Acts 21:4
New International Version
We sought out the disciples there and stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on 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.

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.

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.

Berean Literal Bible
And we remained there seven days, having sought out the disciples, who kept telling Paul through the Spirit not to go up to Jerusalem.

King James Bible
And finding disciples, we tarried there seven days: who said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem.

New King James Version
And finding disciples, we stayed there seven days. They told Paul through the Spirit not to go up 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.

NASB 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.

NASB 1977
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.

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.

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.

Christian Standard Bible
We sought out the disciples and stayed there seven days. Through the Spirit they told Paul not to go to Jerusalem.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
So we found some disciples and stayed there seven days. Through the Spirit they told Paul not to go 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.

Contemporary English Version
We found 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.

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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
In Tyre we searched for the disciples. After we found them, we stayed there for seven days. The Spirit had the disciples tell Paul not to go to Jerusalem.

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.

International Standard Version
So we located some disciples and stayed there for seven days. Through the Spirit, they kept telling Paul not to go to Jerusalem,

Majority Standard Bible
We sought out disciples in Tyre and stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they kept telling Paul not to go up to Jerusalem.

NET Bible
After we located the disciples, we stayed there seven days. They repeatedly told Paul through the Spirit not to set foot in Jerusalem.

New Heart English Bible
Having found the disciples, we stayed there seven days. These said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not go up to 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.

Weymouth 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.

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.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
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;

Berean Literal Bible
And we remained there seven days, having sought out the disciples, who kept telling Paul through the Spirit not to go up to Jerusalem.

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;

Smith's Literal Translation
And having found disciples, we remained there seven days: who said to Paul through the Spirit, not to go up to Jerusalem.
Catholic Translations
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.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Then, having found the disciples, we lodged there for seven days. And they were saying to Paul, through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem.

New American Bible
There we sought out the disciples and stayed for a week. They kept telling Paul through the Spirit not to embark for Jerusalem.

New Revised Standard Version
We looked up the disciples and stayed there for seven days. Through the Spirit they told Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
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.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And when we found disciples there, we stayed with them seven days, and they were saying to Paulus everyday by The Spirit not to go to Jerusalem.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
And we remained there seven days, after finding the disciples. These urged Paul, by the Spirit, not to go up to Jerusalem.

Godbey New Testament
And finding disciples, we tarried there seven days: who continued to say to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not go to Jerusalem.

Haweis New Testament
And finding disciples, we tarried there seven days: and they said to Paul, by the Spirit, that he should not go up unto Jerusalem.

Mace New Testament
we staid seven days with the disciples we met there: who told Paul from the holy spirit, that he should not go to Jerusalem.

Weymouth 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.

Worrell New Testament
And, having found the disciples, we tarried there seven days; who, indeed, said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem.

Worsley New Testament
And we stayed there seven days; having met with some disciples: who told Paul by the Spirit, not to go up to Jerusalem.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Paul's Journey to Jerusalem
3After sighting Cyprus and passing south of it, we sailed on to Syria and landed at Tyre, where the ship was to unload its cargo. 4 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. 5But when our time there had ended, we set out on our journey. All the disciples, with their wives and children, accompanied us out of the city and knelt down on the beach to pray with us.…

Cross References
Acts 20:23
I only know that in town after town the Holy Spirit warns me that chains and afflictions await me.

Acts 9:16
I will show him how much he must suffer for My name.”

Acts 13:2
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

Acts 16:6-7
After the Holy Spirit had prevented them from speaking the word in the province of Asia, they traveled through the region of Phrygia and Galatia. / And when they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not permit them.

Acts 19:21
After these things had happened, Paul resolved in the Spirit to go to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia and Achaia. “After I have been there,” he said, “I must see Rome as well.”

Acts 20:22
And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there.

Acts 21:10-11
After we had been there several days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. / Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, bound his own feet and hands, and said, “The Holy Spirit says: ‘In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and hand him over to the Gentiles.’”

Acts 23:11
The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about Me in Jerusalem, so also you must testify in Rome.”

Romans 15:30-32
Now I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. / Pray that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints there, / so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and together with you be refreshed.

1 Corinthians 2:13
And this is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.

1 Corinthians 12:7-11
Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. / To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by the same Spirit, / to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, ...

