Eutychus

Did Eutychus die?

Acts 20:9-16 Eutychus

Acts 20:17 Elders

ACTS 20:9 9 And in a window sat a certain young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep. He was overcome by sleep; and as Paul continued speaking, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead.

Why did "Eutychus" (Acts 20:9) fall asleep?
Paul, who was "to depart the next day ... continued his message until midnight" (Acts 20:7), which may have been past the bedtime of Eutychus, a "young man" (Acts 20:9). Since Luke mentions "there were many lamps" (Acts 20:8) just before mentioning Eutychus, the heat from those lamps also could have contributed to Eutychus falling asleep.

Did the fall kill Eutychus or did the people mistakenly think that he had died?
Luke observed that Eutychus was "dead" (Acts 20:9).

Why does Luke's observation of Eutychus carry weight?
Luke was a doctor: "Luke the beloved physician and Demas greet you" (Colossians 4:14).

ACTS 20:10-12 10 But Paul went down, fell on him, and embracing him said, “Do not trouble yourselves, for his life is in him.” 11 Now when he had come up, had broken bread and eaten, and talked a long while, even till daybreak, he departed. 12 And they brought the young man in alive, and they were not a little comforted.

What happened after Paul went down, fell on Eutychus, and embraced him?
Eutychus' life was returned to him: "his life is in him" (Acts 20:10).

What did Paul do thereafter?
He went back "up" (Acts 20:11) and continued his message "even till daybreak" (Acts 20:11), and then departed.

ACTS 20:13 13 Then we went ahead to the ship and sailed to Assos, there intending to take Paul on board; for so he had given orders, intending himself to go on foot.

Where is "Assos" (Acts 20:13)?
Assos was a small port about 25 miles (40 kilometers) south of Troas.

Why did Paul tell the others to take the ship to Assos while he went "on foot" (Acts 20:13)?
If it was to share the Gospel and minister to people along the way, he is likely to have been accompanied by some or all of those journeying with him. For him to have "given orders" (Acts 20:13) for all of them to instead go ahead by ship and then walk the 25 miles by himself, he may have wanted to spend some time alone in prayer, as Jesus often did: "However, the report went around concerning Him [Jesus] all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities. So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed" (Luke 5:15-16).

ACTS 20:14-16 14 And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and came to Mitylene. 15 We sailed from there, and the next day came opposite Chios. The following day we arrived at Samos and stayed at Trogyllium. The next day we came to Miletus. 16 For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the Day of Pentecost.

Where are "Mitylene" (Acts 20:14), "Chios ... Samos ... Trogyllium ... Miletus" (Acts 20:15)?
Mitylene is the capital of Lesbos, a large island that faces Assos. Chios is another large island, to the south of Lesbos. Samos is yet another island, to the southwest of Chios, and Trogyllium is a rocky extremity of Turkey that almost touches Samos and just next to which is a place for ships to anchor. Miletus is a major port city southeast of Samos and 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of Ephesus. The ship basically hopped between the islands and the coastal ports as it traveled south along the west coast of what is Turkey today.