Acts 20:37
in Acts 20They all wept openly as they embraced Paul and kissed him.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And they all wept sore, and fell on Paul’s neck and kissed him,
KJV
And they all wept sore, and fell on Paul’s neck, and kissed him,
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This verse in Acts 20
Commentary
8 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Wept sore - Wept much. Greek: “There was a great weeping of all.” And fell on Paul’s neck - Embraced him, as a token of tender affection. The same thing Joseph did when he met his aged father Jacob, Gen 46:29. And kissed him - This was the common token of affection. See the Mat 26:48 note; Luk 15:20 note; Rom 16:16 note; 1Co 16:20 note.
This site's exposition
knelt down with all of them
on Acts 20:36-38
Paul knelt with all the elders and prayed, and they wept openly as they embraced and kissed him. They grieved most at his statement that they would never see his face again, the word of verse 25.
This site's exposition
They all wept openly as they embraced Paul
The Greek says they fell upon the neck of Paul, the words Luke uses of the father greeting his son at Luke 15:20. The verb for kissed marks repeated action, so they kissed him again and again.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"And they all wept sore, and fell on Paul's neck and kissed him, sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake, that they should see his face no more." He had said, that "grievous wolves should enter in;" had said, "I am pure from the blood of all men:" and yet the thing that grieved them most of all was this, "that they should see him no more:" since indeed it was this that made the war grievous. "And they fell on his neck," it says, "and wept." He shows their affection also by saying, "Upon his neck," as taking a last and yet a last embrace, such was the love they conceived from his discourse, such the spell of love that bound them. For if we groan when simply parting from each other, although we know that we shall receive one another back again, what a tearing away of themselves it must have been to them!
The Medieval Church1 voice
It should be noted that the one who is departing ought to kneel and pray with all those present, and only then depart. The strength of their affection for Paul, as they embraced him for the last time and felt deep love and friendship from …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And they all wept sore,.... At the thoughts of parting with such a faithful and affectionate friend and servant of Christ; and no doubt but their affections were greatly moved by his prayers for them, as well as by his discourse to them.
And in all these we find Paul very busy to serve Christ, and to do good to the souls of men, not only in the conversion of heathen, but in the edification of Christians. Paul's Departure from Ephesus; 1 And after the uproar was ceased, Paul called unto him the disciples, and embraced them, and departed for to go into Macedonia.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Fell on Paul’s neck - Leaned their heads against his shoulders, and kissed his neck. This was not an unusual custom in the east.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἱκανὸς | hikanos | Much | G2425 → | 39 times |
| δὲ | de | then | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| κλαυθμὸς | klauthmos | weeping | G2805 → | |
| ἐγένετο | egeneto | there was | G1096 → | 667 times |
| πάντων, | panton | among all, | G3956 → | 1235 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἐπιπεσόντες | epipesontes | having fallen | G1968 → | 11 times |
| ἐπὶ | epi | upon | G1909 → | 883 times |
| τὸν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| τράχηλον | trachelon | neck | G5137 → | |
| τοῦ | tou | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Παύλου | paulou | of Paul | G3972 → | 158 times |
| κατεφίλουν | katephiloun | they were kissing | G2705 → | |
| αὐτόν, | auton | him, | G846 → | 5565 times |
ἱκανὸςMuch
hikanosG2425 →39 times
δὲthen
deG1161 →2765 times
κλαυθμὸςweeping
klauthmosG2805 →
ἐγένετοthere was
egenetoG1096 →667 times
πάντων,among all,
pantonG3956 →1235 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐπιπεσόντεςhaving fallen
epipesontesG1968 →11 times
ἐπὶupon
epiG1909 →883 times
τὸνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
τράχηλονneck
trachelonG5137 →
τοῦ<the>
touG3588 →19766 times
Παύλουof Paul
paulouG3972 →158 times
κατεφίλουνthey were kissing
katephilounG2705 →
αὐτόν,him,
autonG846 →5565 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
Revelation 21:4‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,’ and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.”
it leads to
- Isaiah 25:8
He will swallow up death forever. The Lord GOD will wipe away the tears from every face and remove the disgrace of His people from the whole earth. For the LORD has spoken.
- Revelation 7:17
For the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd. ‘He will lead them to springs of living water,’ and ‘God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”
- 1 Corinthians 15:26
The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
- Isaiah 35:10
So the redeemed of the LORD will return and enter Zion with singing, crowned with everlasting joy. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee.
- Isaiah 60:20
Your sun will no longer set, and your moon will not wane; for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and the days of your sorrow will cease.
- Isaiah 25:8
Through
Romans 16:16Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send you greetings.
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 16:20
All the brothers here send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Corinthians 16:20
Through
Luke 15:20So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still in the distance, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him, and…
it leads to
- Psalms 103:10–13
He has not dealt with us according to our sins or repaid us according to our iniquities.
- Psalms 86:5
For You, O Lord, are kind and forgiving, rich in loving devotion to all who call on You.
- Psalms 103:10–13
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; J. A. Alexander, Acts of the Apostles Explained; John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 45; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; R. J. Knowling, The Acts of the Apostles, Expositor's Greek Testament and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.