The Meaning of Acts 28:30 Explained

Acts 28:30

KJV: And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him,

YLT: and Paul remained an entire two years in his own hired house, and was receiving all those coming in unto him,

Darby: And he remained two whole years in his own hired lodging, and received all who came to him,

ASV: And he abode two whole years in his own hired dwelling, and received all that went in unto him,

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  Paul  dwelt  two  whole  years  in  his own  hired house,  and  received  all  that came in  {5734} unto  him, 

What does Acts 28:30 Mean?

Study Notes

his own hired house
It has been much disputed whether Paul endured two Roman imprisonments, from A.D. 62 to 68 or one. The tradition from Clement to Eusebius favours two imprisonments with a year of liberty between. Erdman (W.J.) has pointed out the leaving of Trophimus sick at Miletus, mentioned in 2 Timothy 4:20 could not have been an occurrence of Paul's last journey to Jerusalem, for then Trophimus was not left; Acts 20:4 ; Acts 21:29 nor of the journey to Rome to appear before Caesar, for then he did not touch at Miletus. To make this incident possible there must have been a release from the first imprisonment, and an interval of ministry and travel.

Context Summary

Acts 28:21-31 - Preaching In The World's Capital
It was one of the earliest cares of Paul to summon the leading members of the Jewish community, that he might explain to them his position. He made clear that he had not opposed or injured his own people, and that he was suffering because of his devotion to the "Hope of Israel," by which he obviously referred to Christ. The Jews replied cautiously, declaring that they had not as yet received the formal charge against him. But as they professed a wish for further information, he begged them to fix their own day and come. This they did in considerable numbers. All day long he set before them arguments from Scripture and the story of his own experience. A few were convinced; the rest disagreed. Probably the debate toward its close became somewhat stormy, and the Apostle felt at liberty to quote Isaiah 6:9-10.
He, thereafter, turned to the Roman Christians, who had already been addressed in his memorable Epistle, in the last chapter of which is a list of names of those whom he loved in Christ. They were constantly coming in to cheer his loneliness and to hear his words, while Tychicus, Epaphras, Epaphroditus, and others brought news, greetings, and gifts from the churches he had founded.
For Review Questions, see the e-Sword Book Comments [source]

Chapter Summary: Acts 28

1  Paul, after his shipwreck, is kindly entertained on Malta
5  The snake on his hand hurts him not
8  He heals many diseases in the island
11  They depart toward Rome
17  He declares to the Jews the cause of his coming
24  After his preaching some were persuaded, and some believed not
30  Yet he preaches there two years

