29 Whom G3739 I perceived G2147 to be accused G1458 of G4012 questions G2213 of their G846 law, G3551 but G1161 to have G2192 nothing G3367 laid to his charge G1462 worthy G514 of death G2288 or G2228 of bonds. G1199
But G1161 when Paul G3972 perceived G1097 that G3754 the one G1520 part G3313 were G2076 Sadducees, G4523 and G1161 the other G2087 Pharisees, G5330 he cried out G2896 in G1722 the council, G4892 Men G435 and brethren, G80 I G1473 am G1510 a Pharisee, G5330 the son G5207 of a Pharisee: G5330 of G4012 the hope G1680 and G2532 resurrection G386 of the dead G3498 I G1473 am called in question. G2919 And G1161 when he G846 had G2980 so G5124 said, G2980 there arose G1096 a dissension G4714 between the Pharisees G5330 and G2532 the Sadducees: G4523 and G2532 the multitude G4128 was divided. G4977 For G1063 G3303 the Sadducees G4523 say G3004 that there is G1511 no G3361 resurrection, G386 neither G3366 angel, G32 nor G3383 spirit: G4151 but G1161 the Pharisees G5330 confess G3670 both. G297 And G1161 there arose G1096 a great G3173 cry: G2906 and G2532 the scribes G1122 that were of the Pharisees' G5330 part G3313 arose, G450 and strove, G1264 saying, G3004 We find G2147 no G3762 evil G2556 in G1722 this G5129 man: G444 but G1161 if G1487 a spirit G4151 or G2228 an angel G32 hath spoken G2980 to him, G846 let us G2313 not G3361 fight G2313 against God.
For G1063 we have found G2147 this G5126 man G435 a pestilent G3061 fellow, and G2532 a mover G2795 of sedition G4714 among all G3956 the Jews G2453 throughout G2596 the world, G3625 and G5037 a ringleader G4414 of the sect G139 of the Nazarenes: G3480 Who G3739 also G2532 hath gone about G3985 to profane G953 the temple: G2411 G2532 whom G3739 we took, G2902 and G2532 would G2309 have judged G2919 according G2596 to our G2251 law. G3551
Then G1161 Paul, G3972 after that the governor G2232 had beckoned G3506 unto him G846 to speak, G3004 answered, G611 Forasmuch as I know G1987 that thou G4571 hast been G5607 of G1537 many G4183 years G2094 a judge G2923 unto this G5129 nation, G1484 I do G626 the more cheerfully G2115 answer G626 for G4012 myself: G1683 Because that thou G4675 mayest G1410 understand, G1097 that G3754 there are G1526 yet but G2228 G3756 twelve G1177 days G2250 G4119 since G575 G3739 I G3427 went up G305 to G1722 Jerusalem G2419 for to worship. G4352 And G2532 they neither G3777 found G2147 me G3165 in G1722 the temple G2411 disputing G1256 with G4314 any man, G5100 neither G2228 raising up G1999 G4160 the people, G3793 neither G3777 in G1722 the synagogues, G4864 nor G3777 in G2596 the city: G4172 Neither G3777 can G1410 they prove G3936 G3165 the things G4012 whereof G3739 they G2723 now G3568 accuse G2723 me. G3450 But G1161 this G5124 I confess G3670 unto thee, G4671 that G3754 after G2596 the way G3598 which G3739 they call G3004 heresy, G139 so G3779 worship I G3000 the God G2316 of my fathers, G3971 believing G4100 all things G3956 which G3588 are written G1125 in G2596 the law G3551 and G2532 in G1722 the prophets: G4396 And have G2192 hope G1680 toward G1519 God, G2316 which G3739 they G3778 themselves G846 also G2532 allow, G4327 that there shall be G3195 G1510 a resurrection G386 of the dead, G3498 both G5037 of the just G1342 and G2532 unjust. G94 And G1161 herein G1722 G5129 do I exercise G778 myself, G846 to have G2192 always G1275 a conscience G4893 void of offence G677 toward G4314 God, G2316 and G2532 toward men. G444 Now G1161 after G1223 many G4119 years G2094 I came G3854 to bring G4160 alms G1654 to G1519 my G3450 nation, G1484 and G2532 offerings. G4376 G1161 Whereupon G1722 G3739 certain G5100 Jews G2453 from G575 Asia G773 found G2147 me G3165 purified G48 in G1722 the temple, G2411 neither G3756 with G3326 multitude, G3793 nor G3761 with G3326 tumult. G2351 Who G3739 ought G1163 G1163 to have been here G3918 before G1909 thee, G4675 and G2532 object, G2723 if G1536 they had G2192 ought G1536 against G4314 me. G3165 Or else G2228 let G2036 these G846 same G3778 here say, G2036 if G1536 they have found G2147 any G1536 evil doing G92 in G1722 me, G1698 while I G3450 stood G2476 before G1909 the council, G4892 Except G2228 it be for G4012 this G5026 one G3391 voice, G5456 that G3739 I cried G2896 standing G2476 among G1722 them, G846 Touching G3754 G4012 the resurrection G386 of the dead G3498 I G1473 am called in question G2919 by G5259 you G5216 this day. G4594
