Acts 21:33

Act 21:33. Ἐπελάβετο, apprehended him) This captivity of Paul both was the means of his protection, and afforded him the opportunity of preaching the Gospel in the greater safety, in spite of every tumult, ch. Act 22:22, and that too in places to which he otherwise could not possibly have had access: Act 21:40, ch. Act 28:31.—ἐπυνθάνετο, he inquired) of the crowd, indiscriminately, as being upon his first approach: Act 21:34.—τίς, τί who, what) Two heads of inquiry, both concerning the saints and concerning the ungodly.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Act 21:33 . ἐπελ . αὐτοῦ : with a hostile intention, see Act 17:19 . δεθ . ἁλύσεσι δυσὶ : as a malefactor and seditious person, Act 21:38 , to be guarded securely as the cause of the tumult, cf. Act 12:6 . τίς ἂν εἴη , καὶ τί ἐστι πεποιηκώς : the difference in the moods in dependent sentences after τις may be noted: the centurion had no clear idea as to who Paul was, but he feels sure that he had committed some crime, Winer-Moulton, xli., 4 c , Weiss, Wendt, in loco , on the other hand Page. On Luke’s thus mingling the optative obliqua with direct narrative alone among the N.T. writers, Viteau, Le Grec du N.T. , p. 225 (1893).

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

commanded him to be bound with two chains--(See on Act 12:6).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 33. And took him] With great violence, according to Ac 24:7, probably meaning an armed force.

To be bound with two chains] To be bound between two soldiers; his right hand chained to the left hand of the one, and his left hand to the right of the other. See Clarke on Ac 12:6.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(33) Commanded him to be bound with two chains.—Looking to the usual Roman practices in the treatment of prisoners, we may think of each chain as fastened at one end to the Apostle’s arm, and at the other to those of the soldiers who kept guard over him. (See Notes on Act_12:6; Act_28:16.) So shackled, he was taken before the Chiliarch Lysias for a preliminary inquiry.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

33. Then … took him] The last verb implies a formal arrest, therefore the Rev. Ver. rightly gives “laid hold on him.” The chief captain did not come with a view to relieve St Paul, but to find out what was the matter, and seeing the Apostle in the hands of the mob, himself arrested him, that he might not be killed without a hearing.

and … two chains] (Cp. Act_12:6.) Evidently, as appears from his language afterwards, regarding him as some desperate criminal. The chief captain would have thought little of any question about Jewish law (see Act_23:29).

and demanded … done] The English word demand had in early times the sense of “ask,” “inquire.” Cp. Cymbeline, iii. 6. 92, “We’ll mannerly demand thee of thy story.” But it has in modern times only the stronger meaning of imperative questioning. Therefore Rev. Ver. “and inquired.” The inquiry was made of the crowd, not of the Apostle.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Then the chief captain came near,.... To the place where the Jews were beating Paul:

and took him the Arabic version adds, "from them"; he rescued him out of their hands, as he himself says, Act 23:27.

And commanded him to be bound with two chains: partly to appease the people, and partly to secure Paul; who, he supposed, had been guilty of some misdemeanour, which had occasioned this tumult; these two chains were put, one on one arm, and the other on the other arm; and were fastened to two soldiers, who walked by him, having hold on those chains, the one on his right hand, and the other on his left; and thus Agabus's prophecy in Act 21:11 was fulfilled:

and demanded who he was; or asked and inquired about him, who he was, of what nation he was, what was his character, business, and employment: this inquiry was made, either of the apostle himself, or of the people; and so the Arabic version renders it, "he inquired of them who he was"; also

and what he had done; what crime he had been guilty of, that they used him in such a manner.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

33 Then the chief captain came near, and took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains; and demanded who he was, and what he had done.

Ver. 33. To be bound with two chains] As if he would have presently punished him. This he did to satisfy the mad multitude.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

To be bound with two chains - To show to the enraged multitude that he did not intend to rescue anyone from justice, but to keep the peace. Paul’s Being thus bound would convince them of his determination that justice should be done in the case. Probably he was bound between two soldiers, his right arm to the left arm of the one, and his left arm to the right arm of the other. See the notes on Act 12:6. Or, if his hands and feet were bound, it is evident that it was so done that he was able still to walk, Act 21:37-38. This was in accordance with the prediction of Agabus, Act 21:11.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Two chains, for his hands and feet; or perhaps one chain was put on each hand, which was likewise tied to a soldier on each side of him, who led him. This was the Roman custom of binding prisoners. See Seneca, ep. v. et lib. de tranquil. animi. x. See Acts xii. 6, 7.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Bound with two chains; whether as Peter was, See Poole on "Act 12:6", or that he was bound with one upon his feet, and with the other upon his hands, it was exactly fulfilled what Agabus had prophesied concerning him, Act 21:11. So does God provide, that not one word of his servants, which they speak from him, shall fail; and that St. Paul should be heard before he was condemned.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

33. Two chains—(See note on Act_12:6.)

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Laid hold on for took, A.V; inquired for. demanded, A.V. Laid hold on (ejpelabeto); see Act_17:19, note. Bound with two chains; as St. Peter was. (Act_12:6)

Alusiv means properly "a chain on the hands" as opposed to pedh, a fetter; (Mar_5:4) and therefore the two chains are not to be understood of chains on his hands and feet, with Kuinoel, but, as in the case of Peter, of chains fastening him to a soldier on both hands.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Then the tribune - Having made his way through the multitude, came near and took him - And how many great ends of providence were answered by this imprisonment? This was not only a means of preserving his life, (after he had suffered severely for worldly prudence,) but gave him an opportunity of preaching the Gospel safely, in spite of all tumult, chap. xxii, 22, yea, and that in those places to which otherwise he could have had no access, verse 40. And commanded him to be bound with two chains - Taking it for granted he was some notorious offender. And thus the prophecy of Agabus was fulfilled, though by the hands of a Roman.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

See notes on verse 31

J. W. McGarvey (with Philip Y. Pendleton), Commentaries on the New Testament (The Fourfold Gospel, 1914; Acts; and the epistles) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

33. ἐπελάβετο αὐτοῦ, laid hold on him. The verb implies a formal arrest. The chief captain did not come with a view to relieve St Paul, but to find out what was the matter, and seeing the Apostle in the hands of the mob, himself arrested him, that he might not be killed without a hearing.

ἁλύσεσι δυσί, with two chains, cf. Act 12:6. Evidently, as appears from his language afterwards (Act 21:38), the χιλίαρχος regarded St Paul as some desperate criminal. He would have thought little of the matter, had it seemed merely a question about Jewish law (see Act 23:29).

καὶ ἐπυνθάνετο, and inquired. From those who appeared most prominent in the crowd.

τίς εἴη καὶ τί ἐστι πεποιηκώς, who he was, and what he had done. The optative mood in the first half of the question shews that this was a question about the answer to which there might be uncertainty. The indicative in the latter half proclaims the conviction of the χιλίαρχος. He was quite sure some wrong had been done.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

33. ἁλύς. δυσί] See ch. 12:6. He would thus be in the custody of two soldiers.

τίς [ἂν] εἴη, who he might be (subjective possibility): and τί ἐστιν πεπ., what he had done (assuming that he must have done something).

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Chains [αλυσεσι] . See on Mr 5:4.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.