Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Acts 21:38
Art not thou that Egyptian, which before these days madest an uproar, and leddest out into the wilderness four thousand men that were murderers?
38. Art not thou that Egyptian ] Better (as Rev. Ver.), “ Art thou not then the Egyptian? ” Thus we see more clearly the reason of the previous question which the chief captain had asked. The Egyptian to whom allusion is here made was a sufficiently formidable character, if we only reckon his followers at four thousand desperadoes. Josephus ( Ant. xx. 8. 6; Bell. J. ii. 13. 5) tells how he was one of many impostors of the time, and when Felix was governor came to Jerusalem, gave himself out as a prophet, gathered the people to the Mount of Olives in number about 30,000, telling them that at his word the walls of Jerusalem would fall down, and they could then march into the city. Felix with the Roman soldiers went out against him. The impostor and a part of his adherents fled, but a very large number were killed and others taken prisoners. The narrative of Josephus does not accord with the account of St Luke, but if the former be correct, we may well suppose that the numbers and the occasion spoken of by the chief captain relate to an event anterior to that great gathering on the Mount of Olives. The fame of the impostor may have grown; indeed, must have done so before he could collect the number of adherents of which Josephus speaks.
which before these days modest an uproar ] The verb, which is found besides in Act 17:6; Gal 5:12, is active and requires an object. Read “stirred up to sedition” (as Rev. Ver.), and make this verb, like the one which follows, relate to the incitement of the four thousand.
and murderers ] Read (with R. V.) “ and led out into the wilderness the four thousand men of the assassins.” The Gk. name is Sicarii (i.e. men armed with a dagger), and Josephus ( B. J. ii. 13. 3), in an account of the lawless bands which infested Juda in these times, says (after relating how a notorious robber named Eleazar had been taken with his followers and sent in chains to Rome), “But when the country was thus cleared there sprang up another kind of plunderers in Jerusalem called Sicarii. They kill men by daylight in the midst of the city. Particularly at the feasts they mix with the crowd, carrying small daggers hid under their clothes. With these they wound their adversaries, and when they have fallen the murderers mix with the crowd and join in the outcry against the crime. Thus they passed unsuspected for a long time. One of their earliest victims was Jonathan the high priest.”
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Art not thou that Egyptian? – That Egyptian was probably a Jew who resided in Egypt. Josephus has given an account of this Egyptian which strikingly accords with the statement here recorded by Luke. See Josephus, Antiq., book 20, chapter 8, section 6, and Jewish Wars, book 2, chapter 13, section 5. The account which he gives is, that this Egyptian, whose name he does not mention, came from Egypt to Jerusalem, and said that he was a prophet, and advised the multitude of the common people to go with him to the Mount of Olives. He said further that he would show them from thence how the walls of Jerusalem would fall down: and he promised them that he would procure for them an entrance through those walls when they were fallen down. Josephus adds (Jewish Wars) that he got together 30,000 men that were deluded by him; these he led round about from the wilderness to the mount which was called the Mount of Olives, and was ready to break into Jerusalem by force from that place. But Felix, who was apprised of his movements, marched against him with the Roman soldiers, and defeated him, and killed 400 of them, and took 200 alive. But the Egyptian escaped himself out of the fight, but did not appear anymore. It was natural that the Roman tribune should suppose that Paul was this Egyptian, and that his return had produped this commotion and excitement among the people.
Madest an uproar – Producing a sedition, or a rising among the people. Greek: That Egyptian, who before these days having risen up.
Into the wilderness – This corresponds remarkably with the account of Josephus. He indeed mentions that he led his followers to the Mount of Olives, but he expressly says that he led them round about from the wilderness. This wilderness was the wild and uncultivated mountainous tract of country lying to the east of Jerusalem, and between it and the river Jordan. See the notes on Mat 3:1. It is also another striking coincidence showing the truth of the narrative, that neither Josephus nor Luke mention the name of this Egyptian, though he was so prominent and acted so distinguished a part.
Four thousand men – There is here a remarkable discrepancy between the chief captain and Josephus. The latter says that there were 30,000 men. In regard to this, the following remarks may be made:
(1) This cannot be alleged to convict Luke of a false statement, for his record is, that the chief captain made the statement, and it cannot be proved that Luke has put into his mouth words which he did not utter. All that he is responsible for is a correct report of what the Roman tribune said, not the truth or falsehood of his statement. It is certainly possible that that might have been the common estimate of the number then, and that the account given by Josephus might have been made from more correct information. Or it is possible, certainly, that the statement by Josephus is incorrect.
