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Read the Bible

George Lamsa Translation

Acts 21:4

And because we found disciples there, we stayed with them seven days: and every day they said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Disciple;   Disobedience to God;   Luke;   Paul;   Phenicia;   Prophets;   Rashness;   Seven;   Tyre;   Thompson Chain Reference - Periods and Numbers;   Seven;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Tyre;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Luke;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Acts, book of;   Phoenicia;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Holy Spirit, Gifts of;   Luke-Acts, Theology of;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Ordination;   Syrian Christians;   Worship of God;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Tyre;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Acts;   Luke;   Luke, Gospel of;   Sidon and Tyre;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Chronology of the New Testament;   Prophet;   Tyre;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Organization (2);   Paul;   Phoenicia ;   Tyre ;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - First and Second Epistles to the Thessalonians Written;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Saul of Tarsus;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Commerce;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
We sought out the disciples and stayed there seven days. Through the Spirit they told Paul not to go to Jerusalem.
King James Version (1611)
And finding disciples, wee taried there seuen dayes: who said to Paul through the Spirit, that hee should not goe vp to Hierusalem.
King James Version
And finding disciples, we tarried there seven days: who said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem.
English Standard Version
And having sought out the disciples, we stayed there for seven days. And through the Spirit they were telling Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.
New American Standard Bible
After looking up the disciples, we stayed there for seven days; and they kept telling Paul, through the Spirit, not to set foot in Jerusalem.
New Century Version
We found some followers in Tyre and stayed with them for seven days. Through the Holy Spirit they warned Paul not to go to Jerusalem.
Amplified Bible
After looking up the disciples [in Tyre], we stayed there [with them] seven days; and they kept telling Paul through the [Holy] Spirit not to set foot in Jerusalem.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
After looking up the disciples, we stayed there seven days; and they kept telling Paul through the Spirit not to set foot in Jerusalem.
Legacy Standard Bible
And after looking up the disciples, we stayed there seven days; and they kept telling Paul through the Spirit not to set foot in Jerusalem.
Berean Standard Bible
We sought out the disciples in Tyre and stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they kept telling Paul not to go up to Jerusalem.
Contemporary English Version
We looked up the Lord's followers and stayed with them for a week. The Holy Spirit had told them to warn Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.
Complete Jewish Bible
Having searched out the talmidim there, we remained for a week. Guided by the Spirit, they told Sha'ul not to go up to Yerushalayim;
Darby Translation
And having found out the disciples, we remained there seven days; who said to Paul by the Spirit not to go up to Jerusalem.
Easy-to-Read Version
We found the Lord's followers there and stayed with them for seven days. They warned Paul not to go to Jerusalem because of what the Spirit had told them.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And when we had found disciples, we taried there seuen dayes. And they told Paul through the Spirit, that he should not goe vp to Hierusalem.
Good News Translation
There we found some believers and stayed with them a week. By the power of the Spirit they told Paul not to go to Jerusalem.
Lexham English Bible
And we stayed there seven days after we found the disciples, who kept telling Paul through the Spirit not to set foot in Jerusalem.
Literal Translation
And finding disciples, we remained there seven days; who told Paul through the Spirit not to go up to Jerusalem.
American Standard Version
