Acts 21:10
in Acts 21After we had been there several days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And as we tarried there some days, there came down from Judæa a certain prophet, named Agabus.
KJV
And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judea a certain prophet, named Agabus.
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This verse in Acts 21
Commentary
10 notes on this verseA certain prophet came down from Judea. He says from Judea because Caesarea, where they were staying, belongs to the region of Samaria, situated at the border of Phoenicia and Palestine.
This site's exposition
a certain prophet, named Agabus
on Acts 21:10-11
As they tarried many days there came down from Judea a certain prophet, named Agabus, the same man who had foretold the famine back in chapter eleven and whose word had then proved reliable. He acted out his message rather than merely speaking it, taking Paul’s own girdle and binding his hands and feet, an enacted prophecy in the manner of Isaiah walking barefoot or Ezekiel lying on his side, so shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle and deliver him to the Gentiles. The prophecy proved accurate down to its two halves, Jewish hands seizing Paul in the temple and Roman hands then taking him into custody, exactly the order the following verses record.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
Agabus, the one who long ago foretold the famine.
"And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judea a certain prophet, named Agabus. And when he was come unto us, he took Paul's girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles." He who formerly had declared about the famine, the same says, This "man, who owneth this girdle, thus shall they bind." The same that the prophets used to do, representing events to the sight, when they spoke about the captivity - as did Ezekiel - the same did this Agabus. And Agabus does not say, "They shall bind" Paul, that he may not seem to speak upon agreement with Paul, but "the man that owneth this girdle" - so then he had a girdle also.
The Medieval Church1 voice
This is that Agabus who earlier predicted the famine.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And as we tarried there many days,.... How many days is not said, it could not be very many, if the apostle got to Jerusalem by Pentecost, as he desired, Act 20:6 there came down from Judea a certain prophet named Agabus; of whom mention is made in Act 11:28 who is there said to come from Jerusalem, to Antioch, and here from Judea to Caesarea; he had been many years going about from place to place prophesying, for between that and this account must be a space of about sixteen or seventeen years.
To Paul was given the word of wisdom and knowledge, as an apostle, by the Spirit, and the gifts of healing; to Agabus, and to Philip's daughters, was given prophecy, by the same Spirit--the foretelling of things to come, which came to pass according to the prediction.
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
next day we that were of Paul's company departed--(The words "the were of Paul's company" are omitted in the best manuscripts. They were probably added as the connecting words at the head of some church lessons). and came to Cæsarea--a run along the coast, southward, of some thirty miles.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
tarried there many--"a good many" days--Finding himself in good time for Pentecost at Jerusalem, he would feel it a refreshing thing to his spirit to hold Christian communion for a few days with such a family. there came down from Judea--the news of Paul's arrival having spread. a certain prophet . . .
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
There came down - See the notes on Act 15:1. Named Agabus - See the notes on Act 11:28.
The words behind it
12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ἐπιμενόντων | epimenonton | Remaining | G1961 → | 15 times |
| δὲ | de | now | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| ἡμέρας | hemeras | days | G2250 → | 389 times |
| πλείους | pleious | many | G4183 → | 367 times |
| κατῆλθέν | katelthen | came down | G2718 → | 16 times |
| τις | tis | a certain one | G5100 → | 528 times |
| ἀπὸ | apo | from | G575 → | 640 times |
| τῆς | tes | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Ἰουδαίας | ioudaias | Judea | G2449 → | 44 times |
| προφήτης | prophetes | a prophet | G4396 → | 144 times |
| ὀνόματι | onomati | named | G3686 → | 227 times |
| Ἅγαβος, | hagabos | Agabus, | G13 → |
ἘπιμενόντωνRemaining
epimenontonG1961 →15 times
δὲnow
deG1161 →2765 times
ἡμέραςdays
hemerasG2250 →389 times
πλείουςmany
pleiousG4183 →367 times
κατῆλθένcame down
katelthenG2718 →16 times
τιςa certain one
tisG5100 →528 times
ἀπὸfrom
apoG575 →640 times
τῆς<the>
tesG3588 →19766 times
ἸουδαίαςJudea
ioudaiasG2449 →44 times
προφήτηςa prophet
prophetesG4396 →144 times
ὀνόματιnamed
onomatiG3686 →227 times
Ἅγαβος,Agabus,
hagabosG13 →
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
Acts 20:16Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, because he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 16:8
But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost,
- Acts 2:1
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.
- Acts 19:21
After these things had happened, Paul resolved in the Spirit to go to Jerusalem after he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia. “After I have been there,” he said, “I must see Rome as…
- 1 Corinthians 16:8
Through
Acts 21:4We sought out the disciples in Tyre and stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they kept telling Paul not to go up to Jerusalem.
it leads to
- Acts 21:10–12
After we had been there several days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.
- Acts 20:22–23
And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there.
- Acts 20:6–7
And after the Feast of Unleavened Bread, we sailed from Philippi, and five days later we rejoined them in Troas, where we stayed seven days.
- Acts 21:10–12
Through
Acts 11:28One of them named Agabus stood up and predicted through the Spirit that a great famine would sweep across the whole world. (This happened under Claudius.)
it leads to
- Acts 18:2
There he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to…
- Acts 18:2
Through
Acts 21:7When we had finished our voyage from Tyre, we landed at Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and stayed with them for a day.
it leads to
- Hebrews 13:24
Greet all your leaders and all the saints. Those from Italy send you greetings.
- Hebrews 13:24
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Acts
This page draws on 10 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; 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); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on Acts and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.