(2) If Luke were to be held responsible for the statement of the number, yet it remains to be shown that he is not as credible a historian as Josephus. Why should Josephus be esteemed infallible, and Luke false? Why should the accuracy of Luke be tested by Josephus, rather than the accuracy of Josephus by Luke? Infidels usually assume that profane historians are infallible, and then endeavor to convict the sacred writers of falsehood.
(3) The narrative of Luke is the more probable of the two. It is more probable that the number was only 4,000 than that it was 30,000 thousand; for Josephus says that 400 were killed and 200 were taken prisoners, and that thus they were dispersed. Now, it is scarcely credible that an army of 30,000 desperadoes and cut-throats would be dispersed by so small a slaughter and captivity. But if the number was originally only 4,000, it is entirely credible that the loss of 600 would discourage and dissipate the remainder.
(4) It is possible that the chief captain refers only to the organized Sicarii, or murderers that the Egyptian led with him, and Josephus to the multitude that afterward joined them the rabble of the discontented and disorderly that followed them on their march. Or,
(5) There may have been an error in transcribing Josephus. It has been supposed that he originally wrote four thousand, but that ancient copyists, mistaking the ( D) delta, four, for ( L) lambda, thirty, wrote 30,000 instead of 4,000. Which of these solutions is adopted is not material.
That were murderers – Greek: men of the Sicarii – ton sikarion. This is originally a Latin word, and is derived from sica, a short sword, sabre, or crooked knife, which could be easily concealed under the garment. Hence, it came to denote assassins, and to be applied to banditti, or robbers. It does not mean that they had actually committed murder, but that they were desperadoes and banditti, and were drawn together for purposes of plunder and of blood. This class of people was exceedingly numerous in Judea. See the notes on Luk 10:30.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 38. Art not thou that Egyptian, c.] The history to which Claudius Lysias refers is taken from Josephus, Ant. lib. xx. cap. 7, sec. 6, and War, lib. ii. cap. 13, sec. 5, and is in substance as follows: An Egyptian, whose name is not known, pretended to be a prophet, and told his followers that the walls of Jerusalem would fall down before them, if they would assist him in making an attack on the city. He had address enough to raise a rabble of 30,000 men, and with these advanced as far as the Mount of Olives but Felix, the Roman governor, came suddenly upon him, with a large body of Roman troops, both infantry and cavalry: the mob was speedily dispersed, four hundred killed, two hundred taken prisoners, and the Egyptian himself, with some of his most faithful friends, escaped; of whom no account was ever afterwards heard. As Lysias found such an outcry made against Paul, he supposed that he must be some egregious malefactor, and probably that Egyptian who had escaped, as related above. Learned men agree that St. Luke refers to the same fact of which Josephus speaks; but there is a considerable difference between the numbers in Josephus, and those in Luke: the former having 30,000, the latter only 4000. The small number of killed and prisoners, only 600 in all, according to Josephus, leads us to suspect that his number is greatly exaggerated; as 600 in killed and prisoners of a mob of 30,000, routed by regular infantry and cavalry, is no kind of proportion; but it is a sufficient proportion to a mob of 4000. Dean Aldridge has supposed that the number in Josephus was originally 4000, but that ancient copyists mistaking the Greek delta, four, for lambda, thirty, wrote 30,000, instead of 4000. See Havercamp’s edition, vol. ii. p. 177. There is another way of reconciling the two historians, which is this: When this Egyptian impostor at first began to make great boasts and large promises, a multitude of people, to the amount at least of 30,000, weary of the Roman yoke, from which he promised them deliverance, readily arranged themselves under his banners. As he performed nothing that he promised, 26,000 of these had melted away before he reached Mount Olivet: this remnant the Romans attacked and dispersed. Josephus speaks of the number he had in the beginning; St. Luke, of those that he had when he arrived at Mount Olivet.
