Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Acts 21:29

"For they had before seen with him in the city Trophimus the Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple." — Acts 21:29 (ASV)

The strategy of Paul’s taking a vow and paying for the Nazirite offerings hardly proved successful—probably nothing could have conciliated those whose minds were already prejudiced against him. Jews from Asia who had come to Jerusalem for Pentecost determined to take more effective action against him than they had at Ephesus. So toward the end of Paul’s seven-day purification (possibly when he came to receive the water of atonement on the seventh day), they instigated a riot under the pretense that he had brought Trophimus, a Gentile representative from Ephesus, beyond the barrier that separated the Court of the Gentiles from the temple courts reserved for Jews alone. Archaeologists have found inscriptions at this point of the temple that read: “No foreigner is to enter within the balustrade and embankment around the sanctuary. Whoever is caught will have himself to blame for his death which follows.” Roman authorities supported Jewish scruples about this matter and ratified the death penalty for any Gentile—even a Roman citizen—caught going beyond the balustrade.

The charge against Paul resulted from the fact that he and Trophimus were seen together in the city, which led to the assumption that they went together into the Holy Place in the temple. Paul would hardly have done this, however, since his purpose at this time was to appease Jewish susceptibilities.