Acts 20 10

Acts 20:10 kjv

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

Acts 20:10 nkjv

But Paul went down, fell on him, and embracing him said, "Do not trouble yourselves, for his life is in him."

Acts 20:10 niv

Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. "Don't be alarmed," he said. "He's alive!"

Acts 20:10 esv

But Paul went down and bent over him, and taking him in his arms, said, "Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him."

Acts 20:10 nlt

Paul went down, bent over him, and took him into his arms. "Don't worry," he said, "he's alive!"

Acts 20 verses

Acts 20 10 Meaning

Acts 20:10 recounts the apostle Paul's immediate and dramatic response to the apparent death of Eutychus. After Eutychus falls from a third-story window during Paul's long discourse and is picked up "dead," Paul goes down, falls on him, embraces him, and declares, "Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him." This declaration signifies the return of life to Eutychus through divine power working through Paul, preventing a tragedy and affirming God's power in a miraculous restoration. It demonstrates God's sovereignty over life and death and validates Paul's apostolic authority.

Acts 20 10 Context

Acts chapter 20 describes Paul's journey back through Macedonia and Achaia to Jerusalem. Before embarking on a direct voyage from Greece, Paul changes his plans due to a Jewish plot against him and returns via Macedonia. The narrative of verse 10 occurs during a lengthy stay in Troas (Acts 20:6-7), where Paul preaches for an extended period, leading up to midnight, on the first day of the week. The believers are gathered for fellowship and the breaking of bread. The upper room, filled with many lamps, creates a warm but potentially stuffy environment. Eutychus, a young man, sits in a window and falls into a deep sleep, tumbling from the third story to his apparent death. The dramatic incident disrupts the fellowship, causing alarm and fear among the assembly. Paul's immediate, powerful, and comforting intervention restores the situation, ensuring the focus remains on the Gospel and God's glory even amidst crisis, right before his poignant farewell.

Acts 20 10 Word analysis

• But Paul: Original Greek: Καταβὰς δὲ ὁ Παῦλος (Katabas de ho Paulos). The conjunction de (but/and) highlights a swift shift from the crowd's commotion to Paul's decisive action. This signifies his leadership and unique authority.
• went down: Original Greek: Καταβὰς (Katabas). This aorist participle implies a quick and purposeful descent from the upper room to where Eutychus lay. It underscores Paul's immediate response.
• fell on him: Original Greek: ἐπέπεσεν αὐτῷ (epepesen autō). A strong verb indicating physical contact. This act parallels prophetic gestures found in 1 Kings 17:21 (Elijah stretching himself upon the child) and 2 Kings 4:34 (Elisha lying upon the Shunammite's son). This gesture in biblical accounts often precedes a resurrection or a powerful divine intervention, suggesting Paul acted in conscious or unconscious imitation of these powerful prophetic acts.
• and embracing him: Original Greek: καὶ συμπεριλαβὼν (kai symperilabōn). This additional verb emphasizes the depth of Paul's action. It means "to take around completely" or "to encompass," implying a full embrace. It suggests both physical examination (as Luke was a physician, the physical nature of death/life would be clear) and an act of tenderness and compassion, much like Elijah's action. This is not just a gesture of examination but a profound, life-giving embrace rooted in divine authority.
• said: Original Greek: εἶπεν (eipen). Simple past tense, stating a declarative, authoritative word.
• “Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him.”: Original Greek: Μὴ θορυβεῖσθε, ἡ γὰρ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ ἐστιν. (Mē thorybeisthe, hē gar psychē autou en autō estin.)
  • “Do not be alarmed”: Μὴ θορυβεῖσθε (Mē thorybeisthe). This is a prohibition (an aorist imperative with mē) against continued or initiating a commotion, panic, or disturbance. Paul immediately calms the distressed crowd, demonstrating control over the situation, even amidst perceived death. It is a command against fear and for immediate reassurance.
  • “for his life is in him.”: ἡ γὰρ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ ἐστιν. (hē gar psychē autou en autō estin.) The conjunction gar (for) provides the reason for not being alarmed.
    • ψυχὴ (psychē): Refers to the principle of life, soul, or breath. Here, it clearly denotes his physical life, indicating that Eutychus has been brought back from the state of death. The verb ἐστιν (estin, "is") confirms its present reality.
    • This phrase affirms not merely resuscitation from unconsciousness, but the return of life to one who was demonstrably dead. Luke's medical background as the author makes such a statement highly significant; he wouldn't easily confuse true death with fainting. The crowd had "picked him up dead" (Acts 20:9), confirming Eutychus's prior state. Paul’s declaration is not merely a comforting guess but a Spirit-empowered statement of miraculous reality.

Acts 20 10 Bonus section

• Medical Interpretation: Given Luke's profession, the unambiguous description of Eutychus being "dead" (νεκριος) rather than merely unconscious, significantly strengthens the case for a genuine resurrection. Luke, trained to distinguish, portrays this as an absolute return to life.
• Eschatological Significance: The resurrection of Eutychus foreshadows the greater resurrection to come, providing a tangible example of God's power over death. It served as a micro-event reflecting the hope of the general resurrection of believers in Christ.
• Theophany/Demonstration of God's Power: The incident serves as a divine punctuation mark, a manifestation of God's power accompanying the word preached. This was crucial for validating Paul's message and presence during a significant and potentially turbulent phase of the early church.
• Community Restoration: The miraculous revival not only saved Eutychus but also prevented the potentially devastating psychological and spiritual impact a death would have had on the gathered believers, turning sorrow into joy and fear into faith.

Acts 20 10 Commentary

Acts 20:10 serves as a powerful demonstration of the apostolic ministry imbued with divine power, reminiscent of both Jesus and the Old Testament prophets. Paul's actions are not those of a mere man attempting first aid, but of a prophet of God acting with conviction and authority to reverse death. The act of falling upon and embracing the seemingly lifeless body of Eutychus directly echoes the resurrection miracles performed by Elijah and Elisha, establishing Paul's prophetic lineage and the continuation of God's miraculous power in the new covenant. Luke, as a physician, carefully describes the situation as Eutychus being "taken up dead" in the preceding verse, leaving little doubt about his actual state. Paul’s declarative "his life is in him" is not an assessment, but a confident proclamation of a completed miracle. This event silences skepticism, reassures the believers, and magnificently concludes Paul's farewell address in Troas, reinforcing the divine origin and power of the message he had preached, particularly on the first day of the week, linking it to the Resurrection of Christ. The purpose is not to highlight Paul's greatness, but God's work through His servant, offering profound comfort and strengthening faith.