Acts 28:21 The leaders replied, "We have not received any letters about you from Judea, nor have any of the brothers from there reported or even mentioned anything bad about you.

◄ Acts 28:21 ►

New International Version
They replied, “We have not received any letters from Judea concerning you, and none of our people who have come from there has reported or said anything bad about you.

New Living Translation
They replied, “We have had no letters from Judea or reports against you from anyone who has come here.

English Standard Version
And they said to him, “We have received no letters from Judea about you, and none of the brothers coming here has reported or spoken any evil about you.

Berean Standard Bible
The leaders replied, “We have not received any letters about you from Judea, nor have any of the brothers from there reported or even mentioned anything bad about you.

Berean Literal Bible
Then they said to him, "We received neither letters concerning you from Judea, nor any of the brothers having arrived reported or said anything evil concerning you.

King James Bible
And they said unto him, We neither received letters out of Judaea concerning thee, neither any of the brethren that came shewed or spake any harm of thee.

New King James Version
Then they said to him, “We neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor have any of the brethren who came reported or spoken any evil of you.

New American Standard Bible
They said to him, “We have neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor has any of the brothers come here and reported or spoken anything bad about you.

NASB 1995
They said to him, “We have neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor have any of the brethren come here and reported or spoken anything bad about you.

NASB 1977
And they said to him, “We have neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor have any of the brethren come here and reported or spoken anything bad about you.

Legacy Standard Bible
And they said to him, “We have neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor have any of the brothers come here and reported or spoken anything bad about you.

Amplified Bible
They said to him, “We have not received [any] letters about you from Judea, nor have any of the [Jewish] brothers come here and reported or said anything bad about you.

Christian Standard Bible
Then they said to him, “We haven’t received any letters about you from Judea. None of the brothers has come and reported or spoken anything evil about you.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then they said to him, “We haven’t received any letters about you from Judea. None of the brothers has come and reported or spoken anything evil about you.

American Standard Version
And they said unto him, We neither received letters from Judæa concerning thee, nor did any of the brethren come hither and report or speak any harm of thee.

Contemporary English Version
The leaders replied, "No one from Judea has written us a letter about you. And not one of them has come here to report on you or to say anything against you.

English Revised Version
And they said unto him, We neither received letters from Judaea concerning thee, nor did any of the brethren come hither and report or speak any harm of thee.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The Jewish leaders told Paul, "We haven't received any letters from Judea about you, and no Jewish person who has come to Rome has reported or mentioned anything bad about you.

Good News Translation
They said to him, "We have not received any letters from Judea about you, nor have any of our people come from there with any news or anything bad to say about you.

International Standard Version
The Jewish leaders told him, "We haven't received any letters from Judea about you, and none of the brothers coming here has reported or mentioned anything bad about you.

Majority Standard Bible
The leaders replied, “We have not received any letters about you from Judea, nor have any of the brothers from there reported or even mentioned anything bad about you.

NET Bible
They replied, "We have received no letters from Judea about you, nor have any of the brothers come from there and reported or said anything bad about you.

New Heart English Bible
They said to him, "We neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor did any of the brothers come here and report or speak any evil of you.

Webster's Bible Translation
And they said to him, We have neither received letters from Judea concerning thee, neither have any of the brethren that came shown or spoken any harm of thee.

Weymouth New Testament
"For our part," they replied, "we have not received any letters from Judaea about you, nor have any of our countrymen come here and reported or stated anything to your disadvantage.

World English Bible
They said to him, “We neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor did any of the brothers come here and report or speak any evil of you.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
And they said to him, “We neither received letters concerning you from Judea, nor did anyone who came of the brothers declare or speak any evil concerning you,

Berean Literal Bible
Then they said to him, "We received neither letters concerning you from Judea, nor any of the brothers having arrived reported or said anything evil concerning you.

