When there arose a great dissension ( pollēs tēs ginomenēs staseōs ).

Present middle participle (genitive absolute). Literally, "dissension becoming much."

Lest Paul should be torn in pieces by them ( mē diaspasthēi ho Paulos ).

First aorist passive subjunctive of diaspaō , to draw in two, to tear in pieces, old verb, in the N.T. only here and Mar 5:4 of tearing chains in two. The subjunctive with mē is the common construction after a verb of fearing (Robertson, Grammar , p. 995).

The soldiers ( to strateuma ).

The army, the band of soldiers and so in Act 23:27.

To go down ( kataban ).

Second aorist active participle of katabainō , having gone down.

Take him by force ( harpasai ).

To seize. The soldiers were to seize and save Paul from the midst of (ek mesou ) the rabbis or preachers (in their rage to get at each other). Paul was more of a puzzle to Lysias now than ever.

The night following ( tēi epiousēi nukti ).

Locative case, on the next (following) night.

The Lord ( ho kurios ).

Jesus. Paul never needed Jesus more than now. On a previous occasion the whole church prayed for Peter’ s release (Act 12:5), but Paul clearly had no such grip on the church as that, though he had been kindly welcomed (Act 21:18). In every crisis Jesus appears to him (cf. Act 18:9). It looked dark for Paul till Jesus spoke. Once before in Jerusalem Jesus spoke words of cheer (Act 22:18). Then he was told to leave Jerusalem. Now he is to have "cheer"or "courage"(tharsei ). Jesus used this very word to others (Mat 9:2, Mat 9:22; Mar 10:49). It is a brave word.

Thou hast testified ( diemarturō ).

First aorist middle indicative second person singular of diamarturomai , strong word (See note on Act 22:18).

Must thou ( se dei ).

That is the needed word and on this Paul leans. His hopes (Act 19:21) of going to Rome will not be in vain. He can bide Christ’ s time now. And Jesus has approved his witness in Jerusalem.

Banded together ( poiēsantes sustrophēn ).

See note on Act 19:40 (riot), but here conspiracy, secret combination, binding together like twisted cords.

Bound themselves under a curse ( anethematisan heautous ).

First aorist active indicative of anathematizō , a late word, said by Cremer and Thayer to be wholly Biblical or ecclesiastical. But Deissmann ( Light from the Ancient East , p. 95) quotes several examples of the verb in an Attic cursing tablet from Megara of the first or second century a.d. This proof shows that the word, as well as anathema (substantive) from which the verb is derived, was employed by pagans as well as by Jews. Deissmann suggests that Greek Jews like the seven sons of Sceva may have been the first to coin it. It occurs in the lxx as well as Mar 14:71 (which see and Luk 21:5); Act 23:12, Act 23:14, Act 23:21. They placed themselves under an anathema or curse, devoted themselves to God (cf. Lev 27:28.; 1Co 16:22).

Drink ( pein̂piein ).

Second aorist active infinitive of pinō . For this shortened form see Robertson, Grammar , p. 343.

Till they had killed ( heōs hou apokteinōsin ).

First aorist active subjunctive of apokteinō , common verb. No reason to translate "had killed,"simply "till they should kill,"the aorist merely punctiliar action, the subjunctive retained instead of the optative for vividness as usual in the Koiné[28928]š (Robertson, Grammar , pp. 974-6). Same construction in Act 23:14. King Saul took an "anathema"that imperilled Jonathan (1Sa 14:24). Perhaps the forty felt that the rabbis could find some way to absolve the curse if they failed. See this verse repeated in Act 23:21.

More than forty ( pleious tesserakonta ).

Without "than"(ē ) as in Act 23:21; Act 24:11 and often in the ancient Greek.

Conspiracy ( sunōmosian ).

Old word from sunomnumi , to swear together. Only here in the N.T.

Came to the chief priests and the elders ( proselthontes tois archiereusin kai tois presbuterois ).

The Sanhedrin, just as Judas did (Luk 22:4).

With a great curse ( anathemati ).

This use of the same word as the verb repeated in the instrumental case is in imitation of the Hebrew absolute infinitive and common in the lxx, the very idiom and words of Deu 13:15; Deu 20:17, an example of translation Greek, though found in other languages (Robertson, Grammar , p. 531). See note on Luk 21:5 for the distinction between anathema and anathēma . Jesus had foretold: "Whoso killeth you will think that he doeth God service"(Joh 16:2).

Ye ( humeis ).

Emphatic.

Signify ( emphanisate ).

First aorist active imperative of emphanizō . Make plain from emphanēs , chiefly in Acts. Repeated in Act 23:22. The authority is with the chiliarch not with the Sanhedrin, but he had appealed to the Sanhedrin for advice.

As though ye would judge of his case more exactly ( hōs mellontas diaginōskein akribesteron ta peri autou ).

Hōs with the participle gives the alleged reason as here. So also in Act 23:20. Diagnoskō , old verb to distinguish accurately, only here in N.T. and Act 24:22.

Or ever come near ( pro tou eggisai auton ).

"Before the coming near as to him."Pro and the genitive of the articular infinitive of eggizō with accusative of general reference.

We are ready to slay him ( hetoimoi esōmen tou anelein auton ).

Genitive of purpose of the articular infinitive after the adjective hetoimoi (Robertson, Grammar , p. 1061). Anelein , second aorist active of anaireō .

Their lying in wait ( tēn enedran ).

Old word from en (in) and hedra (seat), ambush. In N.T. only here and Act 25:3. Accusative object of akousas .

He came ( paragenomenos ).

Second aorist middle participle of paraginomai . It may mean, "having come upon them"and so discount their plot, a graphic touch. Vincent thinks that some Pharisee, since Paul was a Pharisee and so a member of the "guild,"told his nephew of the plot. Perhaps, and perhaps not.

Told Paul ( apēggeilen tōi Paulōi ).

This nephew is not known otherwise. He may be a student here from Tarsus as Paul once was. Anyhow he knows what to do when he catches on to the conspirators. He had enough address to get into the barracks where Paul was. He ran the risk of death if discovered.

Called unto him ( proskalesamenos ).

First aorist participle indirect middle, calling to himself. Paul laid his plans as energetically as if Jesus had not promised that he would see Rome (Act 23:11).

Bring ( apage ).

"Take away."

Paul the prisoner ( ho desmios Paulos ).

Bound (desmios ) to a soldier, but not with two chains (Act 21:33), and with some freedom to see his friends as later (Act 28:16), in military custody ( custodia militaris ). This was better than custodia publica (public custody), the common prison, but more confining.

Who hath something to say to thee ( echonta tōi lalēsai soi ).

Same idiom as in Act 23:17, Act 23:19, but lalēsai here instead of apaggeilai .

Took him by the hand ( epilabomenos tēs cheiros autou ).

Kindly touch in Lysias, ut fiduciam adolescentis confirmaret (Bengel). Note genitive with the second aorist middle (indirect, to himself) of epilambanō as in Luk 8:54 with kratēsas which see. How old the young man (neanias ) was we do not know, but it is the very word used of Paul in Act 7:58 when he helped in the killing of Stephen, a young man in the twenties probably. See also Act 20:9 of Eutychus. He is termed neaniskos in Act 23:22.

Asked him privately ( kat' idian epunthaneto ).

Imperfect middle, began to ask (inchoative).

The Jews ( hoi Ioudaioi ).

As if the whole nation was in the conspiracy and so in Act 23:12. The conspirators may have belonged to the Zealots, but clearly they represented the state of Jewish feeling toward Paul in Jerusalem.

Have agreed ( sunethento ).

Second aorist middle indicative of suntithēmi , old verb to join together, to agree. Already this form in Luk 22:5 which see. See also Joh 9:22; Act 24:9.

To bring down ( hopōs katagagēis ).

Very words of the conspirators in Act 23:15as if the young man overheard. Second aorist active subjunctive of katagō with hopōs in final clause, still used, but nothing like so common as hina though again in Act 23:23(Robertson, Grammar , p. 985).

As though thou wouldest inquire ( hōs mellōn punthanesthai ).

Just as in Act 23:15except that here mellōn refers to Lysias instead of to the conspirators as in Act 23:15. The singular is used by the youth out of deference to the authority of Lysias and so modifies a bit the scheming of the conspirators, not "absurd"as Page holds.

Do not therefore yield unto them ( Su oun mē peisthēis autois ).

First aorist passive subjunctive of peithō , common verb, here to be persuaded by, to listen to, to obey, to yield to. With negative and rightly. Do not yield to them (dative) at all. On the aorist subjunctive with mē in prohibitions against committing an act see Robertson, Grammar , pp. 851-4.

For there lie in wait ( enedreuousin gar ).

Present active indicative of enedreuō , old verb from enedra (Act 23:16), in the N.T. only here and Luk 11:54 which see.

Till they have slain him ( heōs hou anelōsin auton ).

Same idiom as in Act 23:12save that here we have anelōsin (second aorist active subjunctive) instead of apokteinōsin (another word for kill), "till they slay him."

Looking for the promise from thee ( prosdechomenoi tēn apo sou epaggelian ).

This item is all that is needed to put the scheme through, the young man shrewdly adds.

Tell no man ( mēdeni eklalēsai ).

Indirect command ( oratio obliqua ) after paraggeilas (charging) with first aorist active infinitive of ekaleō (in ancient Greek, but here only in N.T.), but construction changed to direct in rest of the sentence ( oratio recta ) as in Act 1:4, "that thou hast signified these things to me"(hoti tauta enephanisas pros eme ). Same verb here as in Act 23:15. This change is common in the N.T. (Robertson, Grammar , p. 1047).

Two ( tinas duo ).

"Some two"as in Luk 7:19, indicating (Page) that they were not specially chosen.

Soldiers ( stratiōtas )

, horsemen (hippeis ), spearmen (dexiolabous ). The three varieties of troops in a Roman army like the cohort of Lysias (Page). The stratiōtai were the heavy-armed legionaries, the hippeis belonged to every legion, the dexiolaboi were light-armed supplementary troops who carried a lance in the right hand (dexios , right, lambanō , to take). Vulgate, lancearios . At the third hour of the night (apo tritēs hōras tēs nuktos ). About nine in the evening.

Provide beasts ( ktenē parastēsai ).

Change from direct to indirect discourse just the opposite of that in Act 23:22.

Beasts ( ktēnē ).

For riding as here or for baggage. See note on Luk 10:34. Asses or horses, but not war-horses. Since Paul was chained to a soldier, another animal would be required for baggage. It was also seventy miles and a change of horses might be needed. The extreme precaution of Lysias is explained in some Latin MSS. as due to fear of a night attack with the result that he might be accused to Felix of bribery. Luke also probably accompanied Paul.

To bring safe ( hina diasōsōsin ).

Final clause with hina and the first aorist active subjunctive of diasōzō , old verb, to save through (dia ) to a finish. Eight times in the N.T. (Mat 14:36; Luk 7:3; Act 23:24; Act 27:43, Act 27:44; Act 28:1, Act 28:4; 1Pe 3:20).

Unto Felix the governor ( pros Phēlika ton hēgemona ).

Felix was a brother of Pallas, the notorious favourite of Claudius. Both had been slaves and were now freedmen. Felix was made procurator of Judea by Claudius a.d. 52. He held the position till Festus succeeded him after complaints by the Jews to Nero. He married Drusilla the daughter of Herod Agrippa I with the hope of winning the favour of the Jews. He was one of the most depraved men of his time. Tacitus says of him that "with all cruelty and lust he exercised the power of a king with the spirit of a slave."The term "governor"(hēgemōn ) means "leader"from hēgeomai , to lead, and was applied to leaders of all sorts (emperors, kings, procurators). In the N.T. it is used of Pilate (Mat 27:2), of Felix, (Act 23:24, Act 23:26, Act 23:33; Act 24:1), of Festus (Act 26:30).

And he wrote ( grapsas ).

First aorist active participle of graphō , agreeing with the subject (Lysias) of eipen (said) back in Act 23:23(beginning).

After this form ( echousan ton tupon touton ).

Textus Receptus has periechousan . The use of tupon (type or form) like exemplum in Latin (Page who quotes Cicero Ad Att. IX. 6. 3) may give merely the purport or substantial contents of the letter. But there is no reason for thinking that it is not a genuine copy since the letter may have been read in open court before Felix, and Luke was probably with Paul. The Roman law required that a subordinate officer like Lysias in reporting a case to his superior should send a written statement of the case and it was termed elogium . A copy of the letter may have been given Paul after his appeal to Caesar. It was probably written in Latin. The letter is a "dexterous mixture of truth and falsehood"(Furneaux) with the stamp of genuineness. It puts things in a favourable light for Lysias and makes no mention of his order to scourge Paul.

Most excellent ( kratistōi ).

See note on Luk 1:3 to Theophilus though not in Act 1:1. It is usual in addressing men of rank as here, like our "Your Excellency"in Act 24:3 and Paul uses it to Festus in Act 26:25.

Greeting ( chairein ).

Absolute infinitive with independent or absolute nominative (Klaudios Lusias ) as is used in letters (Act 15:23; Jam 1:1) and in countless papyri (Robertson, Grammar , p. 1092).

Was seized ( sullēmphthenta ).

First aorist passive participle of sullambanō .

Rescued him having learned that he was a Roman ( exeilamen mathōn hoti Romaios estin ).

