Section 21:1–16
Paul and his companions traveled from Miletus to Jerusalem
In this section, Paul and his companions continued traveling to Jerusalem. In the city of Tyre, they stayed with believers for seven days while people unloaded the cargo of their ship. The believers understood from the Holy Spirit that it would be dangerous for Paul in Jerusalem, so they urged Paul not to go there. But Paul and his companions sailed from Tyre to the city of Ptolemais. Then they traveled to Caesarea, probably by sea.
In Caesarea, they again stayed with Christians for a number of days. The Holy Spirit revealed to a prophet named Agabus what would happen to Paul in Jerusalem. Therefore, many of the believers in Caesarea begged Paul not to go. But Paul felt that the Holy Spirit still wanted him to go. So the believers stopped asking Paul not to go, and Paul and his companions continued to Jerusalem.
Other examples of headings for this section are:
Paul Traveled from Miletus to Jerusalem
-or-
The Holy Spirit warned Paul about danger for him in Jerusalem
Paragraph 21:1–6
Luke continued using the pronoun “we” from 20:15. He used it until they arrived in Jerusalem and met the church leaders (21:18). It probably indicates that Luke was with Paul and his companions in this part of Paul’s story. The next time Paul traveled by sea, Luke was with him again (27:1).
21:1a
we had torn ourselves away from them: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as torn ourselves away indicates that they were sad to separate. Paul loved them but would not see them again. So Paul and the travelers were reluctant to leave the elders from Ephesus. Other ways to translate this clause are:
we departed from them, sorrowing
-or-
we said a sad farewell and departed
-or-
we had to force ourselves to leave them
them: This word refers to the elders of Ephesus who had traveled to Miletus to see Paul (20:17, 38).
This verse begins a new chapter and a new section. You may want to clearly say to whom them refers. For example:
the Ephesian elders (New Living Translation (2004))
21:1b
sailed directly: This phrase indicates that the ship departed from the harbor. For example:
set sail (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
departed
-or-
sailed away
Some languages must translate this event in a more general way. For example:
left the harbor/port
-or-
rode the ship as it left
-or-
started ⌊the next part of⌋ our trip by ship
See how you translated this word in 16:11 or 18:21 (“set sail”).
This phrase also indicates that the ship went directly to the next harbor. The wind blew from a direction that allowed them to sail directly there. Other ways to translate this phrase are:
went by ship directly/straight
-or-
traveled on a ship directly/straight
-or-
went over/on the water straight
See how you translated this phrase in 16:11 (“sailed…straight”).
Cos: The city of Cos was on an island which is also called Cos. You may want to explain what Cos refers to. For example:
⌊the city/town of/called⌋ Cos/Kos
21:1c–d
the next day on to Rhodes, and from there to Patara: The phrase the next day probably only refers to the trip to Rhodes, which was a one-day trip from Cos. The trip from Rhodes to Patara would normally take one day as well. For example:
The next day we went to Rhodes. ⌊On the following day⌋ we went from there to Patara.
Rhodes: Rhodes is the name of a city. The city of Rhodes was on an island which is also called Rhodes.
Patara: Patara was the name of a city. The city of Patara was in the province of Lycia, on the mainland of what is now Turkey.
General Comment on 21:1b–d
Going by ship from Miletus to Cos was about 8–12 hours. It was similar for sailing from Cos to Rhodes and from Rhodes to Patara. The ship probably stopped at Cos and Rhodes for the night. Your translation should imply a day’s journey for each. It should not imply a long journey of many days for each.
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