Acts 20 — Clausal Layout (Greek)

independentparticipialrelativepurposecausecomparativecontentconditionalphrase modifierdashed = verbless / suspended

Flush-left = a main (independent) clause. Each dependent line begins directly beneath the word it attaches to in the line above — the anchor word is dotted-underlined, and lights up when you hover its dependent clause; each tag also names the attachment. A dashed border marks verbless, elliptical, or suspended lines. Where a long sentence's staircase runs wider than the page, the diagram scrolls sideways. (In print, or without JavaScript, lines fall back to stepped indent columns.)

Through Macedonia to Greece — and the plot 20:1–6

vv. 1–3 — Ephesus left behind: the circuit, the three months, the plot

Μετὰ δὲ τὸ παύσασθαι τὸν θόρυβον,phrase modifier — preposed temporal — μετά + articular infinitive; the riot of ch. 19 subsides; leans on ἐξῆλθεν

προσκαλεσάμενος ὁ Παῦλος τοὺς μαθητὰς καὶ παρακαλέσας,participial — the pastoral triad begins — summon, encourage, farewell; leans on ἐξῆλθεν

ἀσπασάμενος ἐξῆλθεν πορεύεσθαι εἰς Μακεδονίαν.independent — the third participle folded into the main clause — the departure itself

διελθὼν δὲ τὰ μέρη ἐκεῖνα καὶ παρακαλέσας αὐτοὺς λόγῳ πολλῷ,participial — the Macedonian circuit compressed to two participles — λόγῳ πολλῷ, dative of means; leans on ἦλθεν

ἦλθεν εἰς τὴν Ἑλλάδα.independent — Achaia — Corinth the likely base (18:11)

ποιήσας τε μῆνας τρεῖς,participial — ποιεῖν + accusative of time — the winter in Greece; leans on ἐγένετο

γενομένης αὐτῷ ἐπιβουλῆς ὑπὸ τῶν Ἰουδαίωνparticipial — genitive absolute — the complication that reverses the route

μέλλοντι ἀνάγεσθαι εἰς τὴν Συρίαν,participial — dative participle agreeing with αὐτῷ — the plot timed for the pilgrim ship

ἐγένετο γνώμης τοῦ ὑποστρέφειν διὰ Μακεδονίας.independent — ἐγένετο γνώμης — the idiom of decision; the detour that shapes the chapter

vv. 4–6 — the delegation ahead; the 'we' resumes at Philippi

συνείπετο δὲ αὐτῷ Σώπατρος Πύρρου Βεροιαῖος,independent — the roster opens — seven delegates by region, almost certainly the collection delegation (Rom 15:25–28)

Θεσσαλονικέων δὲ Ἀρίσταρχος καὶ Σεκοῦνδος,phrase modifier — verbless roster line — Thessalonica's pair

καὶ Γάϊος Δερβαῖος καὶ Τιμόθεος,phrase modifier — the Lycaonians — Timothy of Lystra beside the Derbean Gaius

Ἀσιανοὶ δὲ Τύχικος καὶ Τρόφιμος.phrase modifier — Asia's pair closes the roster — Trophimus reappears at 21:29

οὗτοι δὲ προελθόντες ἔμενον ἡμᾶς ἐν Τρῳάδι.independent — ἡμᾶς — the 'we' narrative resumes (cf. 16:17): the narrator rejoins Paul at Philippi

ἡμεῖς δὲ ἐξεπλεύσαμεν μετὰ τὰς ἡμέρας τῶν ἀζύμων ἀπὸ Φιλίππων,independent — after Passover week — the datable itinerary of the 'we' source

καὶ ἤλθομεν πρὸς αὐτοὺς εἰς τὴν Τρῳάδα ἄχρι ἡμερῶν πέντε,independent — five days against the wind — two going the other way (16:11)

οὗ διετρίψαμεν ἡμέρας ἑπτά.relative — the week that includes the Sunday of v. 7

Eutychus at Troas 20:7–12

vv. 7–9 — the first day of the week: bread, lamps, midnight — and the fall

Ἐν δὲ τῇ μιᾷ τῶν σαββάτων συνηγμένων ἡμῶν κλάσαι ἄρτον,participial — genitive absolute — among the earliest witnesses to the Sunday assembly; κλάσαι ἄρτον its eucharistic purpose (2:42)

ὁ Παῦλος διελέγετο αὐτοῖς,independent — progressive imperfect — the teaching dialogue runs on

μέλλων ἐξιέναι τῇ ἐπαύριον,participial — the motive for the length — a last night

παρέτεινέν τε τὸν λόγον μέχρι μεσονυκτίου.independent — παρατείνω — NT hapax; the midnight-prolonged speech