Wendt, Zoeckler, and Furneaux try to defend this record of two facts by Lysias in the wrong order from being an actual lie as Bengel rightly says. Lysias did rescue Paul and he did learn that he was a Roman, but in this order. He did not first learn that he was a Roman and then rescue him as his letter states. The use of the aorist participle (mathōn from manthanō ) after the principal verb exeilamen (second aorist middle of exaireō , to take out to oneself, to rescue) can be either simultaneous action or antecedent. There is in Greek no such idiom as the aorist participle of subsequent action (Robertson, Grammar , pp. 1112-14). Lysias simply reversed the order of the facts and omitted the order for scourging Paul to put himself in proper light with Felix his superior officer and actually poses as the protector of a fellow Roman citizen.

To know ( epignōnai ).

To know fully, epi , second aorist active infinitive.

They accused him ( enekaloun autōi ).

Imperfect active indicative, were accusing him (dative), repeating their charges.

Concerning questions of their law ( peri zētēmata tou nomou autōn ).

The very distinction drawn by Gallio in Corinth (Act 18:14.). On the word see note on Act 15:2.

But to have nothing laid to his charge worthy of death or of bonds ( mēden de axion thanatou ē desmōn echonta enklēma ).

Literally, "having no accusation (or crime) worthy of death or of bonds."This phrase here only in the N.T. Egklēma is old word for accusation or crime from egkaleō used in Act 23:28and in the N.T. only here and Act 25:16. Lysias thus expresses the opinion that Paul ought to be set free and the lenient treatment that Paul received in Caesarea and Rome (first imprisonment) is probably due to this report of Lysias. Every Roman magistrate before whom Paul appears declares him innocent (Gallio, Lysias, Felix, Festus).

When it was shown to me that there would be a plot ( mēnutheisēs moi epiboulēs esesthai ).

Two constructions combined; genitive absolute (mēnutheisēs epiboulēs , first aorist passive participle of mēnuō ) and future infinitive (esesthai as if epiboulēn accusative of general reference used) in indirect assertion after mēnuō (Robertson, Grammar , p. 877).

Charging his accusers also ( paraggeilas kai tois katēgorois ).

First aorist active participle of paraggellō with which compare mathōn above (Act 23:27), not subsequent action. Dative case in katēgorois .

Before thee ( epi sou ).

Common idiom for "in the presence of"when before a judge (like Latin apud ) as in Act 24:20, Act 24:21; Act 25:26; Act 26:2. What happened to the forty conspirators we have no way of knowing. Neither they nor the Jews from Asia are heard of more during the long five years of Paul’ s imprisonment in Caesarea and Rome.

As it was commanded them ( kata to diatetagmenon autois ).

"According to that which was commanded them,"perfect passive articular participle of diatassō .

By night ( dia nuktos ).

Through the night, travelling by night forty miles from Jerusalem to Antipatris which was founded by Herod the Great and was on the road from Jerusalem to Caesarea, a hard night’ s ride.

And they ( hoitines ).

Which very ones, the cavalry, the horsemen of Act 23:31.

Delivered ( anadontes ).

Second aorist active participle of anadidōmi , old verb to give up, to hand over, here only in the N.T.

Presented Paul also ( parestēsan kai ton Paulon ).

First aorist active (transitive, not second aorist intransitive) indicative of paristēmi , common verb to present or place beside. What would Paul’ s friends in Caesarea (Philip and his daughters) think of the prophecy of Agabus now so quickly come true.

When he had read it ( anagnous ).

Second aorist active participle of anaginōskō , to know again, to read.

Of what province he was ( ek poias eparcheias estin ).

Tense of estin (is) retained in indirect question. Poias is strictly "of what kind of"province, whether senatorial or imperial. Cilicia, like Judea, was under the control of the propraetor of Syria (imperial province). Paul’ s arrest was in Jerusalem and so under the jurisdiction of Felix unless it was a matter of insurrection when he could appeal to the propraetor of Syria.

I will hear thy cause ( diakousomai ).

"I will hear thee fully"(dia ).

When--are come ( paragenōntai ).

Second aorist middle subjunctive of paraginomai with temporal conjunction hotan , indefinite temporal clause of future time (Robertson, Grammar , p. 972), "whenever thine accusers come."

In Herod’ s palace ( en tōi praitōriōi ).

The Latin word praetorium . The word meant the camp of the general, then the palace of the governor as here and Mat 27:27 which see, and then the camp of praetorian soldiers or rather the praetorian guard as in Phi 1:13.

Banded together ( ποιήσαντες συστροφὴν )

Lit., having made a conspiracy. See on concourse, Act 19:40.

Bound themselves under a curse ( ἀνεθεμάτισαν ἑαυτοὺς ).

Lit., anathematized or cursed themselves; invoked God's curse on themselves if they should violate their vow. On the kindred noun ἀνάθεμα , a curse, see note on offerings, Luk 21:5. In case of failure, they could procure absolution from their oath by the Rabbis.

Conspiracy ( συνωμοσίαν )

Lit., swearing together; conjuration. According to its etymology, conspiracy is a breathing or blowing together (Latin, conspirare ) . Hence, of concerted thought and action.

We have bound ourselves under a great curse ( ἀναθέματι ἀνεθεματίσαμεν ἑαυτοὺς )

Lit., we have anathematized ourselves with an anathema. A very strong expression. For similar expressions, see Luk 22:15; Joh 3:29; Act 4:17.

Enquire ( διαγινώσκειν )

Only here and Act 24:22. Originally, to distinguish or discern; hence, to decide, as a suit. Rev., more correctly, therefore, judge.

More perfectly ( ἀκριβέστερον )

Rev., better, more exactly. See on Luk 1:3; and Act 18:25, Act 18:26.

Concerning him ( τὰ περὶ αὐτοῦ )

Lit., the things about him. Rev., better, his case .

The prisoner ( ὁ δέσμιος )

From δέω , to bind. Paul, as a Roman citizen, was held in custodia militaris, " military custody." Three kinds of custody were recognized by the Roman law: 1. Custodia publica (public custody); confinement in the public jail. This was the worst kind, the common jails being wretched dungeons. Such was the confinement of Paul and Silas at Philippi. 2. Custodia libera (free custody), confined to men of high rank. The accused was committed to the charge of a magistrate or senator, who became responsible for his appearance on the day of trial. 3. Custodia militaris (military custody). The accused was placed in charge of a soldier, who was responsible with his life for the prisoner's safe-keeping, and whose left hand was secured by a chain to the prisoner's right. The prisoner was usually kept in the barracks, but was sometimes allowed to reside in a private house under charge of his guard.

Have bound themselves

" If we should wonder how, so early in the morning, after the long discussion in the Sanhedrim, which must have occupied a considerable part of the day, more than forty men should have been found banded together, under an anathema, neither to eat nor to drink till they had killed Paul; and, still more, how such a conspiracy, or, rather, conjuration, which, in the nature of it, would be kept a profound secret, should have become known to Paul's sister's son - the circumstances of the case furnish a sufficient explanation. The Pharisees were avowedly a fraternity or guild; and they, or some of their kindred fraternities, would furnish the ready material for such a band, to whom this additional vow would be nothing new or strange, and, murderous though it sounded, only seem a further carrying out of the principles of their order. Again, since the wife and all the children of a member were ipso facto members of the guild, and Paul's father had been a Pharisee (Act 23:6), Paul's sister also would, by virtue of her birth, belong to the fraternity, even irrespective of the probability that, in accordance with the principles of the party, she would have married into a Pharisaical family" (Edersheim, " Jewish Social Life" ).

Soldiers ( στρατιώτας )

Heavy-armed footmen: legionaries.

Spearmen ( δεξιολάβους )

Only here in New Testament, and not in classical Greek. From δεξιός right, and λαμβάνω , to take. The exact meaning is uncertain. Some explain it as those who take the right side of the prisoners whom they have in charge; others, those who grasp ( their weapon ) with the right hand; others, again, those who hold ( a second horse ) by the right hand. They are here distinguished from the heavy-armed legionaries and the cavalry. They were probably light-armed troops, javelin-throwers or slingers. One of the principal manuscripts reads δεξιοβόλους " those who throw with the right hand."

Beasts ( κτήνη )

See on Luk 10:34.

After this manner ( περιέχουσαν τὸν τύπον τοῦτον )

Lit., containing this form or type. See on it is contained, 1Pe 2:6.

To the most excellent ( τῷ κρατίστῳ )

" His excellency:" an official title. Compare Act 24:3; Act 26:25.

Greeting ( χαίρειν )

See on Act 15:23.

Rescued

Bengel says, " a lie." Lysias wishes to make the impression that Paul's citizenship was the cause of his rescuing him; whereas he did not know of this until afterward. He says nothing about the proposed scourging.

Questions

See on Act 15:2.

Nothing - worthy of death or of bonds

Every Roman magistrate before whom the apostle is brought declares him innocent.

When it was told ( μηνυθείσης )

Lit., pointed out, or shown, as Rev. See on Luk 20:37.

Farewell

The best texts omit. See on Act 15:29.

Took ( ἀναλαβόντες )

Lit., " having taken up ." Compare set Paul on, Act 23:24.

To Antipatris

A hard night's ride: forty miles.

On the morrow

After arriving at Antipatris.

Caesarea

Twenty-six miles from Antipatris.

Of what province ( ἐκ ποίας ἐπαρχίας )

Rather, " from what kind of a province;" whether senatorial or imperial. See Introduction to Luke. Cilicia was an imperial province.

I will hear thee ( διακούσομαι )

Better, as Rev., will hear thy cause; the word meaning " to hear fully (διά ) in a judicial sense." The present questioning was merely preliminary.

Herod's palace

Built by Herod the Great. Judaea being now a Roman province, the palace of its former kings had become the governor's official residence. It thus appears that Paul was leniently dealt with, and not cast into the common prison.

What Paul had before purposed in spirit, Act 19:21, God now in due time confirms. Another declaration to the same effect is made by an angel of God, Act 27:23. And from the 23d chapter the sum of this book turns on the testimony of Paul to the Romans. How would the defenders of St. Peter's supremacy triumph, could they find out half as much ascribed to him! Be of good courage, Paul - As he laboured under singular distresses and persecutions, so he was favoured with extraordinary assurances of the Divine assistance.

Particular promises are usually given when all things appear desperate.

Danger is nothing in the eyes of God: all hinderances farther his work. A promise of what is afar off, implies all that necessarily lies between. Paul shall testify at Rome: therefore he shall come to Rome; therefore he shall escape the Jews, the sea, the viper.

Such execrable vows were not uncommon among the Jews. And if they were prevented from accomplishing what they had vowed, it was an easy matter to obtain absolution from their rabbis.

Which they never scrupled at all, as not doubting but they were doing God service.

Though he had an express promise of it from Christ, was not to neglect any proper means of safety.

In a mild, condescending way. Lysias seems to have conducted this whole affair with great integrity, humanity, and prudence.

If a change should be necessary, to set Paul on - So we read of his riding once; but not by choice.

True; but not before he rescued him. Here he uses art.

But not the same night they set out.

eight of our miles northwest of Jerusalem. Herod the Great rebuilt it, and gave it this name in honour of his father Antipater: Cesarea was near seventy miles from Jerusalem, and about thirty from Antipatris.

This was a palace and a court built by Herod the Great. Probably some tower belonging to it might be used for a kind of state prison.

This shows that the commandant was not himself present, and further, that instead of the Sanhedrim trying the cause, the proceedings quickly consisted in the one party attempting to seize the prisoner, and the other to protect him.

His heart perhaps sinking, in the solitude of his barrack ward, and thinking perhaps that all the predictions of danger at Jerusalem were now to be fulfilled in his death there.

That is, Jesus.

That is, "Thy work in Jerusalem is done, faithfully and well done; but thou art not to die here; thy purpose next to 'see Rome' (Act 19:21) shall not be disappointed, and there also must thou bear witness of Me." As this vision was not unneeded now, so we shall find it cheering and upholding him throughout all that befell him up to his arrival there.

Compare 2Sa 3:35; 1Sa 14:24.

That these high ecclesiastics fell in readily with this infamous plot is clear. What will not unscrupulous and hypocritical religionists do under the mask of religion? The narrative bears unmistakable internal marks of truth.

Their plan was to assassinate him on his way down from the barracks to the council. The case was critical, but He who had pledged His word to him that he should testify for Him at Rome provided unexpected means of defeating this well-laid scheme.

(See on Act 9:30). If he was at this time residing at Jerusalem for his education, like Paul himself, he may have got at the schools those hints of the conspiracy on which he so promptly acted.

Though divinely assured of safety, he never allows this to interfere with the duty he owed to his own life and the work he had yet to do. (See on Act 27:22-25; Act 27:31).

This shows that he must have been quite in his boyhood, and throws a pleasing light on the kind-hearted impartiality of this officer.

Thus, as is so often the case with God's people, not till the last moment, when the plot was all prepared, did deliverance come.

A formidable guard for such an occasion; but Roman officials felt their honor concerned in the preservation of the public peace, and the danger of an attempted rescue would seem to require it. The force at Jerusalem was large enough to spare this convoy.

Nine o'clock.

As relays, and to carry baggage.

The procurator. See on Act 24:24-25.

The Roman name he would take on purchasing his citizenship.

His Greek family name.

An honorary title of office.

Rather, "with the military."

Amidst all his difficulty in getting at the charges laid against Paul, enough, no doubt, come out to satisfy him that the whole was a question of religion, and that there was no case for a civil tribunal.

This was not done when he wrote, but would be before the letter reached its destination.

Nearly forty miles from Jerusalem, on the way to Cæsarea; so named by Herod in honor of his father, Antipater.

The infantry.

Themselves no longer needed as a guard. The remaining distance was about twenty-five or twenty-six miles.

