ESV Global Study Bible :: Footnotes for Acts 21

Acts 21:1 Paul’s ship was probably a “coasting vessel,” which traveled close to shore. Each of the places mentioned probably represents a day’s journey and the stopping place for the night. Cos and Rhodes are both islands with port cities of the same name. Paul and his companions boarded a sturdier vessel at Patara for the 400-mile (644-km) open-sea voyage to Tyre. Patara was the main port city in Lycia.

Acts 21:3 Tyre was in Phoenicia (see note on 11:19).

Acts 21:4 through the Spirit they were telling Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. The narrative as a whole clearly shows that Paul was guided by the Holy Spirit to go to Jerusalem (see 19:21; 20:22–24; 21:14). It is unclear why the prophets said the opposite. See 21:10–14. Paul explains elsewhere that prophecies must be tested (see notes on 1 Cor. 14:29; 1 Thess. 5:20–21).

Acts 21:8–9 Caesarea. A major port near Jerusalem. four unmarried daughters, who prophesied. The gift of prophecy was promised to women as well as men in Joel’s prophecy (Joel 2:28–29), which was fulfilled at Pentecost (Acts 2:17–18).

Acts 21:10–11 Agabus had earlier predicted a famine (11:28). Old Testament prophets often acted out their prophecies (e.g., Isa. 8:1–4; Jer. 13:1–11).

Acts 21:15 From Caesarea to Jerusalem was about 62 miles (100 km) by road. Paul probably arrived there in the spring of a.d. 57.

Acts 21:17–23:35 The Arrest in Jerusalem. While fulfilling a vow at the temple, Paul was attacked by a Jewish mob and rescued by the Romans. He defended himself before the Jewish crowd and the Sanhedrin. Then a plot against his life prompted the Roman tribune to send him to the governor in Caesarea.

Acts 21:17–26 When Paul arrived in Jerusalem, the Christians rejoiced over the success of his Gentile mission. They also expressed concern over rumors that he was teaching Jews to abandon their traditional laws and customs. To disprove the rumors, they asked Paul to participate publicly in a Nazirite vow (see Num. 6:1–21; see also note on Acts 21:23).

Acts 21:18 all the elders were present. Apparently the church at Jerusalem was now led primarily by these “elders” (see note on 12:17).

Acts 21:21 not to circumcise. Circumcision is singled out because it was considered the main sign of God’s covenant with the Jews. The rumor was false. Paul did not object to Jewish believers voluntarily following OT ceremonial laws (see 16:3; 1 Cor. 7:18–19).

Acts 21:23 under a vow. Those under a Nazirite vow stayed away from strong drink and avoided things that would defile them (such as contact with a dead body). They did not cut their hair (Num. 6:1–21). When the time of the vow was over (often 30 days), they would cut their hair and present an offering in the temple.

Acts 21:25 as for the Gentiles. The Jerusalem elders reminded Paul of the requirements for Gentile Christians agreed upon in the Jerusalem council (15:28–29). This was to avoid giving unnecessary offense to either Jewish believers or unbelievers. They were not asking Paul’s Gentile converts to keep Jewish laws beyond those basic requirements (see Gal. 2:11–12; 4:10).

Acts 21:26 he purified himself. See note on v. 27. Paul voluntarily went along with the suggestion from James and the elders. Paul’s willingness to take the vow (vv. 20–24) is an example of his desire to become “all things to all people” (1 Cor. 9:22) in order to advance the gospel.

Acts 21:27 Paul had to go through purification rituals for seven days (see v. 26). Jews often did so when returning from Gentile territory. The Jews from Asia were probably from Ephesus (see v. 29) and knew Paul from his three years in their city.

Acts 21:28 defiled this holy place. The Jews from Asia (v. 27) wrongly charged Paul with defiling the temple by taking a Gentile (“Trophimus the Ephesian,” v. 29) beyond the stone barrier that divided the outer courtyard (Court of the Gentiles) from the inner sanctuary. This area was off-limits to Gentiles, under penalty of death.

Acts 21:30 The shutting of the gates was probably to prevent further defiling of the sanctuary.

Acts 21:31–32 A Roman tribune was the commander of a cohort. This consisted of up to a thousand soldiers, under the command of several centurions (see note on 10:1). at once. Roman soldiers were housed in the Herodian fortress known as the Tower of Antonia on the northwest corner of the temple wall. Its high tower provided a full view of the temple area. It had two flights of stairs leading down into the temple grounds, so that soldiers could respond to an unruly crowd almost immediately.

Acts 21:33 Bound with two chains probably means bound with a soldier on each side.

Acts 21:38 Jewish historian Josephus mentions the revolt led by an Egyptian Jew. The Roman governor Felix had stopped it. The Egyptian fled, and his movement scattered. Josephus also wrote of the Assassins, or “dagger men,” who terrorized Roman sympathizers by stabbing them amid large crowds. The tribune must have thought the Egyptian had returned to stir up another revolt.

Acts 21:39 Tarsus in Cilicia. See note on 9:30.

Acts 21:40–22:21 Paul’s address to the Jewish crowd sought to establish what he had come to the temple to prove in the first place—his faithfulness to his Jewish heritage.