And G1161 when he G846 was come, G3854 the Jews G2453 which came down G2597 from G575 Jerusalem G2414 stood round about, G4026 and G2532 laid G5342 many G4183 and grievous G926 complaints G157 against G2596 Paul, G3972 which G3739 they could G2480 not G3756 prove. G584 While he answered G626 for himself, G846 Neither G3754 G3777 against G1519 the law G3551 of the Jews, G2453 neither G3777 against G1519 the temple, G2411 nor yet G3777 against G1519 Caesar, G2541 have I offended G264 any thing at all. G5100
But G1161 had G2192 certain G5100 questions G2213 against G4314 him G846 of G4012 their own G2398 superstition, G1175 and G2532 of G4012 one G5100 Jesus, G2424 which was dead, G2348 whom G3739 Paul G3972 affirmed G5335 to be alive. G2198 And G1161 because I G1473 doubted G639 of G1519 such G5127 manner G4012 of questions, G2214 I asked G3004 him whether G1487 he would G1014 go G4198 to G1519 Jerusalem, G2419 and there G2546 be judged G2919 of G4012 these matters. G5130
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Acts 23
Commentary on Acts 23 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 23
Ac 23:1-10. Paul's Defense before the Sanhedrin Divides the Rival Factions, from Whose Violence the Commandant Has the Apostle Removed into the Fortress.
1. Paul, earnestly beholding the council—with a look of conscious integrity and unfaltering courage, perhaps also recognizing some of his early fellow pupils.
I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day—The word has an indirect reference to the "polity" or "commonwealth of Israel," of which he would signify that he had been, and was to that hour, an honest and God-fearing member.
2. the high priest … commanded … to smite him on the mouth—a method of silencing a speaker common in the East to this day [Hacket]. But for a judge thus to treat a prisoner on his "trial," for merely prefacing his defense by a protestation of his integrity, was infamous.
3, 4. God shall smite thee—as indeed He did; for he was killed by an assassin during the Jewish war [Josephus, Wars of the Jews, 2.17.9].
thou whited wall—that is, hypocrite (Mt 23:27). This epithet, however correctly describing the man, must not be defended as addressed to a judge, though the remonstrance which follows—"for sittest thou," &c.—ought to have put him to shame.
5. I wist not … that he was the high priest—All sorts of explanations of this have been given. The high priesthood was in a state of great confusion and constant change at this time (as appears from Josephus), and the apostle's long absence from Jerusalem, and perhaps the manner in which he was habited or the seat he occupied, with other circumstances to us unknown, may account for such a speech. But if he was thrown off his guard by an insult which touched him to the quick, "what can surpass the grace with which he recovered his self-possession, and the frankness with which he acknowledged his error? If his conduct in yielding to the momentary impulse was not that of Christ Himself under a similar provocation (Joh 18:22, 23), certainly the manner in which he atoned for his fault was Christ-like" [Hacket].
6-9. when Paul perceived—from the discussion which plainly had by this time arisen between the parties.
that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out—raising his voice above both parties.
I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee—The true reading seems to be, "the son of Pharisees," that is, belonging to a family who from father to son had long been such.
of the hope and resurrection of the dead—that is, not the vague hope of immortality, but the definite expectation of the resurrection.
I am called in question—By this adroit stroke, Paul engages the whole Pharisaic section of the council in his favor; the doctrine of a resurrection being common to both, though they would totally differ in their application of it. This was, of course, quite warrantable, and the more so as it was already evident that no impartiality in trying his cause was to be looked for from such an assembly.
