Acts 21:34

21:34 The fortress of Antonia, a large military garrison built by Herod the Great on the northwest corner of the Temple Mount, accommodated the Roman cohort that was stationed there to keep the peace.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Act 21:34. Παρεμβολὴν) the castle, which the Roman guards (garrison) were holding possession of.

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

Act 21:34 . ἐβόων : if we read ἐπεφώνουν , see critical note, a verb peculiar to St. Luke, Luk 23:21 , Act 12:22 ; Act 22:24 = “shouted,” R.V., cf. Act 19:31 . μὴ δυνάμ ., see critical note. τὸ ἀσφαλὲς : adjective, three times in St. Luke with this same shade of meaning, Act 22:30 , Act 25:26 ( cf. Act 2:36 , and Wis 18:6 , ἀσφαλῶς ). παρεμ .: the word may mean an army, Heb 11:34 , or the camp which it occupies (so in LXX = Heb. מַחֲנֶה Jdg 4:16 ; Jdg 8:10 , 1Ma 5:28 ). In this passage may = the castle itself, as A. and R.V., or perhaps the barracks in the castle. A Macedonian word according to Phryn., but see Kennedy, Sources of N.T. Greek , pp. 15, 16, and also for its meaning here, Schürer, Jewish People , div. i., vol. ii., p. 55, E.T.

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

some cried one thing--The difficulty would be so to state his crimes as to justify their proceedings to a Roman officer.

to be carried into the castle--rather, perhaps, "the barracks," or that part of the fortress of Antonia appropriated to the soldiers. The fort was built by Herod on a high rock at the northwest corner of the great temple area, and called after Mark Antony.

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

34. Some cried one thing, and some another. The madness of the raging people doth betray itself on every side. They make horrible outcries, whereof one is contrary to another. Nevertheless, they desire with one consent to have him put to death who was convicted of no offense. In the mean season, we need not doubt but that they were blinded with a color of holy zeal. But the truth of the cause well known maketh men truly zealous, as it maketh them true martyrs of God, but rage betrayeth devilish madness. Whereas mention is made in this place of the camp or fortress, we must know that the soldiers, which were placed to guard the city, had a place which was trenched and fortified on every side, which they might defend as if it were a castle, and from which they might beat back all assaults, if any sedition were raised. For it had not been good for them to have been dispersed here and there in diverse inns, seeing the people were treacherous, and the city troublesome. And we gather by this that the place was high, because Luke saith, that when they came to the steps, Paul was carried of [by] the soldiers. And whether the soldiers did lift Paul up on high that they might bring him safe to the station or camp, or he was thus tossed with the violence of the crowd, this was no duty [office] of favor. But the greater the cruelty of those which followed him was, God did more plainly declare that he was favorable to his servant in sparing his life, lest if he should have been murdered in the tumult, his death should have wanted due fruit.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(34) Some cried one thing, some another.—We note the parallelism with the like confused clamour at Ephesus (Act_19:32), which is described in exactly the same terms.

He commanded him to be carried into the castle.—The Greek, which literally means encampment, is translated “armies” in Heb_11:34. By a transition which reminds us of the connection between the words castrum and castellum, or castle, it came to be applied to a regular structure of stone or brick, such for example, as the Tower Antonia, described in the Note on Act_21:31.

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

34. And some cried [R. V. shouted] … another] The verb is the same which St Luke uses for the din of the multitude which shouted against Jesus (Luk_23:21), “Crucify him;” also for the adulatory shouting in honour of Herod Agrippa (Act_12:22). No other New Testament writer uses the word. The chief captain appears to have made an effort to learn what was laid to the charge of the Apostle.

and when … tumult [R. V. uproar]. Perhaps as at Ephesus (Act_19:32) a large part of the shouters hardly knew themselves for what the clamour was raised.

he … to be carried [R. V. brought] into the castle] The Greek word signifies “an encampment,” but was employed to designate the barracks which the Romans had in the Tower of Antonia. The same word is rendered “army” in Heb_11:34.

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.

