Acts 23:23-33

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 23:30

And when it was told me ,.... As it was by Paul's sister's son, how that the Jews laid wait for the man ; had formed a conspiracy to take away his life, and laid a scheme in order to it, and at least intended, if they were not actually in ambush, to seize him as he should be brought from the castle to the sanhedrim: I sent straightway to thee ; the prisoner Paul, under a guard of soldiers; this he did directly, as soon as ever he heard of the design of the Jews; and he sent him to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 23:31

Then the soldiers, as it was commanded them, took Paul ,.... Out of the castle, and put him upon a beast, as the chief captain had ordered the centurions, and they had directed the soldiers to do: and brought him by night to Antipatris : they set out from Jerusalem at the third hour, or about nine o'clock at night, and travelled all night, and by break of day came to Antipatris; a city which lay in the road from Jerusalem to Caesarea: it was built by Herod the great, in the best soil of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 23:32

On the morrow they left the horsemen to go with him ,.... That is, the two hundred soldiers, and the two hundred spearmen, who were all on foot, left the seventy horsemen to conduct Paul to Caesarea; for being come to Antipatris, all danger from the Jews was over: and returned to the castle ; the castle Antonia in Jerusalem, from whence they set out. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 23:33

Who, when they came to Caesarea ,.... The seventy horsemen: and delivered the epistle to the governor ; to Felix, governor of Judea, who was now at Caesarea; namely, the letter which Claudius Lysias, the chief captain, sent to him; the form and contents of which are before given: these presented Paul also before him ; concerning whom, and whose affairs, the letter was. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 23:23

Two hundred soldiers - Στρατιωτας , Infantry or foot soldiers. Horsemen threescore and ten - There was always a certain number of horse, or cavalry, attached to the foot. Spearmen - Δεξιολαβους , Persons who held a spear or javelin in their hand; from εν τῃ δεξιᾳ λαβειν taking or holding a thing in the right hand. But the Codex Alexandrinus reads δεξιοβολους , from δεξια , the right hand, and βαλλειν , to cast or dart, persons who threw javelins. But both words seem to... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 23:24

Provide them beasts - One for Paul, and some others for his immediate keepers. Felix the governor - This Felix was a freed man of the Emperor Claudius, and brother of Pallas, chief favourite of the emperor. Tacitus calls him Antonius Felix; and gives us to understand that he governed with all the authority of a king, and the baseness and insolence of a quondam slave. E libertis Antonius Felix per omnem saevitiam ac libidinem jus regium servili ingenio exercuit . Hist. v. 9. He had,... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 23:25

He wrote a letter after this manner - It appears that this was not only the substance of the letter, but the letter itself: the whole of it is so perfectly formal as to prove this; and in this simple manner are all the letters of the ancients formed. In this also we have an additional proof of St. Luke's accuracy. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 23:30

I sent straightway to thee - As the proper person before whom this business should ultimately come, and by whom it should be decided. Farewell - Ερῥωσο , Be in good health. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 23:31

Antipatris - This place, according to Josephus, Antiq. lib. xiii. cap. 23, was anciently called Capharsaba, and is supposed to be the same which, in 1 Maccabees 7:31, is called Capharsalama, or Carphasalama. It was rebuilt by Herod the Great, and denominated Antipatris, in honor of his father Antipater. It was situated between Joppa and Caesarea, on the road from Jerusalem to this latter city. Josephus says it was fifty stadia from Joppa. The distance between Jerusalem and Caesarea was about... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 23:32

On the morrow they left the horsemen - Being now so far from Jerusalem, they considered Paul in a state of safety from the Jews, and that the seventy horse would be a sufficient guard; the four hundred foot, therefore, returned to Jerusalem, and the horse went on to Caesarea with Paul. We need not suppose that all this troop did reach Antipatris on the same night in which they left Jerusalem; therefore, instead of, they brought him by night to Antipatris, we may understand the text thus -... read more

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