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Acts 20:9

in Acts 20

And a certain young man named Eutychus, seated in the window, was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell from the third story and was picked up dead.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And there sat in the window a certain young man named Eutychus, borne down with deep sleep; and as Paul discoursed yet longer, being borne down by his sleep he fell down from the third story, and was taken up dead.

KJV

And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead.

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This verse in Acts 20

Commentary

16 notes on this verse
And there sat in a window - The window was left open, probably to avoid the malice of their enemies, who might be disposed otherwise to charge them with holding their assemblies in darkness for purposes of iniquity. The window was probably a mere opening in the wall to let in light, as glass was not common at that time. As the shutters of the window were not closed, there was nothing to prevent Eutychus from falling down. The third loft - The third story.

This site's exposition

sunk down with sleep

Eutychus, a certain young man, sat in the window and sunk down with sleep as Paul’s sermon ran long, and fell from the third loft to be taken up dead. The physician Luke states the fact plainly, dead, not merely stunned, a detail Barnes and others weigh against the modern guess that he only fainted. The window seat and the crowded, lamp-heated upper room explain the drowsiness without excusing the tragedy, and the plain narrative is left to carry its own weight.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers5 voices

A commentator

Tertullian

On Modesty · Written before 220.

proposed

And so, if it were agreed that even the blessed apostles had granted any such indulgence (to any crime) the pardon of which (comes) from God, not from man, it would be competent (for them) to have done so, not in the exercise of discipline, but of power. For they both raised the dead, which God alone (can do), and restored the debilitated to their integrity, which none but Christ (can do); nay, they inflicted plagues too, which Christ would not do.

A commentator

John Chrysostom

Homily on Acts 43 · Written in the 5th century.

proposed

"And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together. And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead." But the Devil disturbed the feast-not that he prevailed, however-by plunging the hearer in sleep, and causing him to fall down. But observe, I pray you, the theatre, how crowded it was: and the miracle, what it was. "He was sitting in a window," at dead of night. Such was their eagerness to hear him!

A commentator

John Chrysostom

Homily on Acts 43 · Written in the 5th century.

proposed

But observe, I beseech you, so fervent was their zeal, that they even assembled in a third loft: for they had not a Church yet.

A commentator

Arator

ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 2 · Written before 544.

proposed

Eutychus, alone, banished from the wakeful ones keeping watch, entrusted to a window with limbs sunk in heavy sleep. O rest wrongly won! O hearts always given over to sleep, unprotected by good! How great the disasters he lies open to, whom night alone guards …

A commentator

John Chrysostom

Homily on Acts 43 · Written in the 5th century.

proposed

"And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead." And the wonderful circumstance is, that though he was a youth, he was not listless and indifferent; and though he felt himself weighed down by sleep, he did not go away, nor yet fear the danger of falling down. It was not from listlessness that he slumbered, but from necessity of nature.
9 more voices on this verse

The Church Fathers2 voices

A commentator

John Chrysostom

Homily on Acts 43 · Written in the 5th century.

proposed

Let us take shame to ourselves! "Aye, but a Paul," say you, "was discoursing then." Yes, and Paul discourses now, or rather not Paul, either then or now, but Christ, and yet none cares to hear. No window in the case now, no importunity of hunger, or sleep, and yet we do not care to hear: no crowding in a narrow space here, nor any other such comfort.

A commentator

John Chrysostom

Homily on Acts 43 · Written in the 5th century.

proposed

That young man was to rebuke all that are careless of the word, he whose death was caused by nothing else than this, that he wished to hear Paul.

