What Does Acts 24:4 Mean?
But so that I do not cut into you any further, I plead with you to hear us, in your fitting gentleness, for a few words.
Key words are shown with the Hebrew or Greek and what each word meant.
Selah Decoded Version The Selah Decoded Version renders what the Hebrew and Greek words meant to the people who first heard them.
King James wording
King James Version
Notwithstanding, that I be not further tedious unto thee, I pray thee that thou wouldest hear us of thy clemency a few words.THE KEY
The appeal makes room for itself by promising not to cut further into the listener’s time and by invoking the listener’s clemency.
THE MEANING
A request for a hearing can begin by acknowledging the listener’s time and asking for a brief opening. The phrase rendered “not further tedious” carries the image of not hindering or cutting in further; the appeal asks to be heard briefly and attributes forbearance to the hearer. Courtesy here shapes the conditions of listening.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The belief that courteous wording is always neutral: here, brevity and praise of the hearer’s clemency help secure attention.
THE ROOT
ἐγκόπτω
enkoptō
GROWS FROM
κοπ- (κόπτω, koptō)
Cut or strike; in ἐγκόπτω, the image develops into hindering or impeding.
“cut into you” in this verse is enkoptō. The Greek verb behind “tedious” can mean hinder or impede, with a picture of cutting in. The request frames itself as refusing to intrude further on the listener’s time before asking for a brief hearing.
ALSO GROWS
koptō: To cut or strike
κόπτω
This base verb gives a physical image beneath the social wording of the request.
enkopē: Hindrance or obstacle
ἐγκοπή
This related noun names an impediment, echoing the speaker’s promise not to hinder the listener further.
παρακαλέω
parakaleō
GROWS FROM
καλ- (καλέω, kaleō)
Call or summon; in this appeal, the verb means to urge or ask.
“I plead with you” in this verse is parakaleō. “I pray thee” is a direct appeal or urging. Its word family also names encouragement and consolation, so the same kind of address can request a hearing or offer support; here, it is a request.
ALSO GROWS
paraklēsis: Appeal, encouragement, or consolation
παράκλησις
The family ranges from urging to consolation, while this verse uses it to ask for attention.
paraklētos: Helper or advocate
παράκλητος
This related word shows the family can describe a person who supports another, as well as an appeal directed to someone.
ἐπιείκεια
epieikeia
GROWS FROM
ἐπιεικ- (ἐπιεικής, epieikēs)
Gentle reasonableness, fairness, or forbearance in how one treats another.
“fitting gentleness” in this verse is epieikeia. “Clemency” is ἐπιείκεια (epieikeia), a quality of gentleness or reasonableness. By appealing to it, the speaker makes the request personal: the hearer is addressed as someone disposed to grant a hearing.
ALSO GROWS
epieikēs: Gentle, equitable, or reasonable
ἐπιεικής
This related adjective names the quality the speaker invokes in the hearer.
epieikeia: Gentleness, fairness, or forbearance
ἐπιείκεια
The noun in this verse frames the requested hearing as an act of the listener’s forbearance.
THE PATTERN
When speech is measured and hearing comes first, conversation has room for a sound response.
The one who returns a word before he hears it, folly and shame are his.Know this, my beloved brothers. Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to swell.Do not let your mouth be startled, and do not let your heart hurry to bring a word out before the face of God. For God is in the heavens, and you are on the earth. Therefore let your words be few.THE THREAD
And when he had passed through those regions, and had urged them with many words, he came into Greece.“Exhortation” translates παρακαλέω (parakaleō), the same verb behind “I pray thee” in Acts 24:4. The shared word family spans a brief appeal and encouragement, showing how speech can ask for a hearing or steady someone.
Read the SDV Bible.
Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.
The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.
Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us