New International Version
Acts 22:29
29Those who were about to interrogate him withdrew immediately. The commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put Paul, a Roman citizen, in chains.
Acts 22:29 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.
- English Standard Version (ESV)So those who were about to examine him withdrew from him immediately, and the tribune also was afraid, for he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had bound him.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then immediately those who were about to examine him withdrew from him; and the commander was also afraid after he found out that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.
- New Living Translation (NLT)The soldiers who were about to interrogate Paul quickly withdrew when they heard he was a Roman citizen, and the commander was frightened because he had ordered him bound and whipped.
Context of Acts 22:29
27The commander went to Paul and asked, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” “Yes, I am,” he answered. 28Then the commander said, “I had to pay a lot of money for my citizenship.” “But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied. Those who were about to interrogate him withdrew immediately. The commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put Paul, a Roman citizen, in chains. 30The commander wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews. So the next day he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the members of the Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul and had him stand before them.
Read all of Acts 22Acts 22:29 word by word
εὐθέως οὖν ἀπέστησαν ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ οἱ μέλλοντες αὐτὸν ἀνετάζειν. καὶ ὁ χιλίαρχος δὲ ἐφοβήθη ἐπιγνοὺς ὅτι Ῥωμαῖός ἐστιν καὶ ὅτι αὐτὸν ἦν δεδεκώς.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Thenοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
- straightwayεὐθέωςeutheōs · immediatelyG2112
- they departedἀφίστημιaphistēmi · to leaveG868
- fromἀπόapo · away fromG575
- himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- whichὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- shouldμέλλωmellō · to ensueG3195
- have examinedἀνετάζωanetazō · to questionG426
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- the chief captainχιλίαρχοςchiliarchos · military officerG5506
- alsoδέde · thenG1161
- was afraidφοβέωphobeō · to fearG5399
- after he knewἐπιγινώσκωepiginōskō · to come to knowG1921
- thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
- he wasεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- a RomanῬωμαῖοςRhōmaios · RomanG4514
- becauseὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
- boundδέωdeō · to bindG1210
Cross-references for Acts 22:29
- Acts 22:24the commander ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks. He directed that he be flogged and interrogated in order to find out why the people were shouting at him like this.
- Hebrews 11:35Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection.
- Acts 22:25As they stretched him out to flog him, Paul said to the centurion standing there, “Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been found guilty?”
- Acts 16:38The officers reported this to the magistrates, and when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were alarmed.
Commentaries on Acts 22:29
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 29After he knew that he was a Roman - He who was going to scourge him durst not proceed to the torture when Paul declared himself to be a Roman. A passage from Cicero, Orat. pro Verr. Act. ii. lib. v. 64, throws the fullest light on this place: Ille, quisquis erat, quem tu in crucem rapiebas, qui tibi esset ignotus, cum civem se Romanum esse diceret, apud te Praetorem, si non effugium, ne moram quidem mortis mentione atque usurpatione civitatis assequi…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 29Then straightway - Immediately. They saw that by scourging him they would have Violated the Roman law, and exposed themselves to its penalty. Which should have examined him - Who were about to torture him by scourging him, Acts 22:24. Because he had bound him - Preparatory to scourging him. The act of binding a Roman citizen with such an intent, untried and uncondemned, was unlawful. Prisoners Who were to be scourged were usually bound by the Romans to a…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. 25-29Paul asserted his Roman citizenship at a crucial moment when he encountered torture to make him confess a supposed crime. Roman citizenship was valuable. Claiming it falsely was a capital offense. Its main benefits included protection from whipping and the right to appeal to the emperor (25:11). The commander was afraid because he had almost violated Roman law (compare 16:35–39).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 22:29
In the dictionaries
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
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