New International Version
Acts 21:31
31While they were trying to kill him, news reached the commander of the Roman troops that the whole city of Jerusalem was in an uproar.
Acts 21:31 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And as they went about to kill him, tidings came unto the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And as they were seeking to kill him, word came to the tribune of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Now as they were seeking to kill him, news came to the commander of the garrison that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.
- New Living Translation (NLT)As they were trying to kill him, word reached the commander of the Roman regiment that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.
Context of Acts 21:31
29(They had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with Paul and assumed that Paul had brought him into the temple.) 30The whole city was aroused, and the people came running from all directions. Seizing Paul, they dragged him from the temple, and immediately the gates were shut. While they were trying to kill him, news reached the commander of the Roman troops that the whole city of Jerusalem was in an uproar. 32He at once took some officers and soldiers and ran down to the crowd. When the rioters saw the commander and his soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. 33The commander came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. Then he asked who he was and what he had done.
Read all of Acts 21Acts 21:31 word by word
ζητούντων τε αὐτὸν ἀποκτεῖναι ἀνέβη φάσις τῷ χιλιάρχῳ τῆς σπείρης ὅτι ὅλη συγχύννεται Ἰερουσαλήμ·Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Andδέde · thenG1161
- as they went aboutζητέωzēteō · to seekG2212
- to killἀποκτείνωapokteinō · to killG615
- himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- tidingsφάσιςphasis · newsG5334
- came untoἀναβαίνωanabainō · to ascendG305
- the chief captainὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- the chief captainχιλίαρχοςchiliarchos · military officerG5506
- of the bandσπεῖραspeira · bandG4686
- thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
- allὅλοςholos · allG3650
- JerusalemἹερουσαλήμHierousalēm · JerusalemG2419
- was in an uproarσυγχέωsugcheō · to confoundG4797
Cross-references for Acts 21:31
- Acts 22:22The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of him! He’s not fit to live!”
- Acts 26:9“I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
- John 16:2They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God.
- 2 Corinthians 11:23Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again.
- Acts 23:17Then Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the commander; he has something to tell him.”
- Acts 25:23The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the audience room with the high-ranking military officers and the prominent men of the city. At the command of Festus, Paul was brought in.
- John 18:12Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They bound him
- Acts 21:38“Aren’t you the Egyptian who started a revolt and led four thousand terrorists out into the wilderness some time ago?”
- Acts 17:5But other Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd.
- Acts 19:40As it is, we are in danger of being charged with rioting because of what happened today. In that case we would not be able to account for this commotion, since there is no reason for it.”
- 1 Kings 1:41Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they were finishing their feast. On hearing the sound of the trumpet, Joab asked, “What’s the meaning of all the noise in the city?”
- Matthew 26:5“But not during the festival,” they said, “or there may be a riot among the people.”
- Mark 14:2“But not during the festival,” they said, “or the people may riot.”
Commentaries on Acts 21:31
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 31The chief captain of the band - The Roman tribune, who had a troop of soldiers under him, which lodged in general in the castle of Antonia, which was built at the angle where the northern and western porticoes of the outer court of the temple were joined together. This castle was built by John Hyrcanus, high priest of the Jews: it was at first called Baris, and was the royal residence of the Asmoneans, as long as they reigned in Jerusalem. It was…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 31And as they went about to kill him - Greek: they seeking to kill him. This was evidently done in a popular tumult, as had been done in the case of Stephen, Matthew 27:65-66; John 18:12; Acts 5:26. The word translated “chief captain” denotes properly “one who commanded 1,000 men.” The band ͂ speirawas the tenth part of a legion, and consisted sometimes of four hundred and twenty-five soldiers, at others of five hundred, and at others of six hundred…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 27-40Verses 27-40 In the temple, where Paul should have been protected as in a place of safety, he was violently set upon. They falsely charged him with ill doctrine and ill practice against the Mosaic ceremonies. It is no new thing for those who mean honestly and act regularly, to have things laid to their charge which they know not and never thought of. It is common for the wise and good to have that charged against them by malicious people, with which they…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 31commander: Or tribune, a Roman officer who commanded 1,000 men.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3131. tidings came--literally, "went up," that is, to the fortress of Antonia, where the commandant resided. See on Ac 21:32. This part of the narrative is particularly graphic.Read the comment
Topics related to Acts 21:31
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Acts 21
- 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
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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