ἦσαν δὲ λαμπάδες ἱκαναὶ ἐν τῷ ὑπερῴῳindependent — parenthetical setting — heat and smoke for the sleeper, witnesses for the apologist

οὗ ἦμεν συνηγμένοι.relative — periphrastic perfect — the 'we' among the assembled

καθήμενος δέ τις νεανίας ὀνόματι Εὔτυχος ἐπὶ τῆς θυρίδος,participial — the third-story window seat — 'Fortunate,' ironically named; leans on ἔπεσεν

καταφερόμενος ὕπνῳ βαθεῖ,participial — present participle — the sinking still in progress

διαλεγομένου τοῦ Παύλου ἐπὶ πλεῖον,participial — genitive absolute — the sermon's length is the narrative cause

κατενεχθεὶς ἀπὸ τοῦ ὕπνουparticipial — aorist now — the progression completed (καταφερόμενος → κατενεχθείς)

ἔπεσεν ἀπὸ τοῦ τριστέγου κάτωindependent — the verb the four participles were loading — τρίστεγον, the third floor

καὶ ἤρθη νεκρός.independent — νεκρός without qualification — Luke does not equivocate

vv. 10–12 — Paul's embrace, the word of life, the comfort

καταβὰς δὲ ὁ Παῦλοςparticipial — the descent to the body; leans on ἐπέπεσεν

ἐπέπεσεν αὐτῷindependent — ἐπιπίπτω — the Elijah–Elisha gesture (1 Kgs 17:21; 2 Kgs 4:34)

καὶ συμπεριλαβὼνparticipial — the embrace before the word; leans on εἶπεν

εἶπεν·independent — the speech-frame

μὴ θορυβεῖσθε,content — the μὴ-θορυβεῖσθε word — the θόρυβος of v. 1 echoed in the verb

ἡ γὰρ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ ἐστιν.cause — 1 Kgs 17:21–22 LXX — the Elijah echo; returned or never absent, Luke lets v. 12 answer

ἀναβὰς δὲ καὶ κλάσας τὸν ἄρτον καὶ γευσάμενος,participial — the interrupted meal completed — the assembly's purpose (v. 7) fulfilled; leans on ἐξῆλθεν

ἐφ᾽ ἱκανόν τε ὁμιλήσας ἄχρι αὐγῆς,participial — ὁμιλέω — the gentler after-supper word; dawn ends what midnight could not

οὕτως ἐξῆλθεν.independent — οὕτως — only then, the farewell complete

ἤγαγον δὲ τὸν παῖδα ζῶντα,independent — ζῶντα answers νεκρός (v. 9) — the episode's resolution

καὶ παρεκλήθησαν οὐ μετρίως.independent — litotes — οὐ μετρίως; παρακαλέω, the chapter's pastoral verb, closes the scene

The voyage to Miletus — hurrying for Pentecost 20:13–17

vv. 13–15 — the coastal log: Assos, Mitylene, Chios, Samos, Miletus

Ἡμεῖς δὲ προελθόντες ἐπὶ τὸ πλοῖονparticipial — the 'we' back on board; leans on ἀνήχθημεν

ἀνήχθημεν ἐπὶ τὴν Ἆσσον,independent — ἀνάγεσθαι — the nautical technical term of the Acts sea-log

ἐκεῖθεν μέλλοντες ἀναλαμβάνειν τὸν Παῦλον·participial — the rendezvous plan

οὕτως γὰρ διατεταγμένος ἦν,cause — periphrastic pluperfect middle — Paul's own disposition of the route

μέλλων αὐτὸς πεζεύειν.participial — πεζεύω, NT hapax — the c. 32 km walk to Assos, alone

ὡς δὲ συνέβαλλεν ἡμῖν εἰς τὴν Ἆσσον,comparative — temporal ὡς — imperfect συνέβαλλεν, the meeting as it happened; leans on ἤλθομεν

ἀναλαβόντες αὐτὸνparticipial — the plan of v. 13 executed; leans on ἤλθομεν

ἤλθομεν εἰς Μιτυλήνην.independent — the chief city of Lesbos — day one of the log

κἀκεῖθεν ἀποπλεύσαντεςparticipial — crasis κἀκεῖθεν; leans on κατηντήσαμεν

τῇ ἐπιούσῃ κατηντήσαμεν ἄντικρυς Χίου,independent — day two — standing off the island

τῇ δὲ ἑτέρᾳ παρεβάλομεν εἰς Σάμον,independent — day three — παραβάλλω, the coaster's touch

