Acts 21:40
in Acts 21Having received permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd. A great hush came over the crowd, and he addressed them in Hebrew:
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And when he had given him leave, Paul, standing on the stairs, beckoned with the hand unto the people; and when there was made a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew language, saying,
KJV
And when he had given him licence, Paul stood on the stairs, and beckoned with the hand unto the people. And when there was made a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue, saying,
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This verse in Acts 21
Commentary
11 notes on this verseMuch contributed to him the very place — the stairs — namely, that he spoke while standing high up and being bound. To see Paul, bound with two chains, speaking to the people — what spectacle could equal this? How he was not frightened, looking …
This site's exposition
a citizen of no ordinary city
on Acts 21:39-40
Paul stood on the steps and addressed the crowd in Hebrew, meaning Aramaic, the language of the street. The choice calmed a crowd primed to hear a traitor, and the first of the five defense speeches in the book follows.
This site's exposition
stood on the steps
Adam Clarke notes that the steps put Paul above the reach of the mob, with Roman soldiers around him. Theophylact sees a chained man speaking without fear. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown suggest the crowd fell quiet partly in awe that the commander had let him speak.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
Observe how, when he discourses to those that are without, he does not decline availing himself of the aids afforded by the laws. Here he awes the tribune by the name of his city. And again, elsewhere he said, "Openly, uncondemned, Romans as we are, they have cast us into prison." For since the tribune said, "Art thou that Egyptian?" he immediately drew him off from that surmise: then, that he may not be thought to deny his nation, he says at once, "I am a Jew:" he means his religion. What then? he did not deny (that he was a Christian): God forbid: for he was both a Jew and a Christian, observing what things he ought: since indeed he, most of all men, did obey the law. The man that believes in Christ. And when discoursing with Peter, he says: "We, Jews by nature. But I beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the people." And this is a proof, that he does not speak lies, seeing he takes all as his witnesses. Observe again how mildly he speaks. This again is a very strong argument that he is chargeable with no crime, his being so ready to make his defence, and his wishing to come to discourse with the people of the Jews. See a man well-prepared! Mark the providential ordering of the thing: unless the tribune had come, unless he had bound him, he would not have desired to speak for his defence, he would not have obtained the silence he did. "Standing on the stairs." Then there was the additional facility afforded by the locality, that he should have a high place to harangue them from - in chains too! What spectacle could be equal to this, to see Paul, bound with two chains, and haranguing the people! To see him, how he was not a whit perturbed, not a whit confused; how, seeing as he did so great a multitude all hostility against him, the ruler standing by, he first of all made them desist from their anger: then, how prudently he does this. […]
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
In the Hebrew tongue - That dialect of it, which was then commonly spoken at Jerusalem.
And when he had given him licence,....
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 Century1 voice
Paul stood on the stairs - Where he was out of the reach of the mob, and was surrounded by the Roman soldiers. Beckoned with the hand - Waving the hand, which was the sign that he was about to address the people. So Virgil says of Turnus, when he wished, by single combat between himself and Aeneas, to put an end to the war: - Significatque manu, et magno simul incipit ore: Parcite jam, Rutuli; et vos tela inhibete, Latini.
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
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.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Yet in the midst of so many dangers, how self-possessed is he, how tranquil!" [CHRYSOSTOM (or in his name) in HACKETT]. a great silence--the people awed at the permission given him by the commandant, and seeing him sitting as a listener. in the Hebrew tongue--the Syro-Chaldaic, the vernacular tongue of the Palestine Jews since the captivity.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Licence - Liberty; permission. On the stairs - See the notes on Act 21:35. Beckoned with the hand - Waving the hand as a sign that he was about to address them, and to produce silence and attention. See Act 12:17. In the Hebrew tongue - The language which was spoken by the Jews, which was then a mixture of the Chaldee and Syriac, called Syro-Chaldaic. This language he doubtless used on this occasion in preference to the Greek, because it was understood better by the multitude, and would tend to conciliate them if they heard him address them in their own tongue. The following chapter should have been connected with this. The division here is unnatural.
