Acts 23:18

Act 23:18 . ὁ δέσμιος Π .: used by Paul five times of himself in his Epistles, here for the first time in Acts with reference to him.

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

(18) Paul the prisoner . . .—We may well believe that at the time he little thought how long that name would be used of him, first by others and then by himself, until it became as a title of honour in which he seemed to glory almost more than in that of Apostle. (Comp. Eph_3:1; Eph_4:1; Phm_1:1; Phm_1:9.)

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

18. he took him, and brought him, &c.] With soldier-like obedience and raising no questions.

Paul the prisoner] A name which St Paul was often afterwards to apply to himself. Cp. Eph_3:1; Eph_4:1; Phm_1:1; Phm_1:9, &c.

and prayed me] In the older English the verb “pray” as here used is no more than “ask,” which latter verb is here given by the Rev. Ver., but it is a needless interference with the older diction.

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 took him by the hand,.... Some have thought that the reason of this was, that he expected that the young man had brought him a present in his hand, from Paul; but this is to represent him as a sordid mercenary man, which ought not to be said, without sufficient proof; rather this should be considered as an instance of civility and humanity, and what showed him to be a man of breeding and good manners; and might be done partly out of respect to Paul, and partly to encourage the young man to use freedom in the account he was about to give him:

and went with him aside privately; concluding by his coming from Paul, and perceiving by the account of the centurion, that he had a secret to communicate to him; wherefore it was acting a wise and prudent part to take him into a private room, and hear what he had to say:

and asked him, what is that thou hast to tell me? thereby giving the young man an opportunity, and encouraging him to relate the secret to him.

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

18 So 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.

Ver. 18. Paul the prisoner] But therein happier than any potentate, {Psa 89:27} with all his chains of gold. Τιμη αλυσεις, δεσμα μαργαριται, said Ignatius; my chain is my honour, my links pearls. One hour changed Joseph’s fetters into gold chains, his stocks into a chariot, his jail into a palace, Potiphar’s captive to his master’s Lord, the noise of his gyves {a} into abrech. So and much more than so shall it be with all Christ’s prisoners at his coming: besides their prison comforts in the meanwhile; those divine consolations that Philip Landgrave of Hesse, prisoner to Charles V, for defence of the truth, said that he sensibly felt in the time of his sad captivity, Divinas Martyrum consolationes se sensisse dixit. This made Chrysostom say that he had rather be Paul the prisoner of Jesus Christ than Paul rapped up into the third heaven. (Homil. in Eph 3:1)

{a} An instrument of torture (invented in the reign of Hen. VIII by Leonard Skevington or Skeffington, Lieutenant of the Tower), which (bringing the head to the knees) so compressed the body as to force the blood from the nose and ears. Also Skevington’s gyves, irons. ŒD

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.

And prayed me - And asked me.

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

The centurion took Paul’s kinsman, and went with him, as he was desired, unto the chief captain, that there might be no mistake, but that he might hear all out of the young man’s own mouth, and be the more affected with it.

The prisoner, or, the chained; for it was customary to chain their prisoners for their greater security. And God is now remembering of Paul in his bonds.

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

Saith for said, A.V.; asked for prayed, A.V.; to for unto, A.V..

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 17

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.

Paul the prisoner called me to him

"Paul the prisoner asked me to come talk with him"

this young man ... chief captain took him by the hand

Since the chief captain took the young man by the hand and calls him a young man, this suggests Paul's nephew may have been 12 to 15 years old.

translationWords

centurion

Paul

prison

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

18. παραλαβὼν αὐτὸν ἤγαγεν, he took him and brought him. With soldier-like obedience and raising no questions.

ὁ δέσμιος Παῦλος, Paul the prisoner, a title which the Apostle used often afterwards to apply to himself. Cf. Eph 3:1; Eph 4:1; Phm 1:1; Phm 1:9, &c.

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.

The prisoner [ο δεσμιος] . From dew, to bind. Paul, as a Roman citizen, was held in custodia militaris, "military custody." Three kinds of custody were recognized by the Roman law : 1. Custodia publica (public custody); confinement in the public jail. This was the worst kind, the common jails being wretched dungeons. Such was the confinement of Paul and Silas at Philippi. 2. Custodia libera (free custody), confined to men of high rank. The accused was committed to the charge of a magistrate or senator, who became responsible for his appearance on the day of trial. 3. Custodia militaris (military custody). The accused was placed in charge of a soldier, who was responsible with his life for the prisoner 's safe - keeping, and whose left hand was secured by a chain to the prisoner 's right. The prisoner was usually kept in the barracks, but was sometimes allowed to reside in a private house under charge of his guard.

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