Acts 20:23

20:23 the Holy Spirit tells me: See, e.g., 21:10-12.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Act 20:23. [Πλὴν ὅτι, except that) In general terms, bonds and afflictions were indicated to Paul.—V. g.]—κατὰ πόλιν, in every city) It was for the good of all to know, and all profited in seeing the obedience of Paul, and in hearing him with the greater eagerness, as not being about to see him any more. Hence too was made evident the greatness of (his and their) afflictions. Those which appertained to Paul himself were indicated to Paul by others. [Comp. ch. Act 21:4; Act 21:11, Agabus’ prophecy, with the symbolical binding with Paul’s girdle.]

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Act_20:23. Πλὴν ὅτι] except that, only knowing that, Plat. Phaed. p. 57 B; Soph. El. 418.

τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον] namely, by prophets (comp. Act_13:2, Act_21:4; Act_21:11), who made this known to me. This explanation, and not any reference to an internal intimation of the Spirit, is required by κατὰ πόλιν (city by city, at which I arrive on this journey). That Luke has not as yet mentioned any such communication, does not justify the supposition of an unhistorical prolepsis (Schneckenburger, p. 135), as he has related the journey, Act_20:14 ff., only in a very summary manner.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Act 20:23 . πλὴν ὅτι : The collocation is found nowhere else in N.T. except in Phi 1:18 , only that (so Alford, Lightfoot, W.H [335] , see Lightfoot, l. c. , for parallels), i.e. , knowing one thing only, etc., “I do not ask to see the distant scene; one step enough for me,” so from step to step κατὰ πόλιν , on his journey, St. Paul was warned and guided, cf. Act 21:4 ; Act 21:11 . κατὰ πόλιν , Lucan-Pauline; κατά used several times by Luke, alone amongst the synoptists, in his Gospel and in the Acts with this distributive force in connection with πόλις ; Luk 8:1 ; Luk 8:4 ; Luk 13:22 ; cf. Luk 15:21 ; in the text, as also in Tit 1:5 ; the only other passage in which the collocation occurs in N.T., the phrase is adopted by St. Paul. δεσμὰ καὶ θλίψεις : δεσμὰ in St. Luke; Luk 8:29 , Act 16:26 , but it is noticeable that the two nouns are found together in Phi 1:17 , and in 2Co 1:8 . θλίψις is used of the affliction which befel the Apostle in Asia, including that of public danger, as well as illness and mental distress. On the variation between masculine and neuter in δεσμός and in other nouns see Blass, Gram. , p. 28. μένουσιν : only twice in N.T., with accusative of the person, here and in Act 20:5 .

[335] Westcott and Hort’s The New Testament in Greek: Critical Text and Notes.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, &c.--by prophetic utterances from city to city, as in Act 11:4; Act 21:10-11. Analogous premonitions of coming events are not unknown to the general method of God's providence. They would tend to season the apostle's spirit.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

23. But that the Holy Ghost. I do not understand this of secret oracles, but of those foretellings which he heard everywhere of the prophets. And this speech hath greater dignity to set forth the prophecies, than if the men themselves which spake were called and cited to be witnesses. For by this means the word of God hath his [its] authority, when we confess that the Spirit of God is the author thereof, though the ministers be men. Now, forasmuch as the same Spirit, which foretelleth Paul of bonds and tribulations, doth also hold him fast bound that he cannot refuse to submit himself unto him, by this we learn, that what dangers soever hang over our heads, we are not thereby acquitted, but that we must obey the commandments of God, and follow his calling. In vain, therefore, do those men flatter themselves, who will do good so long as they be free from molestation, and may make discommodities, damages, and dangers of death, sufficient excuses.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(23) The Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city.—This can hardly refer to mere internal previsions of the future, but implies, like the analogous phraseology of 1Ti_4:1, predictions uttered by the mouth of prophets, such as that which was afterwards spoken by Agabus (Act_21:11). In every city, Corinth, Berœa, Thessalonica, Philippi, Troas, there had been like utterances, of which, though they are here implied, we have no separate record. There was a general dread as to the results of his journey, which led the disciples who loved him to dissuade him from attempting it. We may trace the influence of such predictions in the anxiety which he himself expresses when he asks for the prayers of his friends at Rome (Rom_15:30-31) that he may be delivered from those that did not believe in Judæa. The words are not without their value as throwing light on the nature and limits of inspiration. The prophets of whom St. Paul speaks were truly inspired, as far as their prevision of the future was concerned, and yet that inspiration did not make them infallible advisers, and the Apostle felt that he was right in acting on those convictions of his own in which he, too, recognised the promptings of the Holy Ghost.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

23. save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city] The oldest MSS. add “unto me.” Rev. Ver. “testifieth unto me.” The Holy Ghost had called him to the work (Act_13:2) and moved the disciples (Act_21:4) and Agabus (Act_21:11) to warn him of the sufferings which were at hand. We may suppose too that such warnings came more frequently than St Luke has recorded them.

saying … abide me] The two nouns are combined in Php_1:16, “supposing to add affliction to my bonds,” where the sense is, as most likely here, mental grief in addition to bodily constraint. Such “afflictions” were harder to bear than the “bonds.”

