Acts 21:30

Act 21:30. And all the city was moved — Was in an uproar. Although the people had little holiness themselves, yet they had a great veneration for the temple; and when they heard of its being polluted, they were up in arms presently, being determined to stand by it with their lives and fortunes. And the people ran together — In a tumultuous manner; and the concourse was the greater because of the prodigious number of Jews from foreign countries, who had come to the feast of pentecost. The Jews, on this occasion, showed just such zeal for God’s temple as the Ephesians did for that of Diana, when Paul was represented as an enemy to it. But God does not reckon himself at all honoured by any zeal for him which transports people into such irregularities, and causes them, while they pretend to be concerned for his honour and service, to act in such an unreasonable, brutish, and barbarous manner. And they took Paul, and drew him out of the temple — That is, out of the court of Israel, into that of the Gentiles, as one who had polluted the temple. And forthwith the doors were shut — Both to prevent any further violation of the temple, and to prevent Paul’s taking sanctuary at the horns of the altar.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

21:30 This supposed desecration of the Temple aroused the fury of the Jewish populace. The Temple . . . gates were closed because they thought the Temple had been defiled by a Gentile.

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

Act 21:30. Αἱ θύραι, the doors) Lest Paul should avail himself of the protection of the temple.

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

Act_21:30. Ἔξω τοῦ ἱεροῦ] in order that the temple enclosure might not be defiled with murder; for they wished to put Paul to death (Act_21:32). Bengel and Baumgarten hold that they had wished to prevent him from taking refuge at the altar. But the right of asylum legally subsisted only for persons guilty of unintentional manslaughter.[131] See Exo_21:13-14; 1Ki_2:28 ff. Comp. Ewald, Alterth. p. 228 f.

ἐκλείσθ.] by the Levites. For the reason why, see above. Entirely at variance with the context, Lange, apostol. Zeitalt. II. p. 306, holds that the closing of the temple intimated the temporary suspension of worship. It referred only to Paul, who was not to be allowed again to enter.

[131] Therefore they would hardly suppose that Paul would fly to the altar. Besides, they had him sure enough!

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 21:30 . ἐκινήθη , as in Act 6:12 , cf. Act 24:5 . συνδρομὴ τοῦ λ ., Jdg 3:18 , Mal 3:8Mal 3:8 , used of a tumultuous concourse of people, Arist., Rhet. , iii., 10, 7, Polyb., i., 67, 2. ἐπιλ . τοῦ Π .: see p. 368, here of violent seizing; they wanted to get Paul outside the Temple precincts, so that the latter might not be polluted with his blood, Act 21:31 . ἐκλείσθησαν αἱ θ .: no doubt by the Levitical guard, perhaps lest Paul should return, and so gain a place of safety in the Temple, or more probably to save the sacred precincts from any further pollution and uproar.

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

took Paul, and drew him out of the temple; and forthwith the doors were shut--that the murder they meant to perpetrate might not pollute that holy place.

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

Verse 30. They took Paul] They tumultuously seized on him; and drew him out of the temple, out of the court of the Israelites, where he was worshipping: and - the doors were shut; the doors of the court of the Gentiles, probably to prevent Paul from getting any succour from his friends in the city; for their whole proceedings show that they purposed to murder him: they brought him out of the court of the Israelites, that court being peculiarly holy, that it might not be defiled by his blood; and they shut the court of the Gentiles, that they might have the opportunity unmolested of killing him in that place; for the court of the Gentiles was reckoned to be less holy than than that of the Israelites.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

30. And the city was moved. We see in this place the vanity of the common people, which count Paul a condemned man before ever they hear him. Whereas the city is moved about godliness, “it is no marvel; but this is a point of perverse zeal and mad rashness, in that they set themselves against Paul before they know his matter. For in this corruption of nature frowardness is joined with foolishness, so that those will readily, of their own accord, make haste to maintain an evil cause who can hardly be moved with many exhortations to do well. This is a hard case, that the whole world should be armed against us at a sudden, through the persuasion of a few; but seeing it pleaseth the Lord it should be so, let every one of us prepare himself by this, and such like examples, to suffer all manner [of] assaults, and to bear and abide all brunts.

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.