1 Corinthians 14:1
Earnestly pursue love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.

1 Corinthians 14:39
So, my brothers, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues.

2 Corinthians 1:8-10
We do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the hardships we encountered in the province of Asia. We were under a burden far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. / Indeed, we felt we were under the sentence of death, in order that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God, who raises the dead. / He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us. In Him we have placed our hope that He will yet again deliver us,

2 Corinthians 11:23-28
Are they servants of Christ? (I am speaking as if I were out of my mind.) I am so much more: in harder labor, in more imprisonments, in worse beatings, in frequent danger of death. / Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. / Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked. I spent a night and a day in the open sea. ...


Treasury of Scripture

And finding disciples, we tarried there seven days: who said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem.

finding.

Acts 19:1
And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples,

Matthew 10:11
And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, inquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence.

2 Timothy 1:17
But, when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me.

we.

Acts 20:6,7
And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days…

Acts 28:14
Where we found brethren, and were desired to tarry with them seven days: and so we went toward Rome.

Revelation 1:10
I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,

said.

Acts 21:10-12
And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus…

Acts 20:22
And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there:

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Disciples Finding Found Jerusalem Kept Meeting Orders Paul Proceed Repeatedly Searched Seven Sought Spirit Tarried Taught Telling Tyre Urged
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Disciples Finding Found Jerusalem Kept Meeting Orders Paul Proceed Repeatedly Searched Seven Sought Spirit Tarried Taught Telling Tyre Urged
Acts 21
1. Paul calls at the house of Philip, whose daughters prophesy.
10. Agabus, foretelling what should befall him at Jerusalem,
13. he will not be dissuaded from going thither.
17. He comes to Jerusalem;
27. where he is apprehended, and in great danger, but by the chief captain is rescued;
37. and requests, and is permitted to speak to the people.














We sought out the disciples
In this phrase, the Greek word for "sought out" is "aneuriskō," which implies a diligent search or effort to find. This reflects the early Christians' commitment to fellowship and community. The term "disciples" refers to followers of Jesus, emphasizing the importance of seeking out fellow believers for support and encouragement. Historically, this shows the interconnectedness of the early Church, as believers would actively seek each other out in different cities, demonstrating the unity and love that characterized the early Christian community.

and stayed there seven days
The number "seven" in the Bible often symbolizes completeness or perfection, rooted in the creation narrative where God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. Staying "seven days" suggests a complete period of fellowship and spiritual refreshment. This time allowed Paul and his companions to fully engage with the local believers, strengthening their bonds and sharing in worship and teaching. It highlights the importance of taking time for spiritual rest and community, reflecting the Sabbath principle of rest and renewal.

Through the Spirit
The phrase "Through the Spirit" indicates that the guidance or message received was inspired by the Holy Spirit. In the Greek, "pneuma" is used for "Spirit," which can mean breath or wind, symbolizing the life-giving and guiding presence of God. This underscores the belief that the Holy Spirit actively communicates with believers, providing direction and insight. It serves as a reminder of the divine guidance available to Christians, encouraging them to be attentive to the Spirit's leading in their lives.

they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem
The word "urged" comes from the Greek "legō," which can mean to say or speak, but in this context, it implies a strong recommendation or warning. The disciples, through the Spirit, were concerned for Paul's safety, knowing the dangers that awaited him in Jerusalem. This reflects the early Church's care for one another and the willingness to speak truth in love, even when it involves difficult conversations. It also highlights the tension between human concern and divine mission, as Paul ultimately felt compelled to continue his journey despite the warnings, trusting in God's sovereign plan.

(4) And finding disciples, we tarried there seven days.--The word for "finding" implies a previous search. They inquired, when they landed, amid the crowded streets of the still busy port, whether any Christians were to be found there. It will be remembered that St. Paul had passed through that region at least once before. (See Note on Acts 15:3.) The church had probably been planted by the labours of Philip, as the Evangelist of Caesarea. It is clear that the believers there were prepared to welcome St. Paul and his companions, and showed a warm interest in their welfare.