Greek Commentary for Acts 28:30

Two whole years [διετιαν ολην]
Only here in N.T. and Acts 24:27 which see. During these busy years in Rome Paul wrote Philippians, Philemon, Colossians, Ephesians, Epistles that would immortalize any man, unless, forsooth, one or more of them was written from Ephesus or Caesarea, which has not yet been proven. [source]
In his own hired dwelling [εν ιδιωι μιστωματι]
Old word, here only in N.T., that which is hired for a price (from μιστοω — misthoō and that from μιστος — misthos hire). Received (απεδεχετο — apedecheto). Imperfect middle of αποδεχομαι — apodechomai received from time to time as they came, all that came (εισπορευομενους — eisporeuomenous) from time to time. Preaching None forbidding him (ακωλυτως — akōlutōs). Old adverb from nan privative and the verbal adjective α — kōlutos (from κωλυτος — kōluō to hinder), here only in the N.T. Page comments on “the rhythmic cadence of the concluding words.” Page rejects the notion that the book is an unfinished work. It closes with the style of a concluded work. I agree with Harnack that Luke wrote the Acts during this period of two years in Rome and carried events no further because they had gone no further. Paul was still a prisoner in Rome when Luke completed the book. But he had carried Paul to “Rome, the capital of the world, Urbi et Orbi ” (Page). The gospel of Christ has reached Rome. For the fate of Paul we must turn elsewhere. But Luke had the presence of Paul while he carried the Acts to its triumphant conclusion. Ramsay can give a good deal in proof of his claim that Luke is the greatest of all historians. Beyond a doubt his rank is high and the world can never repay its debt to this cultured physician who wrote the Gospel and the Acts. [source]
Received [απεδεχετο]
Imperfect middle of αποδεχομαι — apodechomai received from time to time as they came, all that came (εισπορευομενους — eisporeuomenous) from time to time. [source]
Preaching [κερυσσων]
None forbidding him (ακωλυτως — akōlutōs). Old adverb from nan privative and the verbal adjective α — kōlutos (from κωλυτος — kōluō to hinder), here only in the N.T. Page comments on “the rhythmic cadence of the concluding words.” Page rejects the notion that the book is an unfinished work. It closes with the style of a concluded work. I agree with Harnack that Luke wrote the Acts during this period of two years in Rome and carried events no further because they had gone no further. Paul was still a prisoner in Rome when Luke completed the book. But he had carried Paul to “Rome, the capital of the world, Urbi et Orbi ” (Page). The gospel of Christ has reached Rome. For the fate of Paul we must turn elsewhere. But Luke had the presence of Paul while he carried the Acts to its triumphant conclusion. Ramsay can give a good deal in proof of his claim that Luke is the greatest of all historians. Beyond a doubt his rank is high and the world can never repay its debt to this cultured physician who wrote the Gospel and the Acts. [source]
teaching [διδασκων]
None forbidding him (ακωλυτως — akōlutōs). Old adverb from nan privative and the verbal adjective α — kōlutos (from κωλυτος — kōluō to hinder), here only in the N.T. Page comments on “the rhythmic cadence of the concluding words.” Page rejects the notion that the book is an unfinished work. It closes with the style of a concluded work. I agree with Harnack that Luke wrote the Acts during this period of two years in Rome and carried events no further because they had gone no further. Paul was still a prisoner in Rome when Luke completed the book. But he had carried Paul to “Rome, the capital of the world, Urbi et Orbi ” (Page). The gospel of Christ has reached Rome. For the fate of Paul we must turn elsewhere. But Luke had the presence of Paul while he carried the Acts to its triumphant conclusion. Ramsay can give a good deal in proof of his claim that Luke is the greatest of all historians. Beyond a doubt his rank is high and the world can never repay its debt to this cultured physician who wrote the Gospel and the Acts. [source]
None forbidding him [ακωλυτως]
Old adverb from nan privative and the verbal adjective α — kōlutos (from κωλυτος — kōluō to hinder), here only in the N.T. Page comments on “the rhythmic cadence of the concluding words.” Page rejects the notion that the book is an unfinished work. It closes with the style of a concluded work. I agree with Harnack that Luke wrote the Acts during this period of two years in Rome and carried events no further because they had gone no further. Paul was still a prisoner in Rome when Luke completed the book. But he had carried Paul to “Rome, the capital of the world, Urbi et Orbi ” (Page). The gospel of Christ has reached Rome. For the fate of Paul we must turn elsewhere. But Luke had the presence of Paul while he carried the Acts to its triumphant conclusion. Ramsay can give a good deal in proof of his claim that Luke is the greatest of all historians. Beyond a doubt his rank is high and the world can never repay its debt to this cultured physician who wrote the Gospel and the Acts. [source]
Hired house [μισθώματι]
Probably different from the ξενία , or lodging-place, where he resided for the first few days, perhaps as the guest of friends, though under custody, and where he received the Jews (Acts 28:23). -DIVIDER-
[source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 28:30

