Acts 21:39
in Acts 21But Paul answered, “I am a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city. Now I beg you to allow me to speak to the people.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But Paul said, I am a Jew, of Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city: and I beseech thee, give me leave to speak unto the people.
KJV
But Paul said, I am a man which am a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city: and, I beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the people.
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This verse in Acts 21
Commentary
10 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
A Jew of Tarsus - A Jew by birth. Of no mean city - Not obscure, or undistinguished. He could claim an honorable birth, so far as the place of his nativity was concerned. See the notes on Act 9:11. Tarsus was much celebrated for its learning, and was at one time the rival of Alexandria and Athens. Xenophon calls it a great and flourishing city. Josephus (Antiq., book 2, chapter 6, section 6) says that it was the metropolis, and most renowned city among them (the Cilicians).
This site's exposition
a citizen of no ordinary city
on Acts 21:39-40
Paul stood on the steps and addressed the crowd in Hebrew, meaning Aramaic, the language of the street. The choice calmed a crowd primed to hear a traitor, and the first of the five defense speeches in the book follows.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
Observe how, when he discourses to those that are without, he does not decline availing himself of the aids afforded by the laws. Here he awes the tribune by the name of his city. And again, elsewhere he said, "Openly, uncondemned, Romans as we are, they have cast us into prison." For since the tribune said, "Art thou that Egyptian?" he immediately drew him off from that surmise: then, that he may not be thought to deny his nation, he says at once, "I am a Jew:" he means his religion. What then? he did not deny (that he was a Christian): God forbid: for he was both a Jew and a Christian, observing what things he ought: since indeed he, most of all men, did obey the law. The man that believes in Christ. And when discoursing with Peter, he says: "We, Jews by nature. But I beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the people." And this is a proof, that he does not speak lies, seeing he takes all as his witnesses. Observe again how mildly he speaks. This again is a very strong argument that he is chargeable with no crime, his being so ready to make his defence, and his wishing to come to discourse with the people of the Jews. See a man well-prepared! Mark the providential ordering of the thing: unless the tribune had come, unless he had bound him, he would not have desired to speak for his defence, he would not have obtained the silence he did. "Standing on the stairs." Then there was the additional facility afforded by the locality, that he should have a high place to harangue them from - in chains too! What spectacle could be equal to this, to see Paul, bound with two chains, and haranguing the people! To see him, how he was not a whit perturbed, not a whit confused; how, seeing as he did so great a multitude all hostility against him, the ruler standing by, he first of all made them desist from their anger: then, how prudently he does this. […]
The Medieval Church3 voices
A townsman from Tarsus in Cilicia, a not unknown city. The Apostle was indeed born in the town of Giscala in Galilee. When it was captured by the Romans, he moved with his parents to Tarsus in Cilicia. From there, sent to Jerusalem for the …
I am indeed a man, a Jew from Tarsus of Cilicia, a citizen of no insignificant city. For 'citizen' some Codices have 'municipate,' which is translated from one Greek word πολίτης, derived from the name of the city, which in Greek is called πόλις. Whence …
We, Christians, are the true Jews, as those who profess the true faith, because the name "Judah" means "confession." Since the commander asked whether he was that Egyptian, Paul first of all deflects him from this suspicion. And so that he would not think that …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
But Paul said, I am a man which am a Jew of Tarsus,....
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
How much ado Paul had to get clear from Ephesus, intimated in the first words of the chapter, after we had gotten from them, that is, were drawn from them as by violence. It was a force put upon both sides; Paul was loth to leave them, and they were loth to part with him, and yet there was no remedy, but so it must be.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Art not thou that Egyptian, &c.--The form of the question implies that the answer is to be in the negative, and is matter of some surprise: "Thou art not then?" &c.
I am a man which am a Jew - A periphrasis for, I am a Jew. See the note on Act 7:2. Of Tarsus - no mean city - In the notes on Act 9:11, I have shown that Tarsus was a city of considerable importance, and in some measure a rival to Rome and Athens; and that, because of the services tendered to the Romans by the inhabitants, Julius Caesar endowed them with all the rights and privileges of Roman citizens. When St. Paul calls it no mean city, he speaks a language that was common to those who have had occasion to speak of Tarsus. Xenophon, Cyri Anabas. i., calls it, πολιν μεγαλην και ευδαιμονα, a great and flourishing city. Josephus, Ant. lib. i. cap. 6, sec. 6, says that it was παρ’ αυτοις των πολεων ἡ αξιολογωτατη μητροπολις ουσα, the metropolis and most renowned city among them (the Cilicians.) And Ammianus Marcellinus, xiv. 8, says, Ciliciam Tarsus nobilitat, urbs perspicabilis: “Tarsus, a very respectable city; adorns Cilicia.”
