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Acts 21:37

in Acts 21

As they were about to take Paul into the barracks, he asked the commander, “May I say something to you?” “Do you speak Greek?” he replied.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And as Paul was about to be brought into the castle, he saith unto the chief captain, May I say something unto thee? And he said, Dost thou know Greek?

KJV

And as Paul was to be led into the castle, he said unto the chief captain, May I speak unto thee? Who said, Canst thou speak Greek?

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This verse in Acts 21

Commentary

8 notes on this verse

A commentator

Bede

Commentary on Acts · Written before 735.

He said: Do you know Greek? Are you not the Egyptian, etc.? For an Egyptian had come to Judea, who by magical art claimed prophecy for himself, gathered about thirty thousand Jews; and leading them through the desert, he came to the Mount of Olives, …

This site's exposition

Do you speak Greek?

on Acts 21:37-38

Surprised that Paul spoke Greek, the commander asked whether he was the Egyptian who incited a rebellion some time ago. Josephus also records that Egyptian, a false prophet whose movement the Roman garrison had broken up.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers1 voice

A commentator

John Chrysostom

Homily on Acts 46 · Written before 407.

proposed

"And as Paul was to be led into the castle, he said unto the tribune, May I speak unto thee?" In the act of being borne along up the stairs, he requests to say something to the tribune: and observe how quietly he does it. "May I speak unto thee?" he says. "Who said, Canst thou speak Greek? Art thou not then that Egyptian, which before these days madest an uproar, and leddest out into the wilderness four thousand men that were murderers?" For this Egyptian was a revolutionary and seditious person. With regard to this then Paul clears himself. Observe how submissively Paul speaks to the tribune. "May I speak unto thee? Then art not thou that Egyptian?" This Egyptian, namely, was a cheat and impostor, and the devil expected to cast a cloud over the Gospel through him, and implicate both Christ and His Apostles in the charges pertaining to those impostors: but he prevailed nothing, nay the truth became even more brilliant, being nothing defeated by the machinations of the devil, nay rather shining forth all the more. Since if there had not been impostors, and then these Christ and His Apostles had prevailed, perhaps some one might have laid hold upon this: but when those impostors did actually appear, this is the wonder. "In order," says the Apostle, "that they which are approved may be made manifest." And Gamaliel says, "Before these days stood up Theudas." Then let us not grieve that heresies exist, seeing that false Christs wished to attack even Christ both before this and after; with a view to throw Him into the shade, but on every occasion we find the truth shining out transparent.

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

And as Paul was to be led into the castle,....

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

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

May I speak unto thee? - May I have the privilege of making my defense before thee; or of stating the case truly; the cause of my accusation; of this tumult, etc. Canst thou speak Greek? - Implying that if he could, he might be permitted to speak to him. The Greek language was what was then almost universally spoken, and it is not improbable that it was the native tongue of the chief captain.

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

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.
1 more voice on this verse

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

Canst thou speak Greek? - Claudius Lysias was not a Roman; he had, as himself informs us, purchased his citizenship of Rome with a great sum of money; (see Act 22:28); and it is very likely that he was but imperfectly acquainted with the Latin tongue; and the tumult that was now made, and the discordant noise, prevented him from clearly apprehending what was said; and, as he wished to know the merit of the cause, he accosted Paul with, ἙλληνιϚι γινωσκεις, Dost thou understand Greek? And when he found that he did understand it, he proceeded to question him as below.

The words behind it

23 Greek words

Every 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.

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

8 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Acts 21:34Some in the crowd were shouting one thing, and some another. And since the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be brought into the barracks.4 worksJohn 18:12Then the band of soldiers, with its commander and the officers of the Jews, arrested Jesus and bound Him.3 worksMatthew 10:18–20On My account, you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles.2 worksLuke 21:15For I will give you speech and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.2 worksActs 19:30Paul wanted to go before the assembly, but the disciples would not allow him.2 worksActs 21:19Paul greeted them and recounted one by one the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.2 works
The other 2 cross-references, with their words ▾
Acts 21:39But 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.”2 worksJohn 19:20Many of the Jews read this sign, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek.2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each 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

    Luke 21:15

    For I will give you speech and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.

    it leads to

    • Jeremiah 1:9

      Then the LORD reached out His hand, touched my mouth, and said to me: “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.

    • Ephesians 6:19

      Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will boldly make known the mystery of the gospel,

    • Luke 12:12

      For at that time the Holy Spirit will teach you what you should say.”

    • Acts 6:10

      but they could not stand up to his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke.

    • Exodus 4:11–12

      And the LORD said to him, “Who gave man his mouth? Or who makes the mute or the deaf, the sighted or the blind? Is it not I, the LORD?

  • Through

    Acts 21:19

    Paul greeted them and recounted one by one the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.

    it leads to

    • Acts 14:27

      When they arrived, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them, and how He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.

  • Through

    Acts 21:34

    Some in the crowd were shouting one thing, and some another. And since the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be brought into the barracks.

    it leads to

    • Acts 23:10

      The dispute grew so violent that the commander was afraid they would tear Paul to pieces. He ordered the soldiers to go down and remove him by force and bring him into the barracks.

    • Acts 19:32

      Meanwhile the assembly was in turmoil. Some were shouting one thing and some another, and most of them did not even know why they were there.

Where this verse is studied

About Acts

The Pentecost, El Greco, about 1600, Museo del Prado. Public domain.
The Pentecost, El Greco, about 1600, Museo del Prado. Public domain.
Acts: the study guide →Read Acts 21 →
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on Acts; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Commentary on Acts; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 46; 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.

Read on in Acts 21 →