That were murderers?] : Sicarii, assassins: they derived their name from sica, a sort of crooked knife, which they concealed under their garments, and privately stabbed the objects of their malice. Josephus.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
That Egyptian; a famous ringleader of a rebellious crew, as some think, in the reign of Tiberius; but as others, in the thirteenth year of the emperor Claudius, and continued till under Neros reign, and came, from these four thousand mentioned here at his first setting up, to have thirty thousand followers; pretending himself to be a prophet; of whom Josephus, Antiq. lib. 20. cap. 11.
Murderers, or assassins, that did wear daggers or stilettos.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
38. madest an uproar, c.Thenarrative is given in JOSEPHUS[Wars of the Jews, 2.8.6 13.5], though his two allusions andours seem to refer to different periods of the rebellion.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Art thou not that Egyptian, which before these days madest an uproar,…. Josephus speaks i of one that came out of Egypt to Jerusalem, and gave out that he was a prophet, and deceived the people, whom he persuaded to follow him to the Mount of Olives, where they should see the walls of the city fall at his command, and so through the ruins of it they might enter into the city; but Felix the Roman governor fell upon them, killed four hundred, and took two hundred prisoners, and the Egyptian fled: the account which he elsewhere k gives of him, and Eusebius l from him, is this; a certain Egyptian false prophet did much more mischief to the Jews; for he being a magician, and having got himself to be believed as a prophet, came into the country (of Judea), and gathered together about thirty thousand persons, whom he had deceived: these he brought out of the wilderness to the Mount of Olives, from thence designing to take Jerusalem by force, and seize the Roman garrison, and take the government of the people but Felix prevented his design, meeting him with the Roman soldiers, assisted by all the people; so that when they engaged, the Egyptian fled with a few, and most of those that were with him were destroyed or taken: now it was some little time before this, that this affair happened; and by these accounts of Josephus, though the Egyptian was discomfited, yet he was not taken; he had made his escape, so that he might be yet in being; and therefore the captain could not tell but Paul might be he, who had privately got into the city, and was upon some bad designs:
and leddest out into the wilderness four thousand men that were murderers? Josephus says, that he brought them out of the wilderness, or led them through it to the Mount of Olives, from thence to rush into Jerusalem, when the walls should fall down at his command; but he says, the number of men that he led out were about thirty thousand; it may be at first there were no more than four thousand, but afterwards were joined by others, and increased to thirty thousand; or among these thirty thousand, he had four thousand “murderers, or sicarii”: so called from the little swords which they carried under their clothes, and with them killed men in the daytime, in the middle of the city, especially at the feasts, when they mingled themselves with the people m.
i Antiqu. l. 20. c. 7. sect. 6. k De Bello Jud. l. 2. c. 13. sect. 5. l Eccl. Hist. l. 2. c. 21. m Joseph. de Bello Jud. l. 2. c. 13. sect. 3.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Art thou not [ ] . Indicating the officer’s surprised recognition of his own mistake. “Thou art not, then, as I supposed.” Rev. properly adds then [] .
The Egyptian. A false prophet, who, in the reign of Nero, when Felix was governor of Judaea, collected a multitude of thirty thousand, whom he led from the wilderness to the Mount of Olives, saying that the walls of Jerusalem would fall down at his command and give them free entrance to the city. Felix with an army dispersed the multitude, and the Egyptian himself escaped. There is a discrepancy in the number of followers as stated by Josephus (30, 000) and as stated by the commandant here (4, 000). It is quite possible, however, that Josephus alludes to the whole rabble, while Lysias is referring only to the armed followers.
Madest an uproar. Better, as Rev., stirred up to sedition. The rendering of the A. V. is too vague. The verb means to unsettle or upset, and the true idea is given in the A. V. of Act 17:6, have turned the world upside down. Compare Gal 5:12, and kindred words in Mr 14:7; Luk 23:19. That were murderers [ ] . The A. V. is too general, and overlooks the force of the article, which shows that the word refers to a class. Rev., rightly, the assassins. The word, which occurs only here, and notably on the lips of a Roman officer, is one of those Latin words which “followed the Roman domination even into those Eastern provinces of the empire which, unlike those of the West, had refused to be Latinized, but still retained their own language” (Trench, “Synonyms “). The Sicarii were so called from the weapon which they used – the sica, or short, curved dagger. Josephus says :” There sprang up in Jerusalem another description of robbers called Sikars, who, under the broad light of day, and in the very heart of the city, assassinated men; chiefly at the festivals, however, when, mixing among the crowd, with daggers concealed under their cloaks, they stabbed those with whom they were at variance. When they fell, the murderers joined in the general expressions of indignation, and by this plausible proceeding remained undetected “(” Jewish War,” 100 13). The general New Testament term for murderer is foneuv (see Mt 22:7; Act 3:14; Act 28:4, etc.).