The letter describing him as a Roman citizen.

The word means, "give thee a full hearing."

"prætorium," the palace built at Cæsarea by Herod, and now occupied by the Roman procurators; in one of the buildings attached to which Paul was ordered to be kept.

The chief captain - commanded the soldiers to go down - It appears that the chief captain was present during these transactions, and that he had a body of soldiers in readiness in the castle of Antonia; and it was from this that he commanded them to come down; for the rescue and preservation of Paul.

Be of good cheer, Paul - It is no wonder if, with all these trials and difficulties, St. Paul was much dejected in mind; and especially as he had not any direct intimation from God what the end of the present trials would be: to comfort him and strengthen his faith, God gave him this vision

So must thou bear witness also at Rome - This was pleasing intelligence to Paul, who had long desired to see that city, and preach the Gospel of Christ there. He appears to have had an intimation that he should see it; but how, he could not tell; and this vision satisfied him that he should be sent thither by God himself. This would settle every fear and scruple concerning the issue of the present persecution.

That they would neither eat nor drink, etc. - These forty Jews were no doubt of the class of the sicarii mentioned before, (similar to those afterwards called assassins), a class of fierce zealots, who took justice into their own hand; and who thought they had a right to despatch all those who, according to their views, were not orthodox in their religious principles. If these were, in their bad way, conscientious men, must they not all perish through hunger, as God put it out of their power to accomplish their vow? No: for the doctrine of sacerdotal absolution was held among the Jews as among the Papists: hence it is said, in Hieros. Avodah Zarah, fol. 40: "He that hath made a vow not to eat any thing, wo to him, if he eat; and wo to him, if he do not eat. If he eat, he sinneth against his vow; and if he do not eat, he sinneth against his life."What must such a man do in this case? Let him go to the wise men, and they will loose him from his vow, as it is written, Pro 12:18 : "The tongue of the wise is health."When vows were so easily dispensed with, they might be readily multiplied. See Lightfoot.

And we, or ever he come near, are ready to kill him - We shall lie in wait, and despatch him before he can reach the chief captain. The plan was well and deeply laid; and nothing but an especial providence could have saved Paul.

Paul’ s sister’ s son - This is all we know of Paul’ s family. And we know not how this young man got to Jerusalem; the family, no doubt, still resided at Tarsus.

Bring this young man unto the chief captain - Though St. Paul had the most positive assurance from Divine authority that he should be preserved, yet he knew that the Divine providence acts by reasonable and prudent means; and that, if he neglected to use the means in his power, he could not expect God’ s providence to work in his behalf. He who will not help himself, according to the means and power he possesses, has neither reason nor revelation to assure him that he shall receive any assistance from God.

Two hundred soldiers - Στρατιωτας, Infantry or foot soldiers

Horsemen threescore and ten - There was always a certain number of horse, or cavalry, attached to the foot

Spearmen - Δεξιολαβους, Persons who held a spear or javelin in their hand; from εν τῃ δεξιᾳ λαβειν taking or holding a thing in the right hand. But the Codex Alexandrinus reads δεξιοβολους, from δεξια, the right hand, and βαλλειν, to cast or dart, persons who threw javelins. But both words seem to mean nearly the same thing

The third hour of the night - About nine o’ clock p.m., for the greater secrecy, and to elude the cunning, active malice of the Jews.

Provide them beasts - One for Paul, and some others for his immediate keepers

Felix the governor - This Felix was a freed man of the Emperor Claudius, and brother of Pallas, chief favourite of the emperor. Tacitus calls him Antonius Felix; and gives us to understand that he governed with all the authority of a king, and the baseness and insolence of a quondam slave. E libertis Antonius Felix per omnem saevitiam ac libidinem jus regium servili ingenio exercuit . Hist. v. 9. He had, according to Suetonius, in his life of Claudius, chap. 28, three queens to his wives; that is, he was married thrice, and each time to the daughter or niece of a king. Drusilla, the sister of Agrippa, was his wife at this time; see Act 24:24. He was an unrighteous governor; a base, mercenary, and bad man: see Act 24:2.

He wrote a letter after this manner - It appears that this was not only the substance of the letter, but the letter itself: the whole of it is so perfectly formal as to prove this; and in this simple manner are all the letters of the ancients formed. In this also we have an additional proof of St. Luke’ s accuracy.

I sent straightway to thee - As the proper person before whom this business should ultimately come, and by whom it should be decided

Farewell - Ερῥωσο, Be in good health.

Antipatris - This place, according to Josephus, Antiq. lib. xiii. cap. 23, was anciently called Capharsaba, and is supposed to be the same which, in 1 Maccabees 7:31, is called Capharsalama, or Carphasalama. It was rebuilt by Herod the Great, and denominated Antipatris, in honor of his father Antipater. It was situated between Joppa and Caesarea, on the road from Jerusalem to this latter city. Josephus says it was fifty stadia from Joppa. The distance between Jerusalem and Caesarea was about seventy miles.

On the morrow they left the horsemen - Being now so far from Jerusalem, they considered Paul in a state of safety from the Jews, and that the seventy horse would be a sufficient guard; the four hundred foot, therefore, returned to Jerusalem, and the horse went on to Caesarea with Paul. We need not suppose that all this troop did reach Antipatris on the same night in which they left Jerusalem; therefore, instead of, they brought him by night to Antipatris, we may understand the text thus - Then the soldiers took Paul by night, and brought him to Antipatris. And the thirty-second verse need not to be understood as if the foot reached the castle of Antonia the next day, (though all this was possible), but that, having reached Antipatris, and refreshed themselves, they set out the same day, on their march to Jerusalem; on the morrow they returned, that is, they began their march back again to the castle. See on Act 24:1 (note).

Who - That is, the seventy horsemen mentioned above.

I will hear thee - Διακουσομαι σου ; I will give thee a fair, full, and attentive hearing when thy accusers are come; in whose presence thou shalt be permitted to defend thyself

In Herod’ s judgment - hall - Εν τῳ πραιτωριῳ, In Herod’ s praetorium , so called because it was built by Herod the Great. The praetorium was the place where the Roman praetor had his residence; and it is probable that, in or near this place, there was a sort of guard room, where state prisoners were kept. Paul was lodged here till his accusers should arrive

On the preceeding chapter many useful observations may be made

1.    Paul, while acting contrary to the Gospel of Christ, pleaded conscience as his guide. Conscience is generally allowed to be the rule of human actions; but it cannot be a right rule, unless it be well informed. While it is unenlightened it may be a guide to the perdition of its professor, and the cause of the ruin of others. That conscience can alone be trusted in which the light of God’ s Spirit and God’ s truth dwells. An ill-informed conscience may burn even the saints for God’ s sake

2.    No circumstance in which a man can be placed can excuse him from showing respect and reverence to the authorities which God, in the course of his providence, has instituted for the benefit of civil or religious society. All such authorities come originally from God, and can never lose any of their rights on account of the persons who are invested with them. An evil can never be of use, and a good may be abused; but it loses not its character, essential qualities, or usefulness, because of this abuse

3.    Paul availed himself of the discordant sentiments of his judges, who had agreed to show him no justice, that he might rid himself out of their hands. To take advantage of the sentiments and dispositions of an audience, without deceiving it, and to raise dissension between the enemies of the truth, is an impotent artifice, when truth itself is not violated and when error is exposed thereby to public view

4.    The Pharisees and Sadducees strove together. God frequently raises up defenders of the principles of truth, even among those who, in practice, are its decided enemies. "Though,"says one, "I do not like the truth, yet will I defend it."A man clothed with sovereign authority, vicious in his heart, and immoral in his life, fostered those principles of truth and righteousness by which error was banished from these lands, and pure and undefiled religion established among us for many generations

5.    The providence of God, and his management of the world, are in many respects great mysteries; but, as far as we are individually concerned, all is plain. Paul had the fullest assurance, from the mouth of Christ himself, that he should see Rome; and, consequently, that he should be extricated from all his present difficulties. Why then did he not quietly sit still, when his nephew informed him that forty men had conspired to murder him? Because he knew that God made use of the prudence with which he has endowed man as an agent in that very providence by which he is supported; and that to neglect the natural means of safety with which God provides us is to tempt and dishonor him, and induce him in judgment to use those means against us, which, in his mercy, he had designed for our comfort and salvation. Prudence is well associated even with an apostolical spirit. Every being that God has formed, he designs should accomplish those functions for which he has endowed it with the requisite powers

6.    Claudius Lysias sent Paul to Felix. "In the generality of human events,"says one, "we do not often distinguish the designs of God from those of men. The design of Lysias, in preserving Paul from the rage of the Jews, was to render his own conduct free from exception: the design of God was, that he might bring Paul safely to Rome, that he might attack idolatry in its strongest fort, and there establish the Christian faith."God governs the world, and works by proper means; and counterworks evil or sinister devices, so as ultimately to accomplish the purposes of his will, and cause all things to work together for good to them that love Him

7.    Felix acted prudently when he would not even hear St. Paul till he had his accusers face to face. How many false judgments, evil surmises, and uncharitable censures would be avoided, did men always adopt this reasonable plan! Hear either side of a complaint separately, and the evil seems very great: hear both together, and the evil is generally lessened by one half. Audi et alteram partem - hear the other side, says a heathen: remember, if you have an ear for the first complainant, you have one also for the second.

10. We see again what a cruel mischief contention is, which so soon as it doth once wax hot, hath such violent motions, that even most wise men are not well in their wits. Therefore, so soon as any beginning shall show itself, let us study to prevent it in time, lest the remedy be too late in bridling it when it is in the middle, because no fire is so swift as it. As for the chief captain, as he was appointed to be the minister of God’s providence to save Paul’s life, so he delivereth him now the second time by his soldiers from death. For though the chief captain defend − ⁵⁴⁴ him so diligently, for no other purpose save only that he may prevent uproars and murder; yet the Lord, who from heaven provided and appointed help for his servant, doth direct his blind hands thither. −

11.And the night following Luke declareth that Paul was strengthened with an oracle, that he might stand courageously against terrible assaults when things were so far out of order. Surely it could not be but that he was sore afraid, and that he was sore troubled with the remembrance of things to come. Wherefore, the oracle was not superfluous. Those former things whereby he was taught that God cared for him, ought to have sufficed to nourish his hope, and to have kept him from fainting; but because in great dangers Satan doth oftentimes procure new fears, that he may thereby (if he cannot altogether overwhelm God’s promises in the hearts of the godly) at least darken the same with clouds, it is needful that the remembrance of them be renewed, that faith, being holpen with new props and stays, may stand more steadfastly. But the sum is, that Paul may behave himself boldly, because he must be Christ’s witness at Rome also. But this seemeth to be but a cold and vain consolation, as if he should say, Fear not, because thou must abide a sorer brunt; for it had been better, according to the flesh, once to die, and with speed to end his days, than to pine away in bands, and long time to lie in prison. The Lord doth not promise to deliver him; no, he saith not so much as that he shall have a joyful end; only he saith, that those troubles and afflictions, wherewith he was too sore oppressed already, shall continue long. But by this we gather better of what great importance this confidence is, that the Lord hath respect unto us in our miseries, though he stretch not forth his hand by and by to help us. −

Therefore, let us learn, even in most extreme afflictions, to stay ourselves upon the word of God alone; and let us never faint so long as he quickeneth us with the testimony of his fatherly love. And because oracles are not now sent from heaven, neither doth the Lord himself appear by visions, we must meditate upon his innumerable promises, whereby he doth testify that he will be nigh unto us continually. If it be expedient that an angel come down unto us, the Lord will not deny even this kind of confirmation. Nevertheless, we must give this honor to the word, that being content with it alone we wait patiently for that help which it promiseth us. −

Moreover, it did profit some nothing to hear angels which were sent down from heaven; but the Lord doth not in vain seal up in the hearts of the faithful by his Spirit those promises which are made by him. And as he doth not in vain beat them in and often repeat them, − ⁵⁴⁵ so let our faith exercise itself diligently in the continual remembrance of them. For if it were necessary that Paul’s faith should be oftentimes set and stored up with a new help, there is none of us which needeth not many more helps. Also, our minds must be armed with patience, that they may pass through the long and troublesome circuits of troubles and afflictions. −

12.And when it was day By this circumstance, Luke showeth how necessary it was for Paul to gather new and fresh strength of faith, that he might not quake in most great and sudden danger. For being told of this so desperate madness of his enemies, he could not otherwise think but that he should lose his life. This vow whereof Luke speaketh was a kind of curse. The cause of the vow was, that it might not be lawful for them to change their purpose, nor to call back that which they had promised. There is always, indeed, in an oath a secret curse, − ⁵⁴⁶ if any man deceive or forswear, but sometimes to the end men may the more bind themselves, they use certain forms of cursing; − ⁵⁴⁷ and they make themselves subject to cruel torments, to the end they may be the more afraid. This history doth teach that zeal is so bloody in hypocrites, that they weigh not what is lawful for them, but they run carelessly whithersoever their lust doth carry them. Admit we grant that Paul was a wicked man, and worthy to die, yet who had given private men leave to put him to death? Now, if any man had asked why they did so hate Paul, they would quickly have answered, because he was a revolt [apostate] and schismatic; but it was but a foolish opinion, and an opinion conceived of an uncertain report concerning this matter which had rashly possessed their minds. −

The same blindness and blockishness doth at this day prick forward the Papists, so that they think nothing unlawful for them in destroying us. Hypocrisy doth so blind their ears, that as men freed from the laws of God and merit they are carried by their zeal sometimes unto treachery, sometimes unto guile, sometimes unto intolerable cruelty, and, finally, to attempt whatsoever they will. Moreover, we see in this history how great the rashness of the wicked is. They bind themselves with a curse that they will eat no meat till they have slain Paul, as if his life were in their hands. Therefore, these brain-sick men take to themselves that which the Lord doth so often in Scripture say is his, to wit, −

“To have the life and death of those men whom he hath created in his hand,”
( Deu 32:39). −

Moreover, there be not only two or three who are partners in this madness, but more than forty. Whence we do also gather how willing and bent men are to do mischief, seeing they run together thus on heaps. − ⁵⁴⁸ −

Furthermore, seeing Satan doth drive them headlong into their own destruction, how shameful is then our sluggishness, when as we scarce move one finger in maintaining the glory of God? We must use moderation, that we attempt nothing without the commandment of God; but when God calleth us expressly, our loitering is without excuse. −

14.They came to the chief priests Seeing that the priests agree to such a wicked and ungodly conspiracy, by this they prove that there was in them neither any fear of God, neither yet any humanity. They do not only allow [approve] that which is brought before them concerning the murdering of the man by laying wait, but also they are ready to be partners in the murder, that they may deliver him into the hands of the murderers, whom they would have made away some way, they pass not how. For what other thing was it to take a man out of the hands of the judge and to slay him, than like murderers to rage even in the very place of judgment? The priests surely would never have allowed [approved] such a wicked purpose if there had been in them any drop of godly and right affection, or of humane feeling. Moreover, they did what they could to bring destruction upon all the people and themselves also. But the Lord did by this means disclose their wicked impiety, which lay hid under a color of honor. −

16.Paul’s sister’s son We see in this place how the Lord doth cross the purposes of the ungodly. He permitteth them to attempt many things, and he suffereth their wicked endeavors, but at length he showeth even in the twinkling of an eye − ⁵⁴⁹ that he doth from heaven deride whatsoever men go about upon earth. −

“There is no wisdom,” saith Solomon, “there is no counsel against the Lord,”
( Pro 21:30).

