ACT 21:27-36

Paul Seized at the Temple

27When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, threw the whole crowd into confusion and laid hands on him,

28crying out, "Men of Israel, help! This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and the law and this place, and furthermore he even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place."

29For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple.

30And the whole city was stirred, and a chaotic rushing together of people occurred. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and immediately the doors were shut.

31As they were seeking to kill him, a report came up to the commander of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.

32He immediately took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them. And when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.

33Then the commander came near and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains, and he was asking who he was and what he had done.

34Some in the crowd were shouting one thing, some another. And since he could not ascertain the certain facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into the barracks.

35And when he came to the steps, he ended up being carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd,

36for the mass of the people was following, crying out, "Away with him!"

In the world it was spoken into

In the first-century Jewish context, the Temple in Jerusalem was the central religious and cultural institution, guarded by strict purity laws. Gentiles were forbidden from entering the inner courts, and any violation of these boundaries was seen as a grave offense against Jewish identity and divine law. The accusation that Paul brought Greeks into the Temple would have been incendiary, as it implied a direct assault on Jewish sanctity and communal boundaries. The term (defiled) carried the weight of ritual impurity, a serious charge that would provoke outrage among devout Jews. The (stirring up) of the crowd reflects the volatile nature of Temple politics, where accusations could quickly escalate into mob violence. The Roman authorities, represented by the chiliarch, were tasked with maintaining order in a city prone to religious unrest. Their intervention highlights the tension between Jewish religious sensitivities and Roman imperial control, as well as the precarious position of figures like Paul, who navigated these competing loyalties.

›See the receipts

How other translations render this

ACT 21:27

KJV: And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews which were of Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people, and laid hands on him,
BSB: 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,
Koinōnos: When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, threw the whole crowd into confusion and laid hands on him,

ACT 21:28

KJV: Crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man, that teacheth all men every where against the people, and the law, and this place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place.
BSB: 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.”
Koinōnos: crying out, "Men of Israel, help! This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and the law and this place, and furthermore he even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.

ACT 21:29

KJV: (For they had seen before with him in the city Trophimus an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.)
BSB: For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they assumed that Paul had brought him into the temple.
Koinōnos: For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple.

ACT 21:30

KJV: And all the city was moved, and the people ran together: and they took Paul, and drew him out of the temple: and forthwith the doors were shut.
BSB: The whole city was stirred up, and the people rushed together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut.
Koinōnos: And the whole city was stirred, and a chaotic rushing together of people occurred. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and immediately the doors were shut.

ACT 21:31

KJV: And as they went about to kill him, tidings came unto the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.
BSB: While they were trying to kill him, the commander of the Roman regiment received a report that all Jerusalem was in turmoil.
Koinōnos: As they were seeking to kill him, a report came up to the commander of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.

ACT 21:32

KJV: Who immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down unto them: and when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, they left beating of Paul.
BSB: Immediately he took some soldiers and centurions and ran down to the crowd. When the people saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.
Koinōnos: He immediately took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them. And when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.

ACT 21:33

KJV: Then the chief captain came near, and took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains; and demanded who he was, and what he had done.
BSB: The commander came up and arrested Paul, ordering that he be bound with two chains. Then he asked who he was and what he had done.
Koinōnos: Then the commander came near and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains, and he was asking who he was and what he had done.

ACT 21:34

KJV: And some cried one thing, some another, among the multitude: and when he could not know the certainty for the tumult, he commanded him to be carried into the castle.
BSB: Some in the crowd were shouting one thing, and some another. And since the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be brought into the barracks.
Koinōnos: Some in the crowd were shouting one thing, some another. And since he could not ascertain the certain facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into the barracks.

ACT 21:35

KJV: And when he came upon the stairs, so it was, that he was borne of the soldiers for the violence of the people.
BSB: When Paul reached the steps, he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob.
Koinōnos: And when he came to the steps, he ended up being carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd,

ACT 21:36

KJV: For the multitude of the people followed after, crying, Away with him.
BSB: For the crowd that followed him kept shouting, “Away with him!”
Koinōnos: for the mass of the people was following, crying out, "Away with him!

Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.

Where the historical framing draws from

Josephus, WarsWars 2.9.2
Josephus, WarsWars 2.9.2
Josephus, WarsWars 2.14.6

›Josephus, Wars Wars 2.9.2

“Now Pilate, who was sent as procurator into Judea by Tiberius, sent by night those images of Caesar that are called ensigns into Jerusalem. This excited a very great tumult among the Jews”

Cited to ground: The Roman authorities, represented by the chiliarch, were tasked with maintaining order in a city prone to religious unrest.

›Josephus, Wars Wars 2.9.2

“This excited a very great tumult among the Jews when it was day; for those that were near them were astonished at the sight of them, as indications that their laws were trodden under foot”

Cited to ground: The accusation that Paul brought Greeks into the Temple would have been incendiary, as it implied a direct assault on Jewish sanctity and communal boundaries.

›Josephus, Wars Wars 2.14.6

“At this the people were in confusion immediately, and ran together to the temple, with prodigious clamors, and called upon Caesar by name”

Cited to ground: The (stirring up) of the crowd reflects the volatile nature of Temple politics, where accusations could quickly escalate into mob violence.

Translator's notes

ACT 21:27

were stirring up:The word translated 'were stirring up' implies a complete mixing or confusion, suggesting the crowd was thrown into a state of disorder and agitation, not just mild unrest.

ACT 21:28

has defiled:The term translated 'has defiled' refers to making something common or unholy, specifically in a ritual or religious sense, rendering it unfit for sacred use.

ACT 21:30

a rushing together:The phrase 'a rushing together' describes a tumultuous, disorderly concourse of people, emphasizing the chaotic and aggressive nature of the crowd's assembly.

ACT 21:34

facts:The word translated 'facts' carries the sense of something secure, certain, or reliable, implying a desire for concrete, undeniable information rather than mere details.