The words behind it
23 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἐπιτρέψαντος | epitrepsantos | When was permitting | G2010 → | 18 times |
| δὲ | de | then | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| αὐτοῦ | autou | he | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ὁ | ho | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Παῦλος | paulos | Paul | G3972 → | 158 times |
| ἑστὼς | hestos | having stood | G2476 → | 153 times |
| ἐπὶ | epi | on | G1909 → | 883 times |
| τῶν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀναβαθμῶν | anabathmon | stairs | G304 → | |
| κατέσεισεν | kateseisen | made a sign | G2678 → | 4 times |
| τῇ | tea | with the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| χειρὶ | cheiri | hand | G5495 → | 175 times |
| τῷ | to | to the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| λαῷ, | lao | people, | G2992 → | 141 times |
| πολλῆς | polles | great | G4183 → | 367 times |
| δὲ | de | then | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| σιγῆς | siges | silence | G4602 → | |
| γενομένης | genomenes | having taken place | G1096 → | 667 times |
| προσεφώνησεν | prosephonesen | he addressed [them] | G4377 → | |
| τῇ | tea | in the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Ἑβραΐδι | hebraidi | Hebrew | G1446 → | 3 times |
| διαλέκτῳ | dialekto | language | G1258 → | 6 times |
| λέγων·¶ | legon | saying: | G3004 → | 1325 times |
ἐπιτρέψαντοςWhen was permitting
epitrepsantosG2010 →18 times
δὲthen
deG1161 →2765 times
αὐτοῦhe
autouG846 →5565 times
ὁ<the>
hoG3588 →19766 times
ΠαῦλοςPaul
paulosG3972 →158 times
ἑστὼςhaving stood
hestosG2476 →153 times
ἐπὶon
epiG1909 →883 times
τῶνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
ἀναβαθμῶνstairs
anabathmonG304 →
κατέσεισενmade a sign
kateseisenG2678 →4 times
τῇwith the
teaG3588 →19766 times
χειρὶhand
cheiriG5495 →175 times
τῷto the
toG3588 →19766 times
λαῷ,people,
laoG2992 →141 times
πολλῆςgreat
pollesG4183 →367 times
δὲthen
deG1161 →2765 times
σιγῆςsilence
sigesG4602 →
γενομένηςhaving taken place
genomenesG1096 →667 times
προσεφώνησενhe addressed [them]
prosephonesenG4377 →
τῇin the
teaG3588 →19766 times
ἙβραΐδιHebrew
hebraidiG1446 →3 times
διαλέκτῳlanguage
dialektoG1258 →6 times
λέγων·¶saying:
legonG3004 →1325 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
John 5:2Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool with five covered colonnades, which in Hebrew is called Bethesda.
it leads to
- Nehemiah 12:39
over the Gate of Ephraim, the Jeshanah Gate, the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel, and the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Sheep Gate. And they stopped at the Gate of…
- Nehemiah 3:1
At the Sheep Gate, Eliashib the high priest and his fellow priests began rebuilding. They dedicated it and installed its doors. After building as far as the Tower of the Hundred and the Tower…
- Nehemiah 12:39
Through
Acts 12:17Peter motioned with his hand for silence, and he described how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. “Send word to James and to the brothers,” he said, and he left for…
it leads to
- Acts 19:33
The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander forward to explain himself, and he motioned for silence so he could make his defense to the people.
- Acts 13:16
Paul stood up, motioned with his hand, and began to speak: “Men of Israel and you Gentiles who fear God, listen to me!
- Acts 15:13
When they had finished speaking, James declared, “Brothers, listen to me!
- Acts 21:18
The next day Paul went in with us to see James, and all the elders were present.
- Acts 19:33
Through
Acts 26:14We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice say to me in Hebrew, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’
it leads to
- Acts 9:7
The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless. They heard the voice but did not see anyone.
- Acts 9:7
Through
Acts 19:33The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander forward to explain himself, and he motioned for silence so he could make his defense to the people.
it leads to
- Acts 12:17
Peter motioned with his hand for silence, and he described how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. “Send word to James and to the brothers,” he said, and he left for…
- Acts 12:17
Where this verse is studied
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); J. A. Alexander, Acts of the Apostles Explained; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 47; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Lightfoot, Horae Hebraicae et Talmudicae; John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.