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And now behold,.... This is not only a note of asseveration, but of attention, stirring up to observe what is here asserted:

I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more; the sense is, that none of them should ever see him again, none of the churches of Asia, or the members of them; among whom he had been some years preaching the Gospel, the things concerning the Messiah, his kingdom and glory, and the meetness of the saints for, and their right unto the heavenly inheritance, prepared by God, and given by him to all that love him: Beza's ancient copy reads, "the kingdom of Jesus": this the apostle knew by divine revelation, by the same spirit in which he was going bound to Jerusalem, though he knew not whether he should die there or elsewhere; however, he knew, and was persuaded, he should visit these parts no more.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

23 Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me.

Ver. 23. Bonds and afflictions abide me] Let no faithful minister dream of a delicacy, or think by any discretion to prevent affliction, but be ready, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ, to suffer hardship. To preach is nothing else but to derive upon himself the hate and rage of graceless men, saith Luther.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Save that - Except that. This was all that he knew, that bonds and afflictions were to be his portion.

The Holy Ghost witnesseth - Either by direct revelation to him, or by the predictions of inspired men whom Paul might meet. An instance of the latter mode occurs in Act 21:11. It is probable that the meaning here is that the Holy Spirit had deeply impressed the mind of Paul by his direct influences, and by his experience in every city, that bonds and trials were to be his portion. Such had been his experience in every city where he had preached the gospel by the direction of the Holy Spirit, that he regarded it as his certain portion that he was thus to be afflicted.

In every city - In almost every city where Paul had been, he had been subjected to these trials. He had been persecuted, stoned, and scourged. So uniform was this, so constant had been his experience in this way, that he regarded it as his certain portion to be thus afflicted, and he approached Jerusalem, and every other city, with a confident expectation that such trials awaited him there.

Saying - In his experience, by direct revelation, and by the mouth of prophets, Act 21:11. When Paul was called to the apostleship it was predicted that he would suffer much, Act 9:16.

Bonds - Chains. That I would be bound, as prisoners are who are confined.

Abide me - See the margin. They remain or wait for me; that is, I must expect to suffer them.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

In every city. There were in every city Christian prophets, who foretold to Paul the tribulations which awaited him. It appears, then, that the apostle did not know these things by immediate revelation made to himself, but by that made to the prophets. Of this we have a proof in the next chapter.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

1. Those that were endued with the Spirit of prophecy, in every city, foretold his sufferings; as Act 21:4,11.

2. He did suffer more or less in every city or place he came to; so great was the malice of the Jews against him.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

23. Holy Ghost witnesseth—The prophetic testimony of the Spirit within his own heart.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Testifieth unto me for witnesseth, A.V. and T.R. The Holy Ghost, speaking by the prophets in the different Church assemblies, as the apostle journeyed from city to city. We have one instance of such prophesying recorded in Act_21:10, Act_21:11. The instances to which St. Paul here alluded were not mentioned in Luke"s brief narrative.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Save that - Only this I know in general; the Holy Ghost witnesseth - By other persons. Such was God's good pleasure to reveal these things to him, not immediately, but by the ministry of others.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

See notes on verse 22

J. W. McGarvey (with Philip Y. Pendleton), Commentaries on the New Testament (The Fourfold Gospel, 1914; Acts; and the epistles) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

23. πλὴν ὅτι … διαμαρτύρεταί μοι, save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth unto me in every city. The Holy Ghost had called him to the work (Act 13:2) and moved the disciples (Act 21:4) and Agabus (Act 21:11) to warn him of the sufferings which were at hand. We may suppose too that such warnings came more frequently than St Luke has recorded them.

δεσμὰ καὶ θλίψεις, bonds and afflictions. The two nouns are combined in Php 1:16 θλιψιν ἐπιφέρειν τοῖς δεσμοῖς μου, where the sense is most probably ‘to add mental grief to my bodily suffering in prison.’ Such ‘afflictions’ are harder to bear than any ‘bonds.’

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

23. τὸ πν. διαμαρτύρ.] Compare Rom 8:16, τὸ πνεῦμα συμμαρτυρεῖ τῷ πν. ἡμῶν

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.