Acts 23:33
in Acts 23When the horsemen arrived in Caesarea, they delivered the letter to the governor and presented Paul to him.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and they, when they came to Cæsarea and delivered the letter to the governor, presented Paul also before him.
KJV
Who, when they came to Cesarea, and delivered the epistle to the governor, presented Paul also before him.
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This verse in Acts 23
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
brought him by night to Antipatris
on Acts 23:31-33
The soldiers move Paul by night the roughly forty miles to Antipatris, the most dangerous stretch closest to Jerusalem where ambush was likeliest, then the infantry turns back the next day and the horsemen alone finish the safer remaining distance to Caesarea. The staged withdrawal of forces matches exactly what a competent Roman escort commander would do once the risk had passed, another of the chapter's small marks of accurate military procedure. Paul arrives and the epistle is delivered along with the prisoner, precisely as Lysias had planned it.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
Like some king whom his body-guards escort, so did these convey Paul; in such numbers too, and by night, for fear of the wrath of the people. Now then you will say that they have got him out of the city, they desist from their violence? No indeed. But the tribune would not have sent him off with such care for his safety, but that while he himself had found nothing amiss in him, he knew the murderous disposition of his adversaries.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Now that Paul was brought before them he thought to have faced them down, but could not, such was their wicked impudence. However, now was fulfilled in him what God promised to Ezekiel ( ch. iii.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
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.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Who - That is, the seventy horsemen mentioned above.
The words behind it
16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| οἵτινες | oitines | who | G3748 → | 144 times |
| εἰσελθόντες | eiselthontes | having entered | G1525 → | 194 times |
| εἰς | eis | into | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| τὴν | ten | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Καισάρειαν | kaisareian | Caesarea | G2542 → | 17 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἀναδόντες | anadontes | having delivered | G325 → | |
| τὴν | ten | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἐπιστολὴν | epistolen | letter | G1992 → | 24 times |
| τῷ | to | to the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἡγεμόνι | hegemoni | governor | G2232 → | 20 times |
| παρέστησαν | parestesan | presented | G3936 → | 41 times |
| καὶ | kai | also | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| τὸν | ton | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Παῦλον | paulon | Paul | G3972 → | 158 times |
| αὐτῷ. | auto | to him. | G846 → | 5565 times |
οἵτινεςwho
oitinesG3748 →144 times
εἰσελθόντεςhaving entered
eiselthontesG1525 →194 times
εἰςinto
eisG1519 →1755 times
τὴν<the>
tenG3588 →19766 times
ΚαισάρειανCaesarea
kaisareianG2542 →17 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἀναδόντεςhaving delivered
anadontesG325 →
τὴνthe
tenG3588 →19766 times
ἐπιστολὴνletter
epistolenG1992 →24 times
τῷto the
toG3588 →19766 times
ἡγεμόνιgovernor
hegemoniG2232 →20 times
παρέστησανpresented
parestesanG3936 →41 times
καὶalso
kaiG2532 →9120 times
τὸν<the>
tonG3588 →19766 times
ΠαῦλονPaul
paulonG3972 →158 times
αὐτῷ.to him.
autoG846 →5565 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
Acts 28:16When we arrived in Rome, Paul was permitted to stay by himself, with a soldier to guard him.
it leads to
- Acts 27:3
The next day we landed at Sidon, and Julius treated Paul with consideration, allowing him to visit his friends and receive their care.
- Acts 24:23
He ordered the centurion to keep Paul under guard, but to allow him some freedom and permit his friends to minister to his needs.
- Acts 27:3
Through
Acts 8:40But Philip appeared at Azotus and traveled through that region, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he came to Caesarea.
it leads to
- Acts 21:8
Leaving the next day, we went on to Caesarea and stayed at the home of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the Seven.
- Acts 25:4
But Festus replied, “Paul is being held in Caesarea, and I myself am going there soon.
- Acts 23:23
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.
- Acts 21:8
Through
Acts 23:26Claudius Lysias, To His Excellency, Governor Felix: Greetings.
it leads to
- Acts 15:23
and sent them with this letter: The apostles and the elders, your brothers, To the brothers among the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Greetings.
- Luke 1:3
Therefore, having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus,
- Acts 24:3
In every way and everywhere, most excellent Felix, we acknowledge this with all gratitude.
- Acts 15:23
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Acts

Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 50; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and William Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveller and the Roman Citizen.