Whereto that of Isaiah doth answer, −

“Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought: speak the word, and it shall not stand,”
( Isa 8:10). −

This is set before our eyes to be considered, in this present history, as in a glass. The matter was almost dispatched, that Paul should come out on the morrow to be slain as an avowed sacrificed. − ⁵⁵⁰ But the Lord doth show that his life is most safely kept, so that whatsoever men go about all is in vain. As for us, let us not fear but that his providence, whereof he showed some token then, reacheth even unto the defending of us, because this promise continueth sure, −

“There shall not an hair fall from your heads,” etc.
( Luk 21:18). −

Moreover, it is worth the noting, that he worketh sometimes by means unlooked for to save those that be his, that he may the better exercise our faith. Who would have thought that a boy would have disclosed their lying in wait, which those who were partners in the conspiracy thought was known to none but to themselves? Therefore, let us learn to lean unto and stay ourselves upon the Lord, though we see no ordinary way to save ourselves, who shall find a way even through places where nothing can pass.

17.Calling unto him Paul was not so desirous of life, but he would have made haste to die, if the Lord had thought it good so to be; but because he knoweth that he serveth Christ upon that condition, that he may no less live than die to him, he doth not neglect to avoid the danger which was revealed to him. And though he be fully persuaded that God is the keeper of his life, yet he doth not wait until God put forth his hand out of heaven to work a miracle, but doth rather use the remedy which is offered him; nothing doubting but that it is appointed by God. −

Thus must all the ministers of Christ deal, that being furnished with invincible constancy, so far as their calling requireth, they fear not danger, and yet that they cast not away themselves through rashness. Let them call upon the name of the Lord cheerfully, even amidst the pikes; − ⁵⁵³ and yet let them not contemn those helps which are offered; otherwise they shall be injurious to God, in that they are not only not moved with his promises, − ⁵⁵⁴ but also despise the means which he hath appointed for their deliverance. −

19.Taking him by the hand In that the chief captain did show himself so courteous to the young man, in that he led him by the hand into a secret place, in that he vouchsafeth to hear him so gently, all this must be attributed to the grace of God, who promised to give his people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, ( Exo 3:21) who useth to mollify hard hearts, to tame fierce spirits, and to fashion those unto all humanity, whom he hath determined to use as means to help those that be his. A man trained up in the wars might no less have given this young man the repulse, whom he knew not, than have despised Paul’s suit. Therefore, the Lord, who hath in his hand the hearts of men, did frame the profane man to give ear unto him. Also, it was well that he knew before how furiously they raged against Paul, that he might the more willingly succor a miserable and forsaken man. Those who are in authority are taught by this example what a great virtue courtesy is. If it had been a hard matter to come to him, − ⁵⁵⁵ he might, through ignorance, have delivered Paul to the Jews to be put to death. So oftentimes magistrates do fall into many and great offenses through their own pride, because they will not admit those who would give them good counsel. −

CalIing unto him And here we see the providence of God yet more manifestly; for though this be the drift of the chief captain: to prevent a public uproar, whereof he should have given an account before the governor, yet he executeth the counsel of God in delivering Paul. For he was to gather soldiers together; also, the city must needs be stripped of the garrison, and the voyage required some cost. Therefore: we must so consider the wisdom of the chief captain, that our faith lift up her eyes into heaven: and understand that God doth guide the heart of a profane man by a secret instinct, and that he is at length a guide to Paul and the soldiers, that he may come safe to Cesarea. The third hour of the night was the end of the first watch. Therefore, it is all one as if the chief captain did command that the soldiers be in readiness at the second watch. Luke calleth those who carried darts lancearios, who being more lightly weaponed, were placed in the wings, when as the soldiers which pertained unto the legions were more fit for set war. − ⁵⁵⁶

25.And he wrote a letter First, we must briefly admonish the readers who have not been conversant in histories, that this Felix was brother to Pallas, who being Caesar’s freeman, became equal with the chief of the city in wealth and power. Yea, moreover, the senate gave him the ornaments of the praetor, not without titles of filthy and shameful flattery. Therefore, seeing the servants of Claudius abusing his folly, did rule the Roman empire at their pleasure, and chiefly Narcissus and Pallas, no marvel if this latter did appoint his brother to be governor of Judea. The sum of the epistle tendeth to this end, that the chief captain may help Paul with his prejudice; − ⁵⁵⁷ and may admonish Felix of the injuries of his adversaries, and may so discredit them, that they may not be able to do him any hurt. −

27.This man being taken This was spoken odiously concerning the Jews, that he might purchase more favor for Paul, that a man, being a Roman, was by them sore beaten, and almost slain; also, he commendeth him for the right and privilege of his freedom, that he may be the more courteously handled. Furthermore, this commendation was not purchased by prayer or flattery, neither was it bought with money. How came it to pass, then, that the chief captain did show himself so courteous freely to an obscure man, and whom all men did hate, save only because the Lord had appointed him to be his servant’s patron? Therefore, we see how he governeth the tongues and hands of the infidels to the profit of those that be his. −

29.Whom I perceived In this place he acquitteth Paul, so far as his judgment could reach. But let us note that a profane man speaketh. For among the people of God it is an offense worthy of no less punishment, to corrupt the doctrine of godliness with wicked, and false opinions, than to do injury to, or commit wickedness among men. The Romans would not have suffered their superstitions, or reigned worshippings of their gods, to be freedom; − ⁵⁵⁸ but forasmuch as they made no account of the law of God, yea, seeing they were desirous to have the same quite put out, it was among them no fault to believe Moses and the prophets no more, or to trouble the Church with false opinions. Therefore, there was a law, that the governors should not meddle with such matters; but that those who were abiding in the provinces should so retain their religion, that if anything were done contrary to the same, the Roman magistrates should not meddle with the punishing thereof. This is the reason why the chief captain thinketh it no offense to have moved questions concerning the law. And under color hereof, unlearned men will have leave granted to themselves and others amiss to cause trouble. The Lord saith far otherwise, who doth more sharply punish the violating of his worship, than any injuries done to men. And surely nothing is more absurd than to let those who rob God of his honor escape scot free, − ⁵⁵⁹ seeing theft is punished. But as the chief captain careth not for the Jewish religion, so the false accusations and slanders of the Jews are refuted, wherewith they would gladly have burdened Paul. −

30.When it was showed to me The second part of the epistle where the chief captain doth bring the adversaries into contempt, − ⁵⁶⁰ because they went about to kill Paul treacherously. Whence it is also gathered, that they trouble Paul unjustly, and that they sought so sore against his life without any cause. For if they had persecuted him lawfully, they would have trusted to the goodness of their cause, and not have suffered him to be judged according to law. Now, when as they seek to kill him, it appeareth that they have no reason. −

32.And the next day Though Luke did not express before that the soldiers were commanded to return before they came at their way’s end, yet it is certain, that they were appointed to accompany him only unto that place where the chief captain thought Paul would be safe; for he went out privily in the night. And the chief captain knew that so soon as they had finished some part of their journey, there was no farther danger, because the adversaries could have no hope to overtake him; and that it was no point of wisdom − ⁵⁶¹ to send part of the garrison far away.

Governor of Judaea and Samaria was once held by Pontius Pilate. The provincial capital was at Caesarea, sixty-five miles northwest of Jerusalem. Paul, as a Roman citizen, was thus taken to be judged by a Roman governor."

fearing : Act 23:27, Act 19:28-31, Act 21:30-36; Psa 7:2, Psa 50:22; Mic 3:3; Jam 1:19, Jam 3:14-18; Jam 4:1, Jam 4:2

to take : Act 22:24

the Lord : Act 2:25, Act 18:9, Act 27:23, Act 27:24; Psa 46:1, Psa 46:2, Psa 109:31; Isa 41:10,Isa 41:14, Isa 43:2; Jer 15:19-21; Mat 28:20; Joh 14:18; 2Co 1:8-10

Be : Act 27:22, Act 27:25; Mat 9:2, Mat 14:27; Joh 16:33

for : Act 19:21, Act 20:22, Act 22:18, Act 28:23-28; Rom 1:15, Rom 1:16; Phi 1:13; 2Ti 4:17

must : Act 28:30,Act 28:31; Isa 46:10; Joh 11:8-10

certain : Act 23:21, Act 23:30, Act 25:3; Psa 2:1-3, Psa 64:2-6; Isa 8:9, Isa 8:10; Jer 11:19; Mat 26:4

bound : 1Ki 19:2; 2Ki 6:31; Mat 27:25; Mar 6:23-26

under a curse : or, with an oath of execration, Lev 27:29; Jos 6:26, Jos 7:1, Jos 7:15; Neh 10:29; Mat 26:74 *Gr: 1Co 16:22; Gal 3:13

that : Such execrable vows as these were not unusual among the Jews, who, from their perverted traditions, challenged to themselves a right of punishing without any legal process, those whom they considered transgressors of the law; and in some cases, as in the case of one who had forsaken the law of Moses, they thought they were justified in killing them. They therefore made no scruple of acquainting the chief priests and elders with their conspiracy against the life of Paul, and applying for their connivance and support; who, being chiefly of the sect of the Sadducees, and the apostle’ s bitterest enemies, were so far from blaming them for it, that they gladly aided and abetted them in this mode of dispatching him, and on its failure they soon afterwards determined upon making a similar attempt (Act 25:2, Act 25:3). If these were, in their bad way, conscientious men, they were under no necessity of perishing for hunger, when the providence of God had hindered them from accomplishing their vow; for their vows of abstinence from eating and drinking were as easy to loose as to bind, any of their wise men or Rabbis having power to absolve them, as Dr. Lightfoot has shown from the Talmud. 1Sa 14:24, 1Sa 14:27, 1Sa 14:28, 1Sa 14:40-44; Psa 31:13

which : 2Sa 15:12, 2Sa 15:31; Joh 16:2

Psa 52:1, Psa 52:2; Isa 3:9; Jer 6:15, Jer 8:12; Hos 4:9; Mic 7:3

that he : Act 25:3; Psa 21:11, Psa 37:32, Psa 37:33; Pro 1:11, Pro 1:12, Pro 1:16, Pro 4:16; Isa 59:7; Rom 3:14-16

when : Job 5:13; Pro 21:30; Lam 3:37; 1Co 3:19

he went : 2Sa 17:17

one : Act 23:23, Act 22:26; Pro 22:3; Mat 8:8, Mat 8:9, Mat 10:16

Paul : Act 16:25, Act 27:1, Act 28:17; Gen 40:14, Gen 40:15; Eph 3:1, Eph 4:1; Phm 1:9

something : Luk 7:40

took : Jer 31:32; Mar 8:23, Mar 9:27

What : Neh 2:4; Est 5:3, Est 7:2, Est 9:12; Mar 10:51

The Jews : Act 23:12

as : Act 23:15; Psa 12:2; Dan 6:5-12

do not : Exo 23:2

for : Act 23:12-14, Act 9:23, Act 9:24, Act 14:5, Act 14:6, Act 20:19, Act 25:3; 2Co 11:26, 2Co 11:32, 2Co 11:33

an oath : Act 23:14; Rom 9:3

Jos 2:14; Mar 1:44

two centurions : Act 23:17

at : About nine o’ clock in the evening, for the greater secrecy, and to elude the cunning, active malice of the Jews. Mat 14:25; Luk 12:38

beasts : Neh 2:12; Est 8:12; Luk 10:34

Felix : Act 23:26, Act 23:33-35, Act 24:3, Act 24:10,Act 24:22-27, Act 25:14

the governor : Mat 27:2; Luk 3:1

the most : Act 24:3, Act 26:25 *Gr: Luk 1:3

greeting : Act 15:23; Jam 1:1; 3Jo 1:14

was taken : Act 23:10, Act 21:31-33, Act 24:7

having : Act 22:25-29

Act 22:30

questions : Act 23:6-9, Act 18:15, Act 24:5, Act 24:6, Act 24:10-21, Act 25:19, Act 25:20

but : Act 25:7, Act 25:8, Act 25:11, Act 25:25, Act 26:31

it was : Act 23:16-24

and gave : Act 24:7, Act 24:8, Act 25:5, Act 25:6

Farewell : Act 15:29; 2Co 13:11

as : Act 23:23, Act 23:24; Luk 7:8; 2Ti 2:3, 2Ti 2:4

delivered : Act 23:25-30

presented : Act 28:16

he asked : Act 25:1; Est 1:1, Est 8:9; Dan 2:49, Dan 6:1; Luk 23:6

Cilicia : Act 15:41, Act 21:39

when : Act 23:30, Act 24:1, Act 24:10,Act 24:22, Act 24:24-27, Act 25:16

in : Mat 2:1, Mat 2:3, Mat 2:16

judgment : Mat 27:27; Joh 18:28

A great dissension - A great tumult, excitement, or controversy.

