Acts 19:21
in Acts 19After these things had happened, Paul resolved in the Spirit to go to Jerusalem after he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia. “After I have been there,” he said, “I must see Rome as well.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Now after these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see Rome.
KJV
After these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see Rome.
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This verse in Acts 19
Commentary
13 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
After these things were ended - After the gospel was firmly established at Ephesus, so that his presence there was no longer necessary. Purposed in the spirit - Resolved in his mind. When he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia - In these places he had founded flourishing churches. It is probable that his main object in this visit was to take up a collection for the poor saints at Jerusalem. See the notes on Rom 15:25-26. To go to Jerusalem - To bear the contribution of the Gentile churches to the poor and oppressed Christians in Judea.
This site's exposition
Paul resolved in the Spirit
on Acts 19:21-23
Paul resolved in the Spirit to go to Jerusalem and then to see Rome, a plan fulfilled only in the last chapters, as a prisoner. The plan of Jerusalem and then Rome gives Acts its shape to its final verse.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
Afflictions cut us off from the sympathy we have for the present world, as appears in this, that we wish for death immediately, and cease to be loving of the body: which very thing is the greatest part of wisdom, to have no hankering, no ties to the present life. The soul which is afflicted does not wish to be concerned about many things: repose and stillness are all it desired, content for its part to have done with the things present, even though there be nothing else to follow.
A great good is affliction: and we learn this from our own children: for without affliction a boy would learn nothing useful. But we, more than they, need affliction. For if there, when the passions as yet are quiet, chastisement benefits them, how much more us, especially possessed as we are by so many! Nay, we behoove rather to have schoolmasters than they: since the faults of children cannot be great, but ours are exceeding great. Our schoolmaster is affliction. Let us then not draw it down willingly upon ourselves, but when it is come let us bear it bravely, being, as it is, always the cause of numberless good things; that so we may both obtain grace from God, and the good things which are laid up for them that love Him, in Christ Jesus our Lord.
He sends Timothy and Erastus into Macedonia, but himself remains at Ephesus. Having made a long enough stay in that city, he wishes to remove elsewhere again. But how is it, that having from the first chosen to depart into Syria, he turns back to Macedonia? "He purposed," it says, "in the Spirit," showing that all that he did was done not of his own power. Now he prophesies, saying, "I must also see Rome:" perhaps to comfort them with the consideration of his not remaining at a distance, but coming nearer to them again, and to arouse the minds of the disciples by the prophecy.
He no longer speaks here after the manner of a man, or, He purposed to pass through those regions, without tarrying longer. Wherefore does he send away Timothy and Erastus? Of this I suppose he says, "Wherefore when we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone. He sent away," it says, "two of those who ministered to him" both to announce his coming, and to make them more eager.
Seest thou how God permits trials, and by them stirs up and awakens the disciples, and makes them more energetic? Then let us not sink down under trials: for He Himself will "also make the way of escape, that we may be able to bear them." Nothing so makes friends, and rivets them so firmly, as affliction: nothing so fastens and compacts the souls of believers: nothing is so seasonable for us teachers in order that the things said by us may be heard. For the hearer when he is in ease is listless and indolent, and seems to suffer annoyance from the speaker: but when he is in affliction and distress, he falls into a great longing for the hearing. For when distressed in his soul, he seeks on all sides to find comfort for his affliction: and the preaching brings no small comfort.
6 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening5 voices
He has his eye upon Jerusalem, then upon Rome; afterward on Spain, Rom. xv, 28. No Caesar, no Alexander the Great, no other hero, comes up to the magnanimity of this little Benjamite. Faith and love to God and man had enlarged his heart, even as the sand of the sea.
He was a man of vast designs for God, and was for making his influences as widely diffusive as might be. Having spent above two years at Ephesus, (1.) He designed a visit to the churches of Macedonia and Achaia, especially of Philippi and Corinth, the chief cities of those provinces,
There he had planted churches, and now is concerned to visit them. He purposed in the spirit, either in his own spirit, not communicating his purpose as yet, but keeping it to himself; or by the direction of the Holy Spirit, who was his guide in all his motions, and by whom he was led.
), and what trouble at length he met with at Ephesus from the silversmiths, which forced him thence to pursue the measures he had laid; how a mob was raised by Demetrius to cry up Diana (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation
After these things were ended,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Paul purposed in the spirit, etc. - Previously to this he appears to have concerted a journey to Macedonia, and a visit to Corinth, the capital of Achaia, where he seems to have spent a considerable time, probably the whole winter of a.d. 58; see 1Co 16:5, 1Co 16:6; and afterwards to go to Jerusalem; but it is likely that he did not leave Ephesus till after pentecost, a.d. 59. (1Co 16:8) And he resolved, if possible, to see Rome, which had been the object of his wishes for a considerable time. See Rom 1:10, Rom 1:13; Rom 16:23. It is generally believed that, during this period, while at Ephesus, he wrote his first epistle to the Corinthians. He had heard that some strange disorders had entered into that Church: - 1. That there were divisions among them; some extolling Paul, beyond all others; some, Peter; others, Apollos. 2. He had learned from Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus, whom he saw at Ephesus, 1Co 16:17; 1Co 7:1, that several abuses had crept into their religious assemblies. 3. That even the Christians went to law with each other, and that before the heathens. And, 4. That a person professing Christianity in that city, had formed a matrimonial contract with his step-mother. It was to remedy those disorders that he wrote his first epistle to the Corinthians, in which he strongly reprehends all the above evils.
