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The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

Acts 21:23

Therefore do what we advise you. There are four men with us who have taken a vow.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Bigotry;   Diplomacy;   Judaism;   Law;   Meekness;   Opinion, Public;   Paul;   Prudence;   Tact;   Thompson Chain Reference - Covenants and Vows;   Vows;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Luke;   Nazarite;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - James the brother of jesus;   Jerusalem;   Law;   Nazirite;   Paul;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Abstain, Abstinence;   Clean, Unclean;   Offerings and Sacrifices;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Nazarites;   Ordination;   Syrian Christians;   Worship of God;   Easton Bible Dictionary - James;   John;   Nazarite;   Vows;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - James;   Peter;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Elder;   Ephesians, Book of;   Luke, Gospel of;   Nazirite;   Paul;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Nazirite;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - James ;   Law;   Moses;   Nazirite;   Nazirite ;   Old Testament;   Vote;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Vows;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Vow;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Saul of Tarsus;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Apostolic Age;   Head;   James;   Law in the New Testament;   Nazirite;   Vow;  

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
So we will tell you what to do: Four of our men have made a vow to God.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Do therfore this that we saye to the. We have .iiii. men which have a vowe on them.
Hebrew Names Version
Therefore do what we tell you. We have four men who have a vow on them.
International Standard Version
So do what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow.
New American Standard Bible
"Therefore, do as we tell you: we have four men who have a vow upon themselves;
New Century Version
So we will tell you what to do: Four of our men have made a promise to God.
Update Bible Version
Do therefore this that we say to you: We have four men that have a vow on them;
Webster's Bible Translation
Do therefore this that we say to thee: we have four men who have a vow on them;
English Standard Version
Do therefore what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow;
World English Bible
Therefore do what we tell you. We have four men who have a vow on them.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Therefore do this that we say to thee: there are with us four men, who have a vow on them:
Weymouth's New Testament
so do this which we now tell you. We have four men here who have a vow resting on them.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor do thou this thing, that we seien to thee. Ther ben to vs foure men, that han a vow on hem.
English Revised Version
Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them;
Contemporary English Version
Please do what we ask, because four of our men have made special promises to God.
Amplified Bible
"Therefore do just what we tell you. We have four men who have taken a vow;
American Standard Version
Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men that have a vow on them;
Bible in Basic English
Do this, then, which we say to you: We have four men who have taken an oath;
Complete Jewish Bible
So do what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow.
Darby Translation
This do therefore that we say to thee: We have four men who have a vow on them;
Etheridge Translation
We have four men who have a vow to be purified.
Murdock Translation
do thou what we tell thee. We have four men, who have vowed to purify themselves.
King James Version (1611)
Doe therefore this that we say to thee: Wee haue foure men which haue a vow on them,
New Living Translation
"Here's what we want you to do. We have four men here who have completed their vow.
New Life Bible
You must do what we tell you. We have four men with us who have made a promise to God.
New Revised Standard
So do what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Doe therefore this that we say to thee. We haue foure men, which haue made a vowe,
George Lamsa Translation
Do, therefore, what we tell you: We have four men who have vowed to purify themselves;
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
This, then, do, which unto thee, we say: - We have four men who have a vow upon themselves.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Do therefore this that we say to thee. We have four men, who have a vow on them.
Revised Standard Version
Do therefore what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow;
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Do therfore this that we saye to thee. We haue foure men, which haue a vow on them:
Good News Translation
This is what we want you to do. There are four men here who have taken a vow.
Christian Standard Bible®
Therefore do what we tell you: We have four men who have made a vow.
King James Version
Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them;
Lexham English Bible
Therefore do this that we tell you: we have four men who have taken a vow upon themselves.
Literal Translation
Then do this, what we say to you: There are four men who have a vow on themselves;
Young's Literal Translation
`This, therefore, do that we say to thee: We have four men having a vow on themselves,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Do this therfore that we saye vnto the: We haue foure men, which haue a vowe on them,
Mace New Testament (1729)
yield then to our advice: there are four men here, who have made a vow:
New English Translation
So do what we tell you: We have four men who have taken a vow;
New King James Version
Therefore do what we tell you: We have four men who have taken a vow.
Simplified Cowboy Version
But listen to our plan and see if you like it. There are four men here who have completed a vow they made and now need to go get purified at the main church by getting their heads shaved. But these men don't have the money for it.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Therefore do this that we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow;
Legacy Standard Bible
Therefore do this that we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow;