Into the castle - See the notes on Act 21:34.

The Lord stood by him - Evidently the Lord Jesus. See the notes on Act 1:24. Compare Act 22:18. The appearance of the Lord in this case was a proof that he approved the course which Paul had taken before the Sanhedrin.

Be of good cheer - It would not be remarkable if Paul, by these constant persecutions, should be dejected in mind. The issue of the whole matter was as yet doubtful. In these circumstances, it must have been especially consoling to him to hear these words of encouragement from the Lord Jesus, and this assurance that the object of his desires would be granted, and that he would be permitted to bear the same witness of him in Rome. Nothing else can comfort and sustain the soul in trials and persecutions but evidence of the approbation of God, and the promises of his gracious aid.

Bear witness also at Rome - This had been the object of his earnest wish Rom 1:10; Rom 15:23-24, and this promise of the Lord Jesus was fulfilled, Act 28:30-31. The promise which was here made to Paul was not directly one of deliverance from the present persecution, but it implied that, and made it certain.

Certain of the Jews - Some of the Jews. They were more than forty in number, Act 23:13.

Banded together - Made an agreement or compact. They conspired to kill him.

And bound themselves under a curse - See the margin. The Greek is, "they anathematized themselves"; that is, they bound themselves by a solemn oath. They invoked a curse on themselves, or devoted themselves to destruction, if they did not do it. Lightfoot remarks, however, that they could be absolved from this vow by the rabbis if they were unable to execute it. Under various pretences they could easily be freed from such oaths, and it was common to take them; and if there was any difficulty in fulfilling them, they could easily apply to their religious teachers and be absolved.

That they would neither eat nor drink - That is, that they would do it as soon as possible. This was a common form of an oath, or curse, among the Jews. Sometimes they only vowed abstinence from particular things, as from meat, or wine. But in this case, to make the oath more certain and binding, they vowed abstinence from all kinds of food and drink until they had killed him. Who these were - whether they were Sadducees or not - is not mentioned by the sacred writer. It is evident, however, that the minds of the Jews were greatly inflamed against Paul; and as they saw him in the custody of the Roman tribune, and as there was no prospect that he would punish him, they resolved to take the matter into their own hands. Michaelis conjectures that they were of the number of the Sicarii, or cutthroats, with which Judea then abounded. See the notes on Act 21:38. It is needless to remark that this was a most wicked oath. It was a deliberate purpose to commit murder; and it shows the desperate state of morals among the Jews at that time, and the infuriated malice of the people against the apostle, that such an oath could have been taken.

Which had made this conspiracy - This oath συνωμοσίαν sunōmosian , this agreement, or compact. This large number of desperate men, bound by so solemn an oath, would be likely to be successful, and the life of Paul was therefore in special danger. The manner in which they purposed to accomplish their design is stated in Act 23:15.

And they came ... - Probably by a deputation.

To the chief priests and elders - The members of the Great Council, or Sanhedrin. It is probable that the application was made to the party of the Sadducees, as the Pharisees had shown their determination to defend Paul. They would have had no prospect of success had they attacked the castle, and they therefore devised this mode of obtaining access to Paul, where they might easily despatch him.

Under a great curse - Greek: "We have anathematized ourselves with an anathema."We have made the vow as solemn as possible.

Ye, with the council - With the concurrence or request of the Sanhedrin. It was only by such a request that they had any hope that the chief captain would remove Paul from the castle.

Signify to the chief captain - Send a message or request to him.

That he bring him down unto you - That he bring him from the castle to the usual place of the meeting of the Sanhedrin. As this was at some distance from the castle of Antonia, where Paul was, they supposed it would be easy to waylay him and take his life.

To-morrow - This is missing in the Syriac, Vulgate, and Ethiopic versions. It is, however, probably the correct reading of the text, as it would be necessary to convene the council, and make the request of the tribune, which might require the whole of one day.

As though ye would inquire ... - This request appeared so reasonable that they did not doubt that the tribune would grant it to the council. And though it was obviously a false and wicked pretence, yet these conspirators knew the character of the persons to whom they addressed themselves so well that they did not doubt that they would prevail on the council to make the request. Public justice must have been deeply fallen when it was known that such an iniquitous request could be made with the certain prospect of success.

Or ever he come near - Before he comes near to the Sanhedrin. The Great Council will thus not be suspected of being privy to the deed. We will waylay him, and murder him in the way. The plan was well laid; and nothing but the interposition of Providence could have prevented its execution.

Paul’ s sister’ s son - This is all that we know of the family of Paul. Nor do we know for what purpose he was at Jerusalem. It is possible that Paul might have a sister residing there; though, as Paul himself had been sent there formerly for his education, it seems more probable that this young man was sent there for the same purpose.

Entered into the castle - Paul had the privileges of a Roman citizen, and as no well-founded charge had been laid against him, it is probable that he was not very closely confined, and that his friends might have free access to him.

Called one of the centurions - Who might at that time have had special charge of the castle, or been on guard. Paul had the most positive divine assurance that his life would be spared, and that he would yet see Rome; but he always understood the divine promises and purposes as being consistent with his own efforts, and with all proper measures of prudence and diligence in securing his own safety. He did not rest merely on the divine promises without any effort of his own, but he took encouragement from those promises to put forth his own exertions for security and for salvation.

And prayed me - And asked me.

Took him by the hand - As an expression of kindness and civility. He did it to draw him aside from the multitude, that he might communicate his message privately.

And he said ... - In what way this young man had received intelligence of this, we can only conjecture. It is not improbable that he was a student under some one of the Jewish teachers, and that he might have learned it of him. It is not at all probable that the purpose of the 40 men would be very closely kept. Indeed, it is evident that they were not themselves very anxious about concealing their oath, as they mentioned it freely to the chief priests and elders, Act 23:14.

Looking for a promise from thee - Waiting for your consent to bring him down to them.

And he called unto him two centurions ... - Each centurion had under him 100 men. The chief captain resolved to place Paul beyond the power of the Jews, and to protect him as became a Roman citizen.

Two hundred soldiers - These foot soldiers were designed only to guard Paul until he was safely out of Jerusalem. The horsemen only were intended to accompany him to Caesarea. See Act 23:32.

And horsemen - These were commonly attached to foot soldiers. In this case, however, they were designed to attend Paul to Caesarea.

And spearmen - δεξιολάβους dexiolabous ."This word is found nowhere else in the New Testament, and occurs in no Classical writer. It properly means those who take, or apprehend by the right hand; and might be applied to those who apprehend prisoners, or to those who hold a spear or dart in the right hand for the purpose of throwing it. Some have conjectured that it should be read δεξιοβόλους dexiobolous - those who cast or throw (a spear) with the right hand. So the Vulgate, the Syriac, and the Arabic understand it. They were probably those who were armed with spears or darts, and who attended on the tribune as a guard.

At the third hour of the night - At nine o’ clock. This was in order that it might be done with secrecy, and to elude the band of desperadoes that had resolved to murder Paul. If it should seem that this guard was very numerous for one man, it should be remembered:

(1)    That the number of those who had conspired against him was also large; and,

(2)    That they were men accustomed to scenes of blood; men of desperate characters who had solemnly sworn that they would take his life.

In order, therefore, to deter them effectually from attacking the guard, it was made very numerous and strong. Nearly 500 men were appointed to guard Paul as he left Jerusalem.

And provide them beasts - One for Paul, and one for each of his attendants. The word translated "beasts" κτήνη ktēnē is of a general character, and may be applied either to horses, camels, or donkeys. The latter were most commonly employed in Judea.

Unto Felix the governor - The governor of Judea. His place of residence was Caesarea, about 60 miles from Jerusalem. See the notes on Act 8:40. His name was Antonius Felix. He was a freedman of Antonia, the mother of the Emperor Claudius. He was high in the favor of Claudius, and was made by him governor of Judea. Josephus calls him Claudius Felix. He had married three wives in succession that were of royal families, one of whom was Drusilla, afterward mentioned in Act 24:24, who was sister to King Agrippa. Tacitus (History, v. 9) says that he governed with all the authority of a king, and the baseness and insolence of a slave. "He was an unrighteous governor, a base, mercenary, and bad man"(Clarke). See his character further described in the notes on Act 24:25.

Unto the most excellent governor Felix - The most honored, etc. This was a mere title of office.

Greeting - A term of salutation in an epistle wishing health, joy, and prosperity.

Should have been killed of them - Was about to be killed by them. The life of Paul had been twice endangered in this manner, Act 21:30; Act 23:10.

With an army - With a band of soldiers, Act 23:10.

Questions of their law - So he understood the whole controversy to be.

Worthy of death - By the Roman law. He had been guilty of no crime against the Roman people.

Or of bonds - Of chains, or of confinement.

To Antipatris - This town was anciently called Cafar-Saba. Josephus says ( Antiq. , Act 13:23) that it was about 17 miles from Joppa. It was about 26 miles from Caesarea, and, of course, about 35 miles from Jerusalem. Herod the Great changed its name to Antipatris, in honor of his father Antipater. It was situated in a fine plain, and watered with many springs and fountains. Eli Smith, late missionary to Palestine, who took a journey from Jerusalem to Joppa for the purpose of ascertaining Paul’ s route, supposes that the site of Antipatris is the present Kefr Saba. Of this village he gives the following description in the Bibliotheca Sacra for 1843: "It is a Muslim village of considerable size, and wholly like the most common villages of the plain, being built entirely of mud. We saw but one stone building, which was apparently a mosque, but without a minaret. No old ruins, nor the least relic of antiquity, did we anywhere discover. A well by which we stopped, a few rods east of the houses, exhibits more signs of careful workmanship than anything else. It is walled with hewn stone, and is 57 feet deep to the water. The village stands upon a slight circular eminence near the western hills, from which it is actually separated, however, by a branch of the plain."

They left the horsemen - As they were then beyond the danger of the conspirators, the soldiers who had guarded them thus far returned to Jerusalem.

Of what province he was - Greek: of what heparchy ἐπαρχίας eparchias he was. He knew from the letter of Lysias that he was a Roman, but he was not informed of what place or province he was. This he doubtless did in order to ascertain whether he properly belonged to his jurisdiction. Roman provinces were districts of country which were entrusted to the jurisdiction of procurators. How far the jurisdiction of Felix extended is not certainly known. It appears, however, that it included Cilicia.

Was of Cilicia - Tarsus, the birthplace of Paul, was in this province, Act 21:39.

In Herod’ s judgment hall - Greek: in the praetorium of Herod. The word used here denoted formerly "the tent of the Roman praetor"; and since that was the place where justice was administered, it came to be applied to "halls (courts) of justice."This had been raised probably by Herod the Great as his palace, or as a place for administering justice. It is probable, also, that prisons, or places of security, would be attached to such places.

A great dissension: feuds about pretended religion are usually among all men very sharp, because their opinions, being the issues of their own brains, are more beloved than their children, the fruit of their bodies.

Commanded the soldiers to go down from the fort or castle, unto which there was an ascent or stair, to go up and down by.

The Lord stood by him in a revelation appearing inwardly to his mind; which is the rather thought to have been so, because it is here said to have been in the night; but whether by vision or revelation, it is all one as to this purpose, and neither were unfrequent unto Paul, 2Co 12:1 .

Be of good cheer: so true it is what our Saviour had promised and foretold, Joh 16:33 , In the world ye shall have tribulation, but in me ye shall have peace.

If they did not kill Paul before they did eat or drink any more, they wished that they might become a cherem, or anathema; as Jericho and the inhabitants thereof were, being devoted to utter ruin and destruction. Or, if they did not execute this their wicked design, they would yield themselves to be anathematized, or excommunicated, as those that had broken their pact or agreement.

They made themselves sure (they thought) of killing Paul; there were above forty to one. The church’ s enemies are unanimous and resolute. As David formerly, so might now Paul say, They that are mad against me are sworn against me, Psa 102:8 .

They came to the chief priests and elders whose place and office it was to have dissuaded such an abominable murder: For the priest’ s lips should keep knowledge, Mal 2:7 . And they could not but have been guilty of the blood of St. Paul, had it been shed, who by encouraging the design became accessory unto it. But they had drank blood very largely before now; viz. the blood of St. Stephen, and the blood of our Saviour; and it is no wonder that they thirst for more: such wild beasts, (rather than men), when they have once tasted of blood, are never satisfied with it. But at what a low ebb was religion, when the chief priests themselves combine with assassins!