And having found the disciples, we tarried there seven days: and these said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not set foot in Jerusalem.
Bible in Basic English
And meeting the disciples we were there for seven days: and they gave Paul orders through the Spirit not to go up to Jerusalem.
Hebrew Names Version
Having found talmidim, we stayed there seven days. These said to Sha'ul through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Yerushalayim.
International Standard Version
So we looked up the disciples and stayed there for seven days. Through the Spirit they kept telling Paul not to go to Jerusalem,Acts 20:23; 21:12;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
And having found disciples there, we sojourned with them seven days. And these said daily unto Paulos in the Spirit, That he should not go unto Urishlem.
Murdock Translation
And, as we found disciples there, we tarried with them seven days: and they, by the Spirit, told Paul not to go to Jerusalem.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And when we had founde disciples, we taryed there seuen dayes: who said to Paule through the spirite, that he shoulde not go vp to Hierusalem.
English Revised Version
And having found the disciples, we tarried there seven days: and these said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not set foot in Jerusalem.
World English Bible
Having found disciples, we stayed there seven days. These said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And finding disciples, we tarried there seven days, who told Paul by the Spirit, Not to go up to Jerusalem.
Weymouth's New Testament
Having searched for the disciples and found them, we stayed at Tyre for seven days; and, taught by the Spirit, they repeatedly urged Paul not to proceed to Jerusalem.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And whanne we foundun disciplis, we dwelliden there seuene daies; whiche seiden bi spirit to Poul, that he schulde not go vp to Jerusalem.
Update Bible Version
And having found the disciples, we tarried there seven days: and these said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not set foot in Jerusalem.
Webster's Bible Translation
And finding disciples, we tarried there seven days: who said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem.
New English Translation
After we located the disciples, we stayed there seven days. They repeatedly told Paul through the Spirit not to set foot in Jerusalem.
New King James Version
And finding disciples, [fn] we stayed there seven days. They told Paul through the Spirit not to go up to Jerusalem.
New Living Translation
We went ashore, found the local believers, and stayed with them a week. These believers prophesied through the Holy Spirit that Paul should not go on to Jerusalem.
New Life Bible
We looked for the Christians and stayed with them seven days. The Christians had been told by the Holy Spirit to tell Paul not to go to Jerusalem.
New Revised Standard
We looked up the disciples and stayed there for seven days. Through the Spirit they told Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, finding up the disciples, we remained there seven days, and they, unto Paul, began to say, through the Spirit, that he would gain no footing in Jerusalem.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And finding disciples, we tarried there seven days: who said to Paul, through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem.
Revised Standard Version
And having sought out the disciples, we stayed there for seven days. Through the Spirit they told Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And when we had founde brethren we taryed there .vii. dayes. And they tolde Paul thorowe ye sprete that he shuld not goo vp to Ierusalem.
Young's Literal Translation
And having found out the disciples, we tarried there seven days, and they said to Paul, through the Spirit, not to go up to Jerusalem;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And whan we had founde disciples, we taried there seuen dayes. And they tolde Paul thorow the sprete, that he shulde not go vp to Ierusalem.
Mace New Testament (1729)
we staid seven days with the disciples we met there: who told Paul from the holy spirit, that he should not go to Jerusalem.
Simplified Cowboy Version
and found some cowboys who rode for the Lord. We stayed at their place for about a week. The Holy Spirit filled these cowboys in on what was going to happen to Paul. They pleaded with him not to go to Jerusalem.

