Acts 23:33

Act 23:33 . οἵτινες : “and they when they …” R.V., sc. ἱππεῖς . ἀναδόντες : not elsewhere in N.T., or in LXX in this sense, of delivering a letter. Zahn, following Hobart, sees in the phrase ἀναδ . τὴν ἐπιστολήν a phrase characteristic of a medical man, since Hippocrates, Epis. , 1275, uses the verb instead of διδόναι or ἀποδιδόναι of a messenger delivering a letter, and thus shows a leaning common to the Greek medical writers of employing a verb already familiar to them in a professional way; but it must be remembered that both Polybius and Plutarch use the verb in a similar sense.

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

Verse 33. Who] That is, the seventy horsemen mentioned above.

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

33. who, when they came to Cesarea] The Rev. Ver. breaks up the relative into a conjunction and a personal pronoun. “And they, when, &c.” This makes the reference to the horsemen more clear.

and delivered the epistle [letter] to the governor] It is not easy to see what led the A. V. to give “epistle” here and “letter” for the same word in Act_23:25. Sometimes rhythm may account for such a variation, but that is not the case here.

presented Paul also] If the letter as given above be a copy of the original, the prisoner was not mentioned in it by name, but the soldiers would merely declare that this was the man that had been committed to their charge.

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.

I will hear thee, said he,.... The Arabic and Ethiopic versions read, "we will hear", which is a grand courtly way of speaking:

when thine accusers are come; which Lysias, in his letter, informed him that he had ordered them to come; which shows the governor to have some sense of justice and integrity, being desirous to hear both sides before he judged of the affair, though there was so much said in the chief captain's letter in favour of Paul's innocence, and against his enemies.

And he commanded him to be kept in Herod's judgment hall; or palace: this was a place built by Herod the great at Caesarea, of whose magnificent buildings here Josephus gives a large account. For besides the famous haven or port which he made here, he adorned the place with splendid palaces, he built a theatre, and an amphitheatre, and a "forum" (h), which was either a market place, or a court of judicature; and if the latter, perhaps the same that is here meant, in a part of which, or in a place adjoining to it, the apostle was put. Here he was kept by a guard of soldiers, but not in close confinement; he had much liberty, and his friends and acquaintance had leave to come to him; see Act 24:23. We read (i) of , which some interpret "the chamber of the judges of Caesarea"; or the place where they sat in judgment, and may be the same that is here meant; though others interpret it a prison; and so it seems was this judgment hall of Herod's.

(h) Joseph. de Bello Jud. l. 1. c. 21. sect. 5, 8. (i) Megillat Esther, fol. 85. 1.

Next: Acts Chapter 24

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

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

Ver. 33. Presented Paul also before him] And so was fulfilled in him that of our Saviour, Mat 10:18. {See Trapp on "Mat 10:18"} Neither was he more afraid of Felix, than Moses and Micaiah were to stand before Pharaoh and Ahab, when once they had seen God in his majesty. Animo magno nihil magnum. With a great soul, nothing is great. (Seneca.)

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.

Caesarea; Caesarea Stratonis, as it was called, to difference it from the other.

They presented Paul, as being their charge, whom they had safely kept, and now delivered according to appointment.

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

And they for who, A.V; letter for epistle, A.V. Presented Paul; paresthsan. This is a word particularly used of setting any one before a judge. see Rom_14:10, and the subscription of 2 Timothy, (Ote ejk deuterou paresth Pulov tw Kaisari Nerwni).

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.

[33. Εἰς τὴν Καισάρειαν, to Cesarea) Paul’s stay in this metropolis afforded great help to the cause of the Gospel. Nevertheless he was himself placed in the midst of Gentiles and strangers in this place.—V. g.]

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

33. οἵτινες, who, i.e. the horsemen who went on with St Paul. It is better with Rev. Vers. to break up the relative into a conjunction and personal pronoun. ‘And they, when,’ &c.

παρέστησαν καὶ τὸν Παῦλον αὐτῷ, presented Paul also unto him. If the letter as given above be a rendering of the original, the prisoner was not mentioned in it by name, but the soldiers would merely declare that this was the man that had been committed to their charge, and Felix would learn all the rest by questioning Paul.

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.

Caesarea. Twenty - six miles from Antipatris.

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