Acts 20:7-12

7 Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight.

8 There were many lamps in the upper room where they were gathered together.

9 And in a window sat a certain young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep. He was overcome by sleep; and as Paul continued speaking, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead.

10 But Paul went down, fell on him, and embracing him said, “Do not trouble yourselves, for his life is in him.”

11 Now when he had come up, had broken bread and eaten, and talked a long while, even till daybreak, he departed.

12 And they brought the young man in alive, and they were not a little comforted.

first day of the week (v.7) — Sunday (which began at sundown on Saturday night) — the day Christ rose from the dead, and the day on which believers met

spoke (v.7) = discoursed at length (imperfect tense)

many lamps (v.8) — no doubt smoky lamps that made the room stuffy

window (v.9) — an opening in the wall with a wooden door — no doubt open on this occasion to let smoke out and air in

Eutychus (v.9) = fortunate — his only mention

dead (v.9) — Luke was a doctor, so we can be sure he was really dead.

trouble not (v.10) = don’t make an uproar — They were probably making loud demonstrations as is typical in the East.

life is in him (v.10) — “life has returned to him”

talked (v.11) = conversed — not “preached”

broken bread (v.11) — The breaking of bread is a familiar Hebraism for dining together (see Matthew 14:19: Acts 2:46) and does not necessarily refer to the celebration of the Lord’s supper. Further, the fact that the original word for “eat” in verse 11 is geuomat, “to taste,” would sooner indicate that the Lord’s supper is not referred to, for the word used in the records of the Lord’s supper is not geuomat, but phago, the more usual word for eat. The word taste is doubtless used here because, the anxiety being now passed, he enjoyed the food. In both verses 7 and 11 the context must decide whether the breaking of bread refers to the Lord’s supper or to a common meal. — Stam, page 220.

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