Acts 21:27

Paul Seized at the Temple

27 When the seven days were almost over, some Jews from the province of Asia [a] saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him,

Acts 21:27 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 21:27

And when the seven days were almost ended
The Syriac version renders it, "when the seventh day was come"; from the time that Paul came to Jerusalem: some understand this of the seven weeks from the passover to Pentecost, and that it was when they were almost ended, and the day of Pentecost was at hand, for which Paul came up to Jerusalem; but rather, the seven days of purification of the Nazarites are meant:

the Jews which were of Asia;
and it may be chiefly of Ephesus, the metropolis of Asia; who knew Paul there, and were his implacable enemies; for this is to be understood of the unbelieving Jews, who were come up to the feast of Pentecost:

when they saw him in the temple;
where he was come to bring his offering, on account of his vow:

stirred up all the people;
against the apostle; incensed them with stories about him, how that he was an opposer of Moses and his laws, and was now defiling the temple, by bringing in Heathens into it:

and laid hands on him;
in a violent manner, and dragged him out of the temple.

Acts 21:27 In-Context

25 As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they must abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality.”
26 So the next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he entered the temple to give notice of the date when their purification would be complete and the offering would be made for each of them.
27 When the seven days were almost over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him,
28 crying out, “Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people and against our law and against this place. Furthermore, he has brought Greeks into the temple and defiled this holy place.”
29 For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they assumed that Paul had brought him into the temple.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Literally from Asia; Asia was a Roman province in what is now western Turkey.
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