Acts 24:27 But when two years were fulfilled [διετιας δε πληρωτεισης]
Genitive absolute first aorist passive of πληροω — plēroō common verb to fill full. Διετια — Dietia late word in lxx and Philo, common in the papyri, in N.T. only here and Acts 28:30. Compound of δια — dia two (δυο δις — duoετος — dis) and ελαβεν διαδοχον — etos year. So Paul lingered on in prison in Caesarea, waiting for the second hearing under Felix which never came. Caesarea now became the compulsory headquarters of Paul for two years. With all his travels Paul spent several years each at Tarsus, Antioch, Corinth, Ephesus, though not as a prisoner unless that was true part of the time at Ephesus for which there is some evidence though not of a convincing kind. We do not know that Luke remained in Caesarea all this time. In all probability he came and went with frequent visits with Philip the Evangelist. It was probably during this period that Luke secured the material for his Gospel and wrote part or all of it before going to Rome. He had ample opportunity to examine the eyewitnesses who heard Jesus and the first attempts at writing including the Gospel of Mark (Luke 1:1-4). [source]
Acts 28:16 Paul was suffered to abide by himself [επετραπη τωι Παυλωι μενειν κατ εαυτον]
Second aorist passive of επιτρεπο — epitrepo to permit or allow. Literally, “It was permitted to Paul to abide by himself.” Some late documents (Textus Receptus) here add: “The centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard” (or the στρατοπεδαρχ — stratopedarch). This officer used to be considered Burrus who was Prefect of the Praetorian Guard a.d. 51-62. But it is by no means certain that Julius turned the prisoners over to this officer. It seems more likely that Julius would report to the captain of the Peregrini. If so, we may be sure that Julius would give a good report of Paul to this officer who would be kindly disposed and would allow Paul comparative freedom (living by himself, in his lodging, Acts 28:23, his own hired house Acts 28:30, though still chained to a soldier). [source]
Philippians 1:13 In all the palace [ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ πραιτωρίῳ]
Rev., throughout the whole praetorian guard. So Lightfoot, Dwight, Farrar. This appears to be the correct rendering. The other explanations are, the imperial residence on the Palatine, so A.V.; the praetorian barracks attached to the palace, so Eadie, Ellicott, Lumby, and Alford; the praetortan camp on the east of the city, so Meyer. The first explanation leaves the place of Paul's confinement uncertain. It may have been in the camp of the Praetorians, which was large enough to contain within its precincts lodgings for prisoners under military custody, so that Paul could dwell “in his own hired house,” Acts 28:30. This would be difficult to explain on the assumption that Paul was confined in the barracks or within the palace precincts. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
The Praetorians, forming the imperial guard, were picked men, ten thousand in number, and all of Italian birth. The body was instituted by Augustus and was called by him praetoriae cohortes, praetorian cohorts, in imitation of the select troop which attended the person of the praetor or Roman general. Augustus originally stationed only three thousand of them, three cohorts, at Rome, and dispersed the remainder in the adjacent Italian towns. Under Tiberius they were all assembled at Rome in a fortified camp. They were distinguished by double pay and special privileges. Their term of service was originally twelve years, afterward increased to sixteen. On completing his term, each soldier received a little over eight hundred dollars. They all seem to have had the same rank as centurions in the regular legions. They became the most powerful body in the state; the emperors were obliged to court their favor, and each emperor on his accession was expected to bestow on them a liberal donative. After the death of Pertinax (a.d. 193) they put up the empire at public sale, and knocked it down to Didius Julianus. They were disbanded the same year on the accession of Severus, and were banished; but were restored by that emperor on a new plan, and increased to four times their original number. They were finally suppressed by Constantine. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
The apostle was under the charge of these troops, the soldiers relieving each other in mounting guard over the prisoner, who was attached to his guard's hand by a chain. In the allusion to his bonds, Ephesians 6:20, he uses the specific word for the coupling-chain. His contact with the different members of the corps in succession, explains the statement that his bonds had become manifest throughout the praetorian guard. [source]

What do the individual words in Acts 28:30 mean?

He stayed then two years whole in his own rented house and was welcoming all - coming unto him
Ἐνέμεινεν δὲ διετίαν ὅλην ἐν ἰδίῳ μισθώματι καὶ ἀπεδέχετο πάντας τοὺς εἰσπορευομένους πρὸς αὐτόν

Ἐνέμεινεν  He  stayed 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἐμμένω  
Sense: to remain in, continue.
διετίαν  two  years 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: διετία  
Sense: the space of two years.
ὅλην  whole 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: ὅλος  
Sense: all, whole, completely.
ἰδίῳ  his  own 
Parse: Adjective, Dative Neuter Singular
Root: ἴδιος  
Sense: pertaining to one’s self, one’s own, belonging to one’s self.
μισθώματι  rented  house 
Parse: Noun, Dative Neuter Singular
Root: μίσθωμα  
Sense: the price for which anything is either let or hired.
ἀπεδέχετο  was  welcoming 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Middle or Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἀποδέχομαι  
Sense: to accept from, receive.
τοὺς  - 
Parse: Article, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
εἰσπορευομένους  coming 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Middle or Passive, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: εἰσπορεύομαι  
Sense: to go into, enter.
πρὸς  unto 
Parse: Preposition
Root: πρός  
Sense: to the advantage of.

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