Contextual Overview

1 AND it came to pass, after we separated from them, we sailed a straight course to the Island of Co''os, and the following day we arrived at Rhodes, and from thence to Pat''a-ra: 2 And we found there a ship sailing to Pheni''cia, and we went on board, and set forth. 3 Then we reached the Island of Cyprus, and passed it on the left hand, and sailed to for there the ship was to unload her cargo. 4 And because we found disciples there, we stayed with them seven days: and every day they said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem. 5 After these days, we departed on our journey, and they all escorted us on our way with their wives and children, till we were out of the city: then they knelt down by the seaside and prayed; 6 And when we had kissed one another good-bye, we took ship; and they returned to their homes. 7 We sailed from Tyre and arrived at the city of Ak-ka (Ptol-e-ma''is), and we saluted the brethren who were there, and tarried with them a day.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

finding: Acts 19:1, Matthew 10:11, 2 Timothy 1:17

we: Acts 20:6, Acts 20:7, Acts 28:14, Revelation 1:10

said: Acts 21:10-12, Acts 20:22

Reciprocal: Acts 10:19 - the Spirit Acts 11:27 - prophets Acts 19:21 - to go Acts 20:16 - had Acts 20:23 - the Holy Ghost Acts 21:12 - besought

Cross-References

Genesis 21:10
Therefore she said to Abraham, Expel this maidservant and her son; for the son of this maidservant shall not be heir with my son Isaac.
Genesis 21:12
And God said to Abraham, Let it not be grievous in your sight because of the boy and because of your maidservant; whatever Sarah tells you, hearken to her voice; for your descendants shall come through Isaac.
Genesis 21:22
And it came to pass at that time that Abimeleck and Phichol, the general of his army, said to Abraham, God is with you in all that you do;
Genesis 21:23
Now therefore swear to me by God in this place that you will never deal falsely with me, nor with my family, nor with my descendants; but according to the kindness that I have done to you, you shall do to me and to the land wherein you have sojourned.
Exodus 12:48
And when a stranger shall sojourn with you who would keep the passover to the LORD, when he has circumcised every male in his household, then he may draw near to take part in it; and he shall be considered as a native of the land; for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof.
Leviticus 12:3
And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.
Deuteronomy 12:32
Everything that I command you, that you must be careful to do; you shall not add nor take from it.
Luke 1:6
They were both righteous before God, and walked in all his commandments, and in the righteousness of the Lord without blame.
Luke 1:59
And it happened on the eighth day, they came to circumcise the boy; and they would have called him Zacharias, after the name of his father.
Luke 2:21
And when eight days were fulfilled to circumcise the child, his name was called Jesus; because he was named by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And finding disciples,.... At Tyre, for the Gospel had been preached in Phoenicia by the ministers of the word, who were scattered by the persecution raised at the death of Stephen; and here were brethren, such as had believed in Christ, embraced and professed his Gospel, and were baptized in his name; see

Acts 11:19 and who also had extraordinary gifts, as appears by what follows; and there was no doubt a Gospel church founded in this place, though who presided over it in the first century, we have no account; in the "second" century there was a church here, and Cassius was bishop of it q; in the "third" century there were some martyrs in this place, who suffered under Dioclesian, and bore innumerable stripes with great courage and constancy, and after that fought with beasts, as bears, leopards, boars, and bulls, and at the same time Tyrannio, bishop of this church, also suffered martyrdom r; in the "fourth" century there was a synod at Tyre under Constantine, to which he wrote a letter s. There was a bishop of this church present at the council of Nice, in the times of the said emperor; in this age Paulinus and Dorotheus were bishops of Tyre; in the "fifth" century Irenaeus was bishop of Tyre, and then it was the metropolitan of Phoenicia; and in the "sixth" century, there was a bishop of the same church present at the fifth council of Rome and Constantinople t. Of the bishops of Tyre in the several centuries, the learned Reland u gives a more particular account; according to him, Cassius, bishop of this church, was in the synod held at Caesarea, about the year 198. Paulinus, another bishop of Tyre, was in another council held at the same place, in the year 318. Zeno subscribed in the council of Nice, in the year 325, the first among the bishops of Phoenicia; Vitalis was in the council at Sardica, in the year 347. Uranius subscribed in the council held at Seleucia by the Semiarians, in the year 359; another Zeno bishop of this church was present at the second council at Constantinople, in the year 381; and mention is made of Photius bishop of Tyre, in the acts of the Chalcedon council, held in the year 451, as is also Eusebius in the acts of the council at Constantinople, in the year 553:

we tarried there seven days; either waiting for a ship to proceed on further; or in choice, to enjoy the conversation of the disciples, which was very delightful, and to confirm them in the faith:

who said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem; not that the Spirit of God in these persons contradicted his own impulse in the apostle, by which he was moved to go to Jerusalem, see Acts 20:22. The sense is, that these disciples, by the spirit of prophecy, knew that if the apostle went to Jerusalem, many evil things would befall him; wherefore of their own spirit, and out of love to him, they advise him not to go.

