And Paul after this tarried there yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brothers, and sailed there into Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila; having shorn his head in Cenchrea: for he had a vow.
Syria.
Acts 15:23,41 And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia: …
Acts 21:3 Now when we had discovered Cyprus, we left it on the left hand, and sailed into Syria, and landed at Tyre: for there the ship was to unlade her burden.
Galatians 1:21 Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia;
Priscilla.
Acts 18:2 And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them.
having.
Acts 21:24 Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law.
Numbers 6:5-9,18 All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no rasor come upon his head: until the days be fulfilled, in the which he separateth himself unto the LORD, he shall be holy, and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow…
1 Corinthians 9:20 And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;
Cenchrea.
Romans 16:1 I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea:
before saying goodbye to the brothers.
The term "brothers" refers to fellow believers in Christ, highlighting the familial bond within the early Christian community. This farewell suggests a strong relationship between Paul and the Corinthian church, which he had helped establish. The use of "brothers" underscores the unity and mutual support among early Christians, as seen in other passages like Romans 12:10 and 1 Thessalonians 4:9.
He had his head shaved in Cenchrea to keep a vow he had made,
Cenchrea was the eastern port of Corinth, indicating Paul's departure point for his journey. The shaving of his head suggests a Nazirite vow, a Jewish practice described in Numbers 6:1-21, where individuals would abstain from certain activities and shave their heads at the vow's completion. This act reflects Paul's Jewish heritage and his continued observance of Jewish customs, even as he ministered to Gentiles. It also demonstrates his personal devotion and commitment to God.
and then he sailed for Syria,
Syria was a Roman province that included cities like Antioch, which served as a significant base for Paul's missionary journeys. This journey back to Syria indicates Paul's intention to return to his sending church in Antioch, where he would report on his missionary activities and receive further guidance. The mention of Syria connects to Acts 11:26, where believers were first called Christians in Antioch, highlighting the city's importance in early Christianity.
accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila.
Priscilla and Aquila were a Jewish Christian couple who had previously worked with Paul in Corinth as tentmakers (Acts 18:2-3). Their accompaniment on this journey signifies their close partnership in ministry. Priscilla and Aquila are noted for their role in teaching Apollos, an eloquent preacher, more accurately about the way of God (Acts 18:24-26). Their presence underscores the collaborative nature of early Christian missions and the vital role of laypeople in spreading the Gospel.
“Paul remained in Corinth for quite some time” (Acts 18:18a).
• Earlier Luke had recorded that Paul stayed “a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them” (Acts 18:11). This extended stay shows God’s faithfulness in establishing a young church in a pagan city, just as the Lord had promised Paul safety and fruit (Acts 18:9–10).
• Ministry longevity allowed Paul to disciple believers, write letters like 1 Thessalonians, and model steady labor (1 Corinthians 4:12; 2 Thessalonians 3:8).
• The episode demonstrates that fruitful gospel work often calls for patient perseverance rather than hurried movement (Galatians 6:9).
“…before saying goodbye to the brothers” (Acts 18:18b).
• The term “brothers” underscores the family bond forged in Christ (John 13:35; Romans 12:10). Paul’s farewell echoes his later emotional departures (Acts 20:36–38).
• Genuine fellowship includes joyful welcomes and heartfelt goodbyes, reminding us that every local church is part of a larger mission (Philippians 1:3–5).
• Paul’s leave-taking did not sever ties; he would later correspond with the Corinthians to correct, encourage, and instruct (1 Corinthians 1:1–3; 2 Corinthians 1:1).
“He had his head shaved in Cenchrea to keep a vow he had made” (Acts 18:18c).
• Cenchrea, Corinth’s eastern port (Romans 16:1), provided the place to fulfill a vow, likely akin to the Nazirite commitment of Numbers 6:1–21.
• Such a vow expressed gratitude or petition to God, not an attempt to earn salvation (Ephesians 2:8–9). Paul’s action fits his pattern of honoring Jewish customs when they did not compromise the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:20; Acts 21:23–26).
• The shaving marked completion, signaling thanksgiving for God’s protection in Corinth and consecration for the journey ahead (Psalm 116:12–14).
“…and then he sailed for Syria” (Acts 18:18d).
• Syria points to Antioch, Paul’s sending church (Acts 13:1–3). By returning, he closed his second missionary journey and reported God’s work (Acts 18:22).
• The move illustrates strategic planning: strengthen new believers, fulfill a vow, then regroup for future outreach (Acts 15:40–41).
• Paul’s itinerary reminds us that mission involves cycles of going, gathering, and going again (Mark 6:30–31; Acts 14:26–28).
“…accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila” (Acts 18:18e).
• This married couple, first met in Corinth after being expelled from Rome (Acts 18:2–3), became trusted co-laborers. Their presence demonstrates:
– Team ministry: Paul seldom traveled alone (Acts 20:4).
– The vital role of laypeople; Priscilla and Aquila later instructed Apollos with precision (Acts 18:26).
– Hospitality as mission; their home hosted churches in Ephesus and Rome (1 Corinthians 16:19; Romans 16:3–5).
• Their partnership models mutual service across gender and vocational lines (Philippians 4:3).
