They all wept openly as they embraced Paul and kissed him.
Parallel translations
- WEB They all wept a lot, and fell on Paul’s neck and kissed him,
- KJV And they all wept sore, and fell on Paul’s neck, and kissed him,
- NKJV Then they all wept freely, and fell on Paul’s neck and kissed him,
- NASB And they all began to weep aloud and embraced Paul, and repeatedly kissed him,
- NLT They all cried as they embraced and kissed him good-bye.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
All the elders weep openly, embracing and kissing Paul. Their love for him pours out in this farewell.
Overview
The deep weeping and affectionate embraces reveal the bonds of love forged through years of shared gospel labor. Such tender emotion is no weakness but the fruit of true Christian fellowship. The scene shows how the gospel knits believers together in heartfelt, family-like love.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 16
- 2 Tim 1:4Recalling your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy.
- Rev 21:4‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,’ and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.”
- Rom 16:16Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send you greetings.
- 1 Cor 16:20All the brothers here send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss.
- Luke 15:20So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still in the distance, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.
- 2 Cor 13:12Greet one another with a holy kiss.
- 1 Th 5:26Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.
- Gen 46:29Joseph prepared his chariot and went there to meet his father Israel. Joseph presented himself to him, embraced him, and wept profusely.
- Ezra 10:1While Ezra prayed and made this confession, weeping and falling facedown before the house of God, a very large assembly of Israelites—men, women, and children—gathered around him, and the people wept bitterly as well.
- Rev 7:17For the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd. ‘He will lead them to springs of living water,’ and ‘God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”
- Gen 45:14Then Joseph threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin wept as they embraced.
- 2 Sam 15:30But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went up. His head was covered, and he was walking barefoot. And all the people with him covered their heads and went up, weeping as they went.
- 1 Sam 20:41When the young man had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone, fell facedown, and bowed three times. Then he and Jonathan kissed each other and wept together—though David wept more.
- Job 2:12When they lifted up their eyes from afar, they could barely recognize Job. They began to weep aloud, and each man tore his robe and threw dust in the air over his head.
- Ps 126:5Those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy.
- 2 Kgs 20:3“Please, O LORD, remember how I have walked before You faithfully and with wholehearted devotion; I have done what was good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Acts is the risen Christ continuing his work by the Spirit through the church, as the apostles preach that there is salvation in no other name under heaven.
How Acts 20:37 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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