Acts 20:5-12

20:5 These had gone on ahead¹ and were waiting for us in Troas.² 20:6 We³ sailed away from Philippi⁴ after the days of Unleavened Bread,⁵ and within five days⁶ we came to the others⁷ in Troas,⁸ where we stayed for seven days. 20:7 On the first day⁹ of the week, when we met¹⁰ to break bread, Paul began to speak¹¹ to the people, and because he intended¹² to leave the next day, he extended¹³ his message until midnight. 20:8 (Now there were many lamps¹⁴ in the upstairs room where we were meeting.)¹⁵ 20:9 A young man named Eutychus, who was sitting in the window,¹⁶ was sinking¹⁷ into a deep sleep while Paul continued to speak¹⁸ for a long time. Fast asleep,¹⁹ he fell down from the third story and was picked up dead. 20:10 But Paul went down,²⁰ threw himself²¹ on the young man,²² put his arms around him,²³ and said, “Do not be distressed, for he is still alive!”²⁴ 20:11 Then Paul²⁵ went back upstairs,²⁶ and after he had broken bread and eaten, he talked with them²⁷ a long time, until dawn. Then he left. 20:12 They took the boy home alive and were greatly²⁸ comforted.

¹tn Grk “These, having gone on ahead, were waiting.” The participle προελθόντες (proelqonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

²sn Troas was a port city (and surrounding region) on the northwest coast of Asia Minor.

³sn 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.

⁴map For location see JP1-C1; JP2-C1; JP3-C1; JP4-C1.

⁵sn The days of Unleavened Bread refer to the week following Passover. Originally an agricultural festival commemorating the beginning of harvest, it was celebrated for seven days beginning on the fifteenth day of the month Nisan (March-April). It was later combined with Passover (Exod 12:1-20; Ezek 45:21-24; Matt 26:17; Luke 22:1).

⁶tn BDAG 160 s.v. ἄχρι 1.a.α has “ἄ. ἡμερῶν πέντε within five days Ac 20:6.”

⁷tn Grk “to them”; the referent (the others mentioned in v. 4) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁸sn Troas was a port city (and surrounding region) on the northwest coast of Asia Minor. From Philippi to Troas was about 125 mi (200 km).

⁹sn On the first day. This is the first mention of a Sunday gathering (1 Cor 16:2).

¹⁰tn Or “assembled.”

¹¹tn The verb διαλέγομαι (dialegomai) is frequently used of Paul addressing Jews in the synagogue. As G. Schrenk (TDNT 2:94-95) points out, “What is at issue is the address which any qualified member of a synagogue might give.” Other examples of this may be found in the NT in Matt 4:23 and Mark 1:21. In the context of a Christian gathering, it is preferable to translate διελέγετο (dielegeto) simply as “speak” here. The imperfect verb διελέγετο has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.

¹²tn BDAG 628 s.v. μέλλω 1.c.γ has “denoting an intended action: intend, propose, have in mind…Ac 17:31; 20:3, 7, 13ab; 23:15; 26:2; 27:30.”

¹³tn Or “prolonged.”

¹⁴tn More commonly λαμπάς (lampa") means “torch,” but here according to BDAG 585 s.v. λαμπάς 2, “lamp…w. a wick and space for oil.”

¹⁵sn This is best taken as a parenthetical note by the author.

¹⁶tn This window was probably a simple opening in the wall (see also BDAG 462 s.v. θυρίς).

¹⁷tn Grk “sinking into a deep sleep.” BDAG 529 s.v. καταφέρω 3 has “ὕπνῳ βαθεῖ sink into a deep sleep…Ac 20:9a.” The participle καταφερόμενος (kataferomeno") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

¹⁸tn The participle διαλεγομένου (dialegomenou) has been taken temporally.

¹⁹tn BDAG 529 s.v. καταφέρω 3 has “κατενεχθεὶς ἀπὸ τοῦ ὔπνου overwhelmed by sleep vs. 9b,” but this expression is less common in contemporary English than phrases like “fast asleep” or “sound asleep.”

²⁰tn Grk “going down.” The participle καταβάς (katabas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

²¹tn BDAG 377 s.v. ἐπιπίπτω 1.b has “ἐπέπεσεν αὐτῷ he threw himself upon him Ac 20:10.”

²²tn Grk “on him”; the referent (the young man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

²³tn BDAG 959 s.v. συμπεριλαμβάνω has “to throw one’s arms around, embrace w. acc. to be supplied Ac 20:10.” However, “embraced the young man” might be taken (out of context) to have erotic implications, while “threw his arms around him” would be somewhat redundant since “threw” has been used in the previous phrase.

²⁴tn Grk “for his life is in him” (an idiom).

²⁵tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

²⁶tn Grk “going back upstairs.” The participle ἀναβάς (anabas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

²⁷tn Grk “talking with them.” The participle ὁμιλήσας (Jomilhsas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

²⁸tn Grk “were not to a moderate degree” (an idiom). L&N 78.11 states: “μετρίως: a moderate degree of some activity or state – ‘moderately, to a moderate extent.’ ἤγαγον δὲ τὸν παῖδα ζῶντα, καὶ παρεκλήθησαν οὐ μετρίωθς ‘they took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted’ Ac 20:12. In Ac 20:12 the phrase οὐ μετρίως, literally ‘not to a moderate degree,’ is equivalent to a strong positive statement, namely, ‘greatly’ or ‘to a great extent.’”