Acts 20:34
in Acts 20You yourselves know that these hands of mine have ministered to my own needs and those of my companions.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Ye yourselves know that these hands ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me.
KJV
Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me.
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This verse in Acts 20
Commentary
12 notes on this verseAnd although for this there were great rewards for his merits prepared, yet [Paul's] mind, however holy and sublime it might be, could not help being sometimes drawn away from that heavenly contemplation by its attention to earthly labors. Further, … he saw himself enriched with such practical fruits, and on the other hand considered in his heart the good of meditation and weighed as it were in one scale the profit of all these labors and in the other the delights of divine contemplation.
This site's exposition
I have not coveted anyone’s silver
on Acts 20:33-35
Paul had not coveted anyone’s silver or gold, and his own tentmaker’s hands had met his needs. He closes with a saying of the Lord Jesus found in no Gospel, It is more blessed to give than to receive. Such a saying of Jesus is called an agraphon.
This site's exposition
these hands of mine have ministered
Paul wrote from Ephesus at 1 Corinthians 4:12 that he worked hard with his own hands. He paid for his companions as well as for himself. The elders had watched that labour for three years.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
A commentator
Didymus the BlindCATENA ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 20.34 · Written before 398.
proposed
These words are spoken to the leaders of the church so that, in addition to the other things, they might judge themselves imitators of Paul by refusing to accept money. This is quite obvious from the words that follow: "I have given you example in …
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."
"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...
For neither ought we, for example, to preach the gospel with this object, that we may eat; but to eat with this object, that we may preach the gospel: for if we preach the gospel for this cause, that we may eat, we reckon the gospel of less value than food; and in that case our good will be in eating, but that which is necessary for us is preaching the gospel. And this the apostle also forbids, when he says it is lawful for himself even, and permitted by the Lord, that they who preach the gospel should live of the gospel, that is, should have from the gospel the necessaries of this life; but yet that he has not made use of this power.
The Medieval Church1 voice
And he spoke even more loftily further on: "You yourselves know that these hands of mine served my needs and the needs of those who were with me." Yes, true almsgiving consists in giving from one's own labors. But pay attention to the fact that …
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Yea, you yourselves know,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
These hands have ministered, etc. - It was neither “sin nor discredit” for the apostle to work to maintain himself, when the circumstances of the Church were such that it could not support him. Still many eminent ministers of God are obliged to support themselves and their families, at least in part, in the same way, while indefatigably testifying the Gospel of the grace of God. Whatever it may be to the people, it is no cause of reproach to the minister, to be obliged thus to employ himself.
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.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Yea, ye yourselves know - By your own acquaintance with my manner of life. In Corinth he had lived and labored with Apollos (note, Act 18:3); and he refers elsewhere to the fact that he had supported himself, in part at least, by his own labor, 1Co 4:12; 1Th 2:9; 2Th 3:8. We may hence learn that it is no discredit to a minister to labor. Whatever it may be to a people who put him under a necessity to toil for his support, yet the example of Paul shows that a man should rejoice in the privilege of preaching the gospel, even if it is done while he is obliged to resort to labor for his daily bread. It is well when a minister of the gospel can make an appeal to his people like this of Paul, and say, “I have coveted no man’s gold, or silver, or apparel.” Every minister should so live that he can make this appeal to their own consciences of the sincerity and disinterestedness of his labors from the pulpit; or when called to separate from them as Paul did; or when on a dying bed. Every minister of the gospel, when be comes to lie down to die, will desire to be able to make this appeal, and to leave a solemn testimony there, that it was not for gold, or ease, or fame, that he toiled in the ministerial office. How much more influence will such a man have than he who has been worldly-minded; he who has sought to become rich; and he, the only memorials of whose life is, that he has sought “the fleece, not the flock” - that he has gained the property, not the souls of people.
The words behind it
15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| αὐτοὶ | autoi | You yourselves | G846 → | 5565 times |
| γινώσκετε | ginoskete | know | G1097 → | 221 times |
| ὅτι | hoti | that | G3754 → | 1292 times |
| ταῖς | tais | to the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| χρείαις | chreiais | needs | G5532 → | 49 times |
| μου | mou | of me | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| τοῖς | tois | to that [of those] | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| οὖσιν | ousin | being | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| μετ᾽ | met᾽ | with | G3326 → | 461 times |
| ἐμοῦ | emou | me | G1473 → | 839 times |
| ὑπηρέτησαν | huperetesan | ministered to | G5256 → | 3 times |
| αἱ | hai | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| χεῖρες | cheires | hands | G5495 → | 175 times |
| αὗται. | hautai | these. | G3778 → | 1381 times |
αὐτοὶYou yourselves
autoiG846 →5565 times
γινώσκετεknow
ginosketeG1097 →221 times
ὅτιthat
hotiG3754 →1292 times
ταῖςto the
taisG3588 →19766 times
χρείαιςneeds
chreiaisG5532 →49 times
μουof me
mouG3165 →1936 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
τοῖςto that [of those]
toisG3588 →19766 times
οὖσινbeing
ousinG1510 →2333 times
μετ᾽with
met᾽G3326 →461 times
ἐμοῦme
emouG1473 →839 times
ὑπηρέτησανministered to
huperetesanG5256 →3 times
αἱ<the>
haiG3588 →19766 times
χεῖρεςhands
cheiresG5495 →175 times
αὗται.these.
hautaiG3778 →1381 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
1 Thessalonians 2:9Surely 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.
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 11:9
And when I was with you and in need, I was not a burden to anyone; for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my needs. I have refrained from being a burden to…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Acts 18:3
and he stayed and worked with them because they were tentmakers by trade, just as he was.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Thessalonians 3:7–9
For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not undisciplined among you,
- 2 Corinthians 11:9
Through
Acts 18:3and he stayed and worked with them because they were tentmakers by trade, just as he was.
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.
- 1 Corinthians 4:12
We work hard with our own hands. When we are vilified, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it;
- 1 Thessalonians 2:9
Through
1 Corinthians 4:12We work hard with our own hands. When we are vilified, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it;
it leads to
- 1 Peter 3:9
Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
- Romans 12:14
Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse.
- Matthew 5:11
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.
- 1 Peter 3:9
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Acts
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
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); Augustine of Hippo, SERMON ON THE MOUNT 2.16.54; Didymus the Blind, CATENA ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 20.34; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Cassian, CONFERENCE 23.5.4-6; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 45; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.