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Acts 23:10

in Acts 23

The dispute grew so violent that the commander was afraid they would tear Paul to pieces. He ordered the soldiers to go down and remove him by force and bring him into the barracks.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And when there arose a great dissension, the chief captain, fearing lest Paul should be torn in pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among them, and bring him into the castle.

KJV

And when there arose a great dissension, the chief captain, fearing lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces of them, commanded the soldiers to go down, and to take him by force from among them, and to bring him into the castle.

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This verse in Acts 23

Commentary

10 notes on this verse

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

The chief captain - commanded the soldiers to go down - It appears that the chief captain was present during these transactions, and that he had a body of soldiers in readiness in the castle of Antonia; and it was from this that he commanded them to come down; for the rescue and preservation of Paul.

This site's exposition

would tear Paul to pieces

Fearing they would tear Paul to pieces, the commander had soldiers remove him by force into the barracks. Rome rescues Paul from a mob a second time, as at the temple in 21:31-32.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers2 voices

A commentator

Cassiodorus

Complexiones on the Acts of the Apostles · Written before 585.

proposed

"And when there arose a great dissension, the tribune fearing lest Paul should be pulled in pieces. "When a great dissension arose between Pharisees and Sadducees, the tribune, fearing lest Paul should be pulled in pieces by the Sadducees, ordered him to be taken back …

A commentator

John Chrysostom

Homily on Acts 49 · Written before 407.

proposed

"And when there arose a great dissension, the tribune, fearing lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces of them, commanded the soldiers to go down, and to take him by force from among them, and to bring him into the castle." The tribune is afraid of his being pulled in pieces, now that he has said that he is a Roman: and the matter was not without danger. Do you observe that Paul had a right to profess himself a Roman? Else, neither would the tribune have been afraid now. So it remains that the soldiers must bear him off by force.

The Medieval Church1 voice

A commentator

Theophylact of Ohrid

Commentary on Acts · Written before 1107.

proposed

"The commander, fearing." He was afraid lest they tear Paul apart, since he had said that he was a Roman, and the matter was not far from danger. Finally the soldiers snatch him away, I think, as their own property.

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

And when there arose a great dissension,....

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

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.
3 more voices on this verse

The Nineteenth Century3 voices

FROM the midnight whisper of the Lord to Paul we may draw forth sweet encouragement. Those of the Lord's children who have been engaged in His work and are called to suffer in it, have here a special word of consolation! Paul had been in a great tumult and had been roughly rescued from the wrath of the people by the chief captain who saw that otherwise he would be pulled in pieces. Paul was like the rest of us, made of flesh and blood and, therefore, liable to be cast down.
FROM the midnight whisper of the Lord to Paul we may draw forth sweet encouragement. Those of the Lord's children who have been engaged in His work and are called to suffer in it, have here a special word of consolation! Paul had been in a great tumult and had been roughly rescued from the wrath of the people by the chief captain who saw that otherwise he would be pulled in pieces. Paul was like the rest of us, made of flesh and blood and, therefore, liable to be cast down. He had kept himself calm at first, but still, the strong excitement of the day had no doubt operated upon his mind and when he was lying in prison all alone, thinking upon the perils that surrounded him, he needed good cheer—and he received it. The bravest man may find his spirit sinking after the battle and so perhaps it was with the Apostle. I. In this passage, we note the good cheer that came to Paul in the dungeon. This consisted, first, in HIS MASTER'S PRESENCE—"the Lord stood by him." If all else forsook him, Jesus was company enough! If all others despised him, the smile of Jesus was patronage enough! If the good cause seemed in danger—in the Presence of his Master victory was sure! The Lord, who had stood for him at the Cross, now stood by him in the prison. The Lord, who had called to him out of Heaven, who had washed him in His blood, who had commissioned him to be His servant, who had often sustained him in labors and trials, now visited him in his solitary cell! It was a dungeon, but the Lord was there! It was dark, but the Glory of the Lord lit it up with Heaven's own splendor! Better to be in a jail with the Lord than to be in Heaven without Him! The harps above could make no heavenly place without Jesus—and Jesus being there, the clanking fetters and the cold floor of the stony cell could not suggest a sorrow.
A great dissension - A great tumult, excitement, or controversy. Into the castle - See the notes on Act 21:34.

The words behind it

27 Greek words

Every Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

18 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Acts 21:34Some in the crowd were shouting one thing, and some another. And since the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be brought into the barracks.6 worksActs 23:16But when the son of Paul’s sister heard about the plot, he went into the barracks and told Paul.4 worksMatthew 27:23“Why?” asked Pilate. “What evil has He done?” But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify Him!”4 worksJames 1:19My beloved brothers, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger,3 worksActs 22:24the commander ordered that Paul be brought into the barracks. He directed that Paul be flogged and interrogated to determine the reason for this outcry against him.3 worksJames 3:14But if you harbor bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast in it or deny the truth.3 works
The other 12 cross-references, with their words ▾
Luke 23:5But they kept insisting, “He stirs up the people all over Judea with His teaching. He began in Galilee and has come all the way here.”3 worksActs 21:30–36The whole city was stirred up, and the people rushed together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut.2 worksPsalms 7:2or they will shred my soul like a lion and tear me to pieces with no one to rescue me.2 worksMicah 3:3You eat the flesh of my people after stripping off their skin and breaking their bones. You chop them up like flesh for the cooking pot, like meat in a cauldron.”2 worksActs 23:27This man was seized by the Jews, and they were about to kill him when I came with my troops to rescue him. For I had learned that he is a Roman citizen,2 worksActs 23:32The next day they returned to the barracks and let the horsemen go on with him.2 worksActs 19:28–31When the men heard this, they were enraged and began shouting, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”2 worksPsalms 50:22Now consider this, you who forget God, lest I tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you:2 worksActs 27:43But the centurion, wanting to spare Paul’s life, thwarted their plan. He commanded those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land.2 worksJeremiah 26:24Nevertheless, Ahikam son of Shaphan supported Jeremiah, so he was not handed over to the people to be put to death.2 worksJohn 18:12Then the band of soldiers, with its commander and the officers of the Jews, arrested Jesus and bound Him.2 worksPsalms 83:2See how Your enemies rage, how Your foes have reared their heads.2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    James 1:19

    My beloved brothers, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger,

    it leads to

    • Proverbs 17:27

      A man of knowledge restrains his words, and a man of understanding maintains a calm spirit.

    • Proverbs 21:23

      He who guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from distress.

    • Proverbs 14:29

      A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man promotes folly.

    • Proverbs 10:19

      When words are many, sin is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise.

    • Proverbs 18:13

      He who answers a matter before he hears it—this is folly and disgrace to him.

  • Through

    James 3:14

    But if you harbor bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast in it or deny the truth.

    it leads to

    • James 3:16

      For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every evil practice.

    • 1 Corinthians 13:4

      Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

    • Philippians 2:3

      Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves.

Where this verse is studied

About Acts

The Pentecost, El Greco, about 1600, Museo del Prado. Public domain.
The Pentecost, El Greco, about 1600, Museo del Prado. Public domain.
Acts: the study guide →Read Acts 23 →
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Acts of the Apostles; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Cassiodorus, Complexiones on the Acts of the Apostles; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 3153: “Paul Cheered in Prison by His Lord” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 49; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts and William Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveller and the Roman Citizen.

Read on in Acts 23 →