And some cried one thing, and some another, among the multitude,.... For though they agreed to beat him, and even to kill him, yet some of them knew not for what; being led by a blind zeal for Moses, the law and temple, or rather by fury and madness:

and when he could not know the certainty for the tumult; could not come at the truth of the matter, or any certain knowledge of it, not anything that could be depended upon, because of the noise of the people, and the different notes they were in:

he commanded him to be carried into the castle; of Antonio, formerly called Baris, of which Josephus (e) gives this account;

"on the north side (of the wall) was built a four square tower, well fortified and strong; this the kings and priests of the Asmonaean race, who were before Herod, built, and called it Baris; that there the priestly robe might be laid up by them, which the high priest only wore, when he was concerned in divine service:''

this tower King Herod made more strong, for the security and preservation of the temple; and called it Antonia, for the sake of Antony his friend, and the general of the Romans: the description of it, as given by Dr. Lightfoot (f), which is collected by him out of Josephus and other writers, is this;

"upon the north side, and joining up to the western angle (but on the outside of the wall), stood the tower of Antonia, once the place where the high priests used to lay up their holy garments; but in after times a garrison of Roman soldiers, for the a wing of the temple: when it served for the former use, it was called Baris (it may be from "ad extra", because it was an outer building), but when for the latter, it bare the name of Antonia; Herod the great having sumptuously repaired and called it after the name of the Roman prince Antony: it stood upon the north west point of Moriah, and was a very strong and a very large pile; so spacious a building with all its appurtenances, that it took up to two furlongs' compass; the rock it stood upon was fifty cubits high, and steep, and the building itself was forty cubits above it; it was four square, encompassed with a wall of three cubits high, which enclosed its courts, and had a turret at every corner, like the white tower at London; but that it was more spacious, and that the turrets were not all of an height; for those at the north east and north west corners were fifty cubits high, but those on the south east and south west were seventy cubits high, that they might fully overlook the temple: it had cloisters or walks about it, and baths and lodgings, and large rooms in it; so that it was at once like a castle, and like a palace. There was a passage out of it, into the north and west cloisters of the mountain of the house, and by that the Roman garrison soldiers went down at every festival of the Jews, to take care against tumults and seditions, in those great concourses of the people.''

And it was by this passage that the chief captain, with the centurions and soldiers, came down so quickly and suddenly upon the Jews, while they were beating Paul in the temple; and this castle being on such an eminence as described, hence he with the soldiers is said to run down, Act 21:32 And it was in this way that the apostle was led up to the castle.

(e) Antiqu. l. 15. c. 11. sect. 4. Vid. ib. l. 18. c. 5. sect. 3. & de Bello Jud. l. 1. c. 3. sect. 3. c. 5. sect. 4. & c. 21. sect. 1. (f) The Temple described, c. 7. p. 1060.

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

34 And some cried one thing, some another, among the multitude: and when he could not know the certainty for the tumult, he commanded him to be carried into the castle.

Ver. 34. For the tumult] All was on a hurry, as it was Act 19:23-29 at Ephesus, vel ut in regno Cyclopico.

Into the castle] Called Antonia, near the temple, where the soldiers kept garrison.

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.

Into the castle - The castle of Antonia, where the guard was kept. See the notes on Act 21:31. Compare Act 23:10, Act 23:16.

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

Into the castle.[1] Neither the Latin nor the Greek word signifies a castle, but rather a camp, or a place walled, or with a trench about it. It is true, we may here understand the tower, called Antonia; but within its court might be tents for soldiers, where there was so great a number: for we see that Lysias could send away 470 with St. Paul, besides those that might stay behind. (Witham)

===============================

[BIBLIOGRAPHY]

In castra, which in the plural number, is not a castle: neither doth Greek: parembole, which is in the Greek, signify a castle.

====================

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).

Some cried one thing, some another; as is usual in popular commotions, they agreed in doing mischief, but not in the reason of it.

Into the castle called Antonia, because it was built in honour of Mark Antony, on the north side of the temple.

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

34. Cried one thing—It was difficult for the mob to make out a charge against the prisoner which would be intelligible to the Roman. If a Greek had entered into the holy place he was liable to death; but Paul was notoriously a Jew; nor was there any Greek to be found on the spot. The incoherent maledictions flung out upon Paul would therefore simply perplex the chiliarch.

