Acts 20:25
in Acts 20Now I know that none of you among whom I have preached the kingdom will see my face again.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, shall see my face no more.
KJV
And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more.
⋯
This verse in Acts 20
Commentary
8 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
I know that ye all - Perhaps this means simply, “I have no expectation of seeing you again; I have every reason to suppose that this is my final interview with you.” He expected to visit Ephesus no more. The journey to Jerusalem was dangerous. Trials and persecutions he knew awaited him. Besides, it is evident that he designed to turn his attention to other countries, and to visit Rome; and probably he had already formed the purpose of going into Spain. See Act 19:21; compare Rom 15:23-
This site's exposition
will see my face again
Paul tells the elders that none of them will see his face again. The pastoral letters suggest he did revisit Asia after his first Roman imprisonment, so the words state his settled expectation. He had preached the kingdom among them, the subject that opens and closes this book.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
He is about to say something more uncomfortable, namely, "I am pure from the blood of all men (because on my part) there is nothing lacking:" he is about to lay upon them the whole weight and burden: so he first mollifies their feelings by saying, "And now behold I know that ye shall see my face no more." The consolation is twofold: both that "my face ye shall see no more," for in heart I am with you: and that it was not they alone (who should see him no more): for, "ye shall see my face no more, ye all, among whom I have gone about preaching the Kingdom." So that he may well (say), "Wherefore I take you to record,-seeing I shall be with you no more-that I am pure from the blood of all men."
But that Paul taught with simplicity what he knew, not only to those who were [employed] with him, but to those that heard him, he does himself make manifest. For when the bishops and presbyters who came from Ephesus and the other cities adjoining had assembled in Miletus, since he was himself hastening to Jerusalem to observe Pentecost, after testifying many things to them, and declaring what must happen to him at Jerusalem, he added: "I know that ye shall see my face no more.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
): I know that you all, among whom I have been conversant preaching the kingdom of God, though you may have letters from me, shall never see my face again.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
And now behold,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
I know that ye all . . . shall see my face no more--not an inspired prediction of what was certainly to be, but what the apostle, in his peculiar circumstances, fully expected. Whether, therefore, he ever did see them again, is a question to be decided purely on its own evidence.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Ye all - shall see my face no more - This probably refers simply to the persons who were now present; concerning whom he might have had a Divine intimation, that they should not be found in life when he should come that way again. Or it may refer only to Ephesus and Miletus. From the dangers to which he was exposed, it was, humanly speaking, unlikely that he should ever return; and this may be all that is implied: but that he did revisit those parts, though probably not Miletus or Ephesus, appears likely from Php 1:25-27; Php 2:24; Phm 1:22; Heb 13:19-23. But in all these places he speaks with a measure of uncertainty: he had not an absolute evidence that he should not return; but, in his own mind, it was a matter of uncertainty. The Holy Spirit did not think proper to give him a direct revelation on this point.
The words behind it
19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| νῦν | nun | now | G3568 → | 145 times |
| ἰδοὺ | idou | behold | G2400 → | 200 times |
| ἐγὼ | ego | I myself | G1473 → | 839 times |
| οἶδα | oida | know | ||
| ὅτι | hoti | that | G3754 → | 1292 times |
| οὐκέτι | ouketi | no longer | G3756 →G2089 → | 140 times |
| ὄψεσθε | opsesthe | you will behold | G3700 → | 54 times |
| τὸ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πρόσωπόν | prosopon | face | G4383 → | 75 times |
| μου | mou | of me | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| ὑμεῖς | humeis | you yourselves | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| πάντες, | pantes | all | G3956 → | 1235 times |
| ἐν | en | among | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| οἷς | hois | whom | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| διῆλθον | dielthon | I have gone about | G1330 → | 43 times |
| κηρύσσων | kerusson | proclaiming | G2784 → | 59 times |
| τὴν | ten | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| βασιλείαν | basileian | kingdom | G932 → | 162 times |
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
νῦνnow
nunG3568 →145 times
ἰδοὺbehold
idouG2400 →200 times
ἐγὼI myself
egoG1473 →839 times
οἶδαknow
oida
ὅτιthat
hotiG3754 →1292 times
οὐκέτιno longer
ὄψεσθεyou will behold
opsestheG3700 →54 times
τὸthe
toG3588 →19766 times
πρόσωπόνface
prosoponG4383 →75 times
μουof me
mouG3165 →1936 times
ὑμεῖςyou yourselves
humeisG4771 →2973 times
πάντες,all
pantesG3956 →1235 times
ἐνamong
enG1722 →2738 times
οἷςwhom
hoisG3739 →1405 times
διῆλθονI have gone about
dielthonG1330 →43 times
κηρύσσωνproclaiming
kerussonG2784 →59 times
τὴνthe
tenG3588 →19766 times
βασιλείανkingdom
basileianG932 →162 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 4:23Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.
it leads to
- Matthew 9:35
Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness.
- Mark 1:39
So He went throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.
- Luke 7:22
So He replied, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and…
- Acts 10:38
how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, because God was with Him.
- Matthew 11:5
The blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.
- Matthew 9:35
Through
Acts 28:31Boldly and freely he proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.
it leads to
- Acts 4:29
And now, Lord, consider their threats, and enable Your servants to speak Your word with complete boldness,
- Ephesians 6:19–20
Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will boldly make known the mystery of the gospel,
- Acts 28:23
So they set a day to meet with Paul, and many people came to the place he was staying. He expounded to them from morning to evening, testifying about the kingdom of God and…
- Acts 4:29
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Acts
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on Acts; Irenaeus, Against Heresies Book III, Chapter 14, Section 2; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 44; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.