Bible Strands
Acts 20:37
They all wept openly as they embraced Paul and kissed him.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The narrative occurs immediately after Paul concludes his address to the Ephesian elders and prays with them, marking the moment of his final departure. The group responds to his warning that they will never see him again.
The words — κλαυθμὸς (klauthmos) literally denotes intense weeping, and ἐπιπεσόντες (epipesontes) describes the physical act of falling upon someone in an embrace. These terms record the sudden, bodily manifestation of the group's grief.
The thread — The farewell mirrors Paul's later recollection of shared tears with Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:4 and the communal holy kiss prescribed in Romans 16:16. It also aligns with the physical embrace and grief depicted in the prodigal son narrative of Luke 15:20.
Why it lands — The text records a concrete physical response to impending separation, leaving the reader to recognize the weight of faithful ministry and the cost of discipleship. It demands acknowledgment that spiritual commitment produces real human loss alongside shared joy.
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
And they all wept sore, and fell on Paul’s neck, and kissed him,
Cross-references
- 2 Timothy 1:4 Recalling your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy.
- Luke 15:20 So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still in the distance, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.
- Romans 16:16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send you greetings.
- 1 Corinthians 16:20 All the brothers here send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss.
- 2 Corinthians 13:12 Greet one another with a holy kiss.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:26 Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.
- Revelation 21:4 ‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,’ and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.”
- Genesis 45:14 Then Joseph threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin wept as they embraced.
- Genesis 46:29 Joseph prepared his chariot and went there to meet his father Israel. Joseph presented himself to him, embraced him, and wept profusely.
- 1 Samuel 20:41 When the young man had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone, fell facedown, and bowed three times. Then he and Jonathan kissed each other and wept together—though David wept more.