8. the Sadducees say … there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit—(See on Lu 20:37).
the scribes … of the Pharisees' part … strove, saying, We find no evil in this man, but—as to those startling things which he brings to our ears.
if a spirit or an angel hath spoken to him—referring, perhaps, to his trance in the temple, of which he had told them (Ac 22:17). They put this favorable construction upon his proceedings for no other reason than that they had found him one of their own party. They care not to inquire into the truth of what he alleged, over and above their opinions, but only to explain it away as something not worth raising a noise about. (The following words, "Let us not fight against God," seem not to belong to the original text, and perhaps are from Ac 5:39. In this case, either the meaning is, "If he has had some divine communication, what of that?" or, the conclusion of the sentence may have been drowned in the hubbub, which Ac 23:10 shows to have been intense).
10. the chief captain, fearing lest Paul should have been pulled to pieces … commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force, &c.—This shows that the commandant was not himself present, and further, that instead of the Sanhedrim trying the cause, the proceedings quickly consisted in the one party attempting to seize the prisoner, and the other to protect him.
Ac 23:11-35. In the Fortress Paul Is Cheered by a Night Vision—An Infamous Conspiracy to Assassinate Him Is Providentially Defeated, and He Is Despatched by Night with a Letter from the Commandant to Felix at Cæsarea, by Whom Arrangements Are Made for a Hearing of His Cause.
11. the night following—his heart perhaps sinking, in the solitude of his barrack ward, and thinking perhaps that all the predictions of danger at Jerusalem were now to be fulfilled in his death there.
the Lord—that is, Jesus.
stood by him … Be of good cheer, Paul; for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou … also at Rome—that is, "Thy work in Jerusalem is done, faithfully and well done; but thou art not to die here; thy purpose next to 'see Rome' (Ac 19:21) shall not be disappointed, and there also must thou bear witness of Me." As this vision was not unneeded now, so we shall find it cheering and upholding him throughout all that befell him up to his arrival there.
12-14. bound themselves under a curse … that they would neither eat … fill they had killed Paul—Compare 2Sa 3:35; 1Sa 14:24.
15. Now … ye with the council signify to the chief captain … as though, &c.—That these high ecclesiastics fell in readily with this infamous plot is clear. What will not unscrupulous and hypocritical religionists do under the mask of religion? The narrative bears unmistakable internal marks of truth.
or ever he come near—Their plan was to assassinate him on his way down from the barracks to the council. The case was critical, but He who had pledged His word to him that he should testify for Him at Rome provided unexpected means of defeating this well-laid scheme.
16-22. Paul's sister's son—(See on Ac 9:30). If he was at this time residing at Jerusalem for his education, like Paul himself, he may have got at the schools those hints of the conspiracy on which he so promptly acted.
17. Then Paul called one of the centurions—Though divinely assured of safety, he never allows this to interfere with the duty he owed to his own life and the work he had yet to do. (See on Ac 27:22-25; Ac 27:31).
19. took him by the hand—This shows that he must have been quite in his boyhood, and throws a pleasing light on the kind-hearted impartiality of this officer.
21. and now are they ready, looking for a promise from thee—Thus, as is so often the case with God's people, not till the last moment, when the plot was all prepared, did deliverance come.
23, 24. two hundred soldiers—a formidable guard for such an occasion; but Roman officials felt their honor concerned in the preservation of the public peace, and the danger of an attempted rescue would seem to require it. The force at Jerusalem was large enough to spare this convoy.
the third hour of the night—nine o'clock.
24. beasts … set Paul on—as relays, and to carry baggage.
unto Felix, the governor—the procurator. See on Ac 24:24, 25.
26-30. Claudius—the Roman name he would take on purchasing his citizenship.
Lysias—his Greek family name.
the most excellent governor—an honorary title of office.
27. came I with an army—rather, "with the military."
29. perceived to be accused of questions of their law, &c.—Amidst all his difficulty in getting at the charges laid against Paul, enough, no doubt, come out to satisfy him that the whole was a question of religion, and that there was no case for a civil tribunal.
30. gave commandment to his accusers … to say before thee—This was not done when he wrote, but would be before the letter reached its destination.
31, 32. brought him … to Antipatris—nearly forty miles from Jerusalem, on the way to Cæsarea; so named by Herod in honor of his father, Antipater.
32. On the morrow they—the infantry.
left the horsemen—themselves no longer needed as a guard. The remaining distance was about twenty-five or twenty-six miles.
34, 35. asked of what province he was—the letter describing him as a Roman citizen.
35. I will hear thee—The word means, "give thee a full hearing."
to be kept in Herod's judgment hall—"prætorium," the palace built at Cæsarea by Herod, and now occupied by the Roman procurators; in one of the buildings attached to which Paul was ordered to be kept.