:33
But I was lowered in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his grasp.
- Joshua 2:15
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies3
On this verse
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About Acts

Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); John Calvin, Commentary upon the Acts of the Apostles; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 37; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
