1THE
ACTS
OF THE APOSTLES
WRITTEN BY
2LUKE

Acts 23

1Paul pleading his integrity is smitten at the command of the high priest, whom he reproveth of injustice. 6By declaring himself a Pharisee, and questioned for the hope of the resurrection, he causeth a division in the council: 10he is carried back to the castle, and encouraged by the Lord in a vision. 12A conspiracy against him is discovered to the chief captain; 23who sendeth him under a guard with a letter to Felix the governor at Caesarea.


1AND Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, Ia have lived 1in all good conscience 2before God until this day.

a Acts 24:16.

1 Namely, not only in the Christian religion but also in the Jewish, for, he then had served God uprightly, that is, without hypocrisy, according to the knowledge which he had, although he had afterward persecuted Christians out of ignorance. See further, 2 Tim. 1:3.

2 Or, served God. The Greek word properly signifies to carry oneself in a city as a good magistrate, or as a good citizen. See also Philip. 1:27 and 3:20.

2Andb the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth.

b 1 Kings 22:24; Jer. 20:2; John 18:22.

3Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou 3whited wall: forc sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten 4contrary to the law?

3 That is, hypocrite, who indeed has a priestly garment, but a cruel and unrighteous heart. See Mat. 23:27, 28; these words of Paul must not be taken for reviling words, Mat. 5:22, or words of revenge or of recompensing evil with evil, but for a serious reproving of this man, and for a bold announcement of God’s judgment upon him. See similar, 2 Tim. 4:14.

c Deut. 17:9.

4 Gr. transgressing the law.

4And they that stood by said, Revilest thou God's high priest?

5Then said Paul, 5I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not 6speak evil of thed ruler of thy people.

5 Seeing at that time the high priests changed often, yea even every year, John 11:49, and Paul now for a long time had not been in Jerusalem very much, it is no wonder that he knew not the high priest by face, the rather also because the high priest himself was not present in all assemblies, and here all things went confusedly, as it appears from the whole transaction. See Josephus, Antiq. lib. 20, cap. 6, 7, 8.

6 Gr. speak evil to him, or revile him. For, even though Paul had spoken nothing but what was just, nevertheless, because of the bystanders, it had a show of reviling; therefore he means that he should have avoided this also, had he known the high priest.

d Exod. 22:28.

6But when Paul perceived that the one part were 7Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, Ie am 8a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of 9the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called 10in question.

7 Of these two sects see Mat. 3:7 and 22:23; Josephus, Antiq. lib. 18, cap. 2, and the de bello Jud. lib. 2, cap. 7.

e Acts 24:21; 26:6; Philip. 3:5.

8 Namely, have been in my life, and still standing with them in the opinion concerning the resurrection of the dead and some other points. He speaks the truth here, although he conceals a part of the same, thereby to confound the enemies of God’s Church.

9 This may be understood, either of the hope of the resurrection, or else of the hope of salvation and of the resurrection, seeing the Sadducees denied both, forasmuch as they denied the immortality of the soul.

10 That is, brought before justice.

7And when he had so said, there arose a 11dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees: and 12the multitude was 13divided.

11 Or, uproar.

12 Namely, of those who were there assembled.

13 Gr. rent.

8Forf the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor 14spirit: but the Pharisees confess 15both.

f Mat. 22:23; Mark 12:18; Luke 20:27.

14 That is, immortality of souls; or spiritual being that is immortal.

15 Namely, the resurrection of the bodies and the immortality of spirits; that is, of angels and souls.

9And there arose a great cry: and the scribes that were of the Pharisees’ 16part arose, and strove, saying, Weg find no evil in this man: but if a spirit or an angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight against God.

16 Or, side.

g Acts 25:25; 26:31.

10And when there arose a great 17dissension, the chief captain, fearing lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces of them, commanded the soldiers to go down, and to take him by force from among them, and to bring him into the castle.

17 Or, uproar.

11Andh the night following the Lord 18stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified 19of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.

h Acts 18:9.

18 Namely, in a vision or in a dream, or in an ecstasy, 2 Cor. 12:1.

19 Or, of those things which concern Me.

12Andi when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a 20curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.

i verses 21, 29, 30.

20 Gr. anethematisan, that is, made an oath that they would be an anathema or curse before God, if they ate or drank before they had killed Paul. See verse 21; Mat. 26:74; Rom. 9:3; Gal. 1:8.

13And they were more than forty which had made this conspiracy.

14And they came to the chief priests and elders, and said, We have bound ourselves under a great curse, that we will eat nothing until we have slain Paul.

