Acts 21:37 BSB — MannaFest

Acts 21:37

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

Parallel translations (2) ▾

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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Commentary

1 voice

Bede

Commentary on Acts (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, …

The record, by era

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

Albert Barnes

1798–1870

Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)

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.

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.

Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

23 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
μέλλων	mellōn	Being about	G3195 →
τε	te	then	G5037 →
εἰσάγεσθαι	eisagesthai	to be brought	G1521 →
εἰς	eis	into	G1519 →
τὴν	tēn	the	G3588 →
παρεμβολὴν	parembolēn	barracks	G3925 →
ὁ	ho	<the>	G3588 →
Παῦλος	Paulos	Paul	G3972 →
λέγει	legei	says	G3004 →
τῷ	tō	to the	G3588 →
χιλιάρχῳ·	chiliarchō	commander;	G5506 →
εἰ	ei	If	G1487 →
ἔξεστίν	exestin	is it permitted	G1832 →
μοι	moi	to me	G3165 →
εἰπεῖν	eipein	to say	G2036 →
τι	ti	something	G5100 →
πρὸς	pros	to	G4314 →
σέ;	se	you?	G4771 →
ὁ	ho	<the>	G3588 →
δὲ	de	Then	G1161 →
ἔφη·	ephē	he was saying;	G5346 →
ἑλληνιστὶ	hellēnisti	Greek	G1676 →
γινώσκεις;	ginōskeis	do you know?	G1097 →

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

The walk

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
Luke 21:15
For I will give you speech and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.
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.
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.
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.

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About Acts

The Ascension — Gustave Doré (engraving, public domain)

Acts: the study guide →Read chapter 21 →The featured study →

Continue: Acts 21 →

01Commentary

The record, by era

Voices on this verse

02Original language & word study

03The walk

Where the connections lead

04Related verses

05Featured studies on this passage

06About Acts

The record, by era

Where the connections lead

Commentary

Original language & word study

The walk

Related verses

Featured studies on this passage

About Acts