(30) The people ran together.—Better, perhaps, there was a rush of the people. St. Luke brings into something like a mental juxtaposition the pictures of the tumult at Ephesus and that at Jerusalem. The Jews of Asia, among whom we may perhaps think of Alexander the coppersmith, working then as afterwards “much evil” against the Apostle Paul (2Ti_4:14), may have taken part in both.

Forthwith the doors were shut.—This was obviously the act of the Levite gate-keepers. The Apostle was dragged out, the crowd followed him, and they seized the opportunity to guard the sacred precincts against further profanation.

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

30. And … ran together] This is a proof that what James and the elders had stated was true, the whole Jewish community had been “catechized” on the doings of St Paul among the Gentiles. The least spark set the whole train on fire.

and they took Paul, and drew him out of the temple] This rendering hardly does justice to the Greek. Read (with Rev. Ver.) “they laid hold on Paul and dragged him,” &c. Their design was probably to get him out of the Temple precincts before they proceeded to further violence. It is clear that all the ceremonies of the Apostle’s vow were not yet accomplished, and had they not laid violent hands on him, he might have fled to the altar for safety. That such a murder as they contemplated was possible in Jerusalem at this period we have evidence in the case of Stephen.

and forthwith the doors were shut] We need not suppose that any of the Levites, the gatekeepers of the Temple, were of the same mind with the rioters. Their action in closing the gates was only to prevent any profanation of the building by the uproar which they saw to be beginning.

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 all the city was moved, and the people ran together,.... The outcry in the temple reached the ears of some that were without, and these alarmed others; so that the report of a disturbance in the temple soon went through the whole city; and brought people out of their houses, who ran together in great numbers, to see what was the matter:

and they took Paul and drew him out of the temple; as unworthy to be in that holy place; and that it might not be defiled with his blood; for their intention was nothing less than to take away his life:

and forthwith the doors were shut; not of themselves, as if there was something miraculous in it, as some have thought, but by the door keepers, the Levites; and which might be done, partly to prevent Paul's returning into it for refuge at the horns of the altar, and partly to keep out the Gentiles from coming in, they were alarmed with.

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

30 And all the city was moved, and the people ran together: and they took Paul, and drew him out of the temple: and forthwith the doors were shut.

Ver. 30. The doors were shut] That he might not there take sanctuary.

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.

The city was moved - Was agitated; was thrown into commotion.

Drew him out of the temple - Under the pretence that he had defiled it. The evident design was to put him to death, Act 21:31.

The doors were shut - The doors leading into the courts of the temple.

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

The doors were shut, lest the temple should be profaned by Gentiles entering into it. (Witham) --- The temple was an asylum, but not for those men who were justly pursued. Hence the Jews looking upon Paul as a blasphemer, they did not think they violated this asylum by forcibly removing Paul from the temple; but lest he might return, they fastened the entrance-gates.

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).

And all the city was moved; there was a general concourse from all parts.

Tantum religio poterat, no such heats as such are which are moved about religion; whilst the wisdom that is from above, is first pure, then peaceable, Jam 3:17.

Drew him out of the temple; lest by their uproar they should occasion any of the Gentiles to come in there to quell them; or, intending to kill Paul, they drew him thence, that he might not pollute that holy place with his blood: thus they strain at a gnat, being unwilling to pollute the temple; but they would swallow a camel, not sticking to shed the blood of the innocent.

The doors were shut; either by the keeper of the doors, or by the soldiers of the temple.

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

30. All… moved—That four Gentiles, led by a noted renegade, should be committing the capital crime of entering the holy precinct, was enough to startle all Jerusalem. A general rush is made at the outcry, and a mob pours into the immense court to seize and destroy the profane intruders.

Drew him out of the temple—From the women’s court into the court of the Gentiles.

Doors were shut—The folds of the Gate Beautiful, being of solid Corinthian brass, opening from the women’s court to the court of the Gentiles. Of this gate Josephus relates the following supernatural event as occurring shortly before the destruction of the city: “Moreover, the eastern gate of the inner, (court of the temple,) which was of brass, and vastly heavy, and had been with difficulty shut by twenty men, and which rested upon a basis armed with iron, and had bolts fastened very deep into the firm floor, which was there made of one entire stone, was seen to be opened of its own accord about the sixth hour of the night. Now those that kept watch in the temple came hereupon running to the captain of the temple, and told him of it, who then came up thither, and not without great difficulty was able to shut the gate again. This also appeared to the vulgar to be a very happy prodigy as if God did thereby open them the gate of happiness. But the men of learning understood it: that the security of their holy house was dissolved of its own accord, and that the gate was opened for the advantage of their enemies.” The gate is now witnessing one sin, or rather one part of the great sin for which that predicted ruin was sent, the rejection of the Gospel of Christ. The door was closed at this moment to shut out the tumult and prevent bloodshed in the holier place. (See note on Act_4:1-2.)

