Acts 24:18
in Acts 24At the time they found me in the temple, I was ceremonially clean and was not inciting a crowd or an uproar. But there are some Jews from the province of Asia
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
amidst which they found me purified in the temple, with no crowd, nor yet with tumult: but there were certain Jews from Asia—
KJV
Whereupon certain Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple, neither with multitude, nor with tumult.
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This verse in Acts 24
Commentary
8 notes on this verseFound me purified in the temple - And the Jews of Asia, who stirred up the persecution against me in Jerusalem, found me purified in the temple, regularly performing the religious vow into which I had entered; giving no cause for suspicion; for I made no tumult, nor had I any number of people with me, by whom I could have accomplished any seditious purpose.
This site's exposition
to bring alms to my people
on Acts 24:17-19
Paul returned to Jerusalem to bring alms to his people, the collection of the Gentile congregations in Macedonia and Achaia (Romans 15:25-27). His accusers, some Jews from the province of Asia, are absent, though Roman procedure required accusers to face the accused.
This site's exposition
ceremonially clean
Being ceremonially clean answers the charge of desecration directly, as Jamieson, Fausset and Brown observe. A man in a state of purity was keeping the temple's law. Barnes places Paul at the close of his vow (21:26-27).
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
Now after many years I came to bring alms to my nation, and offerings. In which they found me purified in the temple, not with multitude, neither with tumult. Why then camest thou up? What brought thee hither? To worship, says he; to do alms. This was not the act of a factious person. And for the cause of his going up, I came, he says, to bring alms to my nation and offerings. How then should I have troubled those, for the bringing offerings to whom I had come so long a journey? Neither with multitude, nor with tumult. Everywhere he does away the charge of sedition.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
), and that in a very quiet decent manner, neither with multitude nor with tumult. Though he was a man so much talked of, he was far from coveting to show himself when he came to Jerusalem, or to be crowded after, but went to the temple, as much as was possible, incognito.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
Whereupon,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
found me purified in the temple--not polluting it, therefore, by my own presence, and neither gathering a crowd nor raising a stir: If then these Asiatic Jews have any charge to bring against me in justification of their arrest of me, why are they not here to substantiate it?
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
Certain Jews from Asia - Act 21:27. Found me purified in the temple - Act 21:26-27. They found me engaged in the sacred service of completing the observance of my vow. Neither with multitude - Not having introduced a multitude with me - in a quiet and peaceful manner.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἐν | en | during | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| αἷς | hais | which | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| εὗρόν | heuron | they found | G2147 → | 175 times |
| με | me | me | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| ἡγνισμένον | hegnismenon | purified | G48 → | 7 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| τῷ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἱερῷ | hi'ero | temple | G2411 → | 70 times |
| οὐ | ou | not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| μετὰ | meta | with | G3326 → | 461 times |
| ὄχλου | ochlou | a crowd | G3793 → | 175 times |
| οὐδὲ | oude | nor | G3761 → | 141 times |
| μετὰ | meta | in | G3326 → | 461 times |
| θορύβου, | thorubou | tumult, | G2351 → | 7 times |
ἐνduring
enG1722 →2738 times
αἷςwhich
haisG3739 →1405 times
εὗρόνthey found
heuronG2147 →175 times
μεme
meG3165 →1936 times
ἡγνισμένονpurified
hegnismenonG48 →7 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
τῷthe
toG3588 →19766 times
ἱερῷtemple
hi'eroG2411 →70 times
οὐnot
ouG3756 →1664 times
μετὰwith
metaG3326 →461 times
ὄχλουa crowd
ochlouG3793 →175 times
οὐδὲnor
oudeG3761 →141 times
μετὰin
metaG3326 →461 times
θορύβου,tumult,
thorubouG2351 →7 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 24:12Yet my accusers did not find me debating with anyone in the temple or riling up a crowd in the synagogues or in the city.
it leads to
- Acts 25:8
Then Paul made his defense: “I have committed no offense against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar.”
- Acts 28:17
After three days, he called together the leaders of the Jews. When they had gathered, he said to them, “Brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers,…
- Acts 24:5
We have found this man to be a pestilence, stirring up dissension among the Jews all over the world. He is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes,
- Acts 25:8
Through
Acts 26:21For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me.
it leads to
- Acts 21:30–31
The whole city was stirred up, and the people rushed together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut.
- Acts 21:27
When the seven days were almost over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him,
- Acts 22:22
The crowd listened to Paul until he made this statement. Then they lifted up their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of him! He is not fit to live!”
- Acts 25:3
to grant them a concession against Paul by summoning him to Jerusalem, because they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way.
- Acts 23:12–15
When daylight came, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.
- Acts 21:30–31
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Acts

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; 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 50; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and William Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveller and the Roman Citizen.
