But Paul went down and bent over him, and taking him in his arms, said, “Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul's embrace and gentle words, "Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him," weren't just a comforting gesture; they echo the powerful actions of Elijah and Elisha, signaling a divine restoration, not merely a recovery from a faint. This intimate act, meant to convey vital energy, shows that Paul’s authority came not just from his words, but from his very being, mirroring Christ's own tenderness in similar moments.
But Paul went down and bent over him, and taking him in his arms, said, “Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul was concluding a lengthy sermon in an upper room in Troas, an all-night gathering that included the Lord's Supper. During the discourse, a young man named Eutychus, overcome by sleep and the late hour, fell from the window and was presumed dead, causing alarm among the disciples. Paul immediately went down to the young man, embracing him and assuring everyone not to be distressed because life was still in him, performing a miracle of resurrection.
Paul's immediate, physical response to Eutychus's apparent death is striking. What does this gesture reveal about his heart and the nature of God's power?
When Eutychus fell from the window and was presumed dead, Paul didn't just stand by. He went down, 'fell on him,' and embraced him. This wasn't a detached or clinical act; it was one of deep empathy and connection.
Paul's words, 'his life is in him,' were more than just a hopeful guess. What theological truth did he convey in this moment?
When Paul declared, 'his life is in him,' he wasn't merely stating that the young man was about to revive. He was affirming a profound reality rooted in God's power over death.
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Understand the original words
psychē · Greek Noun
The animating principle or essential existence of a human being, created by God. It denotes the immaterial aspect of humanity that continues even when the physical body fails, reflecting the reality that life originates and is sustained by the Creator.
This event occurred during Paul's final journey to Jerusalem, a period filled with premonitions of suffering. The raising of Eutychus, echoing the miracles of Elijah and Elisha, served as a powerful testament to God's power and a source of immense encouragement not only to the believers in Troas but also to Paul himself as he faced his impending trials.
c. AD 57
Paul's Third Missionary Journey
Paul embarks on his extensive third missionary journey, traveling through Asia Minor and Greece, establishing churches and strengthening believers.
c. AD 57
Paul's Visit to Troas
Paul arrives in Troas, a significant port city in modern-day Turkey, during his journey. He stays for seven days to fellowship with the local believers.
c. AD 57
Believers Gather to Break Bread
On the first day of the week, the believers in Troas assemble for worship, likely including the Lord's Supper ('breaking bread'), and Paul preaches to them.
c. AD 57
Eutychus Falls Asleep
During Paul's extended sermon, a young man named Eutychus, sitting in an upper window, falls into a deep sleep and plummets to the ground from the third story.
c. AD 57— this verse
Eutychus is Raised from the Dead
Paul rushes to the scene, embraces the lifeless Eutychus, and declares he is alive. The young man is miraculously restored to life, bringing great comfort to the gathered believers.
c. AD 57
Paul Continues His Ministry
After the miraculous event and further fellowship, Paul continues his teaching until daybreak before departing Troas by sea.
This passage describes Elijah performing a similar act of falling on a deceased child and praying for his life, mirroring Paul's tender and miraculous action with Eutychus.
2 Kings 4:34Elisha also lay upon a child who had died, stretching himself upon him, in a parallel act of faith and compassion that reflects Paul's posture and intention.
Matthew 9:24Jesus, when faced with the death of Jairus's daughter, famously declared, 'The girl is not dead but sleeping,' a statement of faith that assured the grieving family and echoed Paul's calm assertion about Eutychus.
Mark 5:39This passage recounts Jesus' interaction with mourners, where He rebuked their 'tumult' and stated the girl was only sleeping, aligning with Paul's desire to calm the disciples' distress and his confident declaration.
ellicottActs 20:10: "And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him."
(10) Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him . . . —The act reminds us of those of Elijah ( 1Kings 17:21 ), and Elisha ( 2Kings 4:34 ). The close contact, the clasp of warm affection, gave a new intensity to the prayer of faith, and, as a current of vitality passed, as it were, from the one body to the other, enabled the Apostle to feel that the heart had not cea…
henryActs 20:7-12: "And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight."
20:7-12 Though the disciples read, and meditated, and prayed, and sung apart, and thereby kept up communion with God, yet they came together to worship God, and so kept up their communion with one another. They came together on the first day of the week, the Lord's day. It is to be religiously observ…
Paul's embrace and gentle words, "Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him," weren't just a comforting gesture; they echo the powerful actions of Elijah and Elisha, signaling a divine restoration, not merely a recovery from a faint. This intimate act, meant to convey vital energy, shows that Paul’s authority came not just from his words, but from his very being, mirroring Christ's own tenderness in similar moments.
Paul was concluding a lengthy sermon in an upper room in Troas, an all-night gathering that included the Lord's Supper. During the discourse, a young man named Eutychus, overcome by sleep and the late hour, fell from the window and was presumed dead, causing alarm among the disciples. Paul immediately went down to the young man, embracing him and assuring everyone not to be distressed because life was still in him, performing a miracle of resurrection.
Paul was concluding a lengthy sermon in an upper room in Troas, an all-night gathering that included the Lord's Supper. During the discourse, a young man named Eutychus, overcome by sleep and the late hour, fell from the window and was presumed dead, causing alarm among the disciples. Paul immediately went down to the young man, embracing him and assuring everyone not to be distressed because life was still in him, performing a miracle of resurrection.
"But Paul went down and bent over him, and taking him in his arms, said, “Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him.”" — Paul's embrace and gentle words, "Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him," weren't just a comforting gesture; they echo the powerful actions of Elijah and Elisha, signaling a divine restoration, n…
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Last reviewed October 2026