Acts 20:33
in Acts 20I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
I coveted no man’s silver, or gold, or apparel.
KJV
I have coveted no man’s silver, or gold, or apparel.
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This verse in Acts 20
Commentary
9 notes on this verse"Silver or gold," and the following. The root of evils, greed, is destroyed. For he does not simply say, I did not receive, but, Nor did I desire. Then he shows that true almsgiving ought to come from one's own labors to the needy, since …
This site's exposition
no man’s silver
on Acts 20:33-35
I have coveted no man’s silver, or gold, or apparel: Paul appeals once more to their own knowledge, now of his financial integrity, since these hands, his own tentmaker’s hands, ministered to his necessities and to those who traveled with him. So laboring, he taught them to support the weak, and he closes with a saying of the Lord Jesus found in none of the four gospels, it is more blessed to give than to receive. Scholars call such a saying an agraphon, a word of Jesus preserved by living memory rather than by any gospel writer, and the bench treats Paul’s citation of it here as reliable apostolic testimony.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
"I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel." He takes away that which is the root of evils, the love of money. "Silver, or gold," he says. He says not, I have not taken, but, not even "coveted." No great thing this, but what follows after is great. "Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me. I have showed you all things, how that so laboring, ye ought to support the weak." Observe him employed in work and not simply that, but toiling. "These hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me:" so as to put them to shame. And see how worthily of them. For he says not, Ye ought to show yourselves superior to money, but what? "to support the weak" - not all indiscriminately...
So then, it was not in Corinth only that they did this - they that corrupted the disciples, but in Asia as well. But he nowhere casts this up as a reproach to the Ephesians, when writing to them. And why? Because he did not fall upon any subject that obliged him to speak of this. But to the Corinthians he says, "My boasting has not been stopped in the regions of Achaia." And he does not say, Ye did not give to me; but, "Silver, or gold, or apparel, I coveted not," that it might not seem to be their doing, that they had not given. And he does not say, From no man have I coveted the necessaries of life, that again it might not look like accusing them: but he covertly hints as much, seeing that he provided subsistence for others as well as himself. See how he worked with earnestness, "night and day" discoursing to others, "with tears warning each one of them." Again he puts them in fear: "I have showed you all things," he says: ye cannot take refuge in the plea of ignorance: "have shown you" by works "how that so laboring ye ought to work."
The Medieval Church1 voice
He did not say "I took neither silver, nor gold, nor clothing," but even "I did not desire them."
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
I have coveted - I have not desired. I have not made it an object of my living among you to obtain your property. Thus, 2Co 12:14 he says, “I seek not yours, but you.” Paul had power to demand support in the, ministry as the reward of his labor, 1Co 9:13-14. Yet he did not choose to exercise it, lest it should bring the charge of avarice against the ministry, 1Co 9:12, 1Co 9:15. He also had power in another respect. He had a vast influence over the people.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Eph 3:20; particularly Jude 24; and compare 2Ti 1:12, where the same thing is ascribed to Christ. among all them which are sanctified--Sanctification is here viewed as the final character and condition of the heirs of glory, regarded as one saved company.
I have coveted no man’s silver, etc. - And from this circumstance they would be able to discover the grievous wolves, and the perverters; for these had nothing but their own interests in view; whereas the genuine disciples of Christ neither coveted nor had worldly possessions. St. Paul’s account of his own disinterestedness is very similar to that given by Samuel of his, 1Sa 12:3-5.
The words behind it
7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἀργυρίου | arguriou | Silver | G694 → | 20 times |
| ἢ | e | or | G2228 → | 342 times |
| χρυσίου | chrusiou | gold | G5553 → | |
| ἢ | e | or | G2228 → | 342 times |
| ἱματισμοῦ | himatismou | clothing | G2441 → | |
| οὐδενὸς | oudenos | of no [one] | G3762 → | 232 times |
| ἐπεθύμησα· | epethumesa | I coveted; | G1937 → |
ἀργυρίουSilver
arguriouG694 →20 times
ἢor
eG2228 →342 times
χρυσίουgold
chrusiouG5553 →
ἢor
eG2228 →342 times
ἱματισμοῦclothing
himatismouG2441 →
οὐδενὸςof no [one]
oudenosG3762 →232 times
ἐπεθύμησα·I coveted;
epethumesaG1937 →
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
1 Corinthians 9:15But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this to suggest that something be done for me. Indeed, I would rather die than let anyone nullify my boast.
it leads to
- 1 Thessalonians 2:9
Surely you recall, brothers, our labor and toil. We worked night and day so that we would not be a burden to anyone while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Thessalonians 3:8
nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. Instead, in labor and toil, we worked night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you.
- 1 Thessalonians 2:9
Through
1 Corinthians 9:18What then is my reward? That in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not use up my rights in preaching it.
it leads to
- 2 Thessalonians 3:8–9
nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. Instead, in labor and toil, we worked night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Thessalonians 2:6
Nor did we seek praise from you or from anyone else, although as apostles of Christ we had authority to demand it.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Corinthians 11:7–9
Was it a sin for me to humble myself in order to exalt you, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge?
- 2 Thessalonians 3:8–9
Through
1 Corinthians 9:12If others have this right to your support, shouldn’t we have it all the more? But we did not exercise this right. Instead, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of…
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 11:12
But I will keep on doing what I am doing, in order to undercut those who want an opportunity to be regarded as our equals in the things of which they boast.
- 1 Corinthians 9:15
But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this to suggest that something be done for me. Indeed, I would rather die than let anyone nullify my boast.
- 1 Corinthians 9:18
What then is my reward? That in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not use up my rights in preaching it.
- 2 Corinthians 11:12
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Acts
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on Acts; 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 45; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Oecumenius, Commentary on Acts and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.