13. Agabos
Lexical Summary
Agabos: Agabus

Original Word: Ἄγαβος
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: Agabos
Pronunciation: AH-gah-bos
Phonetic Spelling: (ag'-ab-os)
KJV: Agabus
NASB: Agabus
Word Origin: [of Hebrew origin]

1. Agabus, an Israelite

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Agabus.

Of Hebrew origin (compare Chagab); Agabus, an Israelite -- Agabus.

see HEBREW Chagab

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
of uncertain origin
Definition
Agabus, a Christian prophet
NASB Translation
Agabus (2).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 13: Ἅγαβος

Ἅγαβος (on the breathing see WH. Introductory § 408), Ἀγαβου, , the name of a Christian prophet, Agabus: Acts 11:28; Acts 21:10. (Perhaps from עָגַב to love (cf. B. D. under the word).)

Topical Lexicon
Identity and Setting

Agabus appears twice in Acts as a Spirit-empowered prophet who moved freely among the earliest assemblies of believers. He is introduced in Antioch shortly after the Gospel reaches Gentiles (Acts 11:26-28) and re-emerges more than ten years later in Caesarea while Paul is en route to Jerusalem (Acts 21:8-11). His ministry is thus framed by the missionary expansion that dominates the middle chapters of Acts.

Historical Context

1. Antioch (circa A.D. 46). Rome’s Emperor Claudius faced a series of grain shortages and localized crop failures. Secular writers such as Suetonius and Tacitus corroborate a widespread famine during his reign.
2. Caesarea (circa A.D. 57). Political tensions were escalating in Judea; within a decade open revolt would break out. Agabus’ warning to Paul stands against this turbulent backdrop.

Prophetic Ministry in Acts

Acts 11:28: “One of them, named Agabus, stood up and foretold through the Spirit that a great famine would sweep across the whole world. This happened during the reign of Claudius.”

 – The prophecy is specific (a global famine) and verifiable (recorded by Luke as having occurred).

 – The church at Antioch responds with benevolence, sending relief to Judea (Acts 11:29-30), illustrating how genuine prophecy stirs practical obedience and unity.

Acts 21:10-11: Agabus dramatizes his message by binding himself with Paul’s belt and declaring, “The Holy Spirit says: ‘In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and deliver him over to the hands of the Gentiles.’”

 – The sign-act recalls symbolic gestures of earlier prophets (e.g., Jeremiah 13:1-11; Ezekiel 12:1-7), rooting New Testament prophecy in Old Testament precedent.

 – The predictive element is fulfilled in Acts 21:30-33 and 24:27, confirming the reliability of prophetic utterance in the apostolic era.

Theological Significance

1. Continuity of Revelation: Agabus demonstrates that the prophetic gift transcends covenants, linking the ministries of Old Testament seers to the Spirit-empowered church (cf. Joel 2:28-29; Acts 2:17-18).
2. Guidance for Mission: His messages shape corporate action (famine relief) and personal direction (Paul’s conscious acceptance of impending suffering). Prophecy illuminates, it does not override, apostolic resolve (Acts 21:13-14).
3. Validation of Scripture: Luke’s accurate record of both the prophecy and its fulfillment undergirds confidence in the historical trustworthiness of Acts.

Lessons for the Church

• Prophetic speech is anchored in the Holy Spirit and must cohere with apostolic doctrine.
• Authentic prophecy results in tangible fruit—charity, preparation, and perseverance.
• Suffering, when foretold, is not necessarily avoided but embraced within God’s redemptive purposes (Philippians 1:29).
• Symbolic actions can powerfully communicate divine truth, yet they remain subordinate to the spoken Word.

Tradition and Later Witness

Early Christian writers locate Agabus among the seventy disciples of Luke 10, though Scripture itself is silent on this point. Some traditions claim he was martyred in Antioch, underscoring the high cost often borne by prophetic voices.

Summary

Agabus stands as a bridge between the prophetic tradition of Israel and the Spirit-led mission of the early church. His brief appearances in Acts reveal a ministry that is accurate, pastoral, and Christ-honoring, offering a model for discerning and exercising prophetic gifts within the body of Christ today.

Forms and Transliterations
Αγαβος Ἄγαβος Ἇγαβος Agabos Ágabos
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Acts 11:28 N-NMS
GRK: αὐτῶν ὀνόματι Ἄγαβος ἐσήμανεν διὰ
NAS: of them named Agabus stood
KJV: them named Agabus, and signified by
INT: them by name Agabus he signified by

Acts 21:10 N-NMS
GRK: προφήτης ὀνόματι Ἄγαβος
NAS: named Agabus came down
KJV: prophet, named Agabus.
INT: a prophet by name Agabus

Strong's Greek 13
2 Occurrences


Ἄγαβος — 2 Occ.

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