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Read the Bible

Myles Coverdale Bible

Acts 21:23

Do this therfore that we saye vnto the: We haue foure men, which haue a vowe on them,

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

English Standard Version
Do therefore 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,
Christian Standard Bible®
Therefore do what we tell you: We have four men who have made a vow.
Hebrew Names Version
Therefore do what we tell you. We have four men who have a vow on them.
Darby Translation
This do therefore that we say to thee: We have four men who have a vow on them;
Easy-to-Read Version
So we will tell you what to do: Four of our men have made a vow 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;
Berean Standard Bible
Therefore do what we advise you. There are four men with us who have taken a vow.
Contemporary English Version
Please do what we ask, because four of our men have made special promises to God.
Complete Jewish Bible
So do what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow.
International Standard Version
So do what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow.
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,
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Do therfore this that we saye to thee. We haue foure men, which haue a vow on them:
English Revised Version
Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them;
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;
New Century Version
So we will tell you what to do: Four of our men have made a promise to God.
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.
New Living Translation
"Here's what we want you to do. We have four men here who have completed their vow.
New Revised Standard
So do what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow.
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.
George Lamsa Translation
Do, therefore, what we tell you: We have four men who have vowed to purify themselves;
Good News Translation
This is what we want you to do. There are four men here who have taken a vow.
Webster's Bible Translation
Do therefore this that we say to thee: 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.
Young's Literal Translation
`This, therefore, do that we say to thee: We have four men having a vow on themselves,
World English Bible
Therefore do what we tell you. 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;
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Do therfore this that we saye to the. We have .iiii. men which have a vowe on them.
Update Bible Version
Do therefore this that we say to you: 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;
New American Standard Bible
"Therefore, do as we tell you: we have four men who have a vow upon themselves;
Mace New Testament (1729)
yield then to our advice: there are four men here, who have made a vow:
New Life Bible
You must do what we tell you. We have four men with us who have made a promise to God.
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

15 And after those dayes we were ready, & wente vp to Ierusalem: 16 There came with vs also certayne of the disciples off Cesarea, and broughte with them one of Cypers, named Mnason, an olde disciple, with whom we shulde lodge. 17 Now wha we came to Ierusalem, the brethren receaued vs gladly. 18 But on the nexte daye Paul wente in with vs vnto Iames, and all the Elders came together. 19 And whan he had saluted them, he tolde by order, what God had done amoge the Heythen by his mynistracion. 20 Whan they herde that, they praysed the LORDE, and sayde vnto him: Brother, thou seyst how many thousande Iewes there are which beleue, and are all Zelous ouer ye lawe. 21 But they are enfourmed agaynst the, that thou teachest all the Iewes which are amoge the Heythe, to forsake Moses, and sayest that they oughte not to circumcyse their children, ner to walke after the same custome. 22 What is it therfore? The multitude must nedes come together, for they shal heare that thou art come. 23 Do this therfore that we saye vnto the: We haue foure men, which haue a vowe on them, 24 take them vnto ye, and purifye thyselfe with them, and do the cost on them, that they maye shaue their heades: and they shal knowe, that it is nothinge, wherof they are enfourmed agaynst the, but that thou also walkest and kepest the lawe.

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
Then toke Abimelech shepe and oxen, seruauntes and maydens, and gaue them vnto Abraham, and delyuered him Sara his wife agayne,
Genesis 21:21
and dwelt in ye wildernes of Pharan, and his mother toke him a wyfe out of the londe of Egipte.
Genesis 21:22
At the same tyme talked Abimelech and Phicol his chefe captayne with Abraham, and sayde: God is with the in all that thou doest.
Genesis 21:23
Therfore sweare now vnto me by God, that thou wilt not hurt me, ner my children, ner my childers children: but that thou shalt shewe vnto me (and to the londe wherin thou art a straunger) the same kyndnesse that I haue done vnto the.
Genesis 24:3
I maye make the sweare by ye LORDE the God of heauen and earth, that thou take no wife vnto my sonne amonge ye doughters of ye Cananites, (amonge whom I dwell)
Genesis 26:28
They sayde: We se with open eyes, that the LORDE is with the, therfore we deuysed that there shulde be an ooth betwixte vs and the, and that we wolde make a bonde with the,
Genesis 31:44
Now therfore come on, let vs make a couenaunt (I & thou) which maye be a wytnesse betwene me and the.
Genesis 31:53
The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, and the God of their fathers, be iudge betwene vs. And Iacob sware vnto him by the feare of his father Isaac.
Deuteronomy 6:13
but thou shalt feare the LORDE thy God, and him onely shalt thou serue, and sweare by his name.
Joshua 2:12
Sweare now then vnto me euen by the LORDE (for so moch as I haue dealte mercifully with you) that ye wyl also shewe mercy vpon my fathers house: and geue me a true token,

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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