Acts 21:32
in Acts 21Immediately he took some soldiers and centurions and ran down to the crowd. When the people saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And forthwith he took soldiers and centurions, and ran down upon them: and they, when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, left off beating Paul.
KJV
Who immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down unto them: and when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, they left beating of Paul.
⋯
This verse in Acts 21
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
they stopped beating Paul
on Acts 21:32-33
When the people saw the commander and his soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. He had Paul bound with two chains before asking who he was and what he had done, the Roman way of quelling a riot.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"Who immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down unto them: and when they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they left beating of Paul. Then the tribune came near, and took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains; and demanded who he was, and what he had done." But the tribune having come down delivered him, and "commanded him to be bound with two chains:" hereby appeasing the anger of the people.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Who immediately took soldiers and centurions,....
How much ado Paul had to get clear from Ephesus, intimated in the first words of the chapter, after we had gotten from them, that is, were drawn from them as by violence. It was a force put upon both sides; Paul was loth to leave them, and they were loth to part with him, and yet there was no remedy, but so it must be.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Ran down unto them - Ran down the stairs to the porticoes mentioned above.
The words behind it
21 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ὃς | hos | who | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| ἐξαυτῆς | exautes | at once | G1824 → | 6 times |
| παραλαβὼν | paralabon | having taken with [him] | G3880 → | 49 times |
| στρατιώτας | stratiotas | soldiers | G4757 → | 26 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἑκατοντάρχας | hekatontarchas | centurions | G1543 → | 20 times |
| κατέδραμεν | katedramen | ran down | G2701 → | |
| ἐπ᾽ | ep᾽ | upon | G1909 → | 883 times |
| αὐτούς. | autous | them. | G846 → | 5565 times |
| οἱ | hoi | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δὲ | de | And | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| ἰδόντες | idontes | having seen | G1492 → | 374 times |
| τὸν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| χιλίαρχον | chiliarchon | commander | G5506 → | 21 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| τοὺς | tous | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| στρατιώτας | stratiotas | soldiers | G4757 → | 26 times |
| ἐπαύσαντο | epausanto | they stopped | G3973 → | 15 times |
| τύπτοντες | tuptontes | beating | G5180 → | 13 times |
| τὸν | ton | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Παῦλον. | paulon | Paul. | G3972 → | 158 times |
ὃςwho
hosG3739 →1405 times
ἐξαυτῆςat once
exautesG1824 →6 times
παραλαβὼνhaving taken with [him]
paralabonG3880 →49 times
στρατιώταςsoldiers
stratiotasG4757 →26 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἑκατοντάρχαςcenturions
hekatontarchasG1543 →20 times
κατέδραμενran down
katedramenG2701 →
ἐπ᾽upon
ep᾽G1909 →883 times
αὐτούς.them.
autousG846 →5565 times
οἱ<the>
hoiG3588 →19766 times
δὲAnd
deG1161 →2765 times
ἰδόντεςhaving seen
idontesG1492 →374 times
τὸνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
χιλίαρχονcommander
chiliarchonG5506 →21 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
τοὺςthe
tousG3588 →19766 times
στρατιώταςsoldiers
stratiotasG4757 →26 times
ἐπαύσαντοthey stopped
epausantoG3973 →15 times
τύπτοντεςbeating
tuptontesG5180 →13 times
τὸν<the>
tonG3588 →19766 times
Παῦλον.Paul.
paulonG3972 →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
Acts 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,
it leads to
- Acts 22:25–29
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?”
- Acts 21:31–33
While they were trying to kill him, the commander of the Roman regiment received a report that all Jerusalem was in turmoil.
- Acts 22:25–29
Through
Acts 5:40At this, they yielded to Gamaliel. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and released them.
it leads to
- Matthew 10:17
But beware of men; for they will hand you over to their councils and flog you in their synagogues.
- 2 Corinthians 11:24
Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.
- Acts 4:17–21
But to keep this message from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them not to speak to anyone in this name.”
- Matthew 10:17
Through
Isaiah 3:15Why do you crush My people and grind the faces of the poor?” declares the Lord GOD of Hosts.
it leads to
- Micah 3:2–3
You hate good and love evil. You tear the skin from my people and strip the flesh from their bones.
- Psalms 94:5
They crush Your people, O LORD; they oppress Your heritage.
- Micah 3:2–3
Through
Acts 24:6and he even tried to desecrate the temple; so we seized him.
it leads to
- Acts 24:12
Yet my accusers did not find me debating with anyone in the temple or riling up a crowd in the synagogues or in the city.
- Acts 24:12
Where this verse is studied
About Acts
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 46; 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.