Acts 28:21
in Acts 28The leaders replied, “We have not received any letters about you from Judea, nor have any of the brothers from there reported or even mentioned anything bad about you.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And they said unto him, We neither received letters from Judæa concerning thee, nor did any of the brethren come hither and report or speak any harm of thee.
KJV
And they said unto him, We neither received letters out of Judea concerning thee, neither any of the brethren that came shewed or spake any harm of thee.
⋯
This verse in Acts 28
Commentary
10 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
We neither received letters ... - Why the Jews in Judea had not forwarded the accusation against Paul to their brethren at Rome, that they might continue the prosecution before the emperor, is not known. It is probable that they regarded their cause as hopeless, and chose to abandon the prosecution. Paul had been acquitted successively by Lysias, Felix, Festus, and Agrippa; and as they had not succeeded in procuring his condemnation before them, they saw no prospect of doing it at Rome, and resolved, therefore, not to press the prosecution any further.
This site's exposition
We have not received any letters
on Acts 28:21-22
The Jewish leaders in Rome have received no letters about Paul from Judea. Their interest is doctrinal, because people everywhere are speaking against this sect. The word is hairesis, the term the book uses of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
"But they said to him: We neither received letters concerning thee from Judea," etc. The Jews replied to Paul that they had had no opportunity to learn either by letters or by a messenger the things that he had just told; but they asked him, …
Then they also were so subdued by his speech, that they too apologized for those of their own nation: "And they said unto him, We neither received letters out of Judea concerning thee, neither any of the brethren that came showed or spake any harm of thee." Neither through letters, nor through men, have they made known any harm of thee.
Observe them also speaking more mildly to him. "We beg," say they: and wish to speak in exculpation of those at Jerusalem. Whereas they ought to accuse them, they plead for them: by the very fact of their exonerating them, they do in fact accuse them. For this very thing was a proof that they knew themselves exceedingly in the wrong. Had they been confident, they would at any rate have done this, so that he should not have it in his power to make out his story in his own way, and besides they shrank from coming.
The Medieval Church1 voice
Even before Paul's arrival in Rome, the Jews had been persuaded not to accept the preaching about Christ — not only the Jews in Rome, but all Jews throughout the entire world. But how is this known? In the writings of ancient authors we find …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
When Saul heard that David had fled to Gath, he sought no more again for him. Thus did Paul by his appeal: he fled to Rome, where he was out of their reach; and they said, "Even let him go." 2.
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
But I am apt to think that what they said was true, and Paul now found he had gained the point he aimed at in appealing to Cæsar, which was to remove his cause into a court to which they durst not follow it. This was David's policy, and it was his security ( 1 Sam. xxvii.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
And they said unto him,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
We neither received letters, etc. - This is very strange, and shows us that the Jews knew their cause to be hopeless, and therefore did not send it forward to Rome. They wished for an opportunity to kill Paul: and, when they were frustrated by his appeal to the emperor, they permitted the business to drop. Calmet supposes they had not time to send; but this supposition does not appear to be sufficiently solid: they might have sent long before Paul sailed; and they might have written officially by the vessel in which the centurion and the prisoners were embarked. But their case was hopeless; and they could not augur any good to themselves from making a formal complaint against the apostle at the emperor’s throne.
The words behind it
26 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| οἱ | hoi | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δὲ | de | And | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| πρὸς | pros | to | G4314 → | 700 times |
| αὐτὸν | auton | him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| εἶπαν· | eipan | they said; | G2036 → | 925 times |
| ἡμεῖς | hemeis | We ourselves | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| οὔτε | oute | neither | G3777 → | 87 times |
| γράμματα | grammata | letters | G1121 → | |
| περὶ | peri | concerning | G4012 → | 332 times |
| σοῦ | sou | you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| ἐδεξάμεθα | edexametha | received | G1209 → | 56 times |
| ἀπὸ | apo | from | G575 → | 640 times |
| τῆς | tes | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Ἰουδαίας, | ioudaias | Judea, | G2449 → | 44 times |
| οὔτε | oute | nor | G3777 → | 87 times |
| παραγενόμενός | paragenomenos | having arrived | G3854 → | 36 times |
| τις | tis | any | G5100 → | 528 times |
| τῶν | ton | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀδελφῶν | adelphon | brothers | G80 → | 343 times |
| ἀπήγγειλεν | apengeilen | reported | G518 → | 43 times |
| ἢ | e | or | G2228 → | 342 times |
| ἐλάλησέν | elalesen | he said | G2980 → | 294 times |
| τι | ti | anything | G5100 → | 528 times |
| περὶ | peri | concerning | G4012 → | 332 times |
| σοῦ | sou | you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| πονηρόν. | poneron | evil. | G4190 → | 78 times |
οἱ<the>
hoiG3588 →19766 times
δὲAnd
deG1161 →2765 times
πρὸςto
prosG4314 →700 times
αὐτὸνhim
autonG846 →5565 times
εἶπαν·they said;
eipanG2036 →925 times
ἡμεῖςWe ourselves
hemeisG3165 →1936 times
οὔτεneither
outeG3777 →87 times
γράμματαletters
grammataG1121 →
περὶconcerning
periG4012 →332 times
σοῦyou
souG4771 →2973 times
ἐδεξάμεθαreceived
edexamethaG1209 →56 times
ἀπὸfrom
apoG575 →640 times
τῆς<the>
tesG3588 →19766 times
Ἰουδαίας,Judea,
ioudaiasG2449 →44 times
οὔτεnor
outeG3777 →87 times
παραγενόμενόςhaving arrived
paragenomenosG3854 →36 times
τιςany
tisG5100 →528 times
τῶνof the
tonG3588 →19766 times
ἀδελφῶνbrothers
adelphonG80 →343 times
ἀπήγγειλενreported
apengeilenG518 →43 times
ἢor
eG2228 →342 times
ἐλάλησένhe said
elalesenG2980 →294 times
τιanything
tiG5100 →528 times
περὶconcerning
periG4012 →332 times
σοῦyou
souG4771 →2973 times
πονηρόν.evil.
poneronG4190 →78 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
Isaiah 54:17No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their vindication is from Me,” declares the…
it leads to
- Romans 8:28–39
And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.
- Isaiah 54:15
If anyone attacks you, it is not from Me; whoever assails you will fall before you.
- John 10:28–30
I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand.
- Isaiah 50:8
The One who vindicates Me is near. Who will dare to contend with Me? Let us confront each other! Who has a case against Me? Let him approach Me!
- Romans 8:1
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
- Romans 8:28–39
Through
Isaiah 41:11Behold, all who rage against you will be ashamed and disgraced; those who contend with you will be reduced to nothing and will perish.
it leads to
- Exodus 23:22
But if you will listen carefully to his voice and do everything I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and a foe to your foes.
- Isaiah 45:24
Surely they will say of Me, ‘In the LORD alone are righteousness and strength.’” All who rage against Him will come to Him and be put to shame.
- Exodus 23:22
Through
Exodus 11:7But among all the Israelites, not even a dog will snarl at man or beast.’ Then you will know that the LORD makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.
it leads to
- Joshua 10:21
The whole army returned safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah, and no one dared to utter a word against the Israelites.
- Joshua 10:21
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Acts

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Cassiodorus, Complexiones on the Acts of the Apostles; J. A. Alexander, The Acts of the Apostles Explained; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 55; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.
