Acts 21:40

Paul

³⁸ Art not thou that Egyptian, which before these days madest an uproar, and leddest out into the wilderness four thousand men that were murderers?

³⁹ But Paul said, I am a man which am a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city: and, I beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the people.

And when he had given him licence, Paul stood on the stairs, and beckoned with the hand unto the people. And when there was made a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue, saying,

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: Having received permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd. A great hush came over the crowd, and he addressed them in Hebrew:
KJV: And when he had given him licence, Paul stood on the stairs, and beckoned with the hand unto the people. And when there was made a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue, saying,
WEB: When he had given him permission, Paul, standing on the stairs, beckoned with his hand to the people. When there was a great silence, he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, saying,
ASV: And when he had given him leave, Paul, standing on the stairs, beckoned with the hand unto the people; and when there was made a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew language, saying,
DARBY: And when he had allowed him, Paul, standing on the stairs, beckoned with his hand to the people; and a great silence having been made, he addressed them in the Hebrew tongue, saying,
BLB: And he having allowed [him], Paul, having stood on the stairs, made a sign with the hand to the people. And a great silence having taken place, he spoke to [them] in the Hebrew language, saying:

ÅB: Da han gav ham lov til det, stilte Paulus seg på trappen og slo til lyd for folket med hånden; da det nå ble aldeles stille, talte han til dem på det hebraiske mål og sa:
OTB: Etter å ha fått tillatelse, sto Paulus på trappene og vinket til folket med hånden. Da det ble stor stillhet, talte han til dem på hebraisk, og sa,
B1930: Da han gav ham lov til det, stilte Paulus sig på trappen og slo til lyd for folket med hånden; da det nu blev aldeles stille, talte han til dem på det hebraiske mål og sa:

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Acts 12:17
But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, Go shew these things unto James, and to the brethren. And he departed, and went into another place.
Read in context
Acts 26:14
And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
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John 5:2
Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.
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Acts 22:2
(And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,)
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Acts 21:35
And when he came upon the stairs, so it was, that he was borne of the soldiers for the violence of the people.
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Acts 19:33
And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander beckoned with the hand, and would have made his defence unto the people.
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John 19:17
And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha:
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John 19:13
When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha.
Read in context