Acts 20:10

And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(10) Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him . . .—The act reminds us of those of Elijah (1Kings 17:21), and Elisha (2Kings 4:34). The close contact, the clasp of warm affection, gave a new intensity to the prayer of faith, and, as a current of vitality passed, as it were, from the one body to the other, enabled the Apostle to feel that the heart had not ceased to beat, and to give the calming assurance, “his life is in him.” The whole scene is painted, as before, vividly, as by an eye-witness. We have to think of the cries of alarm, the rush of men down the staircase from the third floor with lamps and torches in their hands, the wail of sorrow on finding what looked like death, the undisturbed calmness of the Apostle, sure that his prayer was answered, and returning quietly, leaving the motionless body in the cool night air, to finish the interrupted discourse.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

20:7-12 Though the disciples read, and meditated, and prayed, and sung apart, and thereby kept up communion with God, yet they came together to worship God, and so kept up their communion with one another. They came together on the first day of the week, the Lord's day. It is to be religiously observed by all disciples of Christ. In the breaking of the bread, not only the breaking of Christ's body for us, to be a sacrifice for our sins, is remembered, but the breaking of Christ's body to us, to be food and a feast for our souls, is signified. In the early times it was the custom to receive the Lord's supper every Lord's day, thus celebrating the memorial of Christ's death. In this assembly Paul preached. The preaching of the gospel ought to go with the sacraments. They were willing to hear, he saw they were so, and continued his speech till midnight. Sleeping when hearing the word, is an evil thing, a sign of low esteem of the word of God. We must do what we can to prevent being sleepy; not put ourselves to sleep, but get our hearts affected with the word we hear, so as to drive sleep far away. Infirmity requires tenderness; but contempt requires severity. It interrupted the apostle's preaching; but was made to confirm his preaching. Eutychus was brought to life again. And as they knew not when they should have Paul's company again, they made the best use of it they could, and reckoned a night's sleep well lost for that purpose. How seldom are hours of repose broken for the purposes of devotion! but how often for mere amusement or sinful revelry! So hard is it for spiritual life to thrive in the heart of man! so naturally do carnal practices flourish there!

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And fell on him ... - Probably stretching himself on him as Elisha did on the Shunammite's son, 2 Kings 4:33-35. It was an act of tenderness and compassion, evincing a strong desire to restore him to life.

Trouble not yourselves - They would doubtless be thrown into great consternation by such an event. Paul therefore endeavoured to compose their minds by the assurance that he would live.

For his life is in him - He is restored to life. This has all the appearance of having been a miracle. Life was restored to him as Paul spoke.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

10-12. Paul … fell on him—like Elisha (2Ki 4:34).

his life is in him—now restored; compare Mr 5:39.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Fell on him; as Elijah on the widow of Zarephath’s dead son, 1 Kings 17:21, and Elisha on the Shunammite’s son, 2 Kings 4:34.

His life is in him; not but that he had been really dead, as Acts 19:9, but that upon the apostle’s prayer (which is to be understood, though it is not here expressed) God had restored the young man to life; or howsoever, because St. Paul knew infallibly he should presently be restored to life, even whilst he spake.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And Paul went down,.... From the upper room, where they were assembled, into the court, yard, or street, where he fell; or into the lower room of the house, where he was brought when taken up. The apostle might see him fall, or he might be told of it, or he might have an intimation of it from the Spirit of God, by whom he might be impressed to go down, in order to work a miracle, for the confirmation of the Gospel he was preaching:

and fell on him, and embracing him; praying over him, as Elijah and Elisha did, 1 Kings 17:21 and the like effect followed:

said, trouble not yourselves; which speech perhaps was addressed to the friends and relations of the young man; or to the disciples present, who were concerned at this accident, both for the young man's sake, and lest it should be improved to the disadvantage of the Gospel by the enemies of it,

For his life, or "soul"

is in him; it being returned upon the apostle's falling on him, and praying over him; or he said this as being fully assured that it would return, in like manner as Christ said concerning Jairus's daughter, Luke 8:52.

Geneva Study Bible

And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Expositor's Greek Testament

Acts 20:10. καταβὰς: by the outside staircase common in Eastern houses.—ἐπέπεσεν αὐτῷ καὶ συμ., cf. 1 Kings 17:21-22; 2 Kings 4:34; there as here the purport of the act was a restoration to life.—Μὴ θορ.: “make ye no ado,” R.V., cf. Mark 5:39 (Mark 9:23), where the word is used of the loud weeping and wailing of the mourners in the East; see above on Acts 9:39.—ἡ γὰρ ψ., see above.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

10. And Paul … fell on him] The access to Eastern houses was by a staircase on the outside, so that the way down would be at hand. The action of the Apostle recalls that of Elijah (1 Kings 17:21) and of Elisha (2 Kings 4:34). No doubt the Apostle, like the Old Testament prophets, accompanied his action with a cry unto the Lord.

and embracing him said] As he clasped the child in his arms, he would feel the returning motion, and know that his prayer was heard. The boy seems to have been left to the care of some members (perhaps women) of the congregation, who tended him till the service was over.

Trouble not yourselves] The Rev. Ver. gives “Make ye no ado,” evidently conforming to the rendering of this same Greek word in Mark 5:39, but while in English we find “this ado” and “much ado” and “no more ado,” the expression “no ado” seems not to occur. The two open syllables are not agreeable, and that probably caused the combination to be avoided. What the Apostle means is, “Don’t make any tumult or distress yourselves.”

Bengel's Gnomen

Acts 20:10. Ἐπέπεσεν, lay on him) Christ did not use this gesture; but Elijah, Elisha, and Paul used it.—μὴ θορυβεῖσθε, trouble not yourselves) In the case of the greatest matters undue agitation was forbidden: Exodus 14:13; 1 Kings 6:7; Isaiah 8:6. The temple was constructed without noise. In time of war, tranquillity was required on the part of the people.—ἐν αὐτῷ ἐστιν, is in him) Paul speaks in such a way as to remove sudden terror (fright): therefore his words are not to be pressed too closely (strictly). He does not add as yet, nor again; but simply affirms that the youth is alive: just the same as if he had not even fallen. The miracle was evident. Comp. the same mode of speaking in Jesus’ raising the ruler’s daughter, “The maid is not dead, but sleepeth,” Matthew 9:24.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 10. - Make ye no ado for trouble not yourselves, A.V. Fell on him, and embracing him said; imitating the action of Elijah and Elisha (1 Kings 17:17-21; 2 Kings 4:34). Make ye no ado (μὴ θορυβεῖσθε). Θόρυβος and θορυβεῖσθαι are words especially used of the lamentations made for the dead. Thus when Jesus came to the house of Jairus, he found the multitude outside the house, θορυβούμενον, "making a tumult." This is still more clearly brought out in Mark 5:38, 39, "He beholdeth a tumult (θόρυβον), and many weeping and wailing greatly. And... he saith unto them, Why make yea tumult (θορυβεῖσθε), and weep? The child is not dead, but sleepeth." In exactly the same way St. Paul here calms the rising sobs and wailings of the people standing round the body of Eutychus, by saying, Μὴ θορυβεῖσθε," Do not wail over him as dead, for his life is in him." Acts 20:10

Vincent's Word Studies

Fell on him

Compare 1 Kings 17:21; 2 Kings 4:34.

Trouble not yourselves (μὴ θορυβεῖσθε)

Rev., more correctly, make ye no ado. They were beginning to utter passionate outcries. See Matthew 9:23; Mark 5:39.

His life is in him

In the same sense in which Christ said, "The damsel is not dead, but sleepeth" (Luke 8:52).