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And as they went about to kill him, tidings came unto the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.
Acts 21:31 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB As they were trying to kill him, news came up to the commanding officer of the regiment 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.
  • NKJV Now as they were seeking to kill him, news came to the commander of the garrison that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.
  • NASB While they were intent on killing him, a report came up to the commander of the Roman cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion.
  • NLT As they were trying to kill him, word reached the commander of the Roman regiment that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.

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

As they try to kill Paul, word reaches the Roman commander that all Jerusalem is in turmoil. Roman authority is about to intervene.

Overview

News of the uproar quickly reaches the tribune of the cohort stationed at the Antonia Fortress overlooking the temple. Roman intervention, which will rescue Paul from the mob, begins God's providential use of the empire to preserve His servant. What appears to be Paul's undoing becomes the means by which he will testify before governors, a king, and Caesar himself.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 16

  • 2 Cor 11:23–33Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.
  • Acts 17:5But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.
  • Acts 26:9–10I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
  • Acts 24:6Who also hath gone about to profane the temple: whom we took, and would have judged according to our law.
  • John 16:2They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.
  • Acts 19:40For we are in danger to be called in question for this day’s uproar, there being no cause whereby we may give an account of this concourse.
  • John 18:12Then the band and the captain and officers of the Jews took Jesus, and bound him,
  • Acts 24:22And when Felix heard these things, having more perfect knowledge of that way, he deferred them, and said, When Lysias the chief captain shall come down, I will know the uttermost of your matter.
  • Acts 10:1There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band,
  • Acts 23:17Then Paul called one of the centurions unto him, and said, Bring this young man unto the chief captain: for he hath a certain thing to tell him.
  • 1 Kgs 1:41And Adonijah and all the guests that were with him heard it as they had made an end of eating. And when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, Wherefore is this noise of the city being in an uproar?
  • Mark 14:2But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar of the people.
  • Acts 22:22And they gave him audience unto this word, and then lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live.
  • Acts 25:23And on the morrow, when Agrippa was come, and Bernice, with great pomp, and was entered into the place of hearing, with the chief captains, and principal men of the city, at Festus’ commandment Paul was brought forth.
  • Matt 26:5But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar among the people.
  • Acts 21:38Art not thou that Egyptian, which before these days madest an uproar, and leddest out into the wilderness four thousand men that were murderers?

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (5)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Acts videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Acts 21:31YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on ActsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

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 21:31 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

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.