Eutychus

Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament

(Εὔτυχος)

A young man who listened to St. Paul. preaching at Troas on his final journey to Jerusalem ( Acts 20:7-12). As the Apostle was leaving the next day, he continued his speech till midnight, evidently in a crowded and overheated upper room where many torches were burning. Eutychus, who was sealed at the window, fell asleep, and, falling down from the third story, was ‘taken up dead ‘(ἤρθη νεκρός). The narrative states that St. Paul went down, embraced the lad, and told the company not to trouble themselves as life was still in him. Then he went upstairs, broke bread, and continued speaking till morning. As they were departing Eutychus was brought to them alive.

Various theories have been put forward to explain or explain away this incident. Some suppose that the youth was only stunned by his fall, and appeared to the spectators to be dead; others that the whole story is unhistorical, and merely intended as a parallel to the narrative of St. Peter’s raising of Dorcas ( Acts 9:36-43), But the narrative leaves little doubt of the intention of the historian to relate a miracle. As Ramsay ( St. Paul the Traveler , p. 291) points out, the passage belongs to the ‘we’ sections of Acts, and Luke, as a medical man, uses precise medical terms, and as an eyewitness certainly means to state that Eutychus it as really dead. The words ἤρθη νεκρός can only bear that significance, otherwise we should have, as in  Mark 9:26, ὡσεὶ νεκρός, ‘as one dead.’ There is no doubt that the incident is related as an instance of the power of the Apostle to work miracles, and that the historian believed him to have done so on this occasion.

Literature.-W. M. Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveller , 1895. p. 290; E. Zeller, Acts , Eng. translation, 1875-76, ii. p. 62; H. J. Holtzmann, Hand-Kommentar 2 ‘Die Apostelgesch.,’ 1892, p. 402; R. J. Knowling, Expositor’s Greek Testament , ‘Acts,’ 1900, p. 424.

W. F. Boyd.

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

EUTYCHUS . A young man who fell down from a third storey while sleeping during St. Paul’s sermon at Troas, and was ‘taken up dead’ (  Acts 20:9 ). St. Paul fell on him and, embracing him, declared life to be in him. It is not actually said that Eutychus was dead, but that seems at least to have been the general belief. The incident is described in parallel terms with the raising of Dorcas and of Jairus’ daughter.

A. J. Maclean.

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

 Acts 20:9. A youth who sat in a window and, falling asleep during Paul's long and late discourse, fell from the third story, and was restored to life by the apostle, who fell on the dead body and embraced it, as Elijah of old ( 1 Kings 17:21), and Elisha ( 2 Kings 4:34).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Eu'tychus. (Fortunate). A youth at Troas,  Acts 20:9, who sitting in a window, and having fallen asleep while St. Paul was discoursing, fell from the third story, and being taken up dead, was miraculously restored to life by the apostle.

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

A young man who was killed at Troas by falling from the window of a room in the third story, where Paul was preaching. His life was miraculously restored,  Acts 20:6-12 .

Morrish Bible Dictionary

The young man who when Paul was preaching fell, while asleep, from the third floor, and was restored to life by the apostle.  Acts 20:9 .

Easton's Bible Dictionary

 Acts 20:9-12 1 Kings 17:21 2 Kings 4:34

Holman Bible Dictionary

 Acts 20:9-10

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

( Εὔτυχος , Of Good Fortune, a frequent name; see Josephus, Ant. 18:6, 5; 19:4, 4), a young man of Troas, who sat in the open window of the third floor while Paul was preaching late in the night, and who, being overcome by sleep, fell out into the court below, May, A.D. 55. He was "taken up dead" ( Ἤρθη Νεκρός ); but the apostle, going down, extended himself upon the body and embraced it, like the prophets of old ( 1 Kings 17:21;  2 Kings 4:34); and when he felt the signs of returning life, restored him to his friends, with the assurance that "his life was in him." Before Paul departed in the morning the youth was brought to him alive and well ( Acts 20:5-12). All the intimations of the narrative forbid. us for a moment to entertain the view of those critics who suppose that animation was merely suspended (Bloomfield, Hackett, in loc.). (See Paul).