Acts 18:18 portrays a seasoned apostle wrapping up an eighteen-month ministry in Corinth, bidding affectionate farewell, fulfilling a personal vow in Cenchrea, and setting sail for Syria with trusted friends. The verse highlights perseverance, covenant community, wholehearted devotion, strategic obedience, and teamwork—all flowing from confidence in the Lord who directs every step.
(18) And Paul after this tarried there yet a good while.--Literally, tarried yet many days, the phrase probably covering a period of some months. The fact is noted as following on Gallio's repression of the enmity of the Jews. The Apostle could stay and work on without molestation. The time of his voyage was probably, as in the second journey from Corinth to Jerusalem, after the Passover, and before Pentecost. (See Note on Acts 2:1.) It was the most favourable time of the year for travelling, and it brought the Apostle into contact with a larger number both of Hellenistic Jews and Hebrews than were found at other times. We can only infer, more or less conjecturally, the motives of his journey. (1) As afterwards, in Acts 20:3-4, he may have wished, in carrying out the terms of the compact with the Church of Jerusalem (Galatians 2:10), to be the bearer of alms collected for the disciples there. By some writers, however, this visit is identified with that of which St. Paul there speaks. (2) The vow which he had taken (see Note below) required a visit to the Temple for its completion. (3) There might be a natural wish to report, as in Acts 15:4, the results of his ministry among the Gentiles, in what, from the stand-point of Jerusalem, would seem the remoter regions of Macedonia and Achaia.Priscilla and Aquila.--On the priority given to the name of the wife, see Note on Acts 18:2. . . .
Verse 18. - Having tarried after this yet many days for after this tarried there yet a good while, and then, A.V.; for for into, A.V.; Cenchreae for Cenchrea, A.V. Took his leave; ἀποταξάμενος, here and again in ver. 21. This is a somewhat peculiar use of the word, which occurs also in Luke 9:61 and 2 Corinthians 2:13 (see too Mark 6:46). It is used in the same sense in Josephus ('Ant. Jud.,' 11. 8:6). In a metaphorical sense it means" to renounce," "to bid adieu to" (Luke 14:23). Of the six times it occurs in the New Testament, four are in St. Luke's writings and one in St. Paul's. With him Priscilla and Aquila, having shorn his head in Cenchreae, etc. There is great diversity of opinion as to whether it was St. Paul or Aquila who had the vow. Meyer thinks that the mention of Priscilla before Aquila, contrary to the order in ver. 2 and in ver. 26 (where, however, the R.T. reads "Priscilla and Aquila), is a clear indication that Luke meant the words κειράμενος κ.τ.λ., to refer to Aquila, not to St. Paul, and Howson takes the same view. But this is a very weak argument, refuted at once by Romans 16:3 and 2 Timothy 4:19, as well as by the whole run of the passage, in which Paul is throughout the person spoken of; or, as Alford puts it, in the consecutive narrative from ver. 18 to ver. 25, there are nine aorist participles, of which eight apply to Paul, as the subject of the section, making it scarcely doubtful that the ninth applies to him likewise. Moreover, there is no conceivable reason why the vow should be mentioned if it was taken by Aquila, and, what is still more conclusive, the person who went to Jerusalem, i.e. Paul, must be the one who had the vow, not the person who stayed behind, i.e. Aquila. In fact, nobody would ever have thought of making Aquila the subject if it were not for the thought that there is an incongruity with Paul's character in his making a vow of that kind. But we must take what we find in Scripture, and not force it to speak our own thoughts. As regards the nature of the vow, it is not quite clear what it was. It was not the simple Nazaritic vow described in Numbers 6:18-21; nor is the word here used by St. Luke (κειράμενος) the one which is there and elsewhere employed by the LXX., and by St. Luke himself in Acts 21:24, of that final shaving of the hair of the Nazarite for the purpose of offering it at the door of the tabernacle (ξυράω). It seems rather to have been of the nature of that vow which Josephus speaks of as customary for persons in any affliction, viz. to make a vow that, for thirty days previous to that on which they intend to offer sacrifice, they will abstain from wine and will shave off (ξυρήσασθαι) their hair, adding that Bernice was now at Jerusalem in order to perform such a vow ('Bell. Jud.,' it. 15:1). But it further appears, from certain passages in the Mishna, that, if any one had a Nazarite vow upon him outside the limits of the Holy Land, he could not fulfill such vow till he was come to the Holy Laud, to Jerusalem; but it was allowable in such case to cut his hair short (κείρεσθαι τὴν κεφαλήν), and as some say to take it with him to Jerusalem, and there offer it at the same time that he offered his sacrifice and shaved his head (ξυρήσασθαι). It would seem, therefore, that either in a severe illness or under some great danger (ἀνάγκη) St. Paul had made such a vow; that he had been unwilling to cut his hair short at Corinth, where he was thrown so much into the society of Greeks, and therefore did so at Cenchreae just before he embarked for Syria; and that he made all haste to reach Jerusalem in time for the Passover, that he might there accomplish his vow (see Bishop Wordsworth's note on Acts 18:18; and Farrar's ' Life of St. Paul,' 2. p. 2). His motives for the vow may have been partly those described on another occasion (Acts 21:24), and partly his own Jewish feelings of piety showing themselves in the accustomed way. Cenchreae. The eastern port of Corinth; a considerable place. There was a Church there, doubtless founded by St. Paul during his stay at Corinth (Romans 16:1).