21:29a–b

The New International Version uses parentheses around 21:29a–b to indicate that it is added information related to the main story. Some languages may use punctuation like the Berean Standard Bible to indicate that. Some languages may use grammar or a phrase to indicate that. (See next note about the Greek conjunction.) Other languages allow the context to indicate that.

21:29a

The Greek conjunction often translated as “for” introduces this verse, as in the Berean Standard Bible. Here it introduces an explanation of why the Jews from Asia spoke as they did in 21:28. For example:

For they had previously seen (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
They said this because they had seen… (Good News Translation)

The New International Version and some English versions omit the conjunction and allow the context to indicate that meaning.

For they had previously seen: This phrase indicates that the Jews of Asia had seen Trophimus perhaps a day or two before. They were not looking at him at the time they said these words.

Trophimus the Ephesian: The name Trophimus is a Greek name. The word Ephesian indicates that he was from Ephesus. Greek people began the city of Ephesus and the city was still mostly Greek at that time. At that time both words would clearly indicate that Trophimus was Greek (21:28d) and not Jewish.

In some languages neither word would clearly indicate that Trophimus was Greek. If that is true in your language, you may want to:

• Explain it in a footnote. An example footnote is:

“Trophimus” is a Greek name and Ephesus was a Greek city.
-or-
Trophimus was Greek.

• Explain it in your translation. For example:

⌊the Greek,⌋ Trophimus from Ephesus

the Ephesian: The word Ephesian indicates that Trophimus was from Ephesus. Another way to translate this phrase is:

from Ephesus (Good News Translation)

in the city: This phrase refers to generally to Jerusalem. Here it implies outside of the temple area.

21:29b

assumed: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as assumed means to believe that something is true without having proved that it is true. Here it indicates that the Jews from Asia believed that Paul took the non-Jewish Trophimus into the temple courtyard reserved for Jewish men. But that was not true. Other ways to translate this word are:

supposed (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
mistakenly thought

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