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

Laid hold on for took, A.V.; dragged for drew, A.V.; straightway for forth with, A.V. The doors wore shut. The doors of the gates which separated the agion, or as Luke here styles it the iJeron, from the court of the Gentiles. They turned Paul out of the iJeron, intending to kill him, and shut the doors, lest, in the confusion and the swaying to and fro of the crowd, the precincts of the temple should chance to be defiled with blood, or even with the presence of any who were unclean (see the passages from Josephus, quoted by Lewin, vol. it. p. 142, note 11).

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

And immediately the gates were shut - Both to prevent any further violation of the temple; and to prevent Paul's taking sanctuary at the horns of the altar.

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

drew

See, Act 14:19; Act 16:19.

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

See notes on verse 27

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.

All the city was excited

The word "All" here is an exaggeration for emphasis. The word "city" represents the people in Jerusalem. AT: "Many people in the city became angry at Paul" (See: Hyperbole and Generalization and Metonymy)

laid hold of Paul

"seized Paul" or "grabbed Paul"

the doors were immediately shut

They shut the doors so that there would not be rioting in the temple area. This can be stated in active form. AT: "Some of the Jews immediately shut the temple doors" or "The temple guards immediately shut the doors" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information and Active or Passive)

news came up to the chief captain of the guard

Here "news" refers to the messenger who went to speak the news. AT: "someone gave news to the chief captain of the guard" (See: Metonymy)

news came up to the chief captain

The phrase "came up to" is used because the chief captain was in a fortress connected to the temple that was higher in elevation than the temple courtyard.

the chief captain

a Roman military officer or leader of about 600 soldiers

all Jerusalem was in an uproar

The word "Jerusalem" here represents the people of Jerusalem. The word "all" is an exaggeration to show a large crowd was upset. AT: "a lot of people in Jerusalem were in an uproar" (See: Hyperbole and Generalization and Metonymy)

translationWords

Paul

temple

chief

Jerusalem

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

30. καὶ ἐγένετο συνδρομὴ τοῦ λαοῦ, and the people ran together. So κεὶ ἐγένετο συνδρομὴ ἐν πάσῃ τῇ παρεμβολῇ (Jdt 10:18) of the crowding around Judith as she came into the camp of Holophernes.

What occurred is a proof that the words of James and the elders were true. The whole Jewish community had been ‘catechized’ on the doings of St Paul among the Gentiles. The least spark set the whole train on fire.

καὶ ἐπιλαβόμενοι τοῦ Παύλου εἶλκον αὐτόν, they laid hold on Paul and dragged him. Their design was probably to get him out of the Temple precincts before they proceeded to further violence. It is clear that all the ceremonies of the Apostle’s vow were not yet accomplished, and had they not laid violent hands on him he might have fled to the altar for safety. That such a murder as they contemplated was possible in Jerusalem at this period we have evidence in the case of Stephen.

ἐκλείσθησαν αἱ θύραι, the doors were shut. We need not suppose that any of the Levites, the gatekeepers of the Temple, were of the same mind with the rioters. Their action in closing the gates was only to prevent any profanation of the building by the uproar which they saw to be beginning.

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.

30.] The Levites shut the doors to prevent profanation by a riot, and possibly bloodshed, in the temple: hardly, as Bengel, ‘ne templi tutela uteretur Paulus:’—the right of asylum was only (Exo 21:13, Exo 21:14) for murder unawares (Meyer). But by ver. 14 there, and by Joab’s fleeing to the altar, 1Ki 2:28 ff., we see that it was resorted to on other occasions.

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

Drew him out of the temple. Better, as Rev., dragged [ειλκον] . Out of the sacred enclosure and down the steps to the outer court, as they would not defile the temple proper with blood.

The doors were shut. Between the inner and outer courts.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.