Contextual Overview

15After these days, we packed up and went on to Jerusalem. 16Some of the disciples from Caesarea accompanied us, and they took us to stay at the home of Mnason the Cypriot, an early disciple. 17When we arrived in Jerusalem, the brothers welcomed us joyfully. 18The next day, Paul went in with us to see James, and all the elders were present. 19Paul greeted them and recounted one by one the things God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. 20When they heard this, they glorified God. Then they said to Paul, "You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law. 21But they are under the impression that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or observe our customs. 22What then should we do? They will certainly hear that you have come. 23Therefore do what we advise you. There are four men with us who have taken a vow.24Take these men, purify yourself along with them, and pay their expenses so they can have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know that there is no truth to these rumors about you, but that you also live in obedience to the law.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

We have: Acts 18:18, Numbers 6:2-7

Reciprocal: Numbers 6:9 - shave

Cross-References

Genesis 20:14
So Abimelech brought sheep and cattle, menservants and maidservants, and he gave them to Abraham and restored his wife Sarah to him.
Genesis 21:21
And while he was dwelling in the Wilderness of Paran, his mother got a wife for him from the land of Egypt.
Genesis 21:22
At that time Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army said to Abraham, "God is with you in all that you do.
Genesis 21:23
Now, therefore, swear to me here before God that you will not deal falsely with me or my children or descendants. Show to me and to the country in which you reside the same kindness that I have shown to you."
Genesis 24:3
and I will have you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I am dwelling,
Genesis 26:28
"We can plainly see that the LORD has been with you," they replied. "We think there should be an oath between two parties-between us and you. Let us make a covenant with you
Genesis 31:44
Come now, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it serve as a witness between you and me."
Genesis 31:53
May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us." So Jacob swore by the One feared by his father Isaac.
Deuteronomy 6:13
Fear the LORD your God, serve Him, and take your oaths using only His name.
Joshua 2:12
Now therefore, please swear to me by the LORD that you will indeed show kindness to my family because I showed kindness to you. Give me a sure sign

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Do therefore this that we say to thee,.... This is said not as commanding, but as advising; and not to what was a duty, and necessary to be done as such, but as a point of prudence:

we have four men which have a vow on them; that is, there were four men who were of the church at Jerusalem, believers in Christ, but weak ones, who were zealous of the law, and bigots to it, and who had voluntarily vowed a vow of the Nazarites; see Numbers 6:2.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

We have four men - There are with us four men. It is evident that James and the elders meant to say that these men were connected with them in the Christian church; and the fact shows that the Christians at Jerusalem did not disregard the institutions of Moses, and had not been so far enlightened in the doctrines of Christianity as to forsake yet the ceremonial rites of the Jews.

Which have a vow on them - Which have made a vow. See the notes on Acts 18:18. From the mention of shaving the head (in Acts 21:24), it is evident that the vow which they had taken was that of the Nazarite; and that as the time of their vow was about expiring, they were about to be shaven, in accordance with the custom usual on such occasions. See the notes on Acts 18:18. These persons Paul could join, and thus show decisively that he did not intend to undervalue or disparage the laws of Moses when those laws were understood as mere ceremonial observances.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Acts 21:23. We have four men which have a vow — From the shaving of the head, mentioned immediately after, it is evident that the four men in question were under the vow of Nazariteship; and that the days of their vow were nearly at an end, as they were about to shave their heads; for, during the time of the Nazariteship, the hair was permitted to grow, and only shaven off at the termination of the vow. Among the Jews, it was common to make vows to God on extraordinary occasions; and that of the Nazarite appears to have been one of the most common; and it was permitted by their law for any person to perform this vow by proxy. See the law produced in my note, Numbers 6:21. "It was also customary for the richer sort to bestow their charity on the poorer sort for this purpose; for Josephus, Ant. lib. xix. cap. 6, sec. 1, observes that Agrippa, on his being advanced from a prison to a throne, by the Emperor Claudius, came to Jerusalem; and there, among other instances of his religious thankfulness shown in the temple, Ναζαραιων ξυρασθαι διεταξε μαλα συχνους, he ordered very many Nazarites to be shaven, he furnishing them with money for the expenses of that, and of the sacrifices necessarily attending it." See Bp. Pearce.


 
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