Castle—Literally, the pretorium, or camp; probably the barracks of the soldiers within the court of the castle Antonia. These barracks, or soldiers’ lodgings were in the interior area enclosed by the wall of the castle, and afforded rooms for at least a thousand men, kept as guard over the temple grounds. But the “whole cohort,” (Mat_27:27,) was probably kept in the “pretorium,” (of Joh_18:28,) in the western part of the city.

Paul was now taken in custody by the soldiers, and, with the chains fastened on his wrists, was led to the northwest corner of the Gentile court, where by a flight of stairs he would ascend to the gallery, and, entering the gate of the fort, would pass down into the barracks within its area.

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

Shouted for cried, A.V. and T.R.; crowd for multitude, A.V.; uproar for tumult, A.V; brought for carried, A.V. The certainty. He could not get at the truth because of the tumult and the different accounts given first by one and then by another. The Greek word tov, and its kindred ajsfaleia ajsfalwv ajsfalizw, and ejpisfalhv, are of frequent use by St. Luke (Act_2:36 Act_5:23 Act_16:23, 24 22:30 25:26; Luk_1:4) These words are all very much used by medical writers, and specially the last (ejpisfalhv), which is used by St. Luke alone in the New Testament. The castle (thn), "the camp or barracks attached to the tower of Antonia" (Alford); Act_22:24 Act_23:10, Act_23:16, Act_23:32. It means the castle-yard within the fortifications, with whatever buildings were in it.

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

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.

and others another

The words "were shouting" are understood from the previous phrase. AT: "and others were shouting another" or "and others in the crowd were shouting something else" (See: Ellipsis)

the captain

This was a military officer or leader of about 600 soldiers.

he ordered that Paul be brought

This can be stated in active form. AT: "he ordered his soldiers to bring Paul" (See: Active or Passive)

into the fortress

This fortress was connected to the outer temple court.

When he came to the steps, he was carried

This can be stated in active form. AT: "When Paul came to the steps of the fortress, the soldiers carried him" (See: Active or Passive)

Away with him

The crowd is using somewhat milder and less exact language to ask for Paul's death. AT: "Put him to death" or "Kill him" (See: Euphemism)

translationWords

Paul

stronghold

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

34. ἐπεφώνουν for ἐβόων with אABDE.

μὴ δυναμένου δὲ αὐτοῦ with אABDE.

34. ἄλλοι δὲ ἄλλο τι ἐπεφώνουν, and some shouted one thing and some another. ἐπιφωνέω is the verb which St Luke gives for the din of the multitude which shouted against Jesus (Luk 23:21), ‘Crucify Him’; also for the adulatory shouting in honour of Herod Agrippa (Act 12:22). No other New Testament writer uses the word. It is twice found in the LXX. (1Es 9:47; 2Ma 1:23), both times of loud responses in prayer.

The chief captain appears to have made an effort to learn what was laid to the charge of the Apostle.

διὰ τὸν θόρυβον, because of the uproar. Probably, as at Ephesus (Act 19:32), a large part of the shouters hardly knew themselves why the clamour was raised.

ἄγεσθαι … εἰς τὴν παρεμβολήν, to be led into the castle. παρεμβολή signifies ‘an encampment,’ but was employed to designate the barracks which the Romans had in the Tower of Antonia. The same word is rendered ‘army’ in Heb 11:34. Cf. also LXX. 1Sa 4:5-7.

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.

34. παρεμβ.] The camp or barracks attached to the tower Antonia;—or perhaps ‘into the tower’ itself: but the other is the more usual meaning of παρεμβ. “For a full history and description of the fortress of Antonia, see Robinson, i. pp. 431, 435; Williams, Holy City, i. 99; ii. 403-411; Howson, ii. 311.” Wordsworth.

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

Castle [παρεμβολην] . Better, barracks. The main tower had a smaller tower at each corner, the one at the southeastern corner being the largest and overlooking the temple. In this tower were the quarters of the soldiers. The word is derived from the verb paremballw, to put in beside, used in military language of distributing auxiliaries among regular troops and, generally, of drawing up in battle - order. Hence the noun means, a body drawn up in battle - array, and passes thence into the meaning of an encampment, soldiers ' quarters, barracks. In Heb 11:34, it occurs in the earlier sense of an army; and in Heb 13:11, 13; Rev 20:9, in the sense of an encampment. In grammatical phraseology it signifies a parenthesis, according to its original sense of insertion or interpolation.

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