Ye with the council the chief priests are to join with the council in this desire to the chief captain; for they had no authority to command him.

As though ye would inquire something more perfectly concerning him: the plot against Paul’ s life was laid very deep, and not easily to be discovered; it being usual to send for prisoners to re-examine them, especially when religion and the public peace are concerned, as they pretended that here they were.

Or ever he come near: the space between the castle and the place where the council met, being considerable, it gave the greater advantage to the conspirators.

Paul’ s sister’ s son who is thought to have been one of Paul’ s company: but the hatred against Paul by the Jews being so general, because of his (supposed) profaning of the temple, they were not so curious who they spake to of this confederacy and design. Or rather, there is no counsel against God: the very birds of the air, if need were, shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter, Ecc 10:20 . For he that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision, Psa 2:4 .

The chief captain having the command of a thousand soldiers, there were ten captains under him: one of these Paul intrusts with his message to the chief captain, not making any particular request unto the chief captain, supposing him to have so much of the Roman justice in him, that when he understood his case, he would provide for his saftety; which he was not mistaken in.

The centurion took Paul’ s kinsman, and went with him, as he was desired, unto the chief captain, that there might be no mistake, but that he might hear all out of the young man’ s own mouth, and be the more affected with it.

The prisoner or, the chained; for it was customary to chain their prisoners for their greater security. And God is now remembering of Paul in his bonds.

He took him by the hand as a token of courtesy; these commanders showing an excellent example of humanity and pity towards their inferiors and supposed criminals. There are several reasons given of this great civility here used, as the chief captain’ s naturally meek temper; or his policy to satisfy for the injury he had done to Paul, in binding him, being a Roman; nay, some think that he, as well as Felix the governor, hoped for money to be given unto him, Act 24:26 : but all these are but guesses. It is sure, whatever any of these causes were or were not, God is to be seen and acknowledged in it, who hath the hearts of all men in his bands, and turneth them as it pleaseth him, Pro 21:1 .

The Jews both the council, and those forty and upwards spoken of, in Act 23:12,13 .

Do not thou yield unto them this the young man desires out of his care for his uncle’ s (Paul’ s) preservation, as also touched with the horror of the fact if it should have been executed; and howsoever, by this means he delivers his own soul, having done his utmost to hinder it.

Now are they ready, looking for a promise from thee the match is laid, the hand is as it were lifted up, nothing is wanting to Paul’ s destruction but the chief captain’ s consent, which the Jews assuredly expected, it being but a small courtesy to grant them, to examine a prisoner, especially such a one as upon their complaint was committed in a case cognizable by them: but, Deus e machina, Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand; for God is with us, Isa 8:10 .

The chief captain shows by this his care, both for St. Paul, and for the young man too; for had it been known that he had discovered their conspiracy, they would have sought his life, and might divers ways have taken it away; and as for Paul, being disappointed in this, they would have made other attempts against him.

Make ready two hundred soldiers two hundred were the usual proportion or number of men which were under the two centurions; so that they were commanded to have their companies in readiness.

And horsemen threescore and ten horsemen being usually added for defence of their foot soldiers.

Spearmen as they are called here, were such as handled, or threw, their javelins or darts with their right hand. Some think them to have been such as our serjeants, who take men into custody; others, that they were soldiers raised out of foreign nations, and lightly armed.

At the third hour of the night partly because in those hot countries it is very troublesome to travel by day, and partly for the greater security of Paul and such as went with him.

What a strong guard and retinue does God by his providence get together for the safe guarding of Paul! None of all these intended the least good unto him; but God can make use of them as effectually as if they had had the greatest good will for him.

It is not certain whether the following words were the letter itself, or only the sum or contents of the letter.

Most excellent a title given to persons of great eminency, as, Luk 1:3 , it is given to Theophilus, unto whom also this book of the Acts is inscribed, Act 1:1 .

This Felix was brother to one Pallas, who together with Narcissus (the other of the emperor Claudius’ s favourites) managed all public affairs, and are by the historians branded for all the mischiefs of that calamitous time. This Felix and his brother Pallas were born slaves, and manumitted by Claudius, and were such as are exalted; as often Providence will show the power it hath in pulling down and setting up whom it pleaseth.

He represents Paul’ s case fairly and indifferently, God overruling his heart and pen; but withal, he conceals his binding of him, and instead thereof magnifies his care of him, being a Roman; and probably being touched with a sense of his fault, he represents Paul’ s case the better.

The council understanding those questions (as he thought) best, and having yet retained some power fron the Romans concerning them.

According to the Roman laws, or imperial constitutions. That he undervalued the great things in question concerning our blessed Saviour’ s death and resurrection, and the whole gospel, it is not to be wondered at; he spake and wrote as a pagan; and God overruled his very slighting of these controversies for Paul’ s advantage, he being by that means preserved from the rage of his enemies.

The Jews laid wait for the man this reflects upon the Jews, as being seditious, and ready to attempt against the government; as also gives the governor an account why he troubled him with this prisoner, and why he sent so great a guard with him.

Farewell the usual prayer wherewith they ended their letters, as in Act 15:29 .

Not that they came to Antipatris by night; but they began that journey by night, as Act 23:23 , and went as much of it as they could by night, for fear of being discovered, and attempted upon by the Jews.

This Antipatris was built by Herod the Great, and so called in memory of his father Antipater; it was about seventeen leagues from Jerusalem, pleasantly situated upon the Mediterranean Sea, between Joppa and Caesarea.

The footmen returned to the castle or fort of Antonia in Jerusalem, from whence they did set out, there being no fear of any such design upon Paul at that distance from Jerusalem, which the horsemen might not easily avoid.

Caesarea Caesarea Stratonis, as it was called, to difference it from the other.

They presented Paul as being their charge, whom they had safely kept, and now delivered according to appointment.

He asked of what province he was Palestine and the countries thereabouts being divided into several heptarchies or jurisdictions, the governors were very loth to infringe the limits of one another.

Of Cilicia a country in Asia Minor, in which was Tarsus where Paul was born, and from his birth place he is reckoned to belong to that province.

I will hear thee thoroughly, the whole matter, as the preposition dia , here used, does import; and as it is commanded unto all judges, Deu 1:16 .

When thine accusers are also come for this the dictate of nature did teach the very heathen, that both parties ought to be heard before anything were determined: Qui aliquid statuerit parte inaudita altera: That whosoever pronounced any sentence before both sides were fully heard, were the sentence never so just, yet the judge was unjust.

Herod’ s judgment-hall a palace where the governors were lodged, built by Herod the Great, when, in honour, or flattery, of Augustus, after he had fortified the city, he caused it to be called Cesarea.

Be constant...so must thou bear witness also at Rome; and so needest not fear to be killed by them. (Witham)

Bound themselves. The Greek is, anathematized, that is, submitted themselves to a curse, if they did not kill Paul. It was a great imprecation, the violation of which would have been equivalent to renouncing their belief in God. See to what degree of iniquity this nation is come. When any good is in contemplation, none are found to undertake it; whilst all, even the priests too, are ready to concur in any wicked design. (St. John Chrysostom, in Act. hom. xlix.) ---

To take an unlawful oath is one sin; but to keep it, is another and greater sin: as when Herod, to keep his oath, put to death John the Baptist. (Matthew iv. 9.)

Forty men that had made this conspiracy, [3] and bound themselves with an impious curse, or imprecation upon themselves, if they did not kill him. (Witham)

===============================

[BIBLIOGRAPHY]

Devoverunt se, Greek: anathematisan. [ver. 14, bind under a great curse.]

====================

Taking him by the hand, with marks of affection and tenderness. It is probable that he tribune expected this young man was come to offer some ransom for Paul's liberty. (Menochius)

From the third hour of the night. If the tribune spoke with a regard to the twelve hours of the night, the third hour was three hours after sunset, and was about our nine o'clock at night; but if he meant the third watch of the night, that began at midnight. See Matthew xiv. 35. (Witham)

Felix. This man had been a slave of the emperor Claudius. The high priest, Jonathan, had procured him to be made governor of Judea. He governed the country with great cruelty and outrage; exercising the power of a king, says Tacitus, with all the insolence and meanness of a slave, who is neither restrained by fear nor shame. (Tacitus, Hist. lib. v.)

This verse is omitted in the Greek. Antipatris was a pleasant city on the Mediterranean sea, situated at equal distance, about 24 miles, between Joppe and Cæsarea, on the way from Jerusalem to this latter city. (Matt. Polus)

I rescued...having understood that he is a Roman. This was not true, if we understand it of the first time he rescued him; but may be true, if meant of the second time. (Witham)

This was a palace erected by Herod the Great; in which the governors had taken up their habitation. (Bible de Vence)

And when there arose a great dissension,.... When that was come to a very great height, hot words were spoken, and they were ready to come to blows, and there was like to be a riot and tumult among them:

the chief captain fearing lest Paul should be pulled in pieces of them; either of the Sadducees, whom he had greatly offended and provoked, or of both Sadducees and Pharisees, the one laying hold on him to preserve him from the fury of the other, and the other endeavouring to pluck him out of their hands; and the fears of the chief captain were not so much out of affection to Paul, but lest there should be an uproar, which might issue in sedition, and rebellion against the Roman government, of which the Roman officers were always jealous; and because that Paul was a Roman, and should he suffer him to be destroyed in an illegal manner, he must be accountable for it: wherefore he

commanded the soldiers to go down: either from the castle of Antonia, or from a superior part of the temple, where he with his guards were, to hear this cause before the sanhedrim, to that part where it sat, and Paul was: and

take him by force from among them; if they refused to deliver him up, to make use of their arms:

and bring him into the castle; of Antonia, where he was before.

And the night following,.... The day in which Paul was brought before the sanhedrim, and pleaded his own cause before them, and had thrown them into confusion and division:

the Lord stood by him; the Lord Jesus Christ appeared in a vision to him, and stood very near him, by the side of him, by the bed or couch on which he might lie: and said,

be of good cheer, Paul; though he was now a prisoner in the castle; and though the high priest, and the Sadducees especially, were enraged against him; and though a plot was about to be formed to take away his life; for this exhortation seems to be designed to prepare him for further trials, and to prevent discouragement under them; which shows the great care of Christ over him, his concern for him, and love to him: the word Paul is not in the Alexandrian copy, nor in the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Ethiopic versions; but the calling him by name seems to express not only singular knowledge of him, but greater familiarity and affection; it is in the Arabic version, and in other Greek copies:

for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem; not only in the Christian church, and before the Apostle James, and the elders, but in the Jewish sanhedrim, and before the high priest, Scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees, where and before whom, though not particularly recorded, he bore a testimony for Jesus, that he was the true Messiah; and that though he died, he was risen from the dead, and was at the right hand of God, and was the only Saviour of men:

so must thou bear witness also at Rome; as he had bore a public and faithful witness to the person, office, and grace of Christ at Jerusalem, the metropolis of Judea; so it was necessary, by the decree of God, and for the glory of Christ, that he should bear a like testimony at Rome, the chief city in the whole world; hereby signifying, that he should not die at Jerusalem, and giving him a hint that he should appeal to Caesar, which he afterwards did.

And when it was day,.... As soon as it was light, very early in the morning:

certain of the Jews banded together; these very likely were of the sect of the Sadducees, who had been exceedingly irritated and provoked by what Paul had said the day before in the council; these therefore gathered together, entered into a conspiracy to take away Paul's life, and trailed in it, as one man:

and bound themselves under a curse; or "anathematized themselves"; the Hebrew word חרם, which answers to "anathema", is sometimes used for an oath, חרם היא שבועה, "Cherem" or "anathema" is "an oath" ^a, a vow made to be punished with an anathema if not kept; so these men swore to it, bound themselves with an oath, or wished they might be an anathema, accursed of God, and cut off from his people; they imprecated the most dreadful evils upon themselves:

saying, that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul: it was a common form of a vow or oath with the Jews ^b, שלא אוכל, "that I will not eat"; sometimes they only vowed abstinence from particular things, and then others were lawful; as for instance, if one vowed that he would not eat boiled meat, he might eat roast, or that he would not eat flesh, he might eat broth, or that he would abstain from milk, then he might drink whey, ^c; but this oath and vow here were, that they would neither eat nor drink anything, till they had destroyed Paul: these were a set of zealots, who in imitation of Phinehas, and pretending the glory of God, took upon them to take away the lives of men, without any, judicial procedure, or the authority of the civil magistrate; of whom; see Gill on Mat 10:4 it may be asked, what became of this vow? or how did they get clear of it, since they did not accomplish the fact? to which it may be answered, that it was a pretty easy thing to be freed from oaths and vows, among the Jews, whose doctors had a power to absolve men from them; and in such cases as this, and such a vow as this, might be loosed upon more accounts than one, as on account of keeping another law, the observing the sabbath and other festivals, when men were obliged to eat and drink: and thus it is said ^d,

"if a man swears that he will not drink wine, or that he will not eat flesh, for so many days, then they say to him, if thou hadst known at the time of the oath, that the sabbath or a feast day were within these days, in which thou art obliged to eat flesh and drink wine, as it is said, Isa 58:13 "and call the sabbath a delight"; wouldst thou have swore at all? if he says no, they loose his oath:''

and likewise it might be loosed on account of life, which a man is bound to preserve: for so they likewise say ^e,

"if a man vows that he will not eat anything, woe be to him if he eats, and woe be to him if he does not eat; if he eats he breaks his vow, if he does not eat he sins against his own soul, or life; what must he do? let him go to the wise men, ויתירו לו את נדרו, "and they will loose his vow for him", as it is written, Pro 12:18 but the tongue of the wise is health;''

and no doubt but these men very easily got their vow loosed, since it was made on such a design.