Young's Literal Translation
And they said unto him, 'We did neither receive letters concerning thee from Judea, nor did any one who came of the brethren declare or speak any evil concerning thee,

Smith's Literal Translation
And they said to him, We neither received letters concerning thee from Judea, nor any of the brethren having been present announced or spoke any evil of thee.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
But they said to him: We neither received letters concerning thee from Judea, neither did any of the brethren that came hither, relate or speak any evil of thee.

Catholic Public Domain Version
But they said to him: “We have not received letters about you from Judea, nor have any of the other new arrivals among the brothers reported or spoken anything evil against you.

New American Bible
They answered him, “We have received no letters from Judea about you, nor has any of the brothers arrived with a damaging report or rumor about you.

New Revised Standard Version
They replied, “We have received no letters from Judea about you, and none of the brothers coming here has reported or spoken anything evil about you.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
And they said to him, We have neither received a letter concerning you from Judæ’a, nor have any of the brethren who have come from Jerusalem made any evil report about you.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And they said to him, “We have not received a letter about you from Judea, neither has anyone of the brethren who came from Jerusalem told us anything evil about you.”

NT Translations

Anderson New Testament
And they said to him: We have neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor has any one of the brethren come, and reported or spoken any evil of you.

Godbey New Testament
And they said to him, Neither have we received letters from Judea concerning you, neither has any one of the brethren coming, proclaimed or spoken anything evil concerning you.

Haweis New Testament
Then they said to him, We have neither received letters concerning thee from Judea, nor hath any one of the brethren who is arrived reported or spoken any thing evil of thee.

Mace New Testament
they reply'd, we have receiv'd no letter from Judea concerning you; nor have any of our brethren that are arrived, said any harm of you.

Weymouth New Testament
"For our part," they replied, "we have not received any letters from Judaea about you, nor have any of our countrymen come here and reported or stated anything to your disadvantage.

Worrell New Testament
But they said to him, "We neither received letters from Judaea concerning you, nor did any one of the brethren, coming, report or speak any evil concerning you.

Worsley New Testament
And they said to him, We have neither received letters concerning thee from Judea, nor has any of the brethren, that is come hither, related or spoken any ill of thee.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

Paul Preaches at Rome
…20So for this reason I have called to see you and speak with you. It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.” 21 The leaders replied, “We have not received any letters about you from Judea, nor have any of the brothers from there reported or even mentioned anything bad about you. 22But we consider your views worth hearing, because we know that people everywhere are speaking against this sect.”…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Acts 24:12-13
Yet my accusers did not find me debating with anyone in the temple or riling up a crowd in the synagogues or in the city. / Nor can they prove to you any of their charges against me.

Acts 25:7-8
When Paul arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many serious charges that they could not prove. / Then Paul made his defense: “I have committed no offense against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar.”

Acts 26:31-32
On their way out, they said to one another, “This man has done nothing worthy of death or imprisonment.” / And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar.”

Acts 23:29
I found that the accusation involved questions about their own law, but there was no charge worthy of death or imprisonment.

Acts 25:25
But I found he had done nothing worthy of death, and since he has now appealed to the Emperor, I decided to send him.

Acts 19:33-34
The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander forward to explain himself, and he motioned for silence so he could make his defense to the people. / But when they realized that he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

Acts 21:28-30
crying out, “Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people and against our law and against this place. Furthermore, he has brought Greeks into the temple and defiled this holy place.” / For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they assumed that Paul had brought him into the temple. / The whole city was stirred up, and the people rushed together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut.

Acts 22:22-24
The crowd listened to Paul until he made this statement. Then they lifted up their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of him! He is not fit to live!” / As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust into the air, / the commander ordered that Paul be brought into the barracks. He directed that Paul be flogged and interrogated to determine the reason for this outcry against him.

Acts 24:5-6
We have found this man to be a pestilence, stirring up dissension among the Jews all over the world. He is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes, / and he even tried to desecrate the temple; so we seized him.

