Acts 20:11
in Acts 20Then Paul went back upstairs, broke bread, and ate. And after speaking until daybreak, he departed.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And when he was gone up, and had broken the bread, and eaten, and had talked with them a long while, even till break of day, so he departed.
KJV
When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed.
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This verse in Acts 20
Commentary
9 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Come up again - To the upper room, Act 20:8. And had broken bread, and eaten - Had taken refreshment. As this is spoken of Paul only, it is evidently distinguished from the celebration of the Lord’s Supper.
This site's exposition
Do not be alarmed!
on Acts 20:10-12
Paul threw himself on the young man and embraced him, as Elijah and Elisha had done over the children they raised. In verse 12 the people take the boy home alive, greatly relieved. Paul then broke bread and spoke until daybreak.
This site's exposition
went back upstairs, broke bread, and ate
The Greek names the bread with the article, the bread, which ties this act to the purpose of the meeting in verse 7. Barnes and Calvin read it as the Lord's Supper. Paul then ate a meal before the long talk until daybreak.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
Far be it from us to accept this as affirming that the apostles were accustomed to fast habitually on the Lord's day. For the day now known as the Lord's day was then called the first day of the week, as is more plainly seen in the Gospels; for the day of the Lord's resurrection is called by Matthew "first day of the week" and by the other three Evangelists "the first day of the week," and it is well ascertained that the same is the day which is now called the Lord's day. Either, therefore, it was after the close of the seventh day that they had assembled—namely, in the beginning of the night that followed and that belonged to the Lord's day or the first day of the week—and in this case the apostle, before proceeding to break bread with them, as is done in the sacrament of the body of Christ, continued his discourse until midnight, and also, after celebrating the sacrament, continued still speaking again to those who were assembled, being much pressed for time in order that he might set out at dawn upon the Lord's day. Or if it was on the first day of the week, at an hour before sunset on the Lord's day, that they had assembled, the words of the text, "Paul preached to them, ready to depart the next day," themselves expressly state the reason for his prolonging his discourse—namely, that he was about to leave them and wished to give them ample instruction. […]
"When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed." This thing cut short the discourse; it did no harm, however. Do you mark the frugality of the supper? Do you observe how they passed the whole night? Such were their meals, that the hearers came away sober, and fit for hearing.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
When he therefore was come up again,....
Paul did not now go on in a continued discourse, as before, but he and his friends fell into a free conversation, the subject of which, no doubt, was good, and to the use of edifying. Christian conference is an excellent means of promoting holiness, comfort, and Christian love.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
broken bread and eaten--with what a mixture of awe and joy after such an occurrence! "And eaten"--denoting a common repast, as distinguished from the breaking of the eucharistic bread. and talked a long while, even till break of day--How lifelike this record of dear Christian fellowship, as free and gladsome as it was solemn!
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Had broken bread - Had taken some refreshment, in order to their journey. And talked a long while - Ὁμιλησας, Having familiarly conversed, for this is the import of the word, which is very different from the διελεγετο, of the seventh verse, and the διαλεγομενου, of the ninth; which imply solemn, grave discourse.
The words behind it
16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἀναβὰς | anabas | Having gone up | G305 → | 82 times |
| δὲ | de | then | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| κλάσας | klasas | having broken | G2806 → | 14 times |
| τὸν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἄρτον | arton | bread | G740 → | 97 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| γευσάμενος, | geusamenos | having eaten, | G1089 → | 15 times |
| ἐφ᾽ | eph᾽ | for | G1909 → | 883 times |
| ἱκανόν | hikanon | long | G2425 → | 39 times |
| τε | te | and | G5037 → | 213 times |
| ὁμιλήσας | homilesas | having talked | G3656 → | |
| ἄχρι | achri | until | G891 → | 48 times |
| αὐγῆς, | auges | daybreak, | G827 → | |
| οὕτως | houtos | so | G3779 → | 208 times |
| ἐξῆλθεν. | exelthen | he departed. | G1831 → | 216 times |
ἀναβὰςHaving gone up
anabasG305 →82 times
δὲthen
deG1161 →2765 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
κλάσαςhaving broken
klasasG2806 →14 times
τὸνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
ἄρτονbread
artonG740 →97 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
γευσάμενος,having eaten,
geusamenosG1089 →15 times
ἐφ᾽for
eph᾽G1909 →883 times
ἱκανόνlong
hikanonG2425 →39 times
τεand
teG5037 →213 times
ὁμιλήσαςhaving talked
homilesasG3656 →
ἄχριuntil
achriG891 →48 times
αὐγῆς,daybreak,
augesG827 →
οὕτωςso
houtosG3779 →208 times
ἐξῆλθεν.he departed.
exelthenG1831 →216 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 20:7On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Since Paul was ready to leave the next day, he talked to them and kept on speaking until midnight.
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 16:2
On the first day of every week, each of you should set aside a portion of his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will be needed.
- Acts 2:42
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
- John 20:19
It was the first day of the week, and that very evening, while the disciples were together with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them. “Peace be…
- John 20:1
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance.
- Revelation 1:10
On the Lord’s day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,
- 1 Corinthians 16:2
Through
Acts 20:9And a certain young man named Eutychus, seated in the window, was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell from the third story…
it leads to
- Mark 13:36
Otherwise, he may arrive without notice and find you sleeping.
- Matthew 26:40–41
Then Jesus returned to the disciples and found them sleeping. “Were you not able to keep watch with Me for one hour?” He asked Peter.
- Jonah 1:5–6
The sailors were afraid, and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the ship’s cargo into the sea to lighten the load. But Jonah had gone down to the lowest part…
- Mark 13:36
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); Albert Barnes, Notes on Acts; Augustine of Hippo, LETTER 36.12.28; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentary upon the Acts of the Apostles; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 43; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.