Acts 20:9 Meaning and Explanation
“And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →A young man named Eutychus, overcome by sleep in the window as Paul preaches on, falls from the third story and is taken up dead.
What Does Acts 20:9 Mean?
The crowded room, the many lamps, the midnight hour — Luke has set the scene. Eutychus, a young man likely at the end of a working day, sits in the open window for air, sinks into deep sleep as the preaching runs long, and falls three stories. Those who reach him find him dead.
Luke the physician does not say "as if dead"; the boy is dead, and joy collapses into grief in a single moment. Scripture is honest about the fragility of life, even in the middle of worship. But the story does not end on the pavement — and with the Lord of life present among his people, it rarely does.
Acts 20:9 in the Original Language
Eutychos (Εὔτυχος), 'Eutychus' -- a common Greek name meaning fortunate or well-favored.
Frequently Asked Questions About Acts 20:9
What does Acts 20:9 mean?
A young man named Eutychus, overcome by sleep in the window as Paul preaches on, falls from the third story and is taken up dead.