Acts 25:19
They only had some contentions with him regarding their own religion and a certain Jesus who had died, but whom Paul affirmed to be alive.

Acts 18:14-15
But just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio told the Jews, “If this matter involved a wrongdoing or vicious crime, O Jews, it would be reasonable for me to hear your complaint. / But since it is a dispute about words and names and your own law, settle it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of such things.”

Acts 23:9
A great clamor arose, and some scribes from the party of the Pharisees got up and contended sharply, “We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?”

Acts 25:10-11
Paul replied, “I am standing before the judgment seat of Caesar, where I ought to be tried. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well. / If, however, I am guilty of anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die. But if there is no truth to their accusations against me, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!”

Acts 26:2-3
“King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today to defend myself against all the accusations of the Jews, / especially since you are acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. I beg you, therefore, to listen to me patiently.

Acts 24:20-21
Otherwise, let these men state for themselves any crime they found in me when I stood before the Sanhedrin, / unless it was this one thing I called out as I stood in their presence: ‘It is concerning the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you today.’”

Treasury of Scripture

And they said to him, We neither received letters out of Judaea concerning you, neither any of the brothers that came showed or spoke any harm of you.

We.

Exodus 11:7
But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast: that ye may know how that the LORD doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.

Isaiah 41:11
Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish.

Isaiah 50:8
He is near that justifieth me; who will contend with me? let us stand together: who is mine adversary? let him come near to me.

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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.

Berean Study Bible

They replied
This phrase indicates a response from the Jewish leaders in Rome to the Apostle Paul. The Greek word used here is "ἀπεκρίθησαν" (apekrithēsan), which is a form of the verb "ἀποκρίνομαι" (apokrinomai), meaning "to answer" or "to reply." This interaction highlights the open dialogue and communication between Paul and the Jewish community, reflecting the importance of discourse in resolving misunderstandings and spreading the Gospel.

We have not received any letters from Judea concerning you
The absence of letters from Judea is significant. In the ancient world, letters were a primary means of communication over long distances. The Greek word for "letters" is "ἐπιστολάς" (epistolas), which is the root for our modern word "epistle." This suggests that the Jewish leaders in Rome had not been formally informed of any accusations against Paul, indicating either a lack of interest from Judean authorities or a divine intervention in protecting Paul’s mission.

and none of the brothers who have come from there
The term "brothers" (Greek: "ἀδελφοί," adelphoi) is often used in the New Testament to refer to fellow believers or members of the Jewish community. This phrase underscores the interconnectedness of the early Christian and Jewish communities, as well as the network of communication that existed among them. It also suggests that those who traveled from Judea to Rome had not brought any negative reports about Paul, which could imply a level of respect or neutrality towards him.

