Acts 21:11

Coming to us, and taking Paul’s belt, he bound his own feet and hands, and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit: ‘So will the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and will deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’”

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WEBBE

Coming to us and taking Paul’s belt, he bound his own feet and hands, and said, “The Holy Spirit says: ‘So the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt, and will deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’”

BSB

Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, bound his own feet and hands, and said, “The Holy Spirit says: ‘In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and hand him over to the Gentiles.’”

KJV

And when he was come unto us, he took Paul’s girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.

ASV

And coming to us, and taking Paul’s girdle, he bound his own feet and hands, and said, Thus saith the Holy Spirit, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.

BBE

And he came to us, and took the band of Paul's clothing, and putting it round his feet and hands, said, The Holy Spirit says these words, So will the Jews do to the man who is the owner of this band, and they will give him up into the hands of the Gentiles.

Original Greek

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καὶ kai and G2532 ἐλθὼν elthōn having come G2064 πρὸς pros to G4314 ἡμᾶς hēmas us G3165 καὶ kai and G2532 ἄρας aras having taken G142 τὴν tēn the G3588 ζώνην zōnēn belt G2223 τοῦ tou (the) G3588 Παύλου Paulou of Paul G3972 δήσας dēsas having bound G1210 τε te both G5037 ἑαυτοῦ he'autou of himself G1438 τοὺς tous the G3588 πόδας podas feet G4228 καὶ kai and G2532 τὰς tas the G3588 χεῖρας cheiras hands G5495 εἶπεν eipen he said G2036 τάδε tade Thus G3592 λέγει legei says G3004 τὸ to the G3588 πνεῦμα pneuma Spirit G4151 τὸ to (the) G3588 ἅγιον hagion Holy G40 τὸν ton The G3588 ἄνδρα andra man G435 οὗ hou of whom G3739 ἐστιν estin is G1510 ἡ hē (the) G3588 ζώνη zōnē belt G2223 αὕτη hautē this G3778 οὕτως houtōs in this way G3779 δήσουσιν dēsousin will bind G1210 ἐν en in G1722 Ἰερουσαλὴμ Ierousalēm Jerusalem G2419 οἱ hoi the G3588 Ἰουδαῖοι Ioudaioi Jews G2453 καὶ kai and G2532 παραδώσουσιν paradōsousin will deliver [him] G3860 εἰς eis into G1519 χεῖρας cheiras [the] hands G5495 ἐθνῶν ethnōn of [the] Gentiles G1484

The early church

But why, it may be asked, did he use a girdle with his raiment? This was customary with them of old time, before men passed into this soft and loose kind of dress. Thus, for instance, both Peter appears to have been "girded," and Paul; for it saith, "the man that owneth this girdle." And Elijah too was thus arrayed, and every one of the saints, because they were at work continually, laboring, and busying themselves either in journeyings, or about some other necessary matter; and not for this cause only, but also with a view of trampling under foot all ornaments, and practising all austerity. This very kind of thing accordingly Christ declares to be the greatest praise of virtue, thus saying, "What went ye out for to see? a man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in king's houses."
John Chrysostom · d. 407Homilies on Matthew
"And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judea a certain prophet, named Agabus. And when he was come unto us, he took Paul's girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles." He who formerly had declared about the famine, the same says, This "man, who owneth this girdle, thus shall they bind." The same that the prophets used to do, representing events to the sight, when they spoke about the captivity - as did Ezekiel - the same did this Agabus. And Agabus does not say, "They shall bind" Paul, that he may not seem to speak upon agreement with Paul, but "the man that owneth this girdle" - so then he had a girdle also.
John Chrysostom · d. 407Homilies on Acts
"And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judea a certain prophet, named Agabus. And when he was come unto us, he took Paul's girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles." He who formerly had declared about the famine, the same says, This "man, who owneth this girdle, thus shall they bind." The same that the prophets used to do, representing events to the sight, when they spoke about the captivity - as did Ezekiel - the same did this Agabus. And Agabus does not say, "They shall bind" Paul, that he may not seem to speak upon agreement with Paul, but "the man that owneth this girdle" - so then he had a girdle also.
John Chrysostom · d. 407Homilies on Acts

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 8–18

Paul had express warning of his troubles, that when they came, they might be no surprise or terror to him. The general notice given us, that through much tribulation we must enter into the kingdom of God, should be of the same use to us. Their weeping began to weaken and slacken his resolution Has not our Master told us to take up our cross? It was a trouble to him, that they should so earnestly press him to do that in which he could not gratify them without wronging his conscience. When we see trouble coming, it becomes us to say, not only, The will of the Lord must be done, and there is no remedy; but, Let the will of the Lord be done; for his will is his wisdom, and he doeth all according to the counsel of it. When a trouble is come, this must allay our griefs, that the will of the Lord is done; when we see it coming, this must silence our fears, that the will of the Lord shall be done; and we ought to say, Amen, let it be done. It is honourable to be an old disciple of Jesus Christ, to have been enabled by the grace of God to continue long in a course of duty, stedfast in the faith, growing more and more experienced, to a good old age. And with these old disciples one would choose to lodge; for the multitude of their years shall teach wisdom. Many brethren at Jerusalem received Paul gladly. We think, perhaps, that if we had him among us, we should gladly receive him; but we should not, if, having his doctrine, we do not gladly receive that.

Read Matthew Henry on Acts 21 →

Cross-references

28

People & places

Paul Jerusalem

Topics

ProphecyProphetsSymbols And SimilitudesGirdlePantomime

Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.