Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Acts 18:20
When they desired [him] to tarry longer time with them, he consented not;
20. And when they desired ( asked) him to tarry a longer time with them ] The oldest texts omit the last two words. The verb is one most frequently rendered “to ask.” We need not suppose that more impression had been produced on this occasion than made the Jews willing to give him a patient hearing.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
They desired; that is, Aquila and Priscilla, whom Paul would not yield unto.
He consented not; by Gods wonderful providence, which overrules all our inclinations; Paul having greater things to do and suffer for the glory of God elsewhere.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
20. when they desired him totarryThe Jews seldom rose against the Gospel till thesuccessful preaching of it stirred them up, and there was no time forthat here.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
When they desired him to tarry longer time with them,…. Either Aquila and Priscilla, whom he left here, for here they were, as is certain from Ac 18:24,26 or rather the Jews with whom he reasoned, who might be desirous of further conference with him, upon the subject they had disputed about; either in order to gain more knowledge, or in hopes of baffling and confounding him:
he consented not; for a reason afterwards given.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
When they asked him ( ). Genitive absolute of present participle of , old verb to ask a question, common in Koine to make a request as here.
He consented not ( ). First aorist active indicative of , old verb to express approval by a nod, only here in the N.T.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1) “When they desired him,” (erototon de auton) “As they of Ephesus asked (requested) them,” Paul, Timothy, and Silas.
2) “To tarry longer time with them,” (epi pleiona chronon meinai) “To remain over (for) a longer period of time,” in Ephesus, before sailing on for Antioch in Syria. The Jews seldom rose up in mob violence against Paul and his gospel preaching, until souls began to be saved, baptized, and work in the church, severing their allegiance to the Law of Moses and the synagogue.
3) “He consented not;” (ouk epeneusen) “But he, Paul did not consent,” or did not agree to do so. He had overcome Jewish enemies in Corinth, to do the will of God, and now had to resist personal appeals of friends to “stay a little longer,” like a mother or father who appeals to a long absent son or daughter, to “stay a little longer.” He understood the will of God, and did not turn back from doing it, whatever the cost, Eph 5:17; Rom 12:2; 1Co 15:58.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(20) When they desired him to tarry longer time with them.This was, obviously, a hopeful sign, the earnest of the fruitful labours that followed. Nowhere, among the churches that he founded, does St. Paul seem to have found so great a receptivity for spiritual truth. While he looked on the Corinthians as being children requiring to be fed with milk (1Co. 3:2), he saw in the Ephesians those to whom he did not shun to declare the whole counsel of God (Act. 20:27), to whom he could, at a later date, appeal as able to measure his knowledge of the mystery of the gospel (Eph. 3:4).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
20. Desired him to tarry The vessel, though stopping at Ephesus, seems bound for Cesarea. Paul’s first preaching at Ephesus, as at Corinth, seems to have won the Jews. In both places the brief peace was succeeded by violent war. As cultivators of the ground for a future Church, however, Paul left Aquila and Priscilla there, (Act 18:19.)
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And when they asked him to remain a longer time, he refused his consent, but taking his leave of them, and saying, “I will return again to you if God will”, he set sail from Ephesus.’
The Jews there seemingly saw his ministry as acceptable for they asked him to remain. But he had his vow to fulfil and presumably wanted to be in Jerusalem for a coming feast. Thus he refused his consent, but promised that he would return again shortly in the near future if it proved to be God’s will. Then he set sail from Ephesus.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
20 When they desired him to tarry longer time with them, he consented not;
Ver. 20. He consented not ] Though lovingly invited, and otherwise easy to be entreated. There was therefore something in it more than ordinary. , follow God whithersoever he leadeth thee, was a maxim among heathens. (Boeth. Consol.) Magnus est animus qui se Deo tradidit, saith Seneca (Epist. cvii.); that is a brave spirit that hath given up itself to God; and that is a base degenerate spirit which stands off; et Deum mavult emendare, quam se, and had rather find fault with God than with himself.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Act 18:20 . : only here in N.T., but cf. 2Ma 4:10 ; 2Ma 11:15 ; 2Ma 14:20 , frequent in classical Greek. St. Paul must have had some very pressing reason for refusing such an invitation from his own countrymen.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
desired = asked. Greek. erotao. App-134.
tarry. Greek. meno. See p. 1511.
longer time = for (Greek. epi. App-104.) more time.
consented. Greek. epineuo, to nod towards. Only here. Used in medical
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Act 18:20. , when they desired him) It is not always that there is a Divine call present under the plausible invitation of men.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
he: Act 20:16, Act 21:13, Act 21:14, Mar 1:37, Mar 1:38, 1Co 16:12
Reciprocal: Act 24:22 – When
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
0
Act 18:20. Paul’s teaching seemed to meet with favor among his hearers, for they asked him to remain longer, which his plans would not permit.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Act 18:20. When they desired him to tarry longer with them. Ephesus appears to have been, from these days onward, favourably disposed to receive the gospel. This earnest request to Paul to stay longer with them on this the occasion of his first visit, no doubt induced him to fix upon the great Asian city as the centre of his work after his Third Missionary Journey. Ephesus, in the earliest Christian annals, occupied a foremost and most distinguished place. It was not only one of the churches founded by Paul, but it was trained up under his own personal superintendence nearly for three years. Timothy, Pauls most intimate and perhaps his most loved disciple, after an interval, succeeded the apostle in the personal superintendence of the church at Ephesus, and later it was the home of St. John, who, according to universal tradition, spent the latter years of his eventful life in this city. Here, too, this friend of Christ was buried.
He consented not; Act 18:21. But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem. There is a curious variation in the readings in this verse; the words from I must down to Jerusalem are omitted in many of the ancient authorities; but as there is no conceivable reason for the insertion of such a clause, and some of the better MSS. and Fathers, and, above all, the Syriac Version, contain the words, it is better with many of the modern commentators to retain them as genuine. The feast is most probably that of Pentecost, as the sea, either before the feast of Passover in the spring, or of Tabernacles in late autumn, would not have been considered safe for ships, it being hardly probable that under the circumstances, which did not seem very pressing, one like Paul would have undertaken an exceptionally expensive and dangerous voyage. This explains his words to the Ephesian Jews, I must by all means keep the feast that cometh in Jerusalem. The next feast in rotation would be that of Tabernacles in October. It is not unlikely that the means of transit from the great cities of the Mediterranean seaboard, for a Jew who wished to keep his Pentecost in Jerusalem, were abundant and inexpensive. Large bodies of these Jewish pilgrims from distant countries were evidently present at the first Pentecost feast described in Acts 2 (see especially Act 18:9-11).
But I will return again unto you, if God will. The apostle made haste to fulfil this promise (see Act 19:1).
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
See notes on verse 19
Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)
20. He must expedite and see the churches in different countries again,
Fuente: William Godbey’s Commentary on the New Testament
18:20 {7} When they desired [him] to tarry longer time with them, he consented not;
(7) The apostles were carried about not by the will of man, but by the leading of the Holy Spirit.