The Medieval Church4 voices

A commentator

Bede

Commentary on Acts · Written before 735.

proposed

A certain young man named Eutychus was sitting at the window, etc. Eutychus in Hebrew means insane, in Greek lucky. One of these fits him who has fallen from the height of virtues due to youthful pleasure, the other to him who, by the preacher's …

A commentator

Bede

Commentary on Acts · Written before 735.

proposed

Awakened from sleep, he fell down from the third loft, etc. During the words of preaching, an opportunity for healing arose, so that the word might be strengthened by the sweetness of the miracle and the doctrine, and the labor of vigils might be warded …

A commentator

Bede

Retractions on Acts · Written before 735.

proposed

Awoken from sleep, he fell from the third loft. For the third loft, in Greek it is written "τριστέγου," which I wanted to mention so that the reader may know what is in Genesis, where Noah is ordered to build the ark: "Make in it …

A commentator

Theophylact of Ohrid

Commentary on Acts · Written before 1107.

proposed

Having weighed down the listener with sleep, the devil disrupted the feast. The young man was sitting on the window at night — so great was his desire to listen. And it is worthy of admiration that, being a young man, he was not careless, …

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

And there sat in a window a certain young man,....

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

in a--"the." window--or window seat, or recess. fell down from the third loft--"story." and was taken up dead--"The window projected (according to the side of the room where it was situated) either over the street or over the interior court; so that in either case he fell on the hard earth or pavement below."

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

There sat in a window - This was probably an opening in the wall, to let in light and air, for there was no glazing at that time; and it is likely that Eutychus fell backward through it, down to the ground, on the outside; there being nothing to prevent his falling out, when he had once lost the power to take care of himself, by getting into a deep sleep.

The words behind it

29 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

12 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.

Mark 13:36Otherwise, he may arrive without notice and find you sleeping.7 worksMatthew 26:40–41Then Jesus returned to the disciples and found them sleeping. “Were you not able to keep watch with Me for one hour?” He asked Peter.4 worksActs 20:7On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Since Paul was ready to leave the next day, he talked to them and kept on speaking until midnight.4 worksJonah 1:5–6The sailors were afraid, and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the ship’s cargo into the sea to lighten the load. But Jonah had gone down to the lowest part of the vessel, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep.3 worksMark 9:26After shrieking and convulsing him violently, the spirit came out. The boy became like a corpse, so that many said, “He is dead.”3 works1 Kings 17:19But Elijah said to her, “Give me your son.” So he took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed.2 works
The other 6 cross-references, with their words ▾
Acts 14:19Then some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium and won over the crowds. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, presuming he was dead.2 works2 Kings 1:2Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent messengers and instructed them: “Go inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I will recover from this injury.”2 worksActs 2:40With many other words he testified, and he urged them, “Be saved from this corrupt generation.”2 worksActs 20:11Then Paul went back upstairs, broke bread, and ate. And after speaking until daybreak, he departed.2 worksMatthew 26:43And again Jesus returned and found them sleeping—for their eyes were heavy.2 worksGenesis 15:12As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and suddenly great terror and darkness overwhelmed him.0 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

    Mark 13:36

    Otherwise, he may arrive without notice and find you sleeping.

    it leads to

    • 1 Thessalonians 5:6–7

      So then, let us not sleep as the others do, but let us remain awake and sober.

    • Romans 13:11–14

      And do this, understanding the occasion. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.

    • Mark 14:40

      And again Jesus returned and found them sleeping—for their eyes were heavy. And they did not know what to answer Him.

    • Luke 21:34

      But watch yourselves, or your hearts will be weighed down by dissipation, drunkenness, and the worries of life—and that day will spring upon you suddenly like a snare.

    • Matthew 24:48–51

      But suppose that servant is wicked and says in his heart, ‘My master will be away a long time.’

  • Through

    Mark 9:26

    After shrieking and convulsing him violently, the spirit came out. The boy became like a corpse, so that many said, “He is dead.”

    it leads to

    • Mark 9:20

      So they brought him, and seeing Jesus, the spirit immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.

    • Mark 1:26

      At this, the unclean spirit threw the man into convulsions and came out with a loud shriek.

  • Through

    1 Kings 17:19

    But Elijah said to her, “Give me your son.” So he took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed.

    it leads to

    • 2 Kings 4:32

      When Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his bed.

Where this verse is studied

About Acts

The Ascension, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
The Ascension, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Acts: the study guide →Read Acts 20 →
This page draws on 11 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); Albert Barnes, Notes on Acts; Arator, ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 2; Bede, Commentary on Acts; Bede, Retractions on Acts; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 43; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Tertullian, On Modesty and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.

Read on in Acts 20 →