Acts 21:19
in Acts 21Paul greeted them and recounted one by one the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And when he had saluted them, he rehearsed one by one the things which God had wrought among the Gentiles through his ministry.
KJV
And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry.
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This verse in Acts 21
Commentary
9 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Had saluted them - With the usual tokens of respect and affection. He declared particularly ... - As an evidence that God had been with him. It is not improbable that there might have been some suspicion in regard to Paul among the disciples at Jerusalem, and he might have heard that they were prejudiced against him. This prejudice would be removed by his stating what had actually occurred under his ministry.
This site's exposition
to see James
on Acts 21:18-19
Paul went in to see James, the brother of the Lord, with all the elders present. He recounted one by one what God had done among the Gentiles. The body that approved the Gentile mission in chapter 15 now hears how it has gone.
This site's exposition
recounted one by one
Paul told the story as the work of God. Henry notes that he gave the credit to the grace of God, and told it in detail so that grace would be seen plainly.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
This was the Bishop of Jerusalem; and to him Paul is sent on an earlier occasion. This James was brother of the Lord; a great and admirable man. To him, it says, "Paul entered in with us." Mark the Bishop's unassuming behavior: "and the elders" were present. Again Paul relates to them the things relating to the Gentiles, not indulging in vainglory, God forbid, but wishing to show forth the mercy of God, and to fill them with great joy.
The Medieval Church1 voice
"By his ministry," that is, by the preaching of the evangelical teaching.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
It was not I, but the grace of God which was with me. He planted and watered, but God gave the increase. He declared it particularly, that the grace of God might appear the more illustrious in the circumstances of his success.
And when he had saluted them,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
he declared particularly--in detail. what God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry--as on previous occasions (Ac 14:27; and see Ro 15:15); no doubt referring to the insidious and systematic efforts of the Judaizing party in a number of places to shrivel the Church of Christ into a Jewish sect, and his own counter-procedure.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Declared particularly, etc. - He no doubt had heard that they were prejudiced against him; and, by declaring what God had done by him among the Gentiles, showed how groundless this prejudice was: for, were he a bad man, or doing any thing that he should not do, God would not have made him such a singular instrument of so much good.
The words behind it
18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἀσπασάμενος | aspasamenos | having greeted | G782 → | 57 times |
| αὐτοὺς | autous | them | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ἐξηγεῖτο | exegeito | he was relating | G1834 → | 6 times |
| καθ᾽ | kath᾽ | by | G2596 → | 468 times |
| ἓν | hen | one | G1520 → | 343 times |
| ἕκαστον | hekaston | each | G1538 → | 81 times |
| ὧν | hon | of the things | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| ἐποίησεν | epoiesen | did | G4160 → | 569 times |
| ὁ | ho | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θεὸς | theos | God | G2316 → | 1312 times |
| ἐν | en | among | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| τοῖς | tois | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἔθνεσιν | ethnesin | Gentiles | G1484 → | 161 times |
| διὰ | dia | through | G1223 → | 664 times |
| τῆς | tes | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| διακονίας | diakonias | ministry | G1248 → | 34 times |
| αὐτοῦ. | autou | of him. | G846 → | 5565 times |
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἀσπασάμενοςhaving greeted
aspasamenosG782 →57 times
αὐτοὺςthem
autousG846 →5565 times
ἐξηγεῖτοhe was relating
exegeitoG1834 →6 times
καθ᾽by
kath᾽G2596 →468 times
ἓνone
henG1520 →343 times
ἕκαστονeach
hekastonG1538 →81 times
ὧνof the things
honG3739 →1405 times
ἐποίησενdid
epoiesenG4160 →569 times
ὁ<the>
hoG3588 →19766 times
θεὸςGod
theosG2316 →1312 times
ἐνamong
enG1722 →2738 times
τοῖςthe
toisG3588 →19766 times
ἔθνεσινGentiles
ethnesinG1484 →161 times
διὰthrough
diaG1223 →664 times
τῆςthe
tesG3588 →19766 times
διακονίαςministry
diakoniasG1248 →34 times
αὐτοῦ.of him.
autouG846 →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
Acts 20:24But I consider my life of no value to me, if only I may finish my course and complete the ministry I have received from the Lord Jesus—the ministry of testifying to the good…
it leads to
- 2 Timothy 4:6–8
For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.
- 2 Corinthians 12:10
That is why, for the sake of Christ, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
- 2 Corinthians 4:1
Therefore, since God in His mercy has given us this ministry, we do not lose heart.
- 1 Corinthians 15:58
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast and immovable. Always excel in the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
- Acts 21:13
Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”
- 2 Timothy 4:6–8
Through
1 Corinthians 15:10But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not in vain. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of…
it leads to
- Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.
- 2 Corinthians 3:5
Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim that anything comes from us, but our competence comes from God.
- Philippians 2:13
For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose.
- Philippians 4:13
Where this verse is studied
About Acts
This page draws on 9 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); J. A. Alexander, Acts of the Apostles Explained; 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 46; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.