τῇ δὲ ἐχομένῃ ἤλθομεν εἰς Μίλητον.independent — day four — the day-by-day precision of the eyewitness log

vv. 16–17 — past Ephesus for Pentecost; the elders sent for

κεκρίκει γὰρ ὁ Παῦλος παραπλεῦσαι τὴν Ἔφεσον,independent — pluperfect κεκρίκει — the decision prior and settled

ὅπως μὴ γένηται αὐτῷ χρονοτριβῆσαι ἐν τῇ Ἀσίᾳ·purpose — χρονοτριβέω, NT hapax — Ephesus would have cost him days

ἔσπευδεν γὰρindependent — imperfect — the pressure under the whole itinerary

εἰ δυνατὸν εἴη αὐτῷconditional — optative εἴη — the one contingency admitted; backward-leaning on ἔσπευδεν

τὴν ἡμέραν τῆς Πεντηκοστῆς γενέσθαι εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα.purpose — goal-infinitive with ἔσπευδεν — fifty days from the Passover of v. 6, and the clock is running

Ἀπὸ δὲ τῆς Μιλήτου πέμψας εἰς Ἔφεσονparticipial — leans on μετεκαλέσατο — Paul cannot go to the elders, so they come the c. 50 km to him

μετεκαλέσατο τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους τῆς ἐκκλησίας.independent — πρεσβύτεροι who are ἐπίσκοποι (v. 28) — one college, two titles

The Miletus farewell 20:18–35

v. 18a — the frame: one εἶπεν carries the whole speech

ὡς δὲ παρεγένοντο πρὸς αὐτόν,comparative — temporal ὡς — leans on εἶπεν

εἶπεν αὐτοῖς·independent — the only speech in Acts addressed to Christians — a testament in the Greek farewell tradition; everything to v. 35 hangs here

vv. 18b–21 — the recital: you know how I lived among you

Ὑμεῖς ἐπίστασθε,content — the testamentary appeal to witnesses — emphatic ὑμεῖς

ἀπὸ πρώτης ἡμέρας ἀφ᾽ ἧς ἐπέβην εἰς τὴν Ἀσίαν,phrase modifier — preposed with the πῶς-clause — read with ἐγενόμην; the whole Ephesian ministry in view

πῶς μεθ᾽ ὑμῶν τὸν πάντα χρόνον ἐγενόμην,content — indirect question — the first limb of what they know

δουλεύων τῷ κυρίῳ μετὰ πάσης ταπεινοφροσύνης καὶ δακρύων καὶ πειρασμῶν τῶν συμβάντων μοι ἐν ταῖς ἐπιβουλαῖς τῶν Ἰουδαίων·participial — the slave's word for the apostle's work — humility, tears, trials: the triad v. 31 will repeat

ὡς οὐδὲν ὑπεστειλάμην τῶν συμφερόντωνcontent — second limb — ὑποστέλλω, the sailor's 'shorten sail'; echoed at v. 27

τοῦ μὴ ἀναγγεῖλαι ὑμῖν καὶ διδάξαι ὑμᾶς δημοσίᾳ καὶ κατ᾽ οἴκους,content — τοῦ μή + infinitive after the verb of shrinking — ministry public and domestic

διαμαρτυρόμενος Ἰουδαίοις τε καὶ Ἕλλησιν τὴν εἰς θεὸν μετάνοιαν καὶ πίστιν εἰς τὸν κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν [Χριστόν].participial — the message in sum — repentance and faith; [Χριστόν] bracketed (om. P74 ℵ*)

vv. 22–24 — bound in the Spirit: the life not worth an account

καὶ νῦν ἰδοὺ δεδεμένος ἐγὼ τῷ πνεύματι πορεύομαι εἰς Ἱερουσαλήμ,content — καὶ νῦν — the testamentary pivot from retrospect to prospect; δεδεμένος perfect, the constraint already in force

τὰ ἐν αὐτῇ συναντήσοντά μοι μὴ εἰδώς,participial — future participle as object — the road known, the events not

πλὴν ὅτι τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον κατὰ πόλιν διαμαρτύρεταί μοιcontent — the one exception — κατὰ πόλιν distributive, the warnings repeat at every stop

λέγον ὅτι δεσμὰ καὶ θλίψεις με μένουσιν.content — futuristic present μένουσιν — they are already waiting

ἀλλ᾽ οὐδενὸς λόγου ποιοῦμαι τὴν ψυχήν μου τιμίαν ἐμαυτῷ,content — the οὐδενὸς-λόγου life-valuation idiom — the adversative answer to the Spirit's warnings

