Acts 22:27-30

Context
22:27 So the commanding officer¹ came and asked² Paul,³ “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?”⁴ He replied,⁵ “Yes.” 22:28 The commanding officer⁶ answered, “I acquired this citizenship with a large sum of money.”⁷ “But I was even⁸ born a citizen,”⁹ Paul replied.¹⁰ 22:29 Then those who were about to interrogate him stayed away¹¹ from him, and the commanding officer¹² was frightened when he realized that Paul¹³ was¹⁴ a Roman citizen¹⁵ and that he had had him tied up.¹⁶

Paul Before the Sanhedrin

22:30 The next day, because the commanding officer¹⁷ wanted to know the true reason¹⁸ Paul¹⁹ was being accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and the whole council²⁰ to assemble. He then brought²¹ Paul down and had him stand before them.

[22:27] ¹tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). See note on the term “commanding officer” in v. 24.

[22:27] ²tn Grk “and said to.”

[22:27] ³tn Grk “him”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:27] ⁴tn The word “citizen” is supplied here for emphasis and clarity.

[22:27] ⁵tn Grk “He said.”

[22:28] ⁶tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). See note on the term “commanding officer” in v. 24.

[22:28] ⁷sn Sometimes Roman citizenship was purchased through a bribe (Dio Cassius, Roman History 60.17.4-9). That may well have been the case here.

[22:28] ⁸tn BDAG 495-96 s.v. καί 2.b has “intensive: even…Ac 5:39; 22:28.”

[22:28] ⁹tn The word “citizen” is supplied here for emphasis and clarity.

[22:28] ¹⁰tn Grk “Paul said.” This phrase has been placed at the end of the sentence in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[22:29] ¹¹tn BDAG 158 s.v. ἀφίστημι 2.b has “keep away…ἀπό τινος… Lk 4:13; Ac 5:38; 2 Cor 12:8…cp. Ac 22:29.” In context, the point would seem to be not that the interrogators departed or withdrew, but that they held back from continuing the flogging.

[22:29] ¹²tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). See note on the term “commanding officer” in v. 24.

[22:29] ¹³tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:29] ¹⁴tn This is a present tense (ἐστιν, estin) retained in indirect discourse. It must be translated as a past tense in contemporary English.

[22:29] ¹⁵tn The word “citizen” is supplied here for emphasis and clarity.

[22:29] ¹⁶sn Had him tied up. Perhaps a reference to the chains in Acts 21:33, or the preparations for the lashing in Acts 22:25. A trial would now be needed to resolve the matter. The Roman authorities’ hesitation to render a judgment in the case occurs repeatedly: Acts 22:30; 23:28-29; 24:22; 25:20, 26-27. The legal process begun here would take the rest of Acts and will be unresolved at the end. The process itself took four years of Paul’s life.

[22:30] ¹⁷tn Grk “he”; the referent (the commanding officer) has been supplied here in the translation for clarity.

[22:30] ¹⁸tn Grk “the certainty, why.” BDAG 147 s.v. ἀσφαλής 2 has “τὸ ἀ. the certainty = the truth (in ref. to ferreting out the facts…ἵνα τὸ ἀ. ἐπιγνῶ) γνῶναι 21:34; 22:30.”

[22:30] ¹⁹tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:30] ²⁰tn Grk “the whole Sanhedrin” (the Sanhedrin was the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).

[22:30] ²¹tn Grk “and bringing.” The participle καταγαγών (katagagwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was begun in the translation, and καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to clarify the logical sequence.