And they were more than forty which had made this conspiracy. Who met together, formed this resolution, entered into this scheme, and bound themselves with this oath; the word rendered "conspiracy", signifies an agreement by oath; such a number of them banded together, that they might have strength sufficient to take Paul out of the hands of the soldiers, as he was conducted by them from the castle to the temple.

And they came to the chief priests, and elders,.... Who were members of the sanhedrim, to acquaint them with their designs:

and said, we have bound ourselves under a great curse, that we will eat nothing until we have slain Paul: these chief priests and elders, had they acted according to the character they bore, on such an information, would have taken up those men, and punished them, at least would have dissuaded them from so vile an action; but they knew the men to whom they applied, and very likely they were all of them of the sect of the Sadducees, whom Paul had so much offended the day before; and therefore were pleased with what they had done, approved of their scheme, and readily fell in with the following proposal.

Now therefore ye with the council,.... The whole sanhedrim; their sense is, that they would have the sanhedrim convened by the chief priests and elders, and being met together, then to

signify to the chief captain; or let him know that they were assembled together, upon the affair of Paul, and that they here desirous he might be brought before them:

that he bring him down unto you tomorrow; from the castle of Antonia to the place where the sanhedrim met; the word "tomorrow" is not in the Alexandrian copy, nor in the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Ethiopic versions; and then it should seem that they desired him to be brought down forthwith, or otherwise they must propose to fast all that day, and so long on the morrow, till Paul was brought down; but that the common reading is right, appears from the chief captain's sending away Paul at the third hour of the night following, to prevent their designs on the morrow, Act 23:23. The pretence formed for his being brought down is,

as though ye would inquire something more perfectly concerning him; what he had done, which had occasioned this uproar, what it was he was charged with, and whether he was guilty or not:

and we, or ever he come near: where the sanhedrim sat;

are ready to kill him; lying in wait in some private place between the castle and the temple, from whence they intended to rush out at once upon him, and murder him; far enough both from the temple and the council, that both the one might not be defiled, though they did not greatly stick at that in those times, and that the other might not be charged with having any hand in his death.

And when Paul's sister's son heard of their lying in wait,.... Paul might have a sister living in Jerusalem; or this her son might be there on account of his studies; he might be a pupil to one of the doctors, by which means he might come at this secret, that such a number of men were in ambush, in order to take away his uncle's life: wherefore having got intelligence of it,

he went and entered into the castle; the Alexandrian copy reads, "the synagogue"; but Paul was not there, but in the castle of Antonia; the Ethiopic version renders it, "the prison"; though it is plain that he was not very closely confined, it was easy to have access to him; the reason might be, not only because he was a Roman, but because he was uncondemned, nor was any charge proved against him:

and told Paul; what he had heard, that such a number of men had entered into a conspiracy to take away his life, and lay in wait for him; and this was an instance both of duty and affection to his uncle, and worthy of imitation, whether it proceeded from natural relation, or from religion, or both.

Then Paul called one of the centurions unto him,.... For under this chief captain there must have been ten of them, if the company of which he was captain consisted of a thousand men, as his title chief captain or chiliarch imports; for a centurion was over an hundred men, as his title signifies; perhaps this might be the same, as in Act 22:25

and said, bring this young man to the chief captain: which was a very prudential step, not to let the centurion into the secret, but to desire him to introduce the young man to the chief captain; for had he trusted the centurion with it, he might not have acquainted his officer with it, but have informed the liers in wait of it: now though the apostle was assured by Christ that he should not die at Jerusalem, but should bear witness of him at Rome, and though he did not distrust the truth of Christ's words, but most firmly believed them; yet he thought it his duty to make use of the means, which providence had put in his way, for his preservation and safety; the Ethiopic version reads, "bring this young man by night to the chief captain"; that so he might not be seen, and observed to have carried any intelligence to him:

for he hath a certain thing to tell him; which was of some moment and importance, and proper for him to know.

So he took him, and brought him to the chief captain,.... Immediately, without any more to do, without curiously inquiring into the thing, or examining the young man about it; which showed him to be a man of a good disposition, and ready to do a kind office, even to a prisoner:

and said, Paul the prisoner called me to him; either vocally or by some gesture, beckoned him to him:

and prayed me to bring this young man unto thee, who hath something to say unto thee; in which may be observed the apostle's manner of address to the centurion, on this occasion; it was by way of entreaty; he asked it as a favour of him, to introduce his nephew to the chief captain; and the honour and modesty of the centurion, he did not seek by any methods to get the secret out, either of Paul or the young man; but readily undertakes the affair, honourably performs it, acquaints the captain with the circumstances of it, tells him the young man had something to say to him, he could not tell what, and then departs.

Then the chief captain took him by the hand,.... Some have thought that the reason of this was, that he expected that the young man had brought him a present in his hand, from Paul; but this is to represent him as a sordid mercenary man, which ought not to be said, without sufficient proof; rather this should be considered as an instance of civility and humanity, and what showed him to be a man of breeding and good manners; and might be done partly out of respect to Paul, and partly to encourage the young man to use freedom in the account he was about to give him:

and went with him aside privately; concluding by his coming from Paul, and perceiving by the account of the centurion, that he had a secret to communicate to him; wherefore it was acting a wise and prudent part to take him into a private room, and hear what he had to say:

and asked him, what is that thou hast to tell me? thereby giving the young man an opportunity, and encouraging him to relate the secret to him.

And he said, the Jews have agreed to desire thee,.... By the Jews are meant, the Jewish sanhedrim, for the young man had not only intelligence of the conspiracy, and lying in wait of the forty men or more; but also of the agreement which the sanhedrim at the motion of these men were come into, to make the following request to the chief captain; which seems to confirm the above conjecture, that this young man might be a student under the president of the council, or one of the doctors, whereby he came at the knowledge of these things:

that thou wouldst bring down Paul tomorrow into the council, &c. See Gill on Act 23:15.

But do not thou yield unto them,.... Or be persuaded by them, to bring Paul down from the castle to the sanhedrim; this must not be imputed to the young man's pride and vanity, in taking upon him to give advice to the chief captain; but to his great affection for his uncle, which moved him to entreat, rather than to direct him, for which he gives a good reason:

for there lie in wait for him more than forty men, which have bound themselves with an oath, that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him; See Gill on Act 23:12. See Gill on Act 23:13.

and now are they ready; to execute their designs, being met together, and lying in ambush in some place, between the castle and the place where the sanhedrim met:

looking for a promise from thee; that when the sanhedrim should apply to him, he would promise them to bring Paul down according to their request; and for the making and performing of this promise, these men were waiting.

So the chief captain then let the young man depart,.... After he had had the account from him, and was master of the whole affair:

and charged him, see thou tell no man that thou hast showed these things to me; which was prudently said; it was a right and wise thing to conceal this matter, that the men might go on with their designs, and an opportunity be taken to convey Paul away, before the time came fixed by them to execute them; for otherwise, should it have been known that their plot was discovered, they would have entered upon new measures.

And he called to him two centurions,.... Who had each of them an hundred soldiers under them:

saying, make ready two hundred soldiers to go to Caesarea; which was formerly called Strato's tower, a sea port town, where Felix the Roman governor now was; it was six hundred furlongs, or seventy five miles ^f from Jerusalem: these two hundred soldiers were foot soldiers, as appears by their being distinguished from horsemen in the next clause, and were just the number that the two centurions had the command of; the making of them ready, was their seeing to it, that they were properly clothed, and accoutred with arms and ammunition, and with sufficient provision for their journey:

and horsemen threescore and ten; the Ethiopic version reads, "a hundred"; but without support from any copy: "and spearmen two hundred"; who carried spears in their right hand; the word used signifies such who receive, lay hold on, or hold anything in their right hand: some think it designs such who were employed in the militia, to lay hold on guilty persons, and hold them; the Alexandrian copy reads, δεξιοβολους, "those that cast with the right hand"; and so reads the Syriac version, to which the Arabic agrees, which renders it "darters"; such as carried darts in their hands, and did not shoot out of a bow, but cast darts with their hands: now these being got ready, were ordered to march,

at the third hour of the night; at nine o'clock at night, that they might go out unobserved, and before the petition from the sanhedrim was presented to him.

And provide them beasts,.... Horses or mules; the Syriac version reads in the singular number, "a beast": and one being sufficient for Paul, here may be a change of number; the Arabic and Ethiopic versions leave out these words, but the following clause makes them necessary:

that they may set Paul on; on the beast, or on one of the beasts provided; if more than one were provided, they might be for his companions, to go along with him:

and bring him safe unto Felix the governor; this man, of a servant, was made a freed man by Claudius Caesar ^g, and by him appointed in the room of Cumanus governor of Judea ^h; he was the brother of Pallas, who had the chief management of affairs under the emperor; and this Felix married three persons successively, that were of royal families; hence Suetonius ⁱ calls him the husband of three queens; one of these was Drusilla, afterwards mentioned in Act 24:24 who was sister to King Agrippa. Tacitus calls him Antonius Felix ^k which name he had from Antonia the mother of Claudius', whose servant he was; Josephus ^l calls him Claudius Felix, which name he took from the Emperor Claudius, who from so low and mean condition raised him to such honour and dignity; his name Felix signifies "happy": according to Tacitus ^m, when Felix was first sent into Judea, the government was divided between him and Cumanus; Felix had Samaria, and Cumanus the other part, which was called the nation of the Galilaeans; but Josephus takes no notice of any such division, he says ⁿ, that Cumanus was banished; and after that Felix was sent by Caesar, governor of Judea, of Galilee, Samaria, and Peraea; and so he seems to be governor of the whole country at this time; he was now at Caesarea, and it is plain that Judea was under his government, since Paul, a prisoner at Jerusalem, is sent down unto him; and in this his government he continued during the life of Claudius; and when Nero became emperor, and added four cities to the kingdom of Agrippa, he constituted Felix governor of the rest of Judea ^o; which character he bore till he thought fit to remove him, and put Festus in his room, of whom mention is made hereafter: after these words the following ones are added, in the Vulgate Latin version, "for he was afraid lest perhaps the Jews should take him by force and kill him, and afterwards he should bear the reproach, as if he had took money"; but they are not to be found in any Greek copies.

And he wrote a letter after this manner. The chief captain wrote a letter to Felix the governor, the form and sum of which were as follow; this letter he sent by one of the centurions to him.

Claudius Lysias, unto the most excellent Governor Felix,.... This is the inscription of the letter, and by it we learn the name of the chief captain, so often spoken of in this and the two preceding chapters, which was Claudius Lysias; the first of these names is a Roman one, and which he might take from the Emperor Claudius, for he was not a Roman born; and the latter seems to be a Greek name, and was his proper name, and, he himself very likely was a Greek, since he purchased his freedom with money; one of this name was Archon of Athens ^p; and another is reckoned by Cicero ^q, among the famous orators of Greece, and is often cited by Harpocratian ^r; one of Antiochus's noblemen, and who was of the blood royal, and acted as a general against the Jews, was of this name ^s.

"So he left Lysias, a nobleman, and one of the blood royal, to oversee the affairs of the king from the river Euphrates unto the borders of Egypt:'' (1 Maccabees 3:32)

The chief captain calls Felix the governor

the most excellent, which was a title of honour that belonged to him as a governor; the same is given to Theophilus, Luk 1:3 sendeth greeting; or wishes all health and prosperity.

This man was taken by the Jews,.... Meaning Paul, who was presented by the centurions to the governor, and was in his presence when the letter was opened and read, and who was taken by the Jews in the temple, and from thence dragged out and beaten by them:

and should have been killed of them; and would have been killed, had it not been for the chief captain; he was very near being killed by them, he was nigh unto death:

then came I with an army and rescued him; he came with the Roman band, which he had the command of, perhaps a thousand soldiers; for such a number he should have under him by his title; with these he came upon the Jews on a sudden, as they were beating Paul, and took him out of their hands, and saved him:

having understood that he was a Roman; but this he did not know till afterwards, after he had bound him with two chains, and after he had ordered him to be bound with thongs, and examined by scourging; all which he covers and hides from the governor, and suggests that it was his great concern for the Roman name, and for a Roman citizen, which put him upon this enterprise.

And when I would have known the cause,.... Or crime, he was guilty of:

wherefore they accused him: which they charged him with, and for which they beat him almost to death:

I brought him forth into their council; their court of judicature, the great sanhedrim.

Whom I perceived to be accused of questions of their law,.... As about the resurrection of the dead, and a future state, which some in the council denied, and some asserted, which with this heathen man were idle and foolish questions; or about the defiling of the temple, and speaking contemptibly of the law of Moses, the people of the Jews, and the holy place, which was the cry of the populace against him, and were things the captain knew little of:

but to have nothing laid to his charge worthy of death, or of bonds: by the laws of the Romans; and yet he himself had bound him with two chains at the first taking of him, and afterwards ordered him to be bound with thongs, and scourged, of which he says nothing, being convinced of his error, and willing to hide it; however, he bears a full testimony to the innocence of the apostle.

And when it was told me,.... As it was by Paul's sister's son,

how that the Jews laid wait for the man; had formed a conspiracy to take away his life, and laid a scheme in order to it, and at least intended, if they were not actually in ambush, to seize him as he should be brought from the castle to the sanhedrim:

I sent straightway to thee; the prisoner Paul, under a guard of soldiers; this he did directly, as soon as ever he heard of the design of the Jews; and he sent him to Felix, as being governor, to whom the judgment of this affair properly belonged, and who was best qualified for it, at least in the chief captain's account; and who doubtless consulted his own honour and safety, lest he should incur blame and disgrace, should a Roman have been slain through any neglect or want of care in him:

and gave commandment to his accusers also, to say before thee what they had against him; it is reasonable to conclude, that he said nothing of this to them, though he might have determined he would, till after Paul was sent away; otherwise the affair would have been discovered, which he desired might be concealed:

farewell; which is the conclusion of the epistle, and is a wish of health and happiness.

Then the soldiers, as it was commanded them, took Paul,.... Out of the castle, and put him upon a beast, as the chief captain had ordered the centurions, and they had directed the soldiers to do:

and brought him by night to Antipatris: they set out from Jerusalem at the third hour, or about nine o'clock at night, and travelled all night, and by break of day came to Antipatris; a city which lay in the road from Jerusalem to Caesarea: it was built by Herod the great, in the best soil of his kingdom, enriched with rivers and woods ^t; and was so called by him, in memory of his father Antipater; it before went by the name of Chabar Zaba ^u, or Capharsaba; the Jewish writers place it in the utmost borders of the land of Judea ^w; hence that phrase so often used by them, from Gebath to Antipatris ^x, in like sense as from Dan to Beersheba, these two places being the utmost borders of the land; here it was that Simon the just, with some of the principal inhabitants of Jerusalem, met Alexander the great, who travelled all night, as these soldiers with Paul did, and came to Antipatris at sun rising ^y. It was forty two miles from Jerusalem. It was in the road from Judea to Galilee, as appears from the following canon of the Jews, concerning divorces ^z;

"if a husband says to his wife, lo, this is thy divorce, if I do not come thirty days hence, and he goes from Judea to Galilee, and comes to Antipatris and returns, it becomes void:''

the way from Jerusalem to Caesarea lay through Nicopolis, Lydda, Antipatris, and Betthar; from Jerusalem to Nicopolis, according to the old Jerusalem Itinerary ^a, were twenty two miles; from thence to Lydda, ten miles; and from Lydda to Antipatris ten more (which make forty two miles, as before observed); and from Antipatris to Betthar ten miles, and from thence to Caesarea, sixteen more: so that when the apostle was at Antipatris, he had twenty six miles more to go to Caesarea; and hence it appears, that the length of the journey from Jerusalem to Caesarea was sixty eight miles; though Josephus ^b makes the distance to be six hundred furlongs, or seventy five miles: and that the way from the one to the other lay through the places before mentioned, may be illustrated from what the same writer says, of some persons travelling from Caesarea to Jerusalem; so he relates ^c, concerning Quadratus governor of Syria, that from Tyre he came to Caesarea, from Caesarea to Lydda, and from Lydda to Jerusalem; and of Cestius the Roman general, he says ^d, that from Caesarea he came to Antipatris, and from Antipatris to Lydda, and from Lydda to Jerusalem, which clearly seems to be the same road the apostle went; and so Jerom ^e, in the account he gives of the journey of Paula, says, that she came to Caesarea, where she saw the house of Cornelius, the cottage of Philip, and the beds of the four virgin prophetesses; and from thence to Antipatris, a little town half pulled down, which Herod called after his father's name; and from thence to Lydda, now Diospolis, famous for the resurrection of Dorcas, and the healing of Aeneas. Antipatris is, by Ptolomy ^f, placed at the west of Jordan, and is mentioned along with Gaza, Lydda, and Emmaus; some take it to be the same with Capharsalama, mentioned in:

"Nicanor also, when he saw that his counsel was discovered, went out to fight against Judas beside Capharsalama:'' (1 Maccabees 7:31)

and others say, it is the same that is since called Assur or Arsuf, a town on the sea coast, which is not likely, since it does not appear that Antipatris was a maritime city. The apostle could not now stay to preach the Gospel in this place, nor do we elsewhere read or hear of a Gospel church state in it, until the "fifth" century; when it appears ^g there was a church here, and Polychronius was bishop of it, who was present at the council of Chalcedon, held in the year 451; and in the "eighth" century there were many Christians dwelt here, for in the year 744 there were many of them killed by the Arabians.

On the morrow they left the horsemen to go with him,.... That is, the two hundred soldiers, and the two hundred spearmen, who were all on foot, left the seventy horsemen to conduct Paul to Caesarea; for being come to Antipatris, all danger from the Jews was over:

and returned to the castle; the castle Antonia in Jerusalem, from whence they set out.

Who, when they came to Caesarea,.... The seventy horsemen:

and delivered the epistle to the governor; to Felix, governor of Judea, who was now at Caesarea; namely, the letter which Claudius Lysias, the chief captain, sent to him; the form and contents of which are before given:

these presented Paul also before him; concerning whom, and whose affairs, the letter was.

And when the governor, had read the letter,.... Which he doubtless opened and read as soon as he had received it, not knowing what important business might be contained in it, or of what dangerous consequence a neglect of reading it might be; this showed care and diligence in him:

he asked of what province he was; since he perceived by the letter he was a Roman, and that he might know whether he was under his jurisdiction, and whether the hearing of his case belonged to him; and it should seem that it rather belonged to the governor of Syria; but that the crimes he was charged with were committed in Judea, particularly that of profaning the temple.

And when he understood that he was of Cilicia; which was a Roman province, in which Tarsus was, where Paul was born free; Act 21:39.

I will hear thee, said he,.... The Arabic and Ethiopic versions read, "we will hear", which is a grand courtly way of speaking:

when thine accusers are come; which Lysias, in his letter, informed him that he had ordered them to come; which shows the governor to have some sense of justice and integrity, being desirous to hear both sides before he judged of the affair, though there was so much said in the chief captain's letter in favour of Paul's innocence, and against his enemies.

And he commanded him to be kept in Herod's judgment hall; or palace: this was a place built by Herod the great at Caesarea, of whose magnificent buildings here Josephus gives a large account. For besides the famous haven or port which he made here, he adorned the place with splendid palaces, he built a theatre, and an amphitheatre, and a "forum" ^h, which was either a market place, or a court of judicature; and if the latter, perhaps the same that is here meant, in a part of which, or in a place adjoining to it, the apostle was put. Here he was kept by a guard of soldiers, but not in close confinement; he had much liberty, and his friends and acquaintance had leave to come to him; see Act 24:23. We read ⁱ of דיטי של קיסרין, which some interpret "the chamber of the judges of Caesarea"; or the place where they sat in judgment, and may be the same that is here meant; though others interpret it a prison; and so it seems was this judgment hall of Herod's.

¹ tn This genitive absolute construction with the participle γινομένης (ginomenhs) has been taken temporally (it could also be translated as causal).

² tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). In Greek the term χιλίαρχος (ciliarco") literally described the “commander of a thousand,” but it was used as the standard translation for the Latin tribunus militum or tribunus militare, the military tribune who commanded a cohort of 600 men.

³ tn Grk “that Paul would be torn to pieces by them.” BDAG 236 s.v. διασπάω has “of an angry mob μὴ διασπασθῇ ὁ Παῦλος ὑπ᾿ αὐτῶν that Paul would be torn in pieces by them Ac 23:10.” The passive construction is somewhat awkward in English and has been converted to an equivalent active construction in the translation.

⁴ tn Normally this term means “army,” but according to BDAG 947 s.v. στράτευμα, “Of a smaller detachment of soldiers, sing. Ac 23:10, 27.” In the plural it can be translated “troops,” but it is singular here.

⁵ tn Or “to go down, grab him out of their midst.”

⁶ tn Or “the headquarters.” BDAG 775 s.v. παρεμβολή 2 has “barracks/headquarters of the Roman troops in Jerusalem Ac 21:34, 37; 22:24; 23:10, 16, 32.”

¹ sn The presence of the Lord indicated the vindicating presence and direction of God.

² tn Grk “standing near Paul, said.” The participle ἐπιστάς (epistas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

³ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁴ tn Or “Do not be afraid.”

⁵ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

⁶ sn Like Jesus went to Jerusalem, Paul would now go to Rome. This trip forms the concluding backdrop to Acts. This is the second notice about going to Rome (see Acts 19:21 for the first).

map For location see JP4 A1.

¹ tn Grk “when it was day.”

² tn Grk “forming a conspiracy, bound.” The participle ποιήσαντες (poihsantes) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

³ tn L&N 30.72 has ‘some Jews formed a conspiracy’ Ac 23:12”; BDAG 979 s.v. συστροφή 1 has “Judeans came together in a mob 23:12. But in the last pass. the word may also mean – 2. the product of a clandestine gathering, plot, conspiracy” (see also Amos 7:10; Ps 63:3).

⁴ tn Or “bound themselves under a curse.” BDAG 63 s.v. ἀναθεματίζω 1 has “trans. put under a curse τινά someone…pleonastically ἀναθέματι ἀ. ἑαυτόν Ac 23:14…ἀ. ἑαυτόν vss. 12, 21, 13 v.l.” On such oaths see m. Shevi’it 3:1-5. The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in English and has not been translated.

⁵ tn The word “anything” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

¹ tn L&N 30.73 defines συνωμοσία (sunwmosia) as “a plan for taking secret action someone or some institution, with the implication of an oath binding the conspirators – ‘conspiracy, plot.’ …‘there were more than forty of them who formed this conspiracy’ Ac 23:13.”

¹ tn Grk “who.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“whom”) was translated by the third person plural pronoun (“them”) and a new sentence begun in the translation.

² tn Grk “going.” The participle προσελθόντες (proselqonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

³ sn They went to the chief priests. The fact that the high priest knew of this plot and did nothing shows the Jewish leadership would even become accomplices to murder to stop Paul. They would not allow Roman justice to take its course. Paul’s charge in v. 3 of superficially following the law is thus shown to be true.

⁴ tn Or “bound ourselves under a curse.” BDAG 63 s.v. ἀναθεματίζω 1 has “trans. put under a curse τινά someone…pleonastically ἀναθέματι ἀ. ἑαυτόν Ac 23:14…ἀ. ἑαυτόν vss. 12, 21, 13 v.l.” The pleonastic use ἀναθέματι ἀνεθεματίσαμεν (literally “we have cursed ourselves with a curse”) probably serves as an intensifier following Semitic usage, and is represented in the translation by the word “solemn.” On such oaths see m. Nedarim 3:1, 3.

⁵ tn This included both food and drink (γεύομαι [geuomai] is used of water turned to wine in John 2:9).

¹ tn Grk “the Sanhedrin” (the Sanhedrin was the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).

² tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). See note on the term “commanding officer” in v. 10.

³ tn Or “decide.” BDAG 227 s.v. διαγινώσκω has “ἀκριβέστερον τὰ περὶ αὐτοῦ to make a more thorough examination of his case Ac 23:15.”

⁴ tn Grk “determine the things about him.”

⁵ tn The expression “more thorough inquiry” reflects the comparative form of ἀκριβέστερον (akribesteron).

⁶ sn “We are ready to kill him.” Now those Jews involved in the conspiracy, along with the leaders as accomplices, are going to break one of the ten commandments.

⁷ tn The words “this place” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

¹ tn Or “plot” (BDAG 334 s.v. ἐνέδρα).

² tn Grk “coming and entering…, he told.” The participles παραγενόμενος (paragenomeno") and εἰσελθών (eiselqwn) have been translated as finite verbs due to requirements of contemporary English style.

³ tn Or “the headquarters.” BDAG 775 s.v. παρεμβολή 2 has “barracks/headquarters of the Roman troops in Jerusalem Ac 21:34, 37; 22:24; 23:10, 16, 32.”

¹ tn Grk “calling…Paul said.” The participle προσκαλεσάμενος (proskalesameno") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

² sn See the note on the word centurion in 10:1.

³ tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). See note on the term “commanding officer” in v. 10.

¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (the centurion) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

² tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). See note on the term “commanding officer” in v. 10.

³ tn Grk “calling.” The participle προσκαλεσάμενος (proskalesameno") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

¹ tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). See note on the term “commanding officer” in v. 10.

² tn Grk “you have,” but the expression “have to report” in English could be understood to mean “must report” rather than “possess to report.” For this reason the nearly equivalent expression “want to report,” which is not subject to misunderstanding, was used in the translation.

¹ tn Grk “He said.”

² tn Grk “the Sanhedrin” (the Sanhedrin was the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).

¹ tn Grk “do not be persuaded by them.” The passive construction μὴ πεισθῇς αὐτοῖς (mh peisqh" autoi") has been converted to an active construction in the translation, and the phrase “to do this” supplied to indicate more clearly the object of their persuasion.

² tn Grk “forty men of them.” In the expression ἐξ αὐτῶν ἄνδρες (ex autwn andre") “men” is somewhat redundant and has not been included in the English translation.

³ tn Grk “are lying in wait for him” (BDAG 334 s.v. ἐνεδρεύω); see also v. 16.

⁴ tn Grk “for him, who.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“who”) was translated by the third person plural pronoun (“they”) and a new sentence begun in the translation.

⁵ tn Or “bound themselves under a curse.” BDAG 63 s.v. ἀναθεματίζω 1 has “trans. put under a curse τινά someone… ἀ. ἑαυτόν vss. 12, 21, 13 v.l.”

⁶ tn The word “anything” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

⁷ tn Grk “waiting for your approval,” “waiting for your agreement.” Since it would be possible to misunderstand the literal translation “waiting for your approval” to mean that the Jews were waiting for the commander’s approval to carry out their plot or to kill Paul (as if he were to be an accomplice to their plot), the object of the commander’s approval (their request to bring Paul to the council) has been specified in the translation as “their request.”