ὡς τελειῶσαι τὸν δρόμον μου καὶ τὴν διακονίανpurpose — ὡς + infinitive of purpose — the runner's δρόμος (cf. 2 Tim 4:7)

ἣν ἔλαβον παρὰ τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ,relative — the commission — not chosen but given

διαμαρτύρασθαι τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τῆς χάριτος τοῦ θεοῦ.content — epexegetic infinitive — the ministry defined; χάρις the word the speech will end on (v. 32)

vv. 25–27 — the face seen no more; innocent of the blood of all

Καὶ νῦν ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ οἶδαcontent — the second καὶ νῦν ἰδού — the solemn farewell announcement

ὅτι οὐκέτι ὄψεσθε τὸ πρόσωπόν μου ὑμεῖς πάντεςcontent — the you-will-see-my-face-no-more word — the sentence v. 38 will weep over

ἐν οἷς διῆλθον κηρύσσων τὴν βασιλείαν.relative — the kingdom — the frame of Paul's preaching in Acts (19:8; 28:31)

διότι μαρτύρομαι ὑμῖν ἐν τῇ σήμερον ἡμέρᾳcontent — performative μαρτύρομαι — a declaration before witnesses, dated

ὅτι καθαρός εἰμι ἀπὸ τοῦ αἵματος πάντων·content — the innocent-of-all-blood declaration — Ezekiel's watchman discharged (Ezek 33:1–9)

οὐ γὰρ ὑπεστειλάμην τοῦ μὴ ἀναγγεῖλαι πᾶσαν τὴν βουλὴν τοῦ θεοῦ ὑμῖν.cause — ὑπεστειλάμην again — the anaphora with v. 20 closing the self-defense; πᾶσαν τὴν βουλήν, nothing withheld

vv. 28–31 — the charge: watch the flock, for wolves are coming

Προσέχετε ἑαυτοῖς καὶ παντὶ τῷ ποιμνίῳ,content — the charge proper — yourselves first, then the whole flock

ἐν ᾧ ὑμᾶς τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἔθετο ἐπισκόπους,relative — πρεσβύτεροι (v. 17) = ἐπίσκοποι — appointed by the Spirit, not the apostle

ποιμαίνειν τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ θεοῦ,purpose — τοῦ θεοῦ — the chapter's great textual crux (P74 ℵ B; many witnesses ease to κυρίου)

ἣν περιεποιήσατο διὰ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ ἰδίου.relative — 'his own blood' — or 'the blood of his Own' (cf. Rom 8:32); either way the highest Christology in Acts

ἐγὼ οἶδαcontent — the solemn οἶδα again (v. 25) — prophetic foresight now

ὅτι εἰσελεύσονται μετὰ τὴν ἄφιξίν μου λύκοι βαρεῖς εἰς ὑμᾶςcontent — the wolves warning — Ezek 22:27; Zeph 3:3; the shepherd-language turned to threat

μὴ φειδόμενοι τοῦ ποιμνίου·participial — the flock of v. 28 — now the prey

καὶ ἐξ ὑμῶν αὐτῶν ἀναστήσονται ἄνδρεςcontent — the threat within — ἐξ ὑμῶν αὐτῶν, from this very college of elders

λαλοῦντες διεστραμμέναparticipial — διεστραμμένα — doctrine bent out of true

τοῦ ἀποσπᾶν τοὺς μαθητὰς ὀπίσω αὐτῶν.purpose — τοῦ + infinitive of purpose — disciples detached to follow men

διὸ γρηγορεῖτε,content — the watchman's imperative — γρηγορεῖτε

μνημονεύοντες ὅτι τριετίαν νύκτα καὶ ἡμέραν οὐκ ἐπαυσάμηνparticipial — the three-years reminder — the ministry of 19:8–10 totalled

μετὰ δακρύων νουθετῶν ἕνα ἕκαστον.participial — with tears — the triad of v. 19 returns; ἕνα ἕκαστον, one by one

vv. 32–35 — the commendation, the clean hands, and the Lord's unwritten word

καὶ τὰ νῦν παρατίθεμαι ὑμᾶς τῷ θεῷ καὶ τῷ λόγῳ τῆς χάριτος αὐτοῦ,content — παρατίθεμαι — the deposit entrusted to a double custodian

τῷ δυναμένῳ οἰκοδομῆσαι καὶ δοῦναι τὴν κληρονομίαν ἐν τοῖς ἡγιασμένοις πᾶσιν.participial — attributive participle — read with the word (the nearer head), though God too is the one who is able

ἀργυρίου ἢ χρυσίου ἢ ἱματισμοῦ οὐδενὸς ἐπεθύμησα·content — the coveted-no-one's-silver close opens — Samuel's farewell echoed (1 Sam 12:3)

