Acts 19:31
in Acts 19Even some of Paul’s friends who were officials of the province of Asia sent word to him, begging him not to venture into the theatre.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And certain also of the Asiarchs, being his friends, sent unto him and besought him not to adventure himself into the theatre.
KJV
And certain of the chief of Asia, which were his friends, sent unto him, desiring him that he would not adventure himself into the theatre.
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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)
Certain of the chief of Asia - τῶν Ἀσιαρχῶν tōn Asiarchōn. Of the Asiarchs. These were persons who presided over sacred things and over the public games.
This site's exposition
the disciples would not allow him
on Acts 19:30-31
The disciples would not allow Paul to go before the assembly. Some of his friends who were officials of the province of Asia begged him not to venture into the theatre. These Asiarchs were men of wealth who oversaw the province's religious festivals.
This site's exposition
officials of the province of Asia
Luke's Greek calls these men Asiarchs, a title found on inscriptions of the province and in Strabo's Geography 14.1.42. Ramsay counted the word among Luke's exact local terms. Luke also calls them Paul's friends.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
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.
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.
A commentator
John ChrysostomCATENA ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 19.30-31 · Written before 407.
proposed
"They urged him not to hand himself over" to the disorderly mob and the violence in the theatre, and Paul was persuaded, since he was neither vainglorious nor ostentatious.… Knowing his eagerness, they begged him, since all these faithful loved him so much.
"And certain of the Asiarchs, which were his friends, sent unto him, desiring him that he would not adventure himself into the theatre" to a disorderly populace and tumult. And Paul complies, for he was not vainglorious, nor ambitious.
5 more voices on this verse
The Church Fathers1 voice
"And certain of the Asiarchs besought him that he would not enter into the theatre." Knowing his eagerness, they "besought him:" so much did all the believers love him.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And certain of the chief of Asia,.... Or the Asiarchs; these were not princes of Asia, rulers or governors of provinces, or cities, or civil magistrates; but priests who presided over the games and diversions at the theatre, and had the management and command of things there.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
It was an office of the highest honor and greatly coveted. Certain of these, it seems, were favorably inclined to the Gospel, at least were Paul's "friends," and knowing the passions of a mob, excited during the festivals, "sent (a message) to him desiring him not to adventure himself into the theater."
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
when Paul would have entered in--with noble forgetfulness of self. unto the people--the demos, that is, the people met in public assembly. the disciples suffered him not--The tense used implies only that they were using their efforts to restrain him; which might have been unavailing but for what follows.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
Certain of the chief of Asia - Τινες των Ασιαρχων; Some of the Asiarchs. The Asiarchs were those to whom the care and regulation of the public games were intrusted: they were a sort of high priests, and were always persons of considerable riches and influence. These could not have been Christians; but they were what the sacred text states them to have been, αυτῳ φιλοι, his friends; and foreseeing that Paul would be exposed to great danger if he went into the theater, amidst such a tumultuous assembly, they sent a message to him, entreating him not to go into danger so apparent. Query: Did he not go, and fight with these wild beasts at Ephesus? 1Co 15:32.
The words behind it
18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| τινὲς | tines | Some | G5100 → | 528 times |
| δὲ | de | then | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| καὶ | kai | also | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| τῶν | ton | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Ἀσιαρχῶν | asiarchon | Asiarchs | G775 → | |
| ὄντες | ontes | being | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| αὐτῷ | auto | to him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| φίλοι, | philoi | friends, | G5384 → | 27 times |
| πέμψαντες | pempsantes | having sent | G3992 → | 79 times |
| πρὸς | pros | to | G4314 → | 700 times |
| αὐτὸν | auton | him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| παρεκάλουν | parekaloun | they were urging [him] | G3870 → | 108 times |
| μὴ | me | not | G3361 → | 1066 times |
| δοῦναι | dounai | to venture | G1325 → | 412 times |
| ἑαυτὸν | he'auton | himself | G1438 → | 322 times |
| εἰς | eis | into | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| τὸ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θέατρον. | theatron | theatre. | G2302 → |
τινὲςSome
tinesG5100 →528 times
δὲthen
deG1161 →2765 times
καὶalso
kaiG2532 →9120 times
τῶνof the
tonG3588 →19766 times
ἈσιαρχῶνAsiarchs
asiarchonG775 →
ὄντεςbeing
ontesG1510 →2333 times
αὐτῷto him
autoG846 →5565 times
φίλοι,friends,
philoiG5384 →27 times
πέμψαντεςhaving sent
pempsantesG3992 →79 times
πρὸςto
prosG4314 →700 times
αὐτὸνhim
autonG846 →5565 times
παρεκάλουνthey were urging [him]
parekalounG3870 →108 times
μὴnot
meG3361 →1066 times
δοῦναιto venture
dounaiG1325 →412 times
ἑαυτὸνhimself
he'autonG1438 →322 times
εἰςinto
eisG1519 →1755 times
τὸthe
toG3588 →19766 times
θέατρον.theatre.
theatronG2302 →
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
Proverbs 16:7When a man’s ways please the LORD, He makes even the man’s enemies live at peace with him.
it leads to
- Romans 8:31
What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
- 1 John 3:22
and we will receive from Him whatever we ask, because we keep His commandments and do what is pleasing in His sight.
- 2 Chronicles 17:10
And the dread of the LORD fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that surrounded Judah, so that they did not make war against Jehoshaphat.
- Colossians 1:10
so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,
- Jeremiah 15:11
The LORD said: “Surely I will deliver you for a good purpose; surely I will intercede with your enemy in your time of trouble, in your time of distress.
- Romans 8:31
Through
Acts 19:10This continued for two years, so that everyone who lived in the province of Asia, Jews and Greeks alike, heard the word of the Lord.
it leads to
- Acts 20:31
Therefore be alert and remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.
- Acts 20:31
Through
Acts 16:6After the Holy Spirit had prevented them from speaking the word in the province of Asia, they traveled through the region of Phrygia and Galatia.
it leads to
- 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.
- Acts 16:7
And when they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not permit them.
- Acts 18:23
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Acts
This page draws on 10 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); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 42; John Chrysostom, CATENA ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 19.30-31; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Strabo, Geography 14.1.42; W. M. Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveller and the Roman Citizen and William Ramsay, The Church in the Roman Empire.