Albert Barnes

But Paul answered, “I am a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city. Now I beg you to allow me to speak to the people.”

“A Jew of Tarsus - A Jew by birth. Of no mean city - Not obscure, or undistinguished. He could claim an honorable birth, so far as the place of his nativity was concerned. See the notes on Act 9:11.”

“Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you.”

“Men, brethren, and fathers - This defense was addressed to the Jews, and Paul commenced it with an expression of sincere respect for them. Stephen began his defense with the same form of address. See the notes on Act 7:2.”

“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but raised in this city.

“Born in Tarsus - See the notes on Act 9:11. Brought up in this city - In Jerusalem, sent there for the advantage of more perfect instruction in the Law. At the feet of Gamaliel - As a scholar or disciple of Gamaliel.”

as the high priest and the whole Council can testify about me.

“As also the high priest ... - See the notes on Act 9:2. All the estate of the elders - Greek: all the presbytery; that is, the whole body of the Sanhedrin, or Great Council of the nation.”

You will be His witness to everyone of what you have seen and heard.

“For thou shalt be his witness ... - As an apostle - to testify to all people that the Messiah has come, that he has died, that he has risen, and that he is the Saviour of the world.”

and saw the Lord saying to me, ‘Hurry! Leave Jerusalem quickly, because the people here will not accept your testimony about Me.’

“And saw him - Evidently, the Lord Jesus, Act 22:14. He had received his commission from him, and he now received a distinct command to go to the Gentiles. For they will not receive - The inhabitants of Jerusalem, probably including both Jews and Christians.”

‘Lord,’ I answered, ‘they know very well that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in You.

“And I said, Lord - This shows that it was the Lord Jesus whom Paul saw in a trance in the temple. The term “Lord” is usually applied to him in the Acts . See the notes on Act 1:24.”

Then He said to me, ‘Go! I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”

“And he said unto me, Depart - Because the Christians at Jerusalem would not receive him. Far hence - Paul traveled far in the pagan nations. A large part of his ministry was spent in remote countries, and in the most distant regions then known.”

As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust into the air,

“Cast off their clothes - Their outer garments. Probably they did it now intending to stone him, Act 7:58. And threw dust into the air - As expressive of them abhorrence and indignation. This was a striking exhibition of rage and malice.”

But as they stretched him out to strap him down, Paul said to the centurion standing there, “Is it lawful for you to flog a Roman citizen without a trial?”

“Bound him with thongs - With cords, preparatory to scourging. Is it lawful ... - It was directly contrary to the Roman law to bind and scourge a Roman citizen. See the notes on Act 16:36-37.”

Then those who were about to interrogate Paul stepped back, and the commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put a Roman citizen in chains.

“Then straightway - Immediately. They saw that by scourging him they would have Violated the Roman law, and exposed themselves to its penalty. Which should have examined him - Who were about to torture him by scourging him, Act 22:24.”

Paul looked directly at the Sanhedrin and said, “Brothers, I have conducted myself before God in all good conscience to this day.”

“And Paul, earnestly beholding - ἀτενίσας atenisas. Fixing his eyes intently on the council. The word denotes “a fixed and earnest gazing; a close observation.” See Luk 4:20. Compare the notes on Act 3:4.”

Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall!

“God shall smite thee - God shall punish thee. God is just; and he will not suffer such a manifest violation of all the laws of a fair trial to pass unavenged. This was a remarkably bold and fearless declaration. Paul was surrounded by enemies.”

But those standing nearby said, “How dare you insult the high priest of God!”

“Revilest thou ... - Dost thou reproach or abuse the high priest of God? is remarkable that they, who knew that he was not the high priest, should have offered this language.”

“Brothers,” Paul replied, “I was not aware that he was the high priest, for it is written: ‘Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.’”

“Then said Paul, I wist not - I know not; I was ignorant of the fact that he was high priest. Interpreters have been greatly divided on the meaning of this expression.”

A great clamor arose, and some scribes from the party of the Pharisees got up and contended sharply, “We find nothing wrong with this man.

“A great cry - A great clamor and tumult. The scribes - The learned men. They would naturally be the chief speakers. Of the Pharisees’ part - Who were Pharisees, or who belonged to that party.”

The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about Me in Jerusalem, so also you must testify in Rome.”

“The Lord stood by him - Evidently the Lord Jesus. See the notes on Act 1:24. Compare Act 22:18. The appearance of the Lord in this case was a proof that he approved the course which Paul had taken before the Sanhedrin.”

More than forty of them were involved in this plot.

“Which had made this conspiracy - This oath συνωμοσίαν sunōmosian, this agreement, or compact. This large number of desperate men, bound by so solemn an oath, would be likely to be successful, and the life of Paul was therefore in special danger.”

They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have bound ourselves with a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul.

“And they came ... - Probably by a deputation. To the chief priests and elders - The members of the Great Council, or Sanhedrin.”

Now then, you and the Sanhedrin petition the commander to bring him down to you on the pretext of examining his case more carefully.

“Ye, with the council - With the concurrence or request of the Sanhedrin. It was only by such a request that they had any hope that the chief captain would remove Paul from the castle.”

Then Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the commander; he has something to tell him.”

“Called one of the centurions - Who might at that time have had special charge of the castle, or been on guard.”

He answered, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul to the Sanhedrin tomorrow on the pretext of acquiring more information about him.

“And he said ... - In what way this young man had received intelligence of this, we can only conjecture. It is not improbable that he was a student under some one of the Jewish teachers, and that he might have learned it of him.”

Then he called two of his centurions and said, “Prepare two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea in the third hour of the night.

“And he called unto him two centurions ... - Each centurion had under him 100 men. The chief captain resolved to place Paul beyond the power of the Jews, and to protect him as became a Roman citizen.”

I found that the accusation involved questions about their own law, but there was no charge worthy of death or imprisonment.

“Questions of their law - So he understood the whole controversy to be. Worthy of death - By the Roman law. He had been guilty of no crime against the Roman people. Or of bonds - Of chains, or of confinement.”

So the soldiers followed their orders and brought Paul by night to Antipatris.

“To Antipatris - This town was anciently called Cafar-Saba. Josephus says (Antiq., Act 13:23) that it was about 17 miles from Joppa. It was about 26 miles from Caesarea, and, of course, about 35 miles from Jerusalem.”