has reported or mentioned anything bad about you
The Greek words for "reported" (ἀπαγγέλλω, apangellō) and "mentioned" (λαλέω, laleō) both convey the act of speaking or declaring information. The absence of negative reports or mentions about Paul is noteworthy, as it suggests that his reputation among the Jewish community in Judea was not as tarnished as it might have been perceived. This lack of negative testimony could be seen as a testament to Paul's integrity and the divine favor upon his mission.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(21) We neither received letters out of Judsea concerning thee . . .--It seems strange at first that no tidings should have come from Jerusalem of what had passed there in connection with St. Paul's imprisonment. There was, however, hardly likely to have been time for any letters since his appeal. He had sailed somewhat late in the autumn, immediately after he had made it (Acts 25:13; Acts 27:1), and all communication by sea was suspended during the winter months. And it may be noted further that the Jews do not say that they had heard absolutely nothing about him, but that those who had come had spoken nothing evil of him. What they had heard by casual rumour may well have been consistent with St. James's statement that "he walked orderly, and observed the Law" (Acts 21:20). It has been urged that the decree of Claudius had suspended the intercourse between the Jews of Rome and those of Jerusalem; but as the former had returned before he wrote the Epistle to the Romans, this is hardly a tenable explanation. It may, however, be taken into account that among the Jews who had returned to Rome would be not a few of those who had known St. Paul at Corinth, and were willing to bear their testimony to his character.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 21. - From for out of, A.V.; nor for neither, A.V.; did any of the brethren come hither and report or speak for any of the brethren that came showed or spake, A.V. Nor did any of the brethren come hither, etc. This is no improvement on the A.V.; for it implies that they denied that any special messenger had been sent to speak harm of Paul, which nobody could have thought had been done. What they meant to say is exactly what the A.V. makes them say, viz. that, neither by special letters, nor by message nor casual information brought by Jews coming to Rome from Judaea, had they heard any harm of him. This seems odd; but as the Jews had no apparent motive for not speaking the truth, we must accept it as true. The expulsion of the Jews from Rome by Claudius (Acts 18:1) may have slackened the intercourse between Judaea and Rome; the attention of the Jews may have been absorbed by their accusation of Felix; there had been a very short interval between Paul's appeal and his departure for Rome; he had only been at Rome three days, and so it is very possible that no report had yet reached Rome concerning him at this early season of the year.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Greek

[The leaders] replied,
εἶπαν (eipan)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 2036: Answer, bid, bring word, command. A primary verb; to speak or say.

“We
Ἡμεῖς (Hēmeis)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person Plural
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

have not received
ἐδεξάμεθα (edexametha)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 1st Person Plural
Strong's 1209: To take, receive, accept, welcome. Middle voice of a primary verb; to receive.

[any] letters
γράμματα (grammata)
Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 1121: From grapho; a writing, i.e. A letter, note, epistle, book, etc. plural learning.

about
περὶ (peri)
Preposition
Strong's 4012: From the base of peran; properly, through, i.e. Around; figuratively with respect to; used in various applications, of place, cause or time.

you
σοῦ (sou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

from
ἀπὸ (apo)
Preposition
Strong's 575: From, away from. A primary particle; 'off, ' i.e. Away, in various senses.

Judea,
Ἰουδαίας (Ioudaias)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 2449: Judea, a Roman province, capital Jerusalem. Feminine of Ioudaios; the Judaean land, a region of Palestine.

nor
οὔτε (oute)
Conjunction
Strong's 3777: And not, neither, nor. From ou and te; not too, i.e. Neither or nor; by analogy, not even.

{have} any
τις (tis)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5100: Any one, some one, a certain one or thing. An enclitic indefinite pronoun; some or any person or object.

of the
τῶν (tōn)
Article - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

brothers
ἀδελφῶν (adelphōn)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 80: A brother, member of the same religious community, especially a fellow-Christian. A brother near or remote.

[from there]
παραγενόμενός (paragenomenos)
Verb - Aorist Participle Middle - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3854: From para and ginomai; to become near, i.e. Approach; by implication, to appear publicly.

reported
ἀπήγγειλεν (apēngeilen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 518: To report (from one place to another), bring a report, announce, declare. From apo and the base of aggelos; to announce.

or even
ἢ (ē)
Conjunction
Strong's 2228: Or, than. A primary particle of distinction between two connected terms; disjunctive, or; comparative, than.

mentioned
ἐλάλησέν (elalēsen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2980: A prolonged form of an otherwise obsolete verb; to talk, i.e. Utter words.

anything
τι (ti)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 5100: Any one, some one, a certain one or thing. An enclitic indefinite pronoun; some or any person or object.

bad
πονηρόν (ponēron)
Adjective - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 4190: Evil, bad, wicked, malicious, slothful.

about
περὶ (peri)
Preposition
Strong's 4012: From the base of peran; properly, through, i.e. Around; figuratively with respect to; used in various applications, of place, cause or time.

you.
σοῦ (sou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

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NT Apostles: Acts 28:21 They said to him We neither received (Acts of the Apostles Ac)