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “Art not thou that Egyptian,” (ouk ara su ei ho aiguptios) “You are not the Egyptian,” the particular Egyptian I thought or supposed you to be? Perhaps some of the rabble Jews had accused him of being that Egyptian seditionist, and planted the idea in the mind of Lysias, captain of the Roman guard, Act 21:34; Act 21:37.
2) “Which before these days madest an uproar,”(hopro ton hemeron anastatosas) “The one who before these days was unsettling, leading an uproar, or uprising,” as a false prophet, and Ied 30,000 people to the mount of Olivet to see Jerusalem fall and was routed, driven away by Felix, as reported by Josephus the historian.
3) “And leddest out into the wilderness,” (kai eksagagon eis ten eremon) “And led away into the desert,” as an impostor, who stirred up to sedition and led out, out of or from the Jerusalem area.
4) “Four thousand men that were murderers?” (tous tetrakischelous andres ton sikarion) “The four thousand desperadoes, adult men of Sicarii?” Who were a band of robbers, bandits, thugs, and murders or assassins who escaped when the rest were routed by Felix. The term (Gk. Sikarian) refers to a small curved dagger that they carried, concealed beneath their clothes to strike a fatal blow in a crowd without being detected.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(38) Art not thou that Egyptian?The Greek has an illative particle which is wanting in the English: Art not thou then that Egyptian? This was the inference drawn by the chief captain from the fact that his prisoner spoke in Greek. The Egyptian was a false prophet, who a short time before this, under the procuratorship of Felix, had led 30, 000 men (?) to the Mount of Olives, promising them that they should see Jerusalem destroyed (Jos. Ant. xx. 8, 6; Wars, ii. 13, 5). His followers were routed by Felix, but he himself escaped; and the chief captain infers from the tumult raised by a Greek-speaking Jew, that the Egyptian must have reappeared. Probably this was one of the vague reports in the confused clamour of the multitude. The words of the question have, however, been taken, on grammatical grounds, in a different sense: Thou art not, then, that Egyptian? as though his speaking Greek had changed the chiliarchs previous impression. Against this, however, there is the fact that an Egyptian Jew, coming from the very land of the Septuagint, would naturally speak Greek, and the inference that St. Paul was not the Egyptian because he knew that language would hardly be intelligible.
Four thousand men that were murderers.Josephus, as has been said, gives a much larger number, but his statistics, in such cases, are never to be relied on. The word for murderer (sicarii, literally, dagger-bearers) was applied to the cut-throat bands who about this period infested well-nigh every part of Palestine, and who differed from the older robbers in being, like the Thugs in India, more systematically murderous (Jos. Wars, ii. 13, 3). In the siege of Jerusalem, their presence, sometimes in alliance with the more fanatic of the zealots, tended to aggravate all its horrors.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
38. Art not thou The question, as put in the English translation, implies that an affirmative answer is expected. It should imply a negative answer. Thou art not, then, that Egyptian, as I supposed? (For this Egyptian, see our Hist. Revelation at Act 21:17, 5.)
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
38 Art not thou that Egyptian, which before these days madest an uproar, and leddest out into the wilderness four thousand men that were murderers?
Ver. 38. Art not thou that Egyptian? ] Of whom read Joseph. ii. 10, de Belle Jud., and Antiq. xx.
That were murderers ] Assassins, cut-throats. These were of the faction of Judas Gaulonites or Galileus. See Luk 13:1 . (Godw. Heb. Antiq.)
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
38. ] Thou art not then, as I believed . The E. V., after the Vulg., ‘ art not thou ’ (‘nonne tu es ’) would require or , Winer, edn. 6, 57. 3. See also Luk 17:17 ; Joh 18:37 .