The "seven days' " stay, as at Troas (see Note on Acts 20:6), and afterwards at Puteoli (Acts 28:14), was obviously for the purpose of attending one, or possibly more than one, meeting of the church for the Lord's Supper on the Lord's Day. The utterances through the Spirit implied the exercise of prophetic gifts at such a meeting. It seems, at first, somewhat startling that St. Paul should reject what is described as an inspired counsel; or, if we believe him also to have been guided by the Spirit, that the two inspirations should thus clash. We remember, however, that men received the Spirit "by measure," and the prophets of the churches at Tyre, as elsewhere (Acts 20:23), though foreseeing the danger to which the Apostle was exposed, might yet be lacking in that higher inspiration which guided the decision of the Apostle, and which he himself defines as the spirit "of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (2Timothy 1:7). This is, it is believed, a much more adequate explanation than that which sees in the Apostle's conduct a somewhat self-willed adherence to his own human purpose, and finds a chastisement for that self-will in the long delay and imprisonment that followed on the slighted warnings. He was right, we may boldly say, to go to Jerusalem in spite of consequences. The repeated warnings are, however, an indication of the exceeding bitterness of feeling with which the Judaisers and unbelieving Jews were known to be animated against him. . . .

Verse 4. - Having found the disciples for finding disciples, A.V. and T.R.; and these for who, A.V.; set foot in for go up to, A.V. and T.R. Having found the disciples, If the R.T. is right, the meaning is that they had sought out the Christians, apparently not a large body, scattered in the city, and perhaps with some difficulty found them and their place of meeting. This would look as if they were not Jews, as the synagogue was always known. He should not set foot in Jerusalem. The R.T. reads ἐπιβαίνειν for ἀναβαίνειν. It is true that, in the LXX. of Deuteronomy 1:36, Τὴν γῆν ἐφ η}ν ἐπέβη means "The land that he hath trodden upon;" and that in Joshua 1:3 again, ποδῶν ὑμῶν means "Every place on which you shall tread with the sole of your feet;" but the phrase ἐπιβαίνειν εἰς Ιερουσαλήμ must surely mean simply "to go to Jerusalem." Through the Spirit. The Holy Spirit revealed to them, as he did to many ethers (ver. 11 and Acts 20:23), that bonds and affliction awaited St. Paul at Jerusalem. The inference that he should not go to Jerusalem was their own.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
We sought out
Ἀνευρόντες (Aneurontes)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 429: To find by seeking out, discover. From ana and heurisko; to find out.

the
τοὺς (tous)
Article - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

disciples
μαθητὰς (mathētas)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3101: A learner, disciple, pupil. From manthano; a learner, i.e. Pupil.

[in Tyre]
αὐτοῦ (autou)
Adverb
Strong's 847: Here, there. Genitive of autos, used as an adverb of location; properly, belonging to the same spot, i.e. In this place.

[and] stayed [with them]
ἐπεμείναμεν (epemeinamen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural
Strong's 1961: (a) I remain, tarry, (b) I remain in, persist in. From epi and meno; to stay over, i.e. Remain.

seven
ἑπτά (hepta)
Adjective - Accusative Feminine Plural
Strong's 2033: Seven. A primary number; seven.

days.
ἡμέρας (hēmeras)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Plural
Strong's 2250: A day, the period from sunrise to sunset.

Through
διὰ (dia)
Preposition
Strong's 1223: A primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; through.

the
τοῦ (tou)
Article - Genitive Neuter Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

Spirit
Πνεύματος (Pneumatos)
Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular
Strong's 4151: Wind, breath, spirit.

[they]
οἵτινες (hoitines)
Personal / Relative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3748: Whosoever, whichsoever, whatsoever.

kept telling
ἔλεγον (elegon)
Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 2036: Answer, bid, bring word, command. A primary verb; to speak or say.

Paul
Παύλῳ (Paulō)
Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3972: Paul, Paulus. Of Latin origin; Paulus, the name of a Roman and of an apostle.

not
μὴ (mē)
Adverb
Strong's 3361: Not, lest. A primary particle of qualified negation; not, lest; also (whereas ou expects an affirmative one) whether.

to go up
ἐπιβαίνειν (epibainein)
Verb - Present Infinitive Active
Strong's 1910: From epi and the base of basis; to walk upon, i.e. Mount, ascend, embark, arrive.

to
εἰς (eis)
Preposition
Strong's 1519: A primary preposition; to or into, of place, time, or purpose; also in adverbial phrases.

Jerusalem.
Ἱεροσόλυμα (Hierosolyma)
Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 2414: The Greek form of the Hebrew name: Jerusalem. Of Hebrew origin; Hierosolyma


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NT Apostles: Acts 21:4 Having found disciples we stayed there seven (Acts of the Apostles Ac)
Acts 21:3
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