Acts 21:29

(For they had seen before with him in the city Trophimus an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.)

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(29) Trophimus an Ephesian.—See Note on Acts 20:4. His face was naturally familiar to those who had come from the same city. They had seen the two together in the streets, possibly near the entrance of the Temple, and, hatred adding wings to imagination, had taken for granted that St. Paul had brought his companion within the sacred enclosure.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

21:27-40 In the temple, where Paul should have been protected as in a place of safety, he was violently set upon. They falsely charged him with ill doctrine and ill practice against the Mosaic ceremonies. It is no new thing for those who mean honestly and act regularly, to have things laid to their charge which they know not and never thought of. It is common for the wise and good to have that charged against them by malicious people, with which they thought to have obliged them. God often makes those a protection to his people, who have no affection to them, but only have compassion for sufferers, and regard to the public peace. And here see what false, mistaken notions of good people and good ministers, many run away with. But God seasonably interposes for the safety of his servants, from wicked and unreasonable men; and gives them opportunities to speak for themselves, to plead for the Redeemer, and to spread abroad his glorious gospel.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

In the city - In Jerusalem. As he was with Paul, it was inferred that he would attend him everywhere.

Trophimus - He had accompanied Paul on his way from Ephesus, Acts 20:4.

Whom they supposed ... - This is a most striking illustration of the manner in which accusations are often brought against others. They had seen him with Paul in the city; they inferred, therefore, that he had been with him in the temple. They did not even pretend that they had seen him in the temple; but the inference was enough to inflame the angry and excitable passions of the multitude. So in the accusations which people now often make of others. They see one thing, they infer another; they could testify to one thing, but they conclude that another thing will also be true, and that other thing they charge on them as the truth. If people would state facts as they are, no small part of the slanderous accusations against others would cease. An end would be made of the most of the charges of falsehood, error, heresy, dishonesty, double-dealing, and immorality. If a statement is made, it should be of the thing as it was. If we attempt to say what a man has done, it should not be what we suppose he has done. If we attempt to state what he believes, it should not be what we suppose he believes.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

29. Trophimus—(See on [2086]Ac 20:4).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

For they had seen; the Jews of Asia, who could not but know Trophimus; and he following of Paul in this journey, either ignorantly or maliciously they accuse the apostle for taking him into the temple with him; which was only their surmise, and the issue of their enraged jealousy.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

For they had seen before with him in the city,.... Not of Ephesus, but of Jerusalem:

Trophimus an Ephesian; the same that is mentioned in Acts 20:4 whom these Jews of Asia, and who very probably were inhabitants of Ephesus, knew very well to be a Gentile:

whom they supposed Paul had brought into the temple; for seeing him walk with the apostle very familiarly through the streets of Jerusalem, they concluded from thence, that he took him with him into the temple, which was a very rash and ill grounded conclusion; and which shows the malignity and virulence of their minds, and how ready they were to make use of any opportunity, and take up any occasion against him, even a bare surmise, and which had no show of probability in it; for it can never be thought, that while Paul was using methods to remove the prejudices of the Jews against him, he should take such a step as this, to introduce a Gentile into the holy place, which he knew was unlawful, and would greatly irritate and provoke them.

Geneva Study Bible

(For they had seen before with him in the city Trophimus an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.)

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Expositor's Greek Testament

Acts 21:29. τὸν Ἐφέσ.: if some of these Jews, as is very probable, came from Ephesus, they would have recognised Trophimus. The latter had not only come “as far as Asia,” Acts 20:4, but had evidently accompanied Paul to Jerusalem; on the statement and its bearing upon 2 Timothy 4:20, see Salmon, Introd., p. 401, and Weiss, Die Briefe Pauli an Timotheus und Titus, p. 354.—προεωρακότες: antea videre; in classical Greek nowhere as here, but referring to future, or space, not to past time; Blass, in loco, compares 1 Thessalonians 2:2, Romans 3:9, for πρό.—εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν, i.e., from the Court of the Gentiles (into which the uncircumcised Greeks like Trophimus and others might enter) into the inner Court, open to Jews only. The punishment for such transgression by a Gentile was death, even if he was a Roman citizen, Jos., B.J., vi., 2, 4. At the foot of the stair by which “the Court” in the strict sense of the word was approached there was a railing bearing notice in Greek and Latin with the prohibition and the punishment due to its violation. For one of these inscriptions discovered and published in 1871 by Clermont-Ganneau see Revue archéologique, xxiii., 1872, Schürer, Jewish People, div. i., vol. ii., p. 74, and div. ii., vol. i., p. 266. E.T. (where other references are given), Edersheim, Temple and its Services, p. 24, Plumptre, Acts, in loco, Blass, in loco, cf. Jos., Ant., xv., 11, 5, B.J., v., 5, 2.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

29. For they had, &c.] Hence we see that Trophimus had come with the Apostle not only “as far as Asia” (see note on Acts 20:4), but all the way to Jerusalem. His name bespeaks the man a Greek, and, from the anger of these Asiatic Jews, he was doubtless a convert to Christianity without having been a proselyte of Judaism. It is noticeable that so ready were these men to find a cause for attacking St Paul, that they began it on a mere thought, “They supposed Paul had brought him into the temple.”

Bengel's Gnomen

Acts 21:29. Σὐν αὐτῷ, with him) We ought to be anxious, but not too much so, in maintaining our converse with the saints, although likely thereby not to please the ungodly. Paul did not introduce Trophimus into the temple: and yet he did not wholly shun him on account of the Jews.—ἐνόμιζον, they supposed) Zealots are often mistaken in their suppositions.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 29. - Before seen for seen before, A.V.; the Ephesian for an Ephesian, A.V. Trophimus (see Acts 20:4). Having seen him with St. Paul in the city, they concluded that he had come with him into the temple. Acts 21:29

Vincent's Word Studies

Trophimus

See on Acts 20:4. As an Ephesian he would be known to the Asiatic Jews.