] The inference of the tribune was not, as in Bengel, ‘Grce loquitur: ergo est gyptius;’ but the very contrary to this. His being able to speak Greek is a proof to Lysias that he is not that Egyptian. This Egyptian is mentioned by Josephus, Antt. xx. 8. 6, , , , , , , , . , , , . . But in B. J. ii. 13. 5, he says of the same person, , . . . . . . It is obvious that the numerical accounts in Jos. are inconsistent with our text, and with one another . This latter being the case, we may well leave them out of the question. At different times of his rebellion, his number of followers would be variously estimated; and the tribune would naturally take it as he himself or his informant had known it, at some one period. That this is so, we may see by noticing that our narrative speaks of his leading out , whereas Josephus’s numbers are those whom he brought back from the wilderness against Jerusalem, by which time his band would have augmented considerably.
.] the four thousand , the matter being one of notoriety.
] From sica , a dagger; they are described by Jos. B. J. ii. 13. 3, , , , , The art. is generic.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Act 21:38 . : mirantis est, cf. Arist., Av. , 280 (Blass). Vulgate, Eras, render Nonne tu es ? but emphasis on “Thou art not then” (as I supposed). No doubt the false prophet to whom reference is made by Josephus. Whilst Felix was governor he gathered the people around him on the Mount of Olives to the number of 30,000, and foretold that at his word the walls of the city would fall. But Felix attacked him and the impostor fled although the majority ( ) of his followers were captured or slain, Jos., B.J. , ii., 13, 5. In another account, Ant. , xx., 8, 6, Josephus states that 400 were killed and 200 wounded, so that he evidently contradicts himself and his numbers are untrustworthy. For the various attempts to reconcile these different notices, cf. Krenkel, Josephus und Lukas , p. 243. But apart from this, there is no positive discrepancy with St. Luke. It is possible that the chiliarch as a soldier only reckoned those who were armed, whilst Josephus spoke of the whole crowd of followers. Evidently the Roman officer thought that the Egyptian had returned after his flight, and that he was now set upon by the people as an impostor (so also Schrer, Jewish People , div. i., vol. ii., p. 180, note, E.T.). There is no sign whatever that St. Luke was dependent upon Josephus, as Krenkel maintains, but it is of course quite possible that both writers followed a different tradition of the same event. But St. Luke differs from Josephus in his numbers, there is no connection in the Jewish historian, as in St. Luke, between the Egyptian and the Sicarii, and whilst Josephus mentions the Mount of Olives, St. Luke speaks of the wilderness; Belser, Theol. Quartalschrift , pp. 68, 69, Heft i., 1896, “Egyptian, The” (A. C. Headlam), Hastings’ B.D. . .: “stirred up to sedition and led out,” R.V., this rendering makes the first verb (used only in Luke and Paul) also active, as in other cases in N.T. where it occurs, Act 18:6 , Gal 5:12 . The verb is not known in classical writers, but cf. LXX, Dan 7:23 , and also in the O.T. fragments, Aquila and Symm., Psa 10:1 ; Psa 58:11 , Isa 22:3 (Grimm-Thayer). : “the 4000,” R.V., as of some well-known number. : “of the Assassins,” R.V. The word sicarius is the common designation of a number, A.V., cf., e.g. , the law passed under Sulla against murderers, “ Lex Cornelia de Sicariis et Veneficis ”; so in the Mishna in this general sense, but here it is used of the Sicarii or fanatical Jewish faction (and we note that the writer is evidently aware of their existence as a political party) which arose in Juda after Felix had rid the country of the robbers of whom Josephus speaks, Ant. , xx., 8, 5, B.J. , ii., 13, 2, so called from the short daggers, sic , which they wore under their clothes. They mingled with the crowds at the Festivals, stabbed their political opponents unobserved, and drew suspicion from themselves by apparent indignation at such crimes, “Assassin” (A. C. Headlam), Hastings’ B.D., Schrer, Jewish People , div. i., vol. ii., p. 178, E.T.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Art not thou = Art thou not then.
that = the.
madest an uproar = stirred up to sedition. Greek. anastatoo. See note on Act 17:6.
that were murderers = of the Sicarii, or assassins (Greek. sikarios. Only here). The Sicarii (a Latin word from sica, a curved dagger) were bandits who infested Judeea in the time of Felix, who sent troops against them, though Josephus says it was at the instigation of Felix that they murdered the high priest Jonathan. The Egyptian referred to was a false prophet who led a number of the Sicarii to Jerusalem, declaring that the walls would fall down before them.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
38. ] Thou art not then, as I believed. The E. V., after the Vulg., art not thou (nonne tu es ) would require or , Winer, edn. 6, 57. 3. See also Luk 17:17; Joh 18:37.
