Bible Strands
Acts 18:20
When they asked him to stay for a while longer, he declined.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Paul is departing Ephesus after reasoning with Jews in the synagogue, and those present ask him to extend his visit before he sails away.
The words — ἐρωτώντων (erōtōntōn) translates literally as "when asking," and πλείονα χρόνον (pleiona chronon) means "a longer time."
The thread — This pattern of itinerant ministry and deferred plans appears in Acts 20:16, where Paul avoids delay to press forward, and Acts 21:13, where he accepts God's sovereign timeline over personal safety. Mark 1:37 similarly shows the tension between human urgency and divine scheduling.
Why it lands — The text requires readers to submit personal schedules to God's will rather than yield to pressure to linger. It demands a willingness to depart when the mission requires movement, regardless of human requests.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
When they desired him to tarry longer time with them, he consented not;
Cross-references
- Mark 1:37 and when they found Him, they said, “Everyone is looking for You!”
- Acts 20:16 Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, because he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.
- Acts 21:13 Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”
- 1 Corinthians 16:12 Now about our brother Apollos: I strongly urged him to go to you with the brothers. He was not at all inclined to go now, but he will go when he has the opportunity.