The words behind it
25 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Εἶπεν | eipen | Said | G2036 → | 925 times |
| δὲ | de | however | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| ὁ | ho | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Παῦλος· | paulos | Paul; | G3972 → | 158 times |
| ἐγὼ | ego | I myself | G1473 → | 839 times |
| ἄνθρωπος | anthropos | a man | G444 → | 549 times |
| μέν | men | indeed | G3303 → | 176 times |
| εἰμι | eimi | am | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| Ἰουδαῖος | ioudaios | a Jew | G2453 → | 192 times |
| Ταρσεὺς | tarseus | of Tarsus | G5018 → | |
| τῆς | tes | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Κιλικίας | kilikias | of Cilicia | G2791 → | 8 times |
| οὐκ | ouk | not [of an] | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| ἀσήμου | asemou | insignificant | G767 → | |
| πόλεως | poleos | city | G4172 → | 163 times |
| πολίτης, | polites | a citizen, | G4177 → | |
| δέομαι | deomai | I implore | G1189 → | 22 times |
| δέ | de | however | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| σου· | sou | you; | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| ἐπίτρεψόν | epitrepson | do allow | G2010 → | 18 times |
| μοι | moi | me | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| λαλῆσαι | lalesai | to speak | G2980 → | 294 times |
| πρὸς | pros | to | G4314 → | 700 times |
| τὸν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| λαόν. | laon | people. | G2992 → | 141 times |
ΕἶπενSaid
eipenG2036 →925 times
δὲhowever
deG1161 →2765 times
ὁ<the>
hoG3588 →19766 times
Παῦλος·Paul;
paulosG3972 →158 times
ἐγὼI myself
egoG1473 →839 times
ἄνθρωποςa man
anthroposG444 →549 times
μένindeed
menG3303 →176 times
εἰμιam
eimiG1510 →2333 times
Ἰουδαῖοςa Jew
ioudaiosG2453 →192 times
Ταρσεὺςof Tarsus
tarseusG5018 →
τῆς<the>
tesG3588 →19766 times
Κιλικίαςof Cilicia
kilikiasG2791 →8 times
οὐκnot [of an]
oukG3756 →1664 times
ἀσήμουinsignificant
asemouG767 →
πόλεωςcity
poleosG4172 →163 times
πολίτης,a citizen,
politesG4177 →
δέομαιI implore
deomaiG1189 →22 times
δέhowever
deG1161 →2765 times
σου·you;
souG4771 →2973 times
ἐπίτρεψόνdo allow
epitrepsonG2010 →18 times
μοιme
moiG3165 →1936 times
λαλῆσαιto speak
lalesaiG2980 →294 times
πρὸςto
prosG4314 →700 times
τὸνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
λαόν.people.
laonG2992 →141 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
Acts 15:41And he traveled through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
it leads to
- Acts 15:23
and sent them with this letter: The apostles and the elders, your brothers, To the brothers among the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Greetings.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Acts 15:23
Through
Acts 9:11“Get up!” the Lord told him. “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying.
it leads to
- Acts 22:3
“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but raised in this city. I was educated at the feet of Gamaliel in strict conformity to the law of our fathers. I am just…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Acts 9:30
When the brothers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.
- Acts 22:3
Through
Acts 22:3“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but raised in this city. I was educated at the feet of Gamaliel in strict conformity to the law of our fathers. I am just…
it leads to
- Philippians 3:5–6
circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin; a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee;
- Acts 26:5
They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that I lived as a Pharisee, adhering to the strictest sect of our religion.
- Acts 5:34
But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a short time.
- Acts 9:11
“Get up!” the Lord told him. “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying.
- Acts 21:20
When they heard this, they glorified God. Then they said to Paul, “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law.
- Philippians 3:5–6
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); Bede, Commentary on Acts; Bede, Retractions on Acts; J. A. Alexander, Acts of the Apostles Explained; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 47; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Lightfoot, Horae Hebraicae et Talmudicae; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.