] The inference of the tribune was not, as in Bengel, Grce loquitur: ergo est gyptius; but the very contrary to this. His being able to speak Greek is a proof to Lysias that he is not that Egyptian. This Egyptian is mentioned by Josephus, Antt. xx. 8. 6, , , , , , , , . , , , . . But in B. J. ii. 13. 5, he says of the same person, , . . .. . . It is obvious that the numerical accounts in Jos. are inconsistent with our text, and with one another. This latter being the case, we may well leave them out of the question. At different times of his rebellion, his number of followers would be variously estimated; and the tribune would naturally take it as he himself or his informant had known it, at some one period. That this is so, we may see by noticing that our narrative speaks of his leading out,-whereas Josephuss numbers are those whom he brought back from the wilderness against Jerusalem, by which time his band would have augmented considerably.
.] the four thousand,-the matter being one of notoriety.
] From sica, a dagger; they are described by Jos. B. J. ii. 13. 3, , , , , The art. is generic.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Act 21:38. ; art thou not?) The captain (tribune) of the soldiers drew his inference thus: Paul speaks Greek; therefore he is the Egyptian. [All along from the times of Alexander the Great, the Greek tongue flourished in Egypt.-V. g.]
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
that: “This Egyptian rose ad 55.” Act 5:36, Act 5:37, Mat 5:11, 1Co 4:13
Reciprocal: Mat 24:26 – Wherefore Joh 5:43 – if Joh 18:35 – what Act 19:29 – the whole Act 19:40 – uproar Act 20:30 – to draw Act 21:31 – that all Act 24:2 – Seeing 2Co 6:9 – unknown
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
8
Act 21:38. The only fact that was present in both the case of the Egyptian and that of Paul, was that there was an uproar among the people. But the apostle was not to blame for the present riot, a truth seemingly unknown to the chief captain.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Act 21:38. Art thou not that Egyptian, which before these days madest an uproar, and leddest out into the wilderness four thousand men that were murderers? The Egyptian for whom the chief captain had mistaken Paul was a notorious character in those days. Josephus in his writings mentions him twice. He appears to have been a pretended sorcerer, who also gave himself out as a prophet. He was in reality a leader of one of those robber bands, which in the disturbed years which preceded the great Jewish rebellion, infested Judaea and the neighbouring countries. The name Sicarii, assassins, was derived from sica, a dagger or short sword these robbers wore beneath their clothing. This could be used in a crowd with fatal effect without being observed. The assassins, in these fierce lawless times, were often hired by the leading men of the country for purposes of murder. This Egyptian in the reign of Nero, we read, promised his followers that at his word the walls of Jerusalem would fall down, and that he and they should enter the city over the ruins. Felix, the Roman procurator, however, attacked and defeated this predatory band with signal success, killing 400 and taking 200 prisoners; the remainder and their leader were put to flight and escaped.
A good deal has been written as to the discrepancy in the numbers which made up this robber band; St. Luke here in the Acts, and Josephus in each of his two accounts of the rebellion, giving different estimates of the force.
It is, however, comparatively easy fairly to reconcile the three accounts. The Egyptian had gathered a band of Sicarii or armed assassins. With these, at one period of his career, a great multitude, some 30,000 in number, of people were associated, probably unarmed and undisciplined. The Procurator Felix, however, attacked and defeated the comparatively small armed body of Sicarii; of these he killed 400 and captured 200 prisoners. The remainder and their leader escaped. With these perhaps fled some of the deluded people who had joined the impostor prophet. It is also more than probable that the three accounts speak of different epochs of this outbreak, when the number of the followers of the Egyptian would be variously estimated.
From the words of the chief captain to Paul, it was no doubt a notorious fact that the Egyptian impostor in question was an illiterate person, and did not speak Greek.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
See notes on verse 35
Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)
Verse 38
That Egyptian. The Egyptian here referred to was, perhaps, one of those false Christs predicted by Jesus, in Mark 13:5,6.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
21:38 Art not thou that {g} Egyptian, which before these days madest an uproar, and leddest out into the wilderness four thousand men that were murderers?
(g) Concerning this Egyptian who assembled thirty thousand men, read Josephus, book 2, chap. 12.