Acts 21:11

11 When he arrived he took Paul's loincloth, and bound his own feet and arms with it, and said, "Thus says the Holy Spirit, `So will the Jews in Jerusalem bind the owner of this loincloth, and will hand him over to the Gentiles.'"

Acts 21:11 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 21:11

And when he was come unto us
In Philip's house:

he took Paul's girdle and bound his own hands and feet;
and so prophesied by types and symbols, and gestures, as the prophets of old did; as Isaiah in ( Isaiah 20:2 Isaiah 20:3 ) and Jeremiah in ( Jeremiah 13:1-9 ) ( Jeremiah 27:2 Jeremiah 27:3 ) , and Ezekiel in ( Ezekiel 4:1-13 ) ( Ezekiel 12:3 Ezekiel 12:7 ) and Hosea in ( Hosea 1:2 Hosea 1:3 ) , some understand this of his binding Paul's hands and feet, but it seems rather to design his own:

and said, thus saith the Holy Ghost;
who was in Agabus, and spoke by him, and foretold some things to come to pass; and which did come to pass, and is a proof of the foreknowledge, and so of the deity of the blessed Spirit:

so shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owns this girdle;
meaning Paul, and who accordingly was bound in like manner, a very little time after this; see ( Acts 21:33 )

and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles;
the Romans, as they afterwards did.

Acts 21:11 In-Context

9 Now Philip had four unmarried daughters who were prophetesses;

10 and during our somewhat lengthy stay a Prophet of the name of Agabus came down from Judaea.

11 When he arrived he took Paul's loincloth, and bound his own feet and arms with it, and said, "Thus says the Holy Spirit, `So will the Jews in Jerusalem bind the owner of this loincloth, and will hand him over to the Gentiles.'"

12 As soon as we heard these words, both we and the brethren at Caesarea entreated Paul not to go up to Jerusalem.

13 His reply was, "What can you mean by thus breaking my heart with your grief? Why, as for me, I am ready not only to go to Jerusalem and be put in chains, but even to die there for the sake of the Lord Jesus."