Acts 22:28

Acts 22:28 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born.
• New International Version (NIV)Then the commander said, “I had to pay a lot of money for my citizenship.” “But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied.
• English Standard Version (ESV)The tribune answered, "I bought this citizenship for a large sum." Paul said, "But I am a citizen by birth."
• New King James Version (NKJV)The commander answered, “With a large sum I obtained this citizenship.” And Paul said, “But I was born a citizen.”

Context of Acts 22:28

26The officer heard what Paul said. So he went to the leader of the soldiers and he said, ‘That man is a citizen of Rome! Be careful what you do to him!’ 27So the soldiers' leader went to speak to Paul. He asked him, ‘Tell me. Are you really a citizen of Rome?’ Paul answered, ‘Yes, I am.’ The soldiers' leader said, ‘I paid a lot of money to the government so that I could become a citizen of Rome.’ Paul replied, ‘But I was already a citizen of Rome when I was born.’ 29Immediately, the men who wanted to hit Paul with whips moved away from him. The leader of the soldiers was also very afraid. He had tied chains around Paul's arms and legs. He knew that he should not have done that to a citizen of Rome. 30The soldiers' leader wanted to find the reason why the Jews had said bad things against Paul. He wanted to know what was really true. So the next day, he told his soldiers to remove the chains from Paul. He sent a message to the most important priest and to all the group of Jewish leaders. He told them to meet together with him. Then he took Paul to their meeting. He made Paul stand in front of them.

Acts 22:28 word by word

ἀπεκρίθη δὲ ὁ χιλίαρχος· ἐγὼ πολλοῦ κεφαλαίου τὴν πολιτείαν ταύτην ἐκτησάμην. ὁ δὲ Παῦλος ἔφη· ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ γεγέννημαι.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Andτεte · and/bothG5037
• the chief captainχιλίαρχοςchiliarchos · military officerG5506
• answeredἀποκρίνωapokrinomai · to answerG611
• With a greatπολύςpolus polos · muchG4183
• sumκεφάλαιοςkephalaion · sumG2774
• obtainedκτάομαιktaomai · to possesG2932
• Iἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• freedomπολιτείαpoliteia · citizenshipG4174
• Andδέde · thenG1161
• PaulΠαῦλοςPaulos · PaulG3972
• saidφημίphēmi · to assertG5346
• wasγεννάωgennaō · to begetG1080
• ·καίkai · andG2532

Commentaries on Acts 22:28

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 28With a great sum obtained I this freedom - So it appears that the freedom, even of Rome, might be purchased, and that it was sold at a very high price. But I was free born - It has been generally believed that the inhabitants of Tarsus, born in that city, had the same rights and privileges as Roman citizens, in consequence of a charter or grant from Julius Caesar. Calmet disputes this, because Tarsus was a free not a colonial city; and he supposes that…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 28With a great sum obtained I this freedom - The freedom or privilege of Roman citizenship. From this it would seem that the privilege of being a Roman citizen might be purchased, unless perhaps he refers to the expenses which were necessarily attendant in passing through the proper forms of becoming a Roman citizen. The argument of the tribune in this case is this: “I obtained this privilege at a great price. Whence did you, Paul, thus poor and persecuted…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 22-30Verses 22-30 The Jews listened to Paul's account of his conversion, but the mention of his being sent to the Gentiles, was so contrary to all their national prejudices, that they would hear no more. Their frantic conduct astonished the Roman officer, who supposed that Paul must have committed some great crime. Paul pleaded his privilege as a Roman citizen, by which he was exempted from all trials and punishments which might force him to confess himself…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 28I paid a high price: During the early rule of Roman emperor Claudius (AD 41–54), people could buy Roman citizenship, but it was expensive.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 27-2927-29. art thou a Roman?--showing that this being of Tarsus, which he had told him before (Ac 21:39) did not necessarily imply that he was a Roman citizen.Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 22:28

• Armies
• Citizens
• Claudius Lysius
• Liberty
• Minister, Christian
• Naturalization
• Paul
• Roman Empire
• Soldiers
• Trial

In the dictionaries

• Paul
• Paul, Saul
• Citizenship
• Claudius
• Freedom
• Hence
• James
• Lysias, Claudius
• Persecute
• Scourge

Commentaries on Acts 22

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings