Acts 20:11
What does Acts 20:11 mean?
A plain-English look at Acts 20:11 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Acts 20:11 means
After the restoration, Paul returns upstairs, breaks bread, eats, and continues talking until dawn before departing. The calm resumption underscores confidence in God’s work and the primacy of teaching and fellowship. The breaking of bread may include the Lord’s Supper, now celebrated in the shadow of a life returned. The night becomes a vigil of instruction and encouragement, seizing the remaining hours before Paul must leave. This verse portrays a church nourished by the Word and by communion, able to move from crisis back to worship, and from worship into the next steps of mission with renewed faith.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000And when he was gone up, and had broken the bread, and eaten, and had talked with them a long while, even till break of day, so he departed.
KJV
King James Version · 1611When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901And when he was gone up, and had broken the bread, and eaten, and had talked with them a long while, even till break of day, so he departed.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949And when he had gone up, and had taken the broken bread, he went on talking to them for a long time, even till dawn, and then he went away.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862and having come up, and having broken bread, and having tasted, for a long time also having talked--till daylight, so he went forth,
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752Then going up and breaking bread and tasting and having talked a long time to them, until daylight, so he departed.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890And having gone up, and having broken the bread, and eaten, and having long spoken until daybreak, so he went away.
Context
The narrative resolves the Troas crisis by showing normalcy restored and fellowship deepened. The meeting extends to daybreak, matching Paul’s travel timeline. Next, verse 12 will note the comfort that follows, and verses 13–16 will resume the itinerary along the coast toward Miletus. These transitions bridge the miracle in Troas with the weighty pastoral address that awaits the Ephesian elders, connecting God’s life-giving power with the call to persevering ministry.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Acts 20:9
And there sat in the window a certain young man named Eutychus, borne down with deep sleep; and as Paul discoursed yet longer, being borne down by his sleep he fell down from the third story, and was taken up dead.
- Acts 20:7
And upon the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul discoursed with them, intending to depart on the morrow; and prolonged his speech until midnight.
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