Acts 17:14
in Acts 17The brothers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy remained in Berea.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And then immediately the brethren sent forth Paul to go as far as to the sea: and Silas and Timothy abode there still.
KJV
And then immediately the brethren sent away Paul to go as it were to the sea: but Silas and Timotheus abode there still.
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This verse in Acts 17
Commentary
10 notes on this verse"Then the brethren immediately sent Paul away… to Athens." The apostles avoided dangers not out of fear, but by divine inspiration, because in this instance, for example, they had already ceased preaching and were no longer provoking their enemies. From the fact that Paul withdrew, …
This site's exposition
stirred up the people
on Acts 17:13-15
The Thessalonian opposition follows Paul to Berea and stirs up the people there as well, the same hostility crossing the sixty miles between the cities. The brethren send Paul away toward the coast while Silas and Timotheus remain, a pattern of the team dividing and regathering that will recur through the mission. Those who conduct Paul bring him as far as Athens and carry back a commandment for Silas and Timotheus to come with all speed. The bench notes how much of the mission's shape is owed to nameless brethren doing the unglamorous work of guiding, guarding, and relaying a fugitive apostle from city to city.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
"And then immediately the brethren sent away Paul to go as it were to the sea: but Silas and Timotheus abode there still." See how he at one time gives way, at another presses on, and in many things takes his measures upon human considerations.
Why did he not stay? For if at Lystra, where he was stoned, he nevertheless stayed a long time, much more here. Why? The Lord did not wish them to be always doing signs; for this is itself a sign, not less than the working of signs - that being persecuted, they overcame without signs. So that just as now He prevails without signs, so was it on many occasions His will to prevail then. Consequently neither did the Apostles run after signs: as in fact he says himself, "We preach Christ crucified" (1 Cor. i. 23) - to them that crave signs, to them that crave wisdom, we give that which cannot even after signs persuade, and yet we do persuade! So that this was a mighty sign. See then, how when the preaching is extended, they are not in a hurry to run after signs.
"And immediately," it says, "the brethren sent away Paul." Here now they send Paul alone: for it was for him they feared, lest he should suffer some harm, the head and front of all being in fact none other than he. "They sent him away," it says, "as it were to the sea:" that it might not be easy for them to seize him. For at present they could not have done much by themselves; and with him they accomplished and achieved many things. For the present, it says, they wished to rescue him.
By a certain arrangement the Apostle fled here, not seized by fear, but both wishing to increase his preaching and to extinguish the madness by which they were afflicted.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And then immediately the brethren,....
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
To go as it were to the sea - This passage is generally understood to mean that the disciples took Paul towards the sea, as if he had intended to embark, and return to Troas, but with the real design to go to Athens. But it is more likely that his conductors, in order to his greater safety, left the public or more frequented road, and took him coastwise to Athens.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Accordingly, it was only on arriving at Athens, that the convoy of Berean brethren, who had gone thus far with him, were sent back to bid Silas and Timothy follow him thither. Silas and Timotheus abode there still--"to build it up in its holy faith, to be a comfort and support in its trials and persecutions, and to give it such organization as might be necessary" [HOWSON].
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The brethren - Those who were Christians. Sent away Paul - In order to secure his safety. A similar thing had been done in Thessalonica, Act 17:10. The tumult was great; and there was no doubt, such was the hostility of the Jews, that the life of Paul would be endangered, and they there fore resolved to secure his safety. As it were - Rather, “even to the sea,” for that is its signification. It does not imply that there was any feint or sleight in the case, as if they intended to deceive their pursuers. They took him to the seacoast, not far from Berea, and from that place he probably went by sea to Athens.
The words behind it
22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| εὐθέως | eutheos | Immediately | G2112 → | 87 times |
| δὲ | de | also | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| τότε | tote | then | G5119 → | 160 times |
| τὸν | ton | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Παῦλον | paulon | Paul | G3972 → | 158 times |
| ἐξαπέστειλαν | exapesteilan | sent away | G1821 → | 12 times |
| οἱ | hoi | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀδελφοὶ | adelphoi | brothers | G80 → | 343 times |
| πορεύεσθαι | poreuesthai | to go | G4198 → | 147 times |
| ἕως | he'os | until | G2193 → | 146 times |
| ἐπὶ | epi | to | G1909 → | 883 times |
| τὴν | ten | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θάλασσαν· | thalassan | sea; | G2281 → | 90 times |
| ὑπέμεινάν | hupemeinan | remained | G5278 → | |
| τε | te | but | G5037 → | 213 times |
| ὅ | ho | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| τε | te | both | G5037 → | 213 times |
| Σιλᾶς | silas | Silas | G4609 → | 12 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ὁ | ho | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Τιμόθεος | timotheos | Timothy | G5095 → | 24 times |
| ἐκεῖ. | ekei | there. | G1563 → | 105 times |
εὐθέωςImmediately
eutheosG2112 →87 times
δὲalso
deG1161 →2765 times
τότεthen
toteG5119 →160 times
τὸν<the>
tonG3588 →19766 times
ΠαῦλονPaul
paulonG3972 →158 times
ἐξαπέστειλανsent away
exapesteilanG1821 →12 times
οἱthe
hoiG3588 →19766 times
ἀδελφοὶbrothers
adelphoiG80 →343 times
πορεύεσθαιto go
poreuesthaiG4198 →147 times
ἕωςuntil
he'osG2193 →146 times
ἐπὶto
epiG1909 →883 times
τὴνthe
tenG3588 →19766 times
θάλασσαν·sea;
thalassanG2281 →90 times
ὑπέμεινάνremained
hupemeinanG5278 →
τεbut
teG5037 →213 times
ὅ<the>
hoG3588 →19766 times
τεboth
teG5037 →213 times
ΣιλᾶςSilas
silasG4609 →12 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ὁ<the>
hoG3588 →19766 times
ΤιμόθεοςTimothy
timotheosG5095 →24 times
ἐκεῖ.there.
ekeiG1563 →105 times
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
Matthew 10:23When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next. Truly I tell you, you will not reach all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
it leads to
- Matthew 16:28
Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”
- Matthew 16:28
Through
Acts 16:1Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where he found a disciple named Timothy, the son of a believing Jewish woman and a Greek father.
it leads to
- 2 Timothy 1:5
I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am convinced is in you as well.
- 2 Timothy 1:2
To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
- 1 Timothy 1:2
To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
- 1 Corinthians 4:17
That is why I have sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which is exactly what I teach…
- 1 Thessalonians 3:2
We sent Timothy, our brother and fellow worker for God in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith,
- 2 Timothy 1:5
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
- 2 Corinthians 11:33
But I was lowered in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his grasp.
- 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
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies3
On this verse
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About Acts

Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonNew TestamentSilasA leading man among the brethren, sent from Jerusalem to carry the Council's letter to Antioch, and then Paul's companion on the s…
- PersonNew TestamentTimothyThe young disciple from Lystra, son of a believing Jewish mother and a Greek father, who joined Paul on the second journey and bec…
This page draws on 9 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); 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 37; 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.
