Log inSign up

Favor · the best way to learn the Bible

Acts 21 Bible study: Ready to be bound

Agabus's sign and Paul's answer turn on one verb: "will bind" (21:11), and Paul ready "not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus" (21:13). After that, the chapter quotes no words of Paul's until the stairs: "May I speak to you?" (21:37).

Favor is a Bible study app that explains every chapter as you read: the words behind the words, what most readers miss, and how it all leads to Jesus.

Read Acts 21 with FavorWhat is Favor?

First week free, then $10 a month per person

“Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.””
Acts 21:13 · World English Bible

Try it · Did you catch it?

“In Acts 21:29, they supposed that Paul had brought Trophimus into the temple.”

Is that in Acts 21, or not? Make your call.

What's really going on

Bound at Jerusalem

In the text

At Tyre, the disciples "said to Paul through the Spirit that he should not go up to Jerusalem" (21:4). At Caesarea, "a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea" (21:10). "Coming to us and taking Paul’s belt, he bound his own feet and hands, and said, “The Holy Spirit says: ‘So the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt, and will deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’”" (21:11) (tap belt). Then "both we and the people of that place begged him not to go up to Jerusalem" (21:12), and Paul answered, "What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus." (21:13) (tap breaking). Here is what almost everyone misses: Agabus's sign and Paul's answer turn on one verb. In the Greek the same verb (Strong's G1210) stands behind "bound his own feet and hands" and "will bind" (21:11), and behind Paul's "to be bound" (21:13). Agabus speaks of binding; Paul answers that he is ready "not only to be bound, but also to die" (21:13), "for the name of the Lord Jesus".

Honest questions

Questions people ask about Acts 21

That was a taste

The rest of Acts 21 is waiting in Favor

  • What God had worked among the Gentiles
  • No words, and then the stairs
  • Questions asked elsewhere
  • Set beside this chapter elsewhere
  • 26 questions as you read
  • 12 more Greek words
  • A short check at the end
  • Your notes, saved as you go
Read the whole chapter

First week free, then $10 a month per person

The Greek word behind it

ζώνηzonesay DZO-nay

Strong's: "a belt". Thayer, listing 21:11: "a girdle, belt". Agabus comes "taking Paul’s belt" (21:11), and the words he gives as "The Holy Spirit says" speak of "the man who owns this belt" (21:11). The verse has the word twice; these are its only uses in Acts (counted in RP2018). The New Testament has it eight times; the WEB gives it as sash in Revelation: "with a golden sash around his chest" (Revelation 1:13).

For your group

Acts 21 Bible study questions

  1. 1Paul said, "For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus." (21:13). What does being ready for the name of the Lord Jesus look like for you in an ordinary week?
  2. 2"When he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, “The Lord’s will be done.”" (21:14). When have you had to stop urging someone and leave it there? What helped you do it?
  3. 3Paul "reported one by one the things which God had worked among the Gentiles through his ministry. They, when they heard it, glorified God." (21:19-20). Whose story of what God has done could you ask to hear this week?

Leading a group? In Favor, everyone reads Acts 21 during the week and answers these questions privately. Answers stay sealed until you meet, then appear together, and you can print the week's sheet.

Start a Bible study
Free quizTake the Acts 21 quizQuestions with the answers explained, for your group or your familyFree printablePrint this Bible studyOne page: the chapter, the verse, and the questions with room to write

Did we miss something?

We're a small team, and we can make mistakes. If something here looks wrong or unclear, tell us and we'll check it against the text.

Tell us

The best way to learn the Bible

Favor opens up every chapter as you read.

Favor is a Bible study app for your phone or computer. It takes you through the Bible one chapter at a time, a few minutes a day, and shows you what's really there: the words behind the words, the moments most people miss, and how the whole story fits together. For you. For everyone.

  • Every chapter explains itself

    As you read, short notes open up what's really going on, the details most readers walk past, and the honest questions people ask.

  • The Hebrew and Greek behind it

    Tap a highlighted word to see the original, how to say it, and what it means, checked against the original-language texts.

  • Every page leads to Jesus

    Watch promises made in Genesis kept in Jesus. Each line lights up on your map as you read.

  • Better together

    Read on your own, or start a Bible study with friends, family or your church. Answers stay sealed until you meet, then appear together.

  1. 1

    Start your free week

    Sign up in a minute with your email.

  2. 2

    Read a few minutes a day

    Each chapter opens itself up as you go. Tap what you're curious about.

  3. 3

    Bring your people, if you like

    Send one link. Everyone reads the same chapter, then meets to talk.

The best way to study the Bible.

Your small group or your church can use Favor for Bible study, or you can read by yourself.

First week free, then $10 a month per person

Questions

What is Favor?

Favor is a Bible study app that explains every chapter as you read: the Hebrew and Greek behind the words, the details most readers miss, and how each part of the Bible leads to Jesus. Read on your own, or start a Bible study with friends, family or your church.

How much does it cost?

Your first week is free. After that it's $10 a month per person, the same for everyone, including groups and churches. There are no tiers and nothing extra to unlock.

Can I read Acts 21 straight away?

Yes. Acts 21 is open from your first day.

Do I need a group?

No. Many people read on their own. If you'd like to read with others, start a Bible study and share one link. Everyone's answers stay private until you meet.

I've never really read the Bible. Is this for me?

Yes. Favor starts where you are and explains as it goes. The questions along the way aren't marked right or wrong: you answer, then see what the text shows.

Which Bible does Favor use?

The World English Bible, a modern, readable translation in the public domain. God's name appears as "the LORD", as in most English Bibles.

Is Favor tied to a church?

No. Favor is non-denominational. Where Christians read a passage differently, it shows the main views side by side and doesn't pick one.

Start with Acts 21

The best way to learn the Bible. For you. For everyone.

There's a seat for you at the table.

Start your free week

First week free, then $10 a month per person · Log in

All Bible study guides

Last reviewed October 7, 2026. Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Hebrew and Greek words are checked against the original-language texts and public-domain lexicons. What we believe · Favor home