Acts 21:38 NIV

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Acts 21:38

Art not thou that Egyptian? - That Egyptian was probably a Jew who resided in Egypt. Josephus has given an account of this Egyptian which strikingly accords with the statement here recorded by Luke. See Josephus, Antiq., book 20, chapter 8, section 6, and Jewish Wars, book 2, chapter 13, section 5. The account which he gives is, that this Egyptian, whose name he does not mention, came from Egypt to Jerusalem, and said that he was a prophet, and advised the multitude of the common people to go... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Acts 21:37-40

Acts 21:37-40 . And as Paul was going to be led into the castle To which the soldiers were conducting him; he said unto the chief captain, May I speak unto thee? The wisdom of God teaching him to make use of that very time and place: Who Hearing him speak in the Greek language; said With some surprise; Canst thou speak Greek? Art not thou that Egyptian Who came into Judea when Felix had been some years governor there, (see note on Matthew 24:26;) and, calling himself a prophet, drew... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Acts 21:37-40

Paul’s reply to the crowd (21:37-22:29)By his command of the situation, Paul showed much physical courage and mental alertness. One minute he was snatched from a violent death, the next he was able to address a mob of wildly excited Jews who were screaming for his blood. He spoke with such power that a rioting crowd of would-be murderers listened to him in silence (37-40).Paul wanted to show that he was a zealous Jew, called by God to serve him. He told of his Jewish upbringing and education,... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Acts 21:38

Art not thou = Art thou not then. that = the. madest an uproar = stirred up to sedition. Greek. anastatoo. See note on Acts 17:6 . that were murderers = of the Sicarii, or assassins (Greek. sikarios. Only here). The Sicarii (a Latin word from sica, a curved dagger) were bandits who infested Judeea in the time of Felix, who sent troops against them, though Josephus says it was at the instigation of Felix that they murdered the high priest Jonathan. The Egyptian referred to was a false... read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Acts 21:38

Art not thou then the Egyptian, who before these days stirred up to sedition and led out into the wilderness the four thousand men of the Assassins?Egyptian who led ... four thousand men ... Commentators like to speculate on the disparity between this chiliarch's attribution of only 4,000 men to the Egyptian seditionist as contrasted with the 30,000 attributed to him by Josephus; but it is exceedingly unlikely that the chiliarch's information would have been inadequate on such a subject.... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Acts 21:37-38

Acts 21:37-38. Who said, Canst thou speak Greek?— St. Paul's addressing himself in Greek to the chief captain surprised him a good deal, as he took him for an Egyptian impostor; upon which he said to him with some astonishment, "What then! can you speak Greek? Are not you that Egyptian, who some time ago made a disturbance in this country, and, under the pretence of being a mighty prophet, led out into the wilderness four thousand of the sicarii?" (σικαριων ) a kind of assassins, so called from... read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Acts 21:38

38. madest an uproar, c.—The narrative is given in JOSEPHUS [Wars of the Jews, 2.8.6 13.5], though his two allusions and ours seem to refer to different periods of the rebellion. read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Acts 21:37-38

The commander had assumed that Paul was a certain Egyptian who had appeared in Jerusalem three years earlier. This man claimed to be a prophet of God and announced that the wall of Jerusalem would collapse at his command. He further claimed that he would lead his followers from the Mount of Olives into Jerusalem where they would defeat the Romans and throw off their yoke. The Romans, however, attacked this man’s followers first and killed many of them, but he had escaped.The Egyptian’s... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Acts 21:37-40

Paul’s request to address the people 21:37-40 read more

John Dummelow

John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 21:1-40

St. Paul arrested at jerusalem1. Were gotten] rather, ’had torn ourselves.’ Coos] or Cos, a fertile island off the Carian coast, producing silks, ointments, wheat, and wines.Rhodes] a city, and large island, situated S. of Caria. The famous colossus was a statue of the sun-god, 105 ft. high, which stood at the harbour entrance. Erected 280 b.c., it stood for 56 years, when it was overthrown by an earthquake. Its fragments remained where they fell till 656 a.d. Patara] an important Lycian... read more