Acts 21:10-14 · Bible study
Acts 21:10-14 Commentary: Paul's Readiness 'to Die at Jerusalem'
Greek · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
How does a second prophetic warning test Paul's resolve?
Research Summary
- Meaning: Agabus’ second prophetic warning confirms Paul’s calling to suffer in Jerusalem; the community submits to God’s will after Paul’s steadfast refusal to be dissuaded.
- Key words: belt (ζώνη, a sash used to secure robes, also for carrying money); ready (ἑτοίμως + ἔχω, “hold myself in readiness”); break my heart (συνθρύπτω, to crush or shatter); Lord’s will (θέλημα τοῦ κυρίου).
- Main debate: Was Agabus’ prophecy a prohibition to stop Paul, a conditional warning, or a confirmation to prepare him? The supplied commentators mainly read it as foretelling, not a command.
- Theological theme: Submission to God’s will in suffering; the interplay between loving counsel and divine calling.
- Best use: Teaching on perseverance, discernment of God’s will, and the role of the Christian community in decision-making.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
10After we had been there several days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.
11Coming 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.’”
12When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem.
13Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”
14When he would not be dissuaded, we fell silent and said, “The Lord’s will be done.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
10As we stayed there some days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.
11Coming 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.’”
12When we heard these things, both we and the people of that place begged him not to go up to Jerusalem.
13Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”
14When he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, “The Lord’s will be done.”
KJV King James Version 1769
10And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judea a certain prophet, named Agabus.
11And 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.
12And when we heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought him not to go up to Jerusalem.
13Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.
14And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
10And as we tarried there some days, there came down from Judæa a certain prophet, named Agabus.
11And 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.
12And when we heard these things, both we and they of that place besought him not to go up to Jerusalem.
13Then Paul answered, What do ye, weeping and breaking my heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.
14And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
10And we remaining many more days, there came down a certain one from Judea, a prophet, by name Agabus,
11and he having come unto us, and having taken up the girdle of Paul, having bound also his own hands and feet, said, `Thus saith the Holy Spirit, The man whose is this girdle--so shall the Jews in Jerusalem bind, and they shall deliver him up to the hands of nations.'
12And when we heard these things, we called upon him --both we, and those of that place--not to go up to Jerusalem,
13and Paul answered, `What do ye--weeping, and crushing mine heart? for I, not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem, am ready, for the name of the Lord Jesus;'
14and he not being persuaded, we were silent, saying, `The will of the Lord be done.'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
10And as we stayed there many days, a certain man, by name Agabus, a prophet, came down from Judaea,
11and coming to us and taking the girdle of Paul, and having bound his own hands and feet, said, Thus saith the Holy Spirit, The man whose this girdle is shall the Jews thus bind in Jerusalem, and deliver him up into the hands of [the] Gentiles.
12And when we heard these things, both we and those of the place besought [him] not to go up to Jerusalem.
13But Paul answered, What do ye, weeping and breaking my heart? for I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.
14And when he would not be persuaded, we were silent, saying, The will of the Lord be done.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
10And as we tarried there for some days, there came from Judea a certain prophet, named Agabus.
11Who, when he was come to us, took Paul's girdle: and binding his own feet and hands, he said: Thus saith the Holy Ghost: The man whose girdle this is, the Jews shall bind in this manner in Jerusalem and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.
12Which when we had heard, both we and they that were of that place desired him that he would not go up to Jerusalem.
13Then Paul answered and said: What do you mean, weeping and afflicting my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but to die also in Jerusalem, for the name of the Lord Jesus.
