Acts 23:16
in Acts 23But when the son of Paul’s sister heard about the plot, he went into the barracks and told Paul.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But Paul’s sister’s son heard of their lying in wait, and he came and entered into the castle and told Paul.
KJV
And when Paul’s sister’s son heard of their lying in wait, he went and entered into the castle, and told Paul.
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This verse in Acts 23
Commentary
11 notes on this verseBy God's arrangement, the Jews did not notice how "the son of Paul's sister" could hear them. Again Paul is saved through human foresight, since he leaves everyone, even the centurion, in ignorance, so that the matter would not be discovered. One should not condemn …
This site's exposition
the son of Paul’s sister
The son of Paul’s sister, unmentioned anywhere else in the New Testament, heard about the plot and told Paul. The verse is the only hint in Scripture that Paul had family living in or near Jerusalem.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
A commentator
John ChrysostomCATENA ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 23.17-21 · Written in the 5th century.
proposed
Again human forethought is saved. See, Paul allowed nobody to learn of this, not even the centurion, so that the matter might not be divulged. Instead, the centurion took him and brought him to the tribune. The tribune rightly ordered that he be hidden, so that the matter would remain secret. Then he told the centurions what had to be done.
"And when Paul's sister's son heard of their lying in wait, he went and entered into the castle, and told Paul." This was of God's providence, their not perceiving that it would be heard. What then did Paul? he was not alarmed, but perceived that this was God's doing: and casting all upon Him, so he acquits himself from further concern about it.
"Paul's sister's son heard of it." This was of God's providence, their not perceiving that it would be heard. What then did Paul? he was not alarmed, but perceived that this was God's doing: and casting all upon Him, so he acquits himself from further concern about it: "having called one of the centurions," etc. He told of the plot, he was believed; he is saved.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
20 ), or the conspirators' own tongues to betray them. How it was discovered to the chief captain by the young man that told it to Paul. This part of the story is related very particularly, perhaps because the penman was an eye-witness of the prudent and successful management of this affair, and remembered it with a great deal of pleasure.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-citation-number+unbalanced-parens
And when Paul's sister's son heard of their lying in wait,....
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
The chief captain's care of Paul's safety, by which he prevented the execution of the design; he sent him away immediately under a strong guard from Jerusalem to Cæsarea, which was now the residence of Felix, the Roman governor, and there he safely arrived,
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
Paul’s sister’s son - This is all we know of Paul’s family. And we know not how this young man got to Jerusalem; the family, no doubt, still resided at Tarsus.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
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.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Paul’s sister’s son - This is all that we know of the family of Paul. Nor do we know for what purpose he was at Jerusalem. It is possible that Paul might have a sister residing there; though, as Paul himself had been sent there formerly for his education, it seems more probable that this young man was sent there for the same purpose. Entered into the castle - Paul had the privileges of a Roman citizen, and as no well-founded charge had been laid against him, it is probable that he was not very closely confined, and that his friends might have free access to him.
The words behind it
18 Greek wordsEvery 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.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ἀκούσας | akousas | Having heard | G191 → | 425 times |
| δὲ | de | however | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| ὁ | ho | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| υἱὸς | huios | son | G5207 → | 377 times |
| τῆς | tes | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀδελφῆς | adelphes | sister | G79 → | |
| Παύλου | paulou | of Paul | G3972 → | 158 times |
| τὴν | ten | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἐνέδραν, | enedran | ambush, | G1747 → | |
| παραγενόμενος | paragenomenos | having come near | G3854 → | 36 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| εἰσελθὼν | eiselthon | having entered | G1525 → | 194 times |
| εἰς | eis | into | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| τὴν | ten | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| παρεμβολὴν | parembolen | barracks | G3925 → | 10 times |
| ἀπήγγειλεν | apengeilen | he reported [it] | G518 → | 43 times |
| τῷ | to | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Παύλῳ. | paulo | to Paul. | G3972 → | 158 times |
ἈκούσαςHaving heard
akousasG191 →425 times
δὲhowever
deG1161 →2765 times
ὁthe
hoG3588 →19766 times
υἱὸςson
huiosG5207 →377 times
τῆςof the
tesG3588 →19766 times
ἀδελφῆςsister
adelphesG79 →
Παύλουof Paul
paulouG3972 →158 times
τὴνof the
tenG3588 →19766 times
ἐνέδραν,ambush,
enedranG1747 →
παραγενόμενοςhaving come near
paragenomenosG3854 →36 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
εἰσελθὼνhaving entered
eiselthonG1525 →194 times
εἰςinto
eisG1519 →1755 times
τὴνthe
tenG3588 →19766 times
παρεμβολὴνbarracks
parembolenG3925 →10 times
ἀπήγγειλενhe reported [it]
apengeilenG518 →43 times
τῷ<the>
toG3588 →19766 times
Παύλῳ.to Paul.
pauloG3972 →158 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach 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
1 Corinthians 3:19For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness.”
it leads to
- Job 5:13
He catches the wise in their craftiness, and sweeps away the plans of the cunning.
- Psalms 141:10
Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I pass by in safety.
- 1 Corinthians 1:19–20
For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”
- Job 5:13
Through
Lamentations 3:37Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has ordained it?
it leads to
- Proverbs 19:21
Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the purpose of the LORD will prevail.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 33:9–11
For He spoke, and it came to be; He commanded, and it stood firm.
- Isaiah 46:10
I declare the end from the beginning, and ancient times from what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and all My good pleasure I will accomplish.’
- Proverbs 16:9
A man’s heart plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.
- Proverbs 19:21
Through
Proverbs 21:30There is no wisdom, no understanding, no counsel that can prevail against the LORD.
it leads to
- Acts 5:39
But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God.”
- Acts 5:39
Where this verse is studied
About Acts
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 Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); J. A. Alexander, The Acts of the Apostles Explained; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, CATENA ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 23.17-21; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 49; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.