Agabus

Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament

(Ἄγαβος, a word of uncertain derivation)

The bearer of this name is mentioned on two separate occasions in the Acts ( Acts 11:27-30;  Acts 21:10-11) and also by Eusebius ( HE [Note: E Historia Ecclesiastica (Eusebius, etc.).]ii. 3). He is described as a prophet who resided in Jerusalem, and we find him in a.d. 44 at Antioch, where he predicted that a great famine ( q.v. [Note: quod vide, which see.] ) would take place ‘over all the world,’ i.e. over all the Roman Empire. The immediate effect of this prediction was to call forth the liberality of the Christians of Antioch and lead them to send help to the poor brethren of Judaea ( Acts 11:29). The writer of the Acts tells ns that this famine took place in the reign of Claudius. Roman historians speak of widespread and repeated famines in this reign (Sueton. Claudius , xviii.; Dion Cass. lx.; Tac. Ann . xii. 43), and Josephus testifies to the severity of the famine in Palestine and refers to measures adopted for its relief ( Ant . iii. xv. 3, xx. ii. 5, v. 2). Though Syria and the East may have suffered most on this occasion, the whole Empire could not fail to be more or less affected, and it is hypercritical to accuse the author of the Acts of ‘unhistorical generalization’ for speaking of a famine ‘over all the world,’ as is done by Schürer ( GJV [Note: JV Geschichte des jüdischen Volkes (Schürer).]4 i. [1901] 543, 567; cf. Ramsay, St. Paul , 1895, p. 48f., and Was Christ born at Bethlehem  ?, 1898, p. 251f.).

Again in a.d. 59 we hear of Agabus at Caesarea, where he met St. Paul on his return from his third missionary journey. Taking the Apostle’s girdle, he bound his own hands and feet, and in the symbolic manner of the ancient Hebrew prophets predicted that so the Jews would bind the owner of the girdle and hand him over to the Gentiles ( Acts 21:10-11). The prophecy failed to move St. Paul from his resolve. There is no means of ascertaining whether Agabus was a prophet in the higher NT sense-a preacher or forth-teller of the Word; or whether he was merely a successful soothsayer. It is difficult to see what good end could be served by the second of his recorded predictions. Tradition makes him one of the ‘seventy’ and a martyr at Antioch.

W. F. Boyd.

Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary

a prophet, and as the Greeks say, one of the seventy disciples of our Saviour. He foretold that there would be a great famine over all the earth; which came to pass accordingly, under the emperor Claudius, in the fourth year of his reign, A.D. 44,  Acts 11:28 .

Ten years after this, as St. Paul was going to Jerusalem, and had already landed at Caesarea, in Palestine, the same prophet, Agabus, arrived there, and coming to visit St. Paul and his company, he took this Apostle's girdle, and binding himself hand and feet, he said, "Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles,"  Acts 21:10 . We know no other particulars of the life of Agabus. The Greeks say that he suffered martyrdom at Antioch.

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

(from Hebrew Agab , "he loved".) A Christian prophet ( Acts 9:28;  Acts 21:10). He came from Judaea to Antioch while Paul and Barnabas were there, and foretold the famine which occurred the next year in Palestine (for a Jew would mean the Jewish world, by "throughout all the world.".) Josephus records that Helena, queen of Adiabene, a proselyte then at Jerusalem, imported provisions from Egypt and Cyprus, wherewith she saved many from starvation. The famine was in the procuratorship of Cuspius Fadus and Tiberius Alexander, A.D. 44, and lasted four years. In the wider sense of "the world," as the prophecy fixes on no year, but "in the days of Claudius Caesar," it may include other famines elsewhere in his reign, one in Greece, two in Rome.

Morrish Bible Dictionary

A prophet who came from Jerusalem to Antioch, and foretold a famine "throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar."  Acts 11:28 . He also foretold that Paul would be bound at Jerusalem and delivered to the Gentiles; which also came to pass.  Acts 21:10 . In the former passage it is said that Agabus "signified by the Spirit" that there should be great dearth; and in the latter he said, "Thus saith the Holy Ghost," plainly showing that the prophetic spirit in man was under the immediate guidance of the Holy Spirit, who now dwells in the Christian, to explain to him what was given to the prophets.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Ag'abus. (A Locust). A Christian prophet in the apostolic age, mentioned in  Acts 11:28 and  Acts 21:10. He predicted,  Acts 11:28, that a famine would take place in the reign of Claudius. Josephus mentions a famine which prevailed in Judea in the reign of Claudius, and swept away many of the inhabitants. (In  Acts 21:10, we learn that Agabus and Paul met at Caesarea some time after this - Editor).

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

AGABUS . A Christian prophet of Jerusalem (  Acts 11:27 ff;   Acts 21:10 f.), whose prediction of a famine over the (civilized) world occasioned the sending of alms from Antioch to Jerusalem. The famine happened, not simultaneously in all countries, in Claudius’ reign (Suetonius, Tacitus). Agabus also foretold St. Paul’s imprisonment, by binding his feet and hands with the Apostle’s girdle (cf.   Jeremiah 13:1 ff.).

A. J. Maclean.

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

"A prophet" of the early church, perhaps one of "the seventy" disciples of Christ. He foretold the famine, of which Suetonious and others speak, in the days of Claudius, A. D. 44. It was very severe in Judea; and aid was sent to the church at Jerusalem from Antioch,  Acts 11:27 . Many years after, Agabus predicted the sufferings of Paul at the hands of the Jews,  Acts 21:10 .

