Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Acts 21:32
Who immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down unto them: and when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, they left beating of Paul.
32. Who immediately took soldiers and centurions ] Clearly he had charge of a considerable troop, which perhaps might just then be augmented in anticipation of any disturbance to which such a concourse, as would come together for the feast, might give rise.
and ran down unto them ] Rev. Ver. “ upon them.” The tower was on the height above the temple, so that the verb is very correct.
and when they saw left beating of Paul ] The Rev. Ver. alters the last four words into “ left off beating Paul ” which gives a rhythm not so pleasant, and the older English was not misunderstood. The mob probably knew that Roman law would do justice, and that if the Apostle were found by the chief captain to have been wrongfully treated they would be brought to an account.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Centurions – Captains of 100 men.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 32. Ran down unto them] Ran down the stairs to the porticoes mentioned above.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
A wonderful providence of God for Pauls preservation, that the chief captain should be so near, as to be able to hinder the massacring of Paul; and especially that he should be defended and preserved by one that was a stranger to him, and an enemy to his religion!
They left beating of Paul, lest they should have been set upon by the soldiers, for breaking the peace, &c. The fear of man caused them to forbear what the fear of God could not.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
32. the chief captain“thechiliarch,” or tribune of the Roman cohort, whose full numberwas one thousand men.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Who immediately took soldiers and centurions,…. A very large number of soldiers, for they are called an army, in Ac 23:27 with a sufficient number of officers called centurions, who were each of them over an hundred men, to command them, and put them in order:
and ran down unto them: from the tower to the temple, the outer part of it; perhaps the mountain of the house, where they had dragged Paul, and were beating him; hither the captain, with his officers and soldiers, came in great haste; all which shows his vigilance, prudence, and quick dispatch; and in which there was a remarkable appearance of divine providence in favour of the apostle, who otherwise in all likelihood would have quickly lost his life:
and when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers; coming down upon them in great haste, with sword in hand:
they left beating of Paul; this beating was what the Jews call
, “the rebels’ beating”; or beating, on account of rebellion and obstinacy; and differed from whipping or scourging, which was done by the order of the sanhedrim, and in measure with forty stripes save one; but this beating was without any order from a court of judicature, and was without measure and mercy: this was inflicted upon various offenders, particularly on such who received not admonitions given them, or transgressed by doing what was forbidden by the words of the wise men c; or if any defiled person entered into the court of the women; and such the people would fall upon at once, and beat them unmercifully with their fists, or with clubs and staves, and which often issued in death; so, for instance, when a priest ministered in his uncleanness, his brethren the priests did not bring him to the sanhedrim, but the young priests brought him without the court, and dashed his brains out with clubs d
c Maimon. Hilchot Sanhedrin, c, 18. sect. 5. d Misn. Sanhedrin, c. 9. sect. 6.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Forthwith (). Common in the Koine ( , supply , hour).
He took (). See verses Acts 21:24; Acts 21:26.
Centurions (). See on Lu 7:2 for discussion. Plural shows that Lysias the chiliarch took several hundred soldiers along (a centurion with each hundred).
Ran down (). Effective second aorist active indicative of . From the tower of Antonia, vivid scene.
And they ( ). Demonstrative use of . The Jewish mob who had begun the work of killing Paul (verse 31).
Left off beating Paul ( ). The participle with describes what they were already doing, the supplementary participle (Robertson, Grammar, p. 1121). They stopped before the job was over because of the sudden onset of the Roman soldiers. Some ten years before in a riot at the passover the Roman guard marched down and in the panic several hundred were trampled to death.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Centurions. See on Luk 7:2.
Unto them [ ] . Better, upon them.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “Who immediately took soldiers,” (hos eksautes paralabon stratiotas) “Who at once marshaling soldiers,” took them, took soldiers, to take command of the mob violence situation, Act 21:35.
2) “And centurions,” (kai hekatontarchas) “And centurions,” chiefs over units of one hundred soldiers each. Lysias the chief captain of the Roman garrison, was alert for such civic confusion in the time of the Jewish festivity, Act 23:26; Act 24:7.
3) “And ran down unto them:” (katedramen ap’ sutous) “And ran down upon them,” upon the hate mongering, self-appointed, foreign, purification of the temple, law-guardians from Asia, who were viciously dragging Paul out of the temple, into the streets of Jerusalem, Act 21:30.
