Acts 21:3
in Acts 21After sighting Cyprus and passing south of it, we sailed on to Syria and landed at Tyre, where the ship was to unload its cargo.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And when we had come in sight of Cyprus, leaving it on the left hand, we sailed unto Syria, and landed at Tyre; for there the ship was to unlade her burden.
KJV
Now when we had discovered Cyprus, we left it on the left hand, and sailed into Syria, and landed at Tyre: for there the ship was to unlade her burden.
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This verse in Acts 21
Commentary
8 notes on this verse"Having found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia." Perhaps this ship had its anchorage here, in Patara; and they, not finding a ship departing for Caesarea, but finding a ship sailing to Phoenicia, set out on it and left Cyprus and Syria to the side, …
This site's exposition
straight course unto Coos
on Acts 21:1-3
After we were gotten from them, the company launched and made a straight course unto Coos, then Rhodes, then Patara, favorable winds this time in contrast to the beating against contrary weather three chapters later. Luke’s itinerary again reads as a sailor’s log, exact enough that historians of the ancient Aegean have traced the route port by port. The pace itself carries meaning, since Paul is hurrying toward Jerusalem in time for Pentecost, the goal named at the end of chapter twenty.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
And we sailed on to Cyprus and allowed Syria to remain. For the phrase "leaving it to port" is not simple, it has been said, but that they were in no hurry to approach Syria. So they came to Lycia, and leaving Cyprus, sailed to …
"And finding a ship sailing over unto Phenicia, we went aboard, and set forth. Now when we had discovered Cyprus, we left it on the left hand, and sailed into Syria, and landed at Tyre." He came to Lycia, and having left Cyprus, he sailed down to Tyre. Possibly that ship in which they had come was making a stay there: wherefore they shifted to another, and not having found one going to Caesarea, but finding this for Phenice, they embarked in it and pursued their voyage, having left Cyprus also and Syria: but the expression, "having left it on the left hand," is not said simply in that meaning, but that they made speed not to get to Syria either.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Now when we had discovered Cyprus,.... An island, as the Syriac version here calls it, which lay between Syria and Cilicia; See Gill on Act 4:36; and was, according to R. Benjamin (l), four days sail from Rhodes, before mentioned: we left it on the left hand, and sailed into Syria; that part of it called Phoenicia: and landed at Tyre; the chief city of Phoenicia, famous for navigation and commerce: it stood about four furlongs distant from the shore, and was joined to the continent by Alexander the great (m).
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Had discovered Cyprus - See the notes on Act 4:36. Into Syria - See the notes on Mat 4:24. And landed at Tyre - See the notes on Mat 11:21. To unlade her burden - Her cargo. Tyre was formerly one of the most commercial cities of the world; and it is probable that in the time of Paul its commercial importance had not entirely ceased.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
when we . . . discovered--"sighted," as the phrase is. Cyprus, we left it on the left hand--that is, steered southeast of it, leaving it on the northwest. sailed into--"unto" Syria, and landed at Tyre--the celebrated seat of maritime commerce for East and West.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Cyprus - See the note on Act 4:36, and see the track of this journey on the map. Tyre - A city of Phoenicia, one of the most celebrated maritime towns in the world. See the notes on Act 12:20; Mat 11:21 (note). There the ship was to unlade her burden - The freight that she had taken in at Ephesus she was to unlade at Tyre; to which place she was bound.
The words behind it
23 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἀναφάναντες | anaphanantes | Having sighted | G398 → | |
| δὲ | de | then | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| τὴν | ten | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Κύπρον | kupron | Cyprus | G2954 → | 5 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| καταλιπόντες | katalipontes | having left | G2641 → | 23 times |
| αὐτὴν | auten | it | G846 → | 5565 times |
| εὐώνυμον | euonumon | on the left | G2176 → | |
| ἐπλέομεν | epleomen | we were sailing | G4126 → | 6 times |
| εἰς | eis | to | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| Συρίαν | surian | Syria | G4947 → | 8 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| κατήλθομεν | katelthomen | we disembarked | G2718 → | 16 times |
| εἰς | eis | at | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| Τύρον· | turon | Tyre; | G5184 → | |
| ἐκεῖσε | ekeise | There | G1566 → | |
| γὰρ | gar | for | G1063 → | 1039 times |
| τὸ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πλοῖον | ploion | ship | G4143 → | 67 times |
| ἦν | en | was | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| ἀποφορτιζόμενον | apophortizomenon | unloading | G670 → | |
| τὸν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γόμον.¶ | gomon | cargo. | G1117 → |
ἀναφάναντεςHaving sighted
anaphanantesG398 →
δὲthen
deG1161 →2765 times
τὴν<the>
tenG3588 →19766 times
ΚύπρονCyprus
kupronG2954 →5 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
καταλιπόντεςhaving left
katalipontesG2641 →23 times
αὐτὴνit
autenG846 →5565 times
εὐώνυμονon the left
euonumonG2176 →
ἐπλέομενwe were sailing
epleomenG4126 →6 times
εἰςto
eisG1519 →1755 times
ΣυρίανSyria
surianG4947 →8 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
κατήλθομενwe disembarked
katelthomenG2718 →16 times
εἰςat
eisG1519 →1755 times
Τύρον·Tyre;
turonG5184 →
ἐκεῖσεThere
ekeiseG1566 →
γὰρfor
garG1063 →1039 times
τὸthe
toG3588 →19766 times
πλοῖονship
ploionG4143 →67 times
ἦνwas
enG1510 →2333 times
ἀποφορτιζόμενονunloading
apophortizomenonG670 →
τὸνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
γόμον.¶cargo.
gomonG1117 →
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
Matthew 4:24News about Him spread all over Syria, and people brought to Him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering acute pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed—and He healed them.
it leads to
- Matthew 8:6
“Lord, my servant lies at home, paralyzed and in terrible agony.”
- Matthew 17:15
“Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering terribly. He often falls into the fire or into the water.
- Luke 5:15
But the news about Jesus spread all the more, and great crowds came to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses.
- Matthew 12:22
Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus, and He healed the man so that he could speak and see.
- Luke 2:2
This was the first census to take place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.
- Matthew 8:6
Through
Acts 4:36Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (meaning Son of Encouragement),
it leads to
- Galatians 2:9
And recognizing the grace that I had been given, James, Cephas, and John—those reputed to be pillars—gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, so that we should go to the Gentiles, and…
- Galatians 2:13
The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.
- Galatians 2:1
Fourteen years later I went up again to Jerusalem, accompanied by Barnabas. I took Titus along also.
- Galatians 2:9
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Acts

Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 9 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); 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; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts and William Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveller and the Roman Citizen.
