When our days there were ended, we departed and went on our journey, and they all, with wives and children, accompanied us until we were outside the city. And kneeling down on the beach, we prayed
English Standard Version (ESV)
It's easy to overlook that this farewell wasn't just a quick goodbye, but an entire community – including wives and children – walking with Paul and his companions outside the city to a secluded beach for prayer. This shows the deep, communal bond and shared spiritual life that characterized these early believers, making even the act of parting a sacred, public devotion.
When our days there were ended, we departed and went on our journey, and they all, with wives and children, accompanied us until we were outside the city. And kneeling down on the beach, we prayed
English Standard Version (ESV)
After spending a week with the believers in Tyre, Paul and his companions prepared to leave. The entire Christian community, including their families, walked with them outside the city to the shore, a significant gesture of affection and unity. There, on the beach, both groups knelt together to share a heartfelt, communal prayer before their parting.
Imagine a whole church, not just the leaders, seeing you off. This wasn't a quick goodbye; it was a public demonstration of deep affection.
The farewell in Acts 21:5 is described with tender detail: 'they all, with wives and children, accompanied us until we were outside the city.' This wasn't just a few people; it was the entire community. Their presence, including families, highlights the profound bond the believers in Tyre had formed with Paul and his companions. This act of walking them out of the city demonstrated their love, their support, and their unwillingness to let them go without a heartfelt send-off. It shows that in the early church, fellowship was a family affair, involving everyone from the youngest child to the elders.
Why pray on a beach? Discover how everyday places can become extraordinary points of connection with God.
The parting prayer happens 'kneeling down on the shore.' This wasn't just any spot; it was a natural place for departure, away from the city's hustle. For Jewish people, natural settings like the seashore or riverbanks were often seen as fitting places for prayer. It wasn't about a holy building, but about a holy moment. This reminds us that God meets us wherever we are. The beach, a place of transition between land and sea, became a sacred space where their earthly journey met their heavenly reliance.
This wasn't just a quick 'goodbye'; it was a moment of unified prayer, blending sorrow with sacred trust.
The verse concludes with a collective act: 'we knelt down on the shore, and prayed.' This communal prayer at parting speaks volumes. It wasn't a one-person show; the 'we' implies Paul, Luke, and perhaps others joined in. This shared prayer was an act of entrusting each other to God's care. For those staying, it was a prayer for strength and faithfulness. For those leaving, it was a prayer for protection and purpose on their journey. It shows how vital prayer is in moments of transition, acknowledging our dependence on God when facing separation and the unknown.
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Understand the original words
gonypeteō · Greek Verb
A posture of physical submission and reverence before God, symbolizing humility, dependency, and adoration in prayer. It acknowledges the sovereignty and holiness of the one being addressed.
proseuchomai · Greek Verb
Communion with God; the act of addressing the Creator with adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication. It is the primary means by which believers align their hearts with the will of God and express reliance upon Him.
The tender farewell at Tyre, with the entire community — including wives and children — seeing Paul and his companions off to the shore to pray, highlights the deep bonds of love and mutual prayer within the early church, even amidst Paul's challenging final journey to Jerusalem.
c. AD 49-51
First Jerusalem Council
The early church debated and decided that Gentile believers did not need to follow all Jewish laws, a key issue for Paul's ministry.
c. AD 50-52
Paul's Third Missionary Journey
Paul traveled extensively through Asia Minor and Greece, establishing churches and strengthening believers.
c. AD 57
Stay in Corinth
Paul spent about three months in Corinth, writing his Epistle to the Romans during this time.
c. AD 57
Paul sails for Jerusalem
Paul and his companions set sail from Corinth, planning to reach Jerusalem by Pentecost, but were forced to change plans.
c. AD 57— this verse
Stopover in Tyre
The group spent seven days in Tyre, a significant Christian community, where they were shown great affection by the believers.
c. AD 57
Journey to Caesarea
After leaving Tyre, Paul and his companions traveled south to Caesarea Maritima, staying with Philip the evangelist.
c. AD 57
Arrival in Jerusalem
Paul finally arrived in Jerusalem, where he was met with warnings of danger and eventually arrested.
This passage describes a similar communal act of prayer and repentance by the Israelite community by the water's edge, highlighting the significance of a shared spiritual moment before a significant transition.
1 Kings 8:54Solomon's prayer at the dedication of the Temple includes a specific posture of kneeling, mirroring the physical act of devotion seen in Acts 21:5, and showing how prayer is a posture of humility before God.
Matthew 14:23Jesus Himself sought a solitary place for prayer, similar to how Paul and his companions found a dedicated spot away from the city bustle on the shore, emphasizing the need for focused communion with God.
Acts 20:36This verse immediately precedes the account of the farewell in Tyre, showing Paul kneeling in prayer with the Ephesian elders, establishing a pattern of prayerful goodbyes and a deep spiritual connection between Paul and the churches he ministered to.
ellicottActs 21:5: "And when we had accomplished those days, we departed and went our way; and they all brought us on our way, with wives and children, till we were out of the city: and we kneeled down on the shore, and prayed."
(5) We departed, and went our way. —Literally, and were going on our way, the tense bringing before us something like a procession wending its way from the city to the shore. We kneeled down on the shore, and prayed.—The choice of the place was in itself natural enough. It was…
pulpitActs 21:5: "And when we had accomplished those days, we departed and went our way; and they all brought us on our way, with wives and children, till we were out of the city: and we kneeled down on the shore, and prayed."
Verse 5. - It came to pass that we had accomplished for we had accomplished, A.V.; the days for those days, A.V.; on our journey for our way, A.V.; they all, with wives and children, brought us on our way for they all brought us on our way, with wires and children, A.V.; kneeli…
It's easy to overlook that this farewell wasn't just a quick goodbye, but an entire community – including wives and children – walking with Paul and his companions outside the city to a secluded beach for prayer. This shows the deep, communal bond and shared spiritual life that characterized these early believers, making even the act of parting a sacred, public devotion.
After spending a week with the believers in Tyre, Paul and his companions prepared to leave. The entire Christian community, including their families, walked with them outside the city to the shore, a significant gesture of affection and unity. There, on the beach, both groups knelt together to share a heartfelt, communal prayer before their parting.
After spending a week with the believers in Tyre, Paul and his companions prepared to leave. The entire Christian community, including their families, walked with them outside the city to the shore, a significant gesture of affection and unity. There, on the beach, both groups knelt together to share a heartfelt, communal prayer before their parting.
"When our days there were ended, we departed and went on our journey, and they all, with wives and children, accompanied us until we were outside the city. And kneeling down on the beach, we prayed" — It's easy to overlook that this farewell wasn't just a quick goodbye, but an entire community – including wives and children – walking with Paul and his companions outside the city to a secluded be…
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Last reviewed October 2026