People's Dictionary of the Bible

Agabus ( Ăg'A-B Ŭs ), Locust. The only New Testament prophet mentioned by name. He predicted a great famine, which occurred in the reign of Claudius, a.d. 44.  Acts 11:28. He also predicted the imprisonment of Paul.  Acts 21:10-11.

Holman Bible Dictionary

 Acts 11:27-29 Acts 21:10-11

Easton's Bible Dictionary

 Acts 11:27,28 Acts 21:10-12

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

( ῎Αγαβος ; either from the Heb. חָגָב , a Locust [which even occurs as a proper name,  Ezra 2:46], or עִָגבְ , To Love; Simon. Onom. N.T. 15, and Wolf, Cur. 2, 1167), the name of "a prophet," supposed to have been one of the seventy disciples of Christ (Walch, De Agabo Vate, Jen. 1757, and in his Diss. ad Act. Ap. 2, 131 sq.). He, with others, came from Judaea to Antioch, while Paul and Barnabas (A.D. 43) were there, and announced an approaching famine, which actually occurred the following year ( Acts 11:27-28). Some writers suppose that the famine was general; but most modern commentators unite in understanding that the large terms of the original ( Ὄλην Τὴν Οἰκουμένην ) apply not To The Whole World, nor even to the whole Roman empire, but, as in  Luke 2:1, to Judaea only.

Statements respecting four famines, which occurred in the reign of Claudius (Oros. 7:6; Euseb. Hist. Ecclesiastes 2, 8; Chron. Arm. 2, 269), are produced by the commentators who support this view (Wesseling, Observ. 1, 9, p. 28); and as all the countries put together would not make up a tenth part of even the Roman empire, they think it plain that the words must be understood to apply to that famine which, in the fourth year of Claudius (Suetonius, Claud. 18), overspread Palestine (see Kuinol, Comment. in loc.). The poor Jews, in general, were then relieved by the queen of Adiabene, who sent to purchase corn in Egypt for them (Josephus, Ant. 20, 2, 6; 5, 2); and for the relief of the Christians in that country contributions were raised by the brethren at Antioch, and conveyed to Jerusalem by Paul and Barnabas ( Acts 11:29-30). Many years after, this same Agabus met Paul at Caesarea, and warned him of the sufferings which awaited him if he prosecuted his journey to Jerusalem ( Acts 21:10-12), A.D. 55. (See Conybeare and Howson ’ s St. Paul, 1, 127; 2, 233; Baumgarten, Apostelgeschichte, 1, 270 sq.; 2, 113.) The Greek Church assert that he suffered martyrdom at Antioch, and hold his festival on the 6th of March (Eichhorn, Bibl. d. bibl. Lit. 1, 22, 23; 6, 20).

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ag´a - bus ( Ἂγαβος , Ágabos ): A C hristian prophet of Jerusalem, twice mentioned in Acts. (1) In  Acts 11:27 , we find him at Antioch foretelling "a great famine over all the world," "which," adds the historian, "came to pass in the days of Claudius." This visit of Agabus to Antioch took place in the winter of 43-44 ad, and was the means of urging the Antiochian Christians to send relief to the brethren in Judea by the hands of Barnabas and Saul. Two points should be noted. (a) The gift of prophet's here takes the form of prediction. The prophet's chief function was to reveal moral and spiritual truth, to "forth-tell" rather than to "foretell"; but the interpretation of God's message sometimes took the form of predicting events. (b) The phrase "over all the world" (practically synonymous with the Roman Empire) must be regarded as a rhetorical exaggeration if strictly interpreted as pointing to a general and simultaneous famine. But there is ample evidence of severe periodical famines in various localities in the reign of Claudius (e.g. Suet Claud . 18; Tac. Ann . xii.43), and of a great dearth in Judea under the procurators Cuspius Fadus and Tiberius Alexander, 44-48 ad ( Ant. , XX, ii, 6; v, 2), which probably reached its climax circa 46 ad. (2) In  Acts 21:10 we find Agabus at Caesarea warning Paul, by a vivid symbolic action (after the manner of Old Testament prophets; compare   Jeremiah 13:1; Ezek 3; 4) of the imprisonment and suffering he would undergo if he proceeded to Jerusalem. (3) In late tradition Agabus is included in lists of the seventy disciples of Christ.

Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblial Literature

Ag´abus, the name of 'a prophet,' supposed to have been one of the seventy disciples of Christ. He, with others, came from Judea to Antioch, while Paul and Barnabas (A.D. 43) were there, and announced an approaching famine, which actually occurred the following year. Some writers suppose that the famine was general; but most modern commentators unite in understanding that the terms of the original apply not to the whole world, nor even to all the Roman empire, but, as in  Luke 2:1, to Judea only, and that the reference is to that famine which, in the fourth year of Claudius, overspread Palestine. The poor Jews, in general, were then relieved by the Queen of Adiabene, who sent to purchase corn in Egypt for them; and for the relief of the Christians in that country contributions were raised by the brethren at Antioch, and conveyed to Jerusalem by Paul and Barnabas ( Acts 11:27-30). Many years after, this same Agabus met Paul at Caesarea, and warned him of the sufferings which awaited him if he prosecuted his journey to Jerusalem.