Acts 21:23
in Acts 21Therefore do what we advise you. There are four men with us who have taken a vow.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men that have a vow on them;
KJV
Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them;
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This verse in Acts 21
Commentary
12 notes on this verseHe therefore made some concession, as was necessary, for a time; and this was the reason why he had Timothy circumcised, and the Nazarites introduced into the temple, which incidents are described in the Acts.
This site's exposition
They will certainly hear
on Acts 21:22-24
Four men had taken a vow, likely a Nazirite vow. Paul is to purify himself with them and pay their expenses so they can have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know that there is no truth to these rumors.
This site's exposition
four men with us who have taken a vow
John Chrysostom notes that the elders advise here. Albert Barnes observes that the four men belonged to the church, so believers in Jerusalem still kept vows of this kind. Theophylact places theirs among the vows of abstaining from wine and leaving the hair uncut for a set number of days.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
He shows that it was not necessary to do this upon principle - whence also they obtain his compliance - but that it was economy and condescension. This vow appears to have been the Nazarite vow described in Numbers 6:1-21, taken by the apostle as an accommodation to Jewish prejudices and to allay the suspicions of the legal party in Jerusalem. This was done upon the recommendation of James, the "Bishop" of the church, and his associates. The significance of Paul's paying the expenses is, perhaps, that the period during which the others' vow had run was on this condition reckoned to his account also.
"What is it therefore? the multitude must needs come together: for they will hear that thou art come. Do therefore this that we say to thee:" they say these things as advising, not as commanding. "We have four men which have a vow on them; them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them." Make thy defence in act, not in word - "that they may shave themselves," it says, "and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law:" they say not, "teachest," but, of superabundance, "that thou thyself also keepest the law." For of course not this was the matter of chief interest, whether he did not teach others, but, that he did himself observe the law.
The Medieval Church1 voice
Many kinds of vows existed: some promised sacrifices, others – money, still others – themselves, and a fourth group – not to drink wine and not to cut their hair for a certain number of days. To this last category these men belonged. The hair …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Do therefore this that we say to thee,.... This is said not as commanding, but as advising; and not to what was a duty, and necessary to be done as such, but as a point of prudence: we have four men which have a vow on them; that is, there were four men who were of the church at Jerusalem, believers in Christ, but weak ones, who were zealous of the law, and bigots to it, and who had voluntarily vowed a vow of the Nazarites; see Num 6:2.
Therefore - To obviate their prejudice against thee: do this that we say to thee - Doubtless they meant this advice well: but could Paul follow it in godly sincerity? Was not the yielding so far to the judgment of others too great a deference to be paid to any mere men?
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
), and they are to offer their offering according to the law, when they shave the head of their separation, a he-lamb for a burnt-offering, a ewe-lamb for a sin-offering, and a ram for a peace-offering, with other offerings pertinent to them, Num. vi.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
We have four men - There are with us four men. It is evident that James and the elders meant to say that these men were connected with them in the Christian church; and the fact shows that the Christians at Jerusalem did not disregard the institutions of Moses, and had not been so far enlightened in the doctrines of Christianity as to forsake yet the ceremonial rites of the Jews. Which have a vow on them - Which have made a vow. See the notes on Act 18:
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
they glorified the Lord, &c.--constrained to justify his course, notwithstanding the Jewish complexion of the Christianity of Jerusalem.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
We have four men which have a vow - From the shaving of the head, mentioned immediately after, it is evident that the four men in question were under the vow of Nazariteship; and that the days of their vow were nearly at an end, as they were about to shave their heads; for, during the time of the Nazariteship, the hair was permitted to grow, and only shaven off at the termination of the vow. Among the Jews, it was common to make vows to God on extraordinary occasions; and that of the Nazarite appears to have been one of the most common; and it was permitted by their law for any person to perform this vow by proxy. See the law produced in my note on Num 6:21 (note). “It was also customary for the richer sort to bestow their charity on the poorer sort for this purpose; for Josephus, Ant. lib. xix. cap. 6, sec. 1, observes that Agrippa, on his being advanced from a prison to a throne, by the Emperor Claudius, came to Jerusalem; and there, among other instances of his religious thankfulness shown in the temple, Ναζαραιων ξυρασθαι διεταξε μαλα συχνους, he ordered very many Nazarites to be shaven, he furnishing them with money for the expenses of that, and of the sacrifices necessarily attending it.” See Bp. Pearce.
The words behind it
14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| τοῦτο | touto | This | G3778 → | 1381 times |
| οὖν | oun | therefore | G3767 → | 497 times |
| ποίησον | poieson | do you | G4160 → | 569 times |
| ὅ | ho | what | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| σοι | soi | to you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| λέγομεν· | legomen | we say; | G3004 → | 1325 times |
| εἰσὶν | eisin | There are | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| ἡμῖν | hemin | with us | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| ἄνδρες | andres | men | G435 → | 216 times |
| τέσσαρες | tessares | four | G5064 → | 41 times |
| εὐχὴν | euchen | a vow | G2171 → | |
| ἔχοντες | echontes | having | G2192 → | 707 times |
| ἐφ᾽ | eph᾽ | on | G1909 → | 883 times |
| ἑαυτῶν· | he'auton | themselves; | G1438 → | 322 times |
τοῦτοThis
toutoG3778 →1381 times
οὖνtherefore
ounG3767 →497 times
ποίησονdo you
poiesonG4160 →569 times
ὅwhat
hoG3739 →1405 times
σοιto you
soiG4771 →2973 times
λέγομεν·we say;
legomenG3004 →1325 times
εἰσὶνThere are
eisinG1510 →2333 times
ἡμῖνwith us
heminG3165 →1936 times
ἄνδρεςmen
andresG435 →216 times
τέσσαρεςfour
tessaresG5064 →41 times
εὐχὴνa vow
euchenG2171 →
ἔχοντεςhaving
echontesG2192 →707 times
ἐφ᾽on
eph᾽G1909 →883 times
ἑαυτῶν·themselves;
he'autonG1438 →322 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 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 18:18Paul remained in Corinth for quite some time before saying goodbye to the brothers. He had his head shaved in Cenchrea to keep a vow he had made, and then he sailed for Syria,…
it leads to
- Acts 21:24
Take these men, purify yourself along with them, and pay their expenses so they can have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know that there is no truth to these rumors about you, but…
- Numbers 6:18
Then at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, the Nazirite is to shave his consecrated head, take the hair, and put it on the fire under the peace offering.
- Numbers 6:5–9
For the entire period of his vow of separation, no razor shall pass over his head. He must be holy until the time of his separation to the LORD is complete; he must let…
- Romans 16:1
I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church in Cenchrea.
- 1 Corinthians 9:20
To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), to win…
- Acts 21:24
Where this verse is studied
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, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); J. A. Alexander, Acts of the Apostles Explained; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 46; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Tertullian, Against Marcion Book V and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.