^21:1After¹ we² tore ourselves away³ from them, we put out to sea,⁴ and sailing a straight course,⁵ we came to Cos,⁶ on the next day to Rhodes,⁷ and from there to Patara.⁸^21:2We found⁹ a ship crossing over to Phoenicia,¹⁰ went aboard,¹¹ and put out to sea.¹²^21:3After we sighted Cyprus¹³ and left it behind on our port side,¹⁴ we sailed on to Syria and put in¹⁵ at Tyre,¹⁶ because the ship was to unload its cargo there. ^21:4After we located¹⁷ the disciples, we stayed there¹⁸ seven days. They repeatedly told¹⁹ Paul through the Spirit²⁰ not to set foot²¹ in Jerusalem.²²^21:5When²³ our time was over,²⁴ we left and went on our way. All of them, with their wives and children, accompanied²⁵ us outside of the city. After²⁶ kneeling down on the beach and praying,²⁷^21:6we said farewell²⁸ to one another.²⁹ Then³⁰ we went aboard the ship, and they returned to their own homes.³¹

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Footnotes

1 Grk “It happened that when.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated. Since the action described by the participle ἀποσπασθέντας (apospasthentas, “tearing ourselves away”) is prior to the departure of the ship, it has been translated as antecedent action (“after”).
2 This marks the beginning of another “we” section in Acts. These have been traditionally understood to mean that Luke was in the company of Paul for this part of the journey.
3 ἀποσπάω 2.b has “pass. in mid. sense ἀ. ἀπό τινος tear oneself away Ac 21:1”; gives several illustrations of this verb meaning “to tear or drag away from.”
4 ἀνάγω 4, “as a nautical t.t. (ἀ. τὴν ναῦν put a ship to sea), mid. or pass. ἀνάγεσθαι to begin to go by boat, put out to sea.”
5 BDAG 406 εὐθυδρομέω has “of a ship run a straight course”; L&N 54.3 has “to sail a straight course, sail straight to.”
6 Cos was an island in the Aegean Sea.
7 Rhodes was an island off the southwestern coast of Asia Minor.
8 Patara was a city in Lycia on the southwestern coast of Asia Minor. The entire journey was about 185 mi (295 km).
9 Grk “and finding.” The participle εὑρόντες (heurontes) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun in the translation.
10 Phoenicia was the name of an area along the Mediterranean coast north of Palestine.
11 Grk “going aboard, we put out to sea.” The participle ἐπιβάντες (epibantes) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
12 ἀνάγω 4, “as a nautical t.t. (ἀ. τὴν ναῦν put a ship to sea), mid. or pass. ἀνάγεσθαι to begin to go by boat, put out to sea.”
13 Cyprus is a large island in the Mediterranean off the south coast of Asia Minor.
14 The expression left it behind on our port side here means “sailed past to the south of it” since the ship was sailing east.
15 κατέρχομαι 2 states, “arrive, put in, nautical t.t. of ships and those who sail in them, who ‘come down’ fr. the ‘high seas’ … ἔις τι at someth. a harbor 18:22; 21:3; 27:5.”
16 Tyre was a city and seaport on the coast of Phoenicia. From Patara to Tyre was about 400 mi (640 km). It required a large cargo ship over 100 ft (30 m) long, and was a four to five day voyage. For location see ; ; ; ; .
17 ἀνευρίσκω has “look/search for (w. finding presupposed) τινά … τοὺς μαθητάς Ac 21:4.” The English verb “locate,” when used in reference to persons, has the implication of both looking for and finding someone. The participle ἀνευρόντες (aneurontes) has been taken temporally.
18 αὐτοῦ states, “deictic adv. designating a position relatively near or far … there … Ac 21:4.”
19 The imperfect verb ἕλεγον (elegon) has been taken iteratively.
20 Although they told this to Paul through the Spirit, it appears Paul had a choice here (see v. 14). Therefore this amounted to a warning: There was risk in going to Jerusalem, so he was urged not to go.
21 ἐπιβαίνω places Ac 21:4 under 1, “go up/upon, mount, board … πλοίῳ … Ac 27:2 … go on board, embark … 21:1 D, 2.—So perh. also ἐ. εἰς Ἰεροσόλυμα embark for Jerusalem (i.e. to the seaport of Caesarea) vs. 4.” notes, however, “But this pass. may also belong to 2. to move to an area and be there, set foot in.” Because the message from the disciples to Paul through the Holy Spirit has the character of a warning, the latter meaning has been adopted for this translation.
22 For location see ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; .
23 Grk “It happened that when.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
24 Grk “When our days were over.” L&N 67.71 has “ὅτε δὲ ἐγένετο ἡμᾶς ἐξαρτίσαι τὰς ἡμέρας ‘when we brought that time to an end’ or ‘when our time with them was over’ Ac 21:5.”
25 Grk “accompanying.” Due to the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was begun in the translation and the participle προπεμπόντων (propempontōn) translated as a finite verb.
26 Grk “city, and after.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.
27 On praying in Acts, see 1:14, 24; 2:47; 4:23; 6:6; 10:2; 12:5, 12; 13:3; 16:25.
28 ἀπασπάζομαι has “take leave of, say farewell to τινά someone … ἀπησπασάμεθα ἀλλήλους we said farewell to one another Ac 21:6.”
29 These words are part of v. 5 in the standard critical Greek text.
30 Grk “and.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was begun in the translation, and καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the logical sequence.
31 Grk “to their own”; the word “homes” is implied.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