14And when we could not persuade him, we ceased, saying: The will of the Lord be done.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Acts 21:10
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Agabus’ prophecy was a foretelling by the Holy Spirit, not a prohibition. Calvin argues the warning was given “for other men’s sake”, so the church would recognize that Paul acted under divine compulsion. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown similarly say the prediction was intended “not to prohibit him from going, but to put his courage to the test.” Adam Clarke notes that those who pleaded with Paul understood the prophecy as conditional, believing Paul could still avoid arrest. Yet Paul himself interpreted it as a confirmation of his calling. His reply, “I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem”, shows deliberate readiness. The community’s final surrender, “The Lord’s will be done,” marks their recognition that Paul’s path was God’s will, not stubbornness.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The Holy Spirit spoke through Agabus; Paul was resolved to obey God’s call even to death; and the community ultimately submitted to God’s will.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Nature of Agabus' prophecy | The prophecy came from the Holy Spirit through a recognized prophet. It accurately foretold Paul's binding and delivery to Gentiles. | Some interpreters (e.g., Adam Clarke) argue the prophecy was conditional, leaving Paul free to decide. Others (e.g., Calvin, JFB) see it as a divine predetermination that Paul was to accept, not to question. |
| Was Paul acting out of stubbornness or obedience? | Paul’s willingness to suffer for Christ is universally admired. His motivation was love for the Lord’s name, not mere obstinacy. | Reformed commentators emphasize Paul’s submission to a fixed divine will. Wesleyan commentators note that Paul had genuine moral agency and could have avoided the suffering, making his choice more heroic. |
| The community’s response: love or resistance? | The tears and pleas arose from genuine love and concern for Paul. Their eventual submission to God’s will is a model of godly surrender. | Some see their begging as a failure to understand the Spirit’s intent; others view it as a natural and faithful expression of care that needed to be corrected. |
| Significance of a second warning | The second warning through Agabus reinforced the earlier prophecy at Tyre and made the coming events known to a wider circle. | Calvin and JFB say it was for the sake of the observers, not to change Paul. Clarke implies it was a fresh opportunity for Paul to reconsider. |
Historical & Cultural Context
This passage sits near the end of Paul’s third missionary journey. He is rushing to reach Jerusalem by Pentecost (Acts 20:16), carrying a collection for the Judean believers. Already at Tyre disciples had warned him “through the Spirit that he should not go up to Jerusalem” (Acts 21:4). Now in Caesarea, staying with Philip the evangelist (Acts 21:8-9), the prophet Agabus arrives from Judea. He is the same prophet who earlier predicted a worldwide famine (Acts 11:28).
Agabus performs a symbolic act reminiscent of Old Testament prophets. He takes Paul’s belt (the sash that held a loose Eastern robe together) and binds his own feet and hands. Jeremiah buried a girdle by the Euphrates (Jer 13:1-7); Isaiah walked naked and barefoot as a sign (Isa 20:2-3); Ezekiel enacted the siege of Jerusalem with a brick (Ezek 4:1-3). Such “sign-acts” made the prophecy visual and unforgettable. Agabus’ specific wording, “So the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt, and will deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles”, matches the play-by-play of Paul’s arrest in Acts 21:27-36, where Jews seize him and the Roman tribune rescues him into custody.
The setting at Philip’s house is itself remarkable. Philip had four virgin daughters who prophesied (Acts 21:9). Caesarea, a Roman administrative center, was home to both Jewish and Gentile Christians. The community that pleads with Paul includes Luke and Paul’s traveling companions, local disciples, and perhaps Philip’s household. Their tears and pleas reflect genuine affection, not a lack of faith.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Acts 21:10-14. The Greek text is well established; minor differences among English translations (e.g., “girdle” vs. “belt”) reflect translation choices for ζώνη rather than manuscript divergence. The earliest and most reliable manuscripts (P74, Sinaiticus, Vaticanus) read consistently here.
Reception History
This passage has served as a touchstone for Christians facing persecution. Vincent’s Word Studies connects Paul’s resolve to Martin Luther’s journey to the Diet of Worms and the Roman general Regulus, who returned to certain death to keep his word. The phrase “The Lord’s will be done” (γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημα τοῦ κυρίου) echoes the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:10) and has become a common confession of trust in suffering. Early church writers like John Chrysostom praised Paul’s steadfastness as a model for martyrs. Later Protestant commentators drew on the passage to teach about the balance between human love and divine calling. In Catholic tradition, Paul’s readiness to die for the name of Jesus is often cited in prayers for fortitude.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Prophet’s Sign (vv10-11). Agabus uses a dramatic object lesson: binding his own hands and feet with Paul’s belt. The Holy Spirit speaks through a visible act, anchoring the prophecy in shared memory.
- The Community’s Plea (v12). Fellow believers beg Paul not to go. Their love is real, but their understanding is limited, they read the prophecy as a warning to avoid danger, not as a call to embrace it.
- Paul’s Resolve and Their Surrender (vv13-14). Paul answers with a question: “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart?” He does not waver. The community finally stops persuading and says, “The Lord’s will be done.”
Five-point outline
- Divine confirmation through repetition. Paul had already been warned; Agabus provides a second, more vivid confirmation for the whole church to witness.
- The power of prophetic symbolism. An acted-out prophecy reaches deeper than words alone, linking this moment to the Old Testament prophetic tradition.
- Love’s blind spot. The community’s begging is an expression of love that fails to discern God’s larger purpose in Paul’s suffering.
- Steadfastness that trusts God’s call. Paul’s readiness to be bound and to die reveals that his confidence rests not in outcomes but in the name of the Lord Jesus.
- Letting go in prayer. When persuasion fails, the believers release Paul into God’s hands. “The Lord’s will be done” is not resignation but trust.
Illustration hooks
- A firefighter who runs into a burning building while others outside beg him not to. He knows the risk, but the call to save lives outweighs his own safety.
- A missionary family moving into a dangerous region after medical workers advise against it. Their conviction is steady, but loved ones struggle to let go.
