Acts 21:12

Both we and they of that place (hmei te kai oi entopioi). Usual use of te kai (both--and). Entopioi, old word, only here in N.T. Not to go up (tou mh anabainein). Probably ablative of the articular present active infinitive with redundant negative me after parekaloumen (imperfect active, conative). We tried to persuade him from going up. It can be explained as genitive, but not so likely: We tried to persuade him in respect to not going up. Vincent cites the case of Regulus who insisted on returning from Rome to Carthage to certain death and that of Luther on the way to the Diet of Worms. Spalatin begged Luther not to go on. Luther said: "Though devils be as many in Worms as tiles upon the roofs, yet thither will I go." This dramatic warning of Agabus came on top of that in Tyre ( Matthew 21:4 ) and Paul's own confession in Miletus ( Matthew 20:23 ). It is small wonder that Luke and the other messengers together with Philip and his daughters (prophetesses versus prophet?) joined in a chorus of dissuasion to Paul.