15Now therefore ye 21with the council signify 22to the chief captain that he bring him down unto you to morrow, as though ye would enquire something 23more perfectly concerning him: and we, or ever he come near, are ready to kill him.

21 Or, with the approbation of the council. For, Paul was then only in the power of the governor, and not of the council.

22 Namely, Lysias, whereof see the annotation Acts 22:24.

23 Or, more distinct, narrower, sharper.

16And when Paul's sister's son heard of their lying in wait, he went and entered into the castle, and told Paul.

17Then Paul called one of the centurions unto him, and said, Bring this young man unto the chief captain: for he hath a certain thing to tell him.

18So he took him, and brought him to the chief captain, and said, Paul the prisoner called me unto him, and prayed me to bring this young man unto thee, who hath something to say unto thee.

19Then the chief captain took him by the hand, and went with him aside privately, and asked him, What is that thou hast to tell me?

20And he said, 24The Jews have agreedj to desire thee that thou wouldest bring down Paul to morrow into the council, as though they would enquire somewhat of him more perfectly.

24 That is, the council of the Jews, with some other.

j verse 12.

21But 25do not thou yield unto them: for there lie in wait for him of them more than forty men, which have bound themselves 26with an oath, that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him: and now are they ready, looking for 27a promise from thee.

25 Or, be not persuaded by them. That is, do not grant it unto them.

26 Gr. have cursed.

27 Namely, that you will bring him down into their council.

22So the chief captain then let the young man depart, and charged him, See thou tell no man that thou hast shewed these things to me.

23And he called unto him two centurions, saying, Make ready two hundred soldiers to go to 28Cæsarea, and horsemen threescore and ten, and 29spearmen two hundred, 30at the third hour of the night;

28 Namely, in Palestine, situated at the Mediterranean Sea, where the governor held his ordinary residence and tribunal, as the strongest and the most convenient city in that land; Tacitus, Historiae, lib. 2.

29 Gr. dexiolabous; which properly signifies them who take with the right hand, namely, the javelins to cast or to shoot them upon the enemies.

30 Gr. from. Namely, after sunset, against the second watch, to bring him out of danger also that night.

24And provide them beasts, that they may set Paul on, and bring him safe unto 31Felix the governor.

31 This Felix was the brother of one Pallas, who was first a slave, afterwards set free by the Emperor Claudius, who, with another who was set free named Narcissus, sufficiently ruled the Roman Empire under this Emperor. So that this Pallas had made his brother Felix governor over Judea in the Emperor’s name. See Suetonius in The life of Claudius, cap. 28 and Josephus, Antiq. lib. 20, cap. 5, 6, Tacitus Annales. lib. 12.

25And he wrote a letter after this manner:

26Claudius Lysias unto the 32most excellent governor Felix sendeth greeting.

32 See Luke 1:3; Acts 24:3 and 26:25.

27Thisk man was taken of the Jews, and should have been killed of them: then came I with an army, and rescued him, having understood that he was a Roman.

k Acts 21:33.

28And when I would have known the cause wherefore they accused him, I brought him forth into their council:

29Whom I perceived to be accused of 33questions of their law, but to have nothing laid to his charge worthy of death or of bonds.

33 As such he speaks as a heathen, as if it were not worth the pain to make any ado about the differences of the Jewish religion. But God made use of this, his opinion, to deliver Paul out of the unjust hands of the Jews.

30And when it was told me how that the Jews laid wait for the man, I sent straightway to thee, and gave commandment to his accusers also to say before thee what they had against him. Farewell.

31Then the soldiers, as it was commanded them, took Paul, and brought him by night to 34Antipatris.

34 A city situated at the Mediterranean Sea between Joppa and Cæsarea, about sixteen miles from Jerusalem and eight from Cæsarea, which was built up and fortified by Herod the Great, and named after his father Antipatris. Josephus, Antiq. lib. 16, cap. 9.

32On the morrow they left the horsemen to go with him, and returned to the castle:

33Who, when they came to Caesarea, and delivered the epistle to the governor, presented Paul also before him.

34And when the governor had read the letter, he asked of what province he was. And when he understood that he was of Cilicia;

35I will 35hear thee, said he, when thine accusers are also come. And he commanded him to be kept in 36Herod’s judgment 37hall.

35 Or, hear thee at the full, as the Greek word entails.

36 It was so called, because Herod the Great had built the same there, when he fortified this city, before called the Tower of Strato, and named it Cæsarea after the name of Augustus Cæsar.

37 Gr. praitorio, from the Latin word praetorium, which signifies a palace of the supreme commander, whether prince, governor or general; as is to be seen, Mat. 27:27; Mark 15:16; Philip. 1:13, wherein also there was a special place to do justice.