Mr. Jowett states that, during his residence at Haivali in May, 1818, the house in which he abode gave him a correct idea of the falling of Eutychus from the upper loft while Paul was preaching at Troas. "According to our idea of houses," he remarks, "the scene of Eutychus's falling from the upper loft is very far from intelligible; and besides this, the circumstance of preaching generally leaves on the mind of cursory readers the notion of a church. To describe this house, which is not many miles distant from the Troad, and perhaps, from the unchanging character of Oriental customs, nearly resembles the houses then built, will fully illustrate the narrative. On entering my host's door, we find the ground floor entirely used as a store; it is filled with large barrels of oil, the produce of the rich country for many miles round; this space, so far from being habitable, is sometimes so dirty with the dripping of the oil that it is difficult to pick out a clean footing from the door to the first step of the staircase. On ascending, we find the first floor, consisting of a humble suite of rooms, not very high; these are occupied by the family for their daily use. It is on the next story that all their expense is lavished; here my courteous host has appointed my lodging; beautiful curtains, and mats, and cushions to the divan, display the respect with which they mean to receive their guest; here, likewise, their splendor, being at the top of the house, is enjoyed by the poor Greeks with more retirement and less chance of molestation from the intrusion of the Turks; here, when the professors of the college waited upon me to pay their respects, they were received in ceremony and sat at the window. The room is both higher and also larger than those below; it has two projecting windows; and the whole floor is so much extended in front beyond the lower part of the building, that the projecting windows considerably overhang the street. In such an upper room — secluded, spacious, commodious — Paul was invited to preach his parting discourse. The divan; or raised seat, with mats or cushions, encircles the interior of each projecting window; and I have remarked, that when the company is numerous, they sometimes place large cushions behind the company seated on the divan, so that a second tier of company, with their feet upon the seat of the divan, are sitting behind, higher than the front row. Eutychus, thus sitting, would be on a level with the open window, and, being overcome with sleep, he would easily fall out from the third loft of the house into the street, and be almost certain, from such a height, to lose his life. Thither Paul went down, and comforted the alarmed company by bringing up Eutychus alive. It is noted that there were many lights in the upper chamber. The very great plenty of oil in this neighborhood would enable them to afford many lamps; the heat of these and so much company would cause the drowsiness of Eutychus at that late hour, and be the occasion likewise of the windows being open." (See House).

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ū´ti - kus ( Εὔτυχος , Eútuchos , "fortunate"): The story of Eutychus occurs in the "we" section of Acts, and is therefore related by an eyewitness of the incidents ( Acts 20:7-12 ). On the first day of the week the Christians of Troas had met for an evening service in an upper chamber, and were joined by Paul and his company. As he was to leave in the morning, Paul "prolonged his speech until midnight." A youth named Eutychus, who was sitting at the open window, became borne down with sleep owing to the lateness of the hour, and ultimately fell through the opening from the third story. He "was taken up dead." This direct statement is evaded by De Wette and Olshausen, who translate "for dead." Meyer says this expresses the judgment of those who took him up. However, Luke, the physician, is giving his verdict, and he plainly believes that a miracle was wrought by Paul in restoring a corpse to life. The intention of Luke in relating this incident is to relate a miracle. Paul went down and embraced the youth while comforting the lamenting crowd, "Make ye no ado; for his life is in him." The interrupted meeting was resumed, the bread was broken, and the conversation continued till break of day. "And they brought the lad alive, and were not a little comforted."

Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblial Literature

Eu´tychus, a young man of Troas, who sat in the open window of the third floor while St. Paul was preaching late in the night, and who, being overcome by sleep, fell out into the court below. He was 'taken up dead;' but the Apostle, going down, extended himself upon the body and embraced it, like the prophets of old ; and when he felt the signs of returning life, restored him to his friends, with the assurance that 'his life was in him.' Before Paul departed in the morning the youth was brought to him alive and well. It is disputed whether Eutychus was really dead, or only in a swoon; and hence, whether a miracle was performed or not. It is admitted that the circumstances, and the words of Paul himself, sanction the notion that the young man was not actually dead, but, on the other hand, it is contended that the words of the narrator, 'taken up dead,' are too plain to justify us in receiving them in the modified sense of 'taken up for dead,' which that interpretation requires .