4) “And when they saw the chief captain,” (hoi de idontes ton chiliarchon) “And when they saw the chief captain,” realized who the chief captain was, when they recognized the head Roman officer of the city.
5) “And the soldiers,” (kai tous stratiotas) “And saw or recognized who the soldiers were,” from the Roman cohort of Mark Antonio’s castle or fort, Act 21:34-35.
6) “They left beating of Paul.” (epausanto tuptontes ton Paulon) “They interrupted or ceased beating on Paul,” as self-enforcers of the law, as adjudging Paul guilty and punishing him before he was tried, had any form of trial.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
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32. And when they saw the chief captain. Those whose fury neither the majesty of God, nor yet the reverence of the temple, could once stay, begin to relent when they see a profane man. Whereby it appeareth that they were set on fire rather with barbarous cruelty than zeal. Now, whereas the chief captain bindeth Paul with chains, he declareth thereby sufficiently that he came not to ease him. The unbelievers would attribute this to fortune; but the Spirit hath depainted out unto us the providence of God as in a table [picture] reigning amidst the confused uproars of men. And though this be very hard that this holy minister of God is so shamefully handled, yet the equity of the chief captain is to be commended if he be compared with the Jews. He bindeth him with chains, as if he were some evil-doer, or some wicked person; yet doth he vouchsafe to hear him when he is bound, whom they did beat unmercifully; neither doth he determine to handle him hardly before he knew his ca, use. Yea, this was the best way to mitigate their cruelty, because they thought [hoped] that Paul should be punished immediately. −
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
32. Left beating The sight of the approaching military, even before its arrival, checks the violence of the mob. Wonderfully swift of wing is the Roman eagle lighting down upon his prey!
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
32 Who immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down unto them: and when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, they left beating of Paul.
Ver. 32. Who immediately took soldiers ] An admirable example of God’s good providence, who delighteth to reserve his hand for a dead lift, to save those that are forsaken of their hopes. He cometh unlooked for, as it were out of an engine, .
They left beating of Paul ] Who could better bear it, because he had felt worse fingers than theirs, when that messenger of Satan buffeted him, 2Co 12:7 . And surely if the philosopher (when brayed in a mortar by his cruel Scythians) could bear it patiently, saying, Beat on Anacharsis’ wind bang, meaning his body, a much more could the apostle by the force of his faith. Especially, since his suffering reached only to his flesh, his soul was untouched thereby, Col 1:24 .
a Tundite Anach. folliculum.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Act 21:32 . , cf. Act 10:33 . . . ., indicating that he thought the tumult considerable. , “ran down upon them” from Antonia, so R.V. vividly; verb found only here in N.T. In Job 16:10 (11) A we have the verb with accusative and . after : the act or state desisted from, indicated by the addition of a present participle, frequent in Luke, cf. Luk 5:4 , Act 5:42 ; Act 6:13 ; Act 13:10 ; Act 20:31 ; cf. also Eph 1:16 , Col 1:9 , so in LXX, Grimm, sub v. , Winer-Moulton, xlv. 4.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
immediately. Greek. exautes. See note on Act 10:33.
soldiers, &c. From the garrison in Antonia.
centurions. Greek. hekatontarchos. The form used in the Gospels, and in nine places in Acts. Here, Act 22:25, Act 22:26; Act 23:17, Act 23:23; Act 27:6, Act 27:11, Act 27:43; Act 28:16.
ran down. Greek. katatrecho. Only here.
unto = upon. Greek. epi. App-104.
saw. Greek. eidon. App-133.
left beating of Paul = ceased beating Paul.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Act 21:32. , immediately) He supposed that delay is dangerous: Act 21:38.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
took: Act 23:23, Act 23:24
and ran: Act 23:27, Act 24:7
beating: Act 5:40, Act 18:17, Act 22:19, Isa 3:15
Reciprocal: Pro 24:11 – General Mat 24:9 – shall they Mat 27:54 – the centurion Act 22:24 – The chief Act 27:1 – a centurion 2Ti 3:11 – but
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2
Act 21:32. The captain took a crew of soldiers with him to the scene of the riot. The appearance of this company caused the mob to cease beating Paul.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
See notes on verse 31