αὐτοὶ γινώσκετεcontent — the appeal to eyewitnesses again (v. 18)

ὅτι ταῖς χρείαις μου καὶ τοῖς οὖσιν μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ ὑπηρέτησαν αἱ χεῖρες αὗται.content — αἱ χεῖρες αὗται — the deictic gesture: the tentmaker's hands held up

πάντα ὑπέδειξα ὑμῖνcontent — the example as instruction — ὑποδείκνυμι, teaching by demonstration

ὅτι οὕτως κοπιῶντας δεῖ ἀντιλαμβάνεσθαι τῶν ἀσθενούντων,content — the ethic of the hands — labor for the sake of the ἀσθενοῦντες

μνημονεύειν τε τῶν λόγων τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησοῦcontent — the second δεῖ-infinitive — memory as duty

ὅτι αὐτὸς εἶπεν·content — αὐτός — the Lord's own voice invoked, a saying-frame inside the speech

μακάριόν ἐστιν μᾶλλον διδόναι ἢ λαμβάνειν.content — the agraphon — the one saying of Jesus in the NT found in no Gospel; the speech ends on the Lord's word

The parting at the ship 20:36–38

vv. 36–38 — the kneeling prayer, the weeping, the escort

Καὶ ταῦτα εἰπὼνparticipial — the Lukan speech-closing formula; leans on προσηύξατο

θεὶς τὰ γόνατα αὐτοῦparticipial — θεὶς τὰ γόνατα — the posture of intense supplication (7:60; 21:5)

σὺν πᾶσιν αὐτοῖς προσηύξατο.independent — the speech ends in prayer — σὺν πᾶσιν, no one outside it

ἱκανὸς δὲ κλαυθμὸς ἐγένετο πάντων,independent — ἱκανός — the Lukan measure-word (v. 8); the grief is general

καὶ ἐπιπεσόντες ἐπὶ τὸν τράχηλον τοῦ Παύλουparticipial — the neck-embrace — the OT farewell gesture (Gen 45:14; Luke 15:20); leans on κατεφίλουν

κατεφίλουν αὐτόν,independent — imperfect of the intensive compound — the kissing repeated

ὀδυνώμενοι μάλιστα ἐπὶ τῷ λόγῳparticipial — ὀδυνώμενοι — the anguish fixed on one sentence

ᾧ εἰρήκειrelative — pluperfect εἰρήκει — the word already standing over them

ὅτι οὐκέτι μέλλουσιν τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ θεωρεῖν.content — v. 25 repeated in the narrator's voice — the grieving-most-over-the-face-no-more note

προέπεμπον δὲ αὐτὸν εἰς τὸ πλοῖον.independent — imperfect προέπεμπον — the escort all the way to the water; the 'we' sails with him (21:1)

Analysis. Acts 20 is two shapes joined at v. 17. The travel narrative (vv. 1–16) reads like Mark: flush-left purple main verbs — he departed, he came, we sailed, we arrived — with the preposed aorist participles of the itinerary leaning forward, anchor-less, on the verbs below them, and the 'we' resuming unannounced at ἡμᾶς in v. 5 (tagged) to run the coastal day-log of vv. 13–15. Inside it the Eutychus night at Troas (vv. 7–12) is framed by the purpose it began with — gathered κλάσαι ἄρτον, the bread finally broken only after the boy is raised — the fall built of four stacked participles before ἔπεσεν strikes, and Paul's one sentence hanging blue under εἶπεν. The Miletus farewell (vv. 18–35) then inverts the picture: a single narrative εἶπεν at the margin and eighteen verses of speech beneath it, the main assertions a constant-depth cnt catena (you know — bound in the Spirit I go — I count my life nothing — you will see my face no more — I am clean — take heed — I know wolves will come — watch — I commend you — I coveted nothing — I showed you), each movement labeled, the dependents chaining down to the agraphon at the bottom of the final chain — μακάριόν ἐστιν μᾶλλον διδόναι ἢ λαμβάνειν, a saying of Jesus preserved in no Gospel, quoted through a verb of saying inside the quoted speech itself. Cruxes taken or flagged: τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ θεοῦ printed at v. 28 (the Alexandrian reading, against κυρίου) with διὰ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ ἰδίου left open between 'his own blood' and 'the blood of his Own'; [Χριστόν] bracketed at v. 21; τῷ δυναμένῳ (v. 32) read with the word as the nearer head; ἡ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ (v. 10) tagged as the Elijah echo, with v. 12's ζῶντα left to answer whether the life returned or never left.