- An end-of-life decision where family members disagree on treatment, one person feels a clear sense of God’s will about the path ahead, and others have to learn to release control.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How can I know if a strong sense of direction is from God or just my own stubbornness?
- When well-meaning Christians advise me against something I believe God called me to do, how do I respond?
- What does it look like to truly pray “the Lord’s will be done” without giving up on the people I love?
Leading a Discussion
This passage captures a moment of intense pressure on Paul. His friends love him and want to protect him. But Paul understands the prophecy as a confirmation that his path is from God. The community eventually surrenders their own plans to God’s will. As you discuss, notice that both the pleas and the final submission are acts of faith, the faith of love and the faith of trust.
Discussion questions
- Read the passage together. What do you observe about Agabus’ method of prophecy? Why might God use a symbolic action here?
- Why do you think both the traveling companions and the local believers begged Paul not to go to Jerusalem? Were they wrong to do so?
- Paul says they are “breaking my heart” (v13). What does that reveal about how he experienced their tears and pleas?
- What does Paul mean by “I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus”? How does his language of readiness (ἑτοίμως ἔχω, “hold myself in readiness”) shape your understanding?
- How would you describe the change in the group between verse 12 and verse 14? What causes them to stop pleading and say “The Lord’s will be done”?
- Have you ever been in a situation where something God seemed to be leading you into looked dangerous or unwise to others? How did you handle the tension?
- What does this story teach about the relationship between community counsel and personal conviction? How do you weigh both in your own decisions?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Acts 11:28 | One of them named Agabus stood up and indicated by the Spirit that there should be a great famine all over the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius. |
| Acts 20:16 | For Paul had determined to sail past Ephesus, that he might not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hastening, if it were possible for him, to be in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost. |
| Acts 21:4 | Having found disciples, we stayed there seven days. These said to Paul through the Spirit that he should not go up to Jerusalem. |
| Acts 21:7 | When we had finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais. We greeted the brothers and stayed with them one day. |
| I Samuel 15:27 | As Samuel turned around to go away, Saul grabbed the skirt of his robe, and it tore. |
| I Samuel 15:28 | Samuel said to him, “Yahweh has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today, and has given it to a neighbor of yours who is better than you. |
| I Kings 11:29 | At that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him on the way. Now Ahijah had clad himself with a new garment; and the two of them were alone in the field. |
| I Kings 11:31 | He said to Jeroboam, “Take ten pieces; for Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, ‘Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and will give ten tribes to you |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke emphasizes that Agabus delivered his prophecy through a symbolic action, following the Old Testament prophetic tradition. He notes that the believers understood the warning as conditional, not absolute, and that Paul was free to choose whether or not to go to Jerusalem. The prediction about the Gentiles was literally fulfilled.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes emphasizes that while tears at parting are natural, friends must not let their affection distract someone from a settled conviction of duty. Paul's firm reproach to the weeping believers rebukes the attempt to soften his resolve. True piety, Barnes argues, cheerfully submits to God's will even when it leads to painful separation.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin observes that the prophecy from Agabus was not for Paul's own warning, since he already knew, but for the believers' sake, to show that Paul willingly faced persecution as God's appointed champion. He highlights the tension between the believers' loving tears and Paul's unshaken obedience, noting that Paul's heart was moved yet his resolve in God's calling remained inflexible.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator notes that when the believers wept and pleaded with Paul, the Greek verb he uses means they were trying to weaken his determination, not merely to increase his sorrow. Paul's emphatic "I" in the Greek shows he had already counted the cost of serving Christ and would not be deterred.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights the disciples' loving but misguided attempt to dissuade Paul, contrasting it with their eventual submission to God's secret will in providence. He draws a careful distinction between God's revealed will and His hidden providential purposes, which may involve suffering and must be accepted with patient faith.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB emphasizes that Agabus's dramatic prophecy, echoing Old Testament prophetic acts, was not a prohibition but a test intended to deepen Paul's courage. Paul's reply, ready for both chains and death, displays a striking blend of resolute determination and tender emotion.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange draws a careful distinction: the Spirit revealed to the Tyrian disciples that Paul would suffer in Jerusalem, but their pleas for him to stay away came from human affection, not the Spirit. He warns that such a mixture of flesh and Spirit in our thoughts is deeply dangerous.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry draws a spiritual lesson from the parting of the travelers: just as the group that sailed together separated when the voyage ended, so at death it will be revealed who truly belonged to Paul's company. Those who followed Paul all the way to Caesarea represent the faithful who follow Christ to the end.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent sees the binding of hands and feet as an Old Testament prophetic sign. He parallels this with Luther going to the Diet of Worms and Regulus returning to certain death. He also notes that "I am ready" in Greek means "I hold myself in readiness."