The words behind it
30 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ὡς | hos | After | G5613 → | 500 times |
| δὲ | de | now | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| ἐπληρώθη | eplerothe | were fulfilled | G4137 → | 86 times |
| ταῦτα, | tauta | these things, | G3778 → | 1381 times |
| ἔθετο | etheto | purposed | G5087 → | 100 times |
| ὁ | ho | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Παῦλος | paulos | Paul | G3972 → | 158 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| τῷ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πνεύματι | pneumati | Spirit | G4151 → | 378 times |
| διελθὼν | dielthon | having passed through | G1330 → | 43 times |
| τὴν | ten | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Μακεδονίαν | makedonian | Macedonia | G3109 → | 22 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| Ἀχαΐαν | achaian | Achaia | G882 → | 10 times |
| πορεύεσθαι | poreuesthai | to go | G4198 → | 147 times |
| εἰς | eis | to | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| Ἱεροσόλυμα | hi'erosoluma | Jerusalem | G2414 → | 62 times |
| εἰπὼν | eipon | having said | G2036 → | 925 times |
| ὅτι | hoti | that | G3754 → | 1292 times |
| μετὰ | meta | After | G3326 → | 461 times |
| τὸ | to | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γενέσθαι | genesthai | being | G1096 → | 667 times |
| με | me | me | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| ἐκεῖ, | ekei | there, | G1563 → | 105 times |
| δεῖ | dei | it behooves | G1163 → | 101 times |
| με | me | me | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| καὶ | kai | also | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| Ῥώμην | rhomen | Rome | G4516 → | 8 times |
| ἰδεῖν. | idein | to see. | G1492 → | 374 times |
ὩςAfter
hosG5613 →500 times
δὲnow
deG1161 →2765 times
ἐπληρώθηwere fulfilled
eplerotheG4137 →86 times
ταῦτα,these things,
tautaG3778 →1381 times
ἔθετοpurposed
ethetoG5087 →100 times
ὁ<the>
hoG3588 →19766 times
ΠαῦλοςPaul
paulosG3972 →158 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
τῷthe
toG3588 →19766 times
πνεύματιSpirit
pneumatiG4151 →378 times
διελθὼνhaving passed through
dielthonG1330 →43 times
τὴν<the>
tenG3588 →19766 times
ΜακεδονίανMacedonia
makedonianG3109 →22 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἈχαΐανAchaia
achaianG882 →10 times
πορεύεσθαιto go
poreuesthaiG4198 →147 times
εἰςto
eisG1519 →1755 times
ἹεροσόλυμαJerusalem
hi'erosolumaG2414 →62 times
εἰπὼνhaving said
eiponG2036 →925 times
ὅτιthat
hotiG3754 →1292 times
μετὰAfter
metaG3326 →461 times
τὸ<the>
toG3588 →19766 times
γενέσθαιbeing
genesthaiG1096 →667 times
μεme
meG3165 →1936 times
ἐκεῖ,there,
ekeiG1563 →105 times
δεῖit behooves
deiG1163 →101 times
μεme
meG3165 →1936 times
καὶalso
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ῬώμηνRome
rhomenG4516 →8 times
ἰδεῖν.to see.
ideinG1492 →374 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
Acts 23:11The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about Me in Jerusalem, so also you must testify in Rome.”
it leads to
- Acts 18:9
One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking; do not be silent.
- 2 Timothy 4:17
But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message would be fully proclaimed, and all the Gentiles would hear it. So I was delivered from the mouth of…
- Matthew 14:27
But Jesus spoke up at once: “Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.”
- Jeremiah 15:19–21
Therefore this is what the LORD says: “If you return, I will restore you; you will stand in My presence. And if you speak words that are noble instead of worthless, you will be…
- Matthew 9:2
Just then some men brought to Him a paralytic lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.”
- Acts 18:9
Through
Acts 18:21But as he left, he said, “I will come back to you if God is willing.” And he set sail from Ephesus.
it leads to
- Acts 20:16
Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, because he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Acts 20:16
Through
Acts 20:16Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, because he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 16:8
But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost,
- 1 Corinthians 16:8
Through
Acts 20:22And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there.
it leads to
- James 4:14
You do not even know what will happen tomorrow! What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
- James 4:14
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Acts
Who and where
2 names 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 Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 42; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and William Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveller and the Roman Citizen.