And when we had parted from them and set sail, we came by a straight course to Cos, and the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. And having found a ship crossing to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail. When we had come in sight of Cyprus, leaving it on the left we sailed to Syria and landed at Tyre, for there the ship was to unload its cargo. And having sought out the disciples, we stayed there for seven days. And through the Spirit they were telling Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. When our days there were ended, we departed and went on our journey, and they all, with wives and children, accompanied us until we were outside the city. And kneeling down on the beach, we prayed and said farewell to one another. Then we went on board the ship, and they returned home.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

After we had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Kos. The next day we went to Rhodes and from there to Patara. We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, went on board and set sail. After sighting Cyprus and passing to the south of it, we sailed on to Syria. We landed at Tyre, where our ship was to unload its cargo. We sought out the disciples there and stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. When it was time to leave, we left and continued on our way. All of them, including wives and children, accompanied us out of the city, and there on the beach we knelt to pray. After saying goodbye to each other, we went aboard the ship, and they returned home.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

After we tore ourselves away from them, we set sail straight for Cos, the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. Finding a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, we boarded and set sail. After we sighted Cyprus, passing to the south of it, we sailed on to Syria and arrived at Tyre, since the ship was to unload its cargo there. We sought out the disciples and stayed there seven days. Through the Spirit they told Paul not to go to Jerusalem. When our time had come to an end, we left to continue our journey, while all of them, with their wives and children, accompanied us out of the city. After kneeling down on the beach to pray, we said farewell to one another and boarded the ship, and they returned home.

NLTNew Living Translation

After saying farewell to the Ephesian elders, we sailed straight to the island of Cos. The next day we reached Rhodes and then went to Patara. There we boarded a ship sailing for Phoenicia. We sighted the island of Cyprus, passed it on our left, and landed at the harbor of Tyre, in Syria, where the ship was to unload its cargo.

We went ashore, found the local believers, and stayed with them a week. These believers prophesied through the Holy Spirit that Paul should not go on to Jerusalem. When we returned to the ship at the end of the week, the entire congregation, including women and children, left the city and came down to the shore with us. There we knelt, prayed, and said our farewells. Then we went aboard, and they returned home.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

And it happened that after we tore ourselves away from them, we put out to sea, and running a straight course we came to Cos and on the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. And finding a ship that was crossing over to Phoenicia, we went aboard and put out to sea. And after we sighted Cyprus and left it behind on the port side, we sailed to Syria and arrived at Tyre, because the ship was to unload its cargo there. And we stayed there seven days after we found the disciples, who kept telling Paul through the Spirit not to set foot in Jerusalem. And it happened that when our days were over, we departed and went on our way, while all of them accompanied us, together with their wives and children, as far as outside the city. And after falling to our knees on the beach and praying, we said farewell to one another and embarked in the ship, and they returned to their own homes.

KJV 1900King James Version

And it came to pass, that after we were gotten from them, and had launched, we came with a straight course unto Coos, and the day following unto Rhodes, and from thence unto Patara: And finding a ship sailing over unto Phenicia, we went aboard, and set forth. Now when we had discovered Cyprus, we left it on the left hand, and sailed into Syria, and landed at Tyre: for there the ship was to unlade her burden. And finding disciples, we tarried there seven days: who said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem. And when we had accomplished those days, we departed and went our way; and they all brought us on our way, with wives and children, till we were out of the city: and we kneeled down on the shore, and prayed. And when we had taken our leave one of another, we took ship; and they returned home again.

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