Acts 21:26

Then Paul took the men, and the next day, purified himself and went with them into the temple, declaring the fulfillment of the days of purification, until the offering was offered for every one of them.

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WEBBE

Then Paul took the men, and the next day purified himself and went with them into the temple, declaring the fulfilment of the days of purification, until the offering was offered for every one of them.

BSB

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.

KJV

Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them entered into the temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until that an offering should be offered for every one of them.

ASV

Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them went into the temple, declaring the fulfilment of the days of purification, until the offering was offered for every one of them.

BBE

Then Paul took the men, and on the day after, making himself clean with them, he went into the Temple, giving out the statement that the days necessary for making them clean were complete, till the offering was made for every one of them.

Original Greek

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Τότε Tote Then G5119 ὁ ho (the) G3588 Παῦλος Paulos Paul G3972 παραλαβὼν paralabōn having taken G3880 τοὺς tous the G3588 ἄνδρας andras men G435 τῇ tēa on the G3588 ἐχομένῃ echomenē following G2192 ἡμέρᾳ hēmera day G2250 σὺν sun with G4862 αὐτοῖς autois them G846 ἁγνισθεὶς hagnistheis having been purified G48 εἰσῄει eisēei was entering G1524 εἰς eis into G1519 τὸ to the G3588 ἱερὸν hi'eron temple G2411 διαγγέλλων diangellōn declaring G1229 τὴν tēn the G3588 ἐκπλήρωσιν ekplērōsin fulfillment G1604 τῶν tōn of the G3588 ἡμερῶν hēmerōn days G2250 τοῦ tou of the G3588 ἁγνισμοῦ hagnismou purification G49 ἕως he'ōs until G2193 οὗ hou that G3739 προσηνέχθη prosēnechthē was offered G4374 ὑπὲρ huper for G5228 ἑνὸς henos one G1520 ἑκάστου hekastou each G1538 αὐτῶν autōn of them G846 ἡ hē the G3588 προσφορά prosphora sacrifice G4376

The early church

For it was one thing to take effectual measures for clearing himself, and another to have done these things without the knowledge of any of the parties. It was a step open to no suspicion, the fact of his even bearing the expenses. "Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them entered into the temple, signifying the accomplishment of the days of purification, until that an offering should be offered for every one of them." "Signifying," that is, publicly notifying: so that it was he who made himself conspicuous. "The next day," it says, "he took them:" he deferred it not; for when there is economy in the case, this is the way of it.
John Chrysostom · d. 407Homilies on Acts
But if while preaching the Jewish doctrines, he suffered thus, had he preached the doctrines of the glory of Christ, how would they have endured him? While "purifying himself" he was intolerable, and how should he have been tolerable while preaching? What lay ye to his charge? What have ye heard? He spoke nothing of the kind. He was simply seen, and he exasperated all against him. Well might he then be set apart for the Gentiles: well might he be sent afar off: there also destined to discourse to the Gentiles.
John Chrysostom · d. 407Homilies on Acts

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 19–26

Paul ascribed all his success to God, and to God they gave the praise. God had honoured him more than any of the apostles, yet they did not envy him; but on the contrary, glorified the Lord. They could not do more to encourage Paul to go on cheerfully in his work. James and the elders of the church at Jerusalem, asked Paul to gratify the believing Jews, by some compliance with the ceremonial law. They thought it was prudent in him to conform thus far. It was great weakness to be so fond of the shadows, when the substance was come. The religion Paul preached, tended not to destroy the law, but to fulfil it. He preached Christ, the end of the law for righteousness, and repentance and faith, in which we are to make great use of the law. The weakness and evil of the human heart strongly appear, when we consider how many, even of the disciples of Christ, had not due regard to the most eminent minister that even lived. Not the excellence of his character, nor the success with which God blessed his labours, could gain their esteem and affection, seeing that he did not render the same respect as themselves to mere ceremonial observances. How watchful should we be against prejudices! The apostles were not free from blame in all they did; and it would be hard to defend Paul from the charge of giving way too much in this matter. It is vain to attempt to court the favour of zealots, or bigots to a party. This compliance of Paul did not answer, for the very thing by which he hoped to pacify the Jews, provoked them, and brought him into trouble. But the all-wise God overruled both their advice and Paul's compliance with it, to serve a better purpose than was intended. It was in vain to think of pleasing men who would be pleased with nothing but the rooting out of Christianity. Integrity and uprightness will be more likely to preserve us than insincere compliances. And it should warn us not to press men to doing what is contrary to their own judgment to oblige us.

Read Matthew Henry on Acts 21 →

Cross-references

4

People & places

Paul

Topics

TemplePaulPurification

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