q Euseb. Eccl. Hist. l. 5. c. 25. r Ib. l. 8. c. 7, 12. s Ib. de Vita Constantin. l. 4. c. 41, 42. t Magdeburg. Hist. Eccl. cent. 4. c. 2. p. 2. c. 10. p. 553, 554. cent. 5. c. 2. p. 3. c. 7. p. 417. cent. 6. c. u Palestina Ilustrata, l. 3. p. 1054, 1055.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And finding disciples - Christians. This is the first mention of there being Christians at Tyre, but there is no improbability in supposing that the gospel had been preached there, though it is not expressly recorded by Luke.

Who said to Paul - Compare Acts 21:12. Their deep interest in his welfare, and their apprehension of his danger, was the reason why they admonished him not to go.

Through the Spirit - There is some difficulty in understanding this. In solving this difficulty, we may remark:

(1) That it is evident that the Holy Spirit is meant, and that Luke means to say that this was spoken by his inspiration. The Holy Spirit was bestowed on Christians at that time in large measures, and many appear to have been under his inspiring guidance.

(2) It was not understood by Paul as a positive command that he should not go up to Jerusalem; for had it been, it would not have been disobeyed. He evidently understood it as expressive of their earnest wish that he should not go, as apprising him of danger, and as a kind expression in regard to his own welfare and safety. Compare Acts 21:13. Paul was in better circumstances to understand this than we are, and his interpretation was doubtless correct.

(3) It is to be understood, therefore, simply as an inspired prophetic warning, that if he went, he went at the risk of his life a prophetic warning, joined with their individual personal wishes that he would not expose himself to this danger. The meaning evidently is that they said by inspiration of the Spirit that he should not go unless he was willing to encounter danger, for they foresaw that the journey would be attended with the hazard of his life. Grotius renders it, “That he should not go unless he was willing to be bound.” Michaelis and Stolzius; “They gave him prophetic warrant that he should not go to Jerusalem.” Doddridge, “If he tendered his own liberty and safety, not to go up to Jerusalem, since it would certainly expose him to very great hazard.” The inspiration in the case was that of admonition and warning, not of positive command. Paul was simply apprised of the danger, and was then left to the free determination of his own will. He chose to encounter the danger of which he was thus apprised. He did not despise the intimations of the Spirit, but he judged that his duty to God called him thus to meet the perils of the journey. We may be apprised of danger in a certain course, either by our friends or by the Word of God, and still it may be our duty to meet it. Our duty is not to be measured by the fact that we shall experience danger, in whatever way that may be made known to us. Duty consists in following the will of God, and encountering whatever trials may be in our way.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Acts 21:4. Who said to Paul through the Spirit — We cannot understand this as a command from the Holy Spirit not to go up to Jerusalem, else Paul must have been highly criminal to have disobeyed it. Through the Spirit, must either refer to their own great earnestness to dissuade him from taking a journey which they plainly saw would be injurious to him-and so Bp. Pearce understands this place; or, if it refer to the Holy Spirit, it must mean that if he regarded his personal safety he must not, at this time, go up to Jerusalem. The Spirit foretold Paul's persecutions, but does not appear to have forbidden his journey; and Paul was persuaded that, in acting as he was about to do, whatever personal risk he ran, he should bring more glory to God, by going to Jerusalem, than by tarrying at Tyre or elsewhere. The purport of this Divine communication was, "If thou go up to Jerusalem the Jews will persecute thee; and thou wilt be imprisoned, c." As he was apprized of this, he might have desisted, for the whole was conditional: Paul might or might not go to Jerusalem if he did go, he would be persecuted, and be in danger of losing his life. The Holy Spirit neither commanded him to go, nor forbade him; the whole was conditional; and he was left to the free exercise of his own judgment and conscience. This was a similar case to that of David in Keilah, 1 Samuel 23:9-13. David prevented the threatened evil by leaving Keilah: Paul fell into it by going to Jerusalem.


 
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