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Acts 20:10

in Acts 20

But Paul went down, threw himself on the young man, and embraced him. “Do not be alarmed!” he said. “He is still alive!”

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Make ye no ado; for his life is in him.

KJV

And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him.

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This verse in Acts 20

Commentary

9 notes on this verse

A commentator

Theophylact of Ohrid

Commentary on Acts · Written before 1107.

He did not say "he will rise, for I will raise him," but rather "his life is in him." Note his humility and his desire to comfort.

This site's exposition

Do not be alarmed!

on Acts 20:10-12

Paul threw himself on the young man and embraced him, as Elijah and Elisha had done over the children they raised. In verse 12 the people take the boy home alive, greatly relieved. Paul then broke bread and spoke until daybreak.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers1 voice

A commentator

John Chrysostom

Homily on Acts 43 · Written before 407.

proposed

"And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him, said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him." He said not, "He shall come to life again, for I will raise him up:" but mark the unassuming way in which he comforts them: "for his life," says he, "is in him."

The Medieval Church1 voice

A commentator

Bede

Commentary on Acts · Written before 735.

proposed

Upon whom when Paul had descended, he laid upon him. That he descended, laid upon him, embraced him, this is what he himself says: My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you. Indeed, more laborious is the …

The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)

Paul fell or him - It is observable, our Lord never used this gesture. But Elijah and Elisha did as well as Paul. His life is in him - He is alive again.

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

21 ), and Elisha ( 2 Kings iv. 34 ), in order to the raising of him to life again; not that this could as a means contribute any thing to it, but as a sign it represented the descent of that divine power upon the dead body, for the putting of life into it again, which at the same time he inwardly, earnestly, and in faith prayed for.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-citation-number+unbalanced-parens

And Paul went down,....
2 more voices on this verse

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

And Paul - fell on him - Επεπεσεν αυτῳ, Stretched himself upon him, in the same manner as Elisha did on the Shunammite’s son, 2Ki 4:33-35; though the action of lying on him, in order to communicate warmth to the flesh, might not have been continued so long as in the above instance; nor indeed was it necessary, as the natural warmth had not yet left the body of Eutychus; but the son of the Shunammite had been some time dead.
And fell on him ... - Probably stretching himself on him as Elisha did on the Shunammite’s son, 2Ki 4:33-35. It was an act of tenderness and compassion, evincing a strong desire to restore him to life. Trouble not yourselves - They would doubtless be thrown into great consternation by such an event. Paul therefore endeavoured to compose their minds by the assurance that he would live. For his life is in him - He is restored to life. This has all the appearance of having been a miracle. Life was restored to him as Paul spoke.

The words behind it

18 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

9 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.

Matthew 9:24“Go away,” He told them. “The girl is not dead, but asleep.” And they laughed at Him.7 works1 Kings 17:21Then he stretched himself out over the child three times and cried out to the LORD, “O LORD my God, please let this boy’s life return to him!”6 worksMark 5:39He went inside and asked, “Why all this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead, but asleep.”6 worksJohn 11:40Jesus replied, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”4 works2 Kings 4:34Then Elisha got on the bed and lay on the boy, mouth to mouth, eye to eye, and hand to hand. As he stretched himself out over him, the boy’s body became warm.4 worksMatthew 9:23–24When Jesus entered the house of the synagogue leader, He saw the flute players and the noisy crowd.3 works
The other 3 cross-references, with their words ▾
John 11:11After He had said this, He told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to wake him up.”3 worksLuke 7:13When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said, “Do not weep.”2 worksActs 20:1When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples. And after encouraging them, he said goodbye to them and left for Macedonia.2 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

    John 11:40

    Jesus replied, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”

    it leads to

    • John 11:4

      When Jesus heard this, He said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

    • John 11:23–26

      “Your brother will rise again,” Jesus told her.

    • Romans 4:17–25

      As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the presence of God, in whom he believed, the God who gives life to the dead…

    • Psalms 63:2

      So I have seen You in the sanctuary and beheld Your power and glory.

    • John 1:14

      The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

  • Through

    John 11:11

    After He had said this, He told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to wake him up.”

    it leads to

    • Daniel 12:2

      And many who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to everlasting life, but others to shame and everlasting contempt.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

  • Through

    Luke 7:13

    When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said, “Do not weep.”

    it leads to

    • Isaiah 63:9

      In all their distress, He too was afflicted, and the Angel of His Presence saved them. In His love and compassion He redeemed them; He lifted them up and carried them all the days…

    • Psalms 103:13

      As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.

Where this verse is studied

About Acts

The Pentecost, El Greco, about 1600, Museo del Prado. Public domain.
The Pentecost, El Greco, about 1600, Museo del Prado. Public domain.
Acts: the study guide →Read Acts 20 →
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); Bede, Commentary on Acts; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 43; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; 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 Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.

Read on in Acts 20 →