Paul said, But I was free born. 29 Then straight should have exa 29. Then they ceased from their design of scourgway they departed ing him (ver. 24.), to make him confess his crime; and from him which the consideration that he was a free man of Rome mined him : and the made the colonel fear he had already done more chief captain also than he could well answer, in binding or putting was afraid, after he chains upon him, ch. xxi. 33. knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him. 30 On the morrow, have known the cer 30. And therefore he soon loosed him from his because he would bands; but yet, being desirous to know the bottom of the business, he convented the Jews' sanhedrim, and was accused of the brought out Paul, to see what they would object Jews, he loosed him against him. tainty wherefore he from his bands, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down, and set him before them. AND Paul, earn CHAP. XXIII. estly beholding the a I have all my life long, both when I was a procouncil, said, Men pugner of the Mosaical law against Christ's reformaand brethren, "I have tion, and since I have been a preacher of the gospel, 1 lived in all good acted sincerely and uprightly, according to my conGod until this day. science, and consecrated my life to God's service. conscience before 2 And the high 2. And Ananias, the chief person among the Jews, priest Ananias com- (see note [c] Luke iii.) commanded— manded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth. 3 Then said Paul b for sittest thou to unto him, God God will punish thee by way of retaliation, deal 2 shall smite thee, with thee as thou hast done with me, thou hypocrite. thou whited wall: Dost thou sit like a magistrate or distributor of legal judge me after the justice, and dost thou break the law thyself, and law, and command- command me to be punished before thou hast heard est me to be smitten the cause? (see ch. xxii. 25.) contrary to the law? C 4 And they that • Dost thou speak such contumelious words to him stood by said, Re- who is the high priest of God's appointment, a sacred vilest thou God's person, and under God the chief magistrate among 5 Then said Paul, the Jews? high priest? dI wist not, brethren, d I did not know that to be true which thou tellest that he was the high me, that Ananias was a high priest of God's appointpriest for it is writment, (that he was not so, nor yet the high priest put ten, Thou shalt not speak evil of the in by the Roman procurator at this time, see note [c] ruler of thy people., Luke iii.); however, knowing him to be a person in 6 But when Paul perceived that the one authority, placed in a judicature, (as Paul confesseth, part were Sadducees, ver. 3,) I acknowledge I did amiss, and am sorry Í and the other Phari- did revile him; for that is unlawful by that place of sees, he cried out in scripture, Exod. xxii. 28. brethren, I am a the council, Men and 6. And Paul discerning the sanhedrim to consist Pharisee, the son of partly of Pharisees, who believe another life after a Pharisee of the this, partly of Sadducees, that do not, said aloud, hope and resurrec- I am (as my father was) of the sect of the Pharisees, tion of the dead I and the main thing that I am questioned for is my am called in ques- believing that there is another life after this, which is 7 And when he a pure pharisaical doctrine, which all of that sect hold had so said, there as well as I. tion. arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees and the multitude was divided. 8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, e no life after this, no immortal spirit, nor soul of neither angel, nor man subsisting without a body: but the spirit: but the Pha risees confess both. 9 And there arose a great cry: and the saying, We find no fscribes that were of f doctors of the law, which were generally of the the Pharisees part Pharisees' opinion, took his part, and professed to think arose, and strove, he had done nothing amiss, and that it was possible evil in this man: but that he had received some infusion or incitation from if 3 [a] a spirit or an God's Spirit, or else some voice from heaven or vision angel hath spoken to by an angel; and if he had, it would not become them him, let us not fight to resist his doctrine, lest, if that were truly revealed against God. when to him by God, they should fight against God himself. 3 4 And there arose a great dissension, the chief captain, fearing lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces of them, commanded 6 the soldiers to go g to go to him at the bar, where he was as a pri down, and to take soner answering for himself, and to take him— him by force from among them, and to bring him into the castle. II And the night h following the Lord h Paul saw a vision again; and God appeared to stood by him, and stand by him and encourage him, telling him that he 3 the Spirit. στάσεως. 4 And there being a great uproar, or, sedition, Пoλλñs dè yevoμévns 5 a band of soldiers, στράτευμα. said, Be of good should now receive no further harm there, but as he cheer, Paul for as had defended and avowed the faith of Christ there at thou hast testified of Jerusalem, so he should live to do at Rome also. me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear wit ness also at Rome. 12 And when it 12. And he had soon a notable testimony of the was day, certain of virtue of God's protection over him, promised him in the Jews banded to gether, and bound that vision; for early in the very next morning themselves under a certain of the Jews curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. 13 And they were more than forty which had 'made this conspiracy. 7 14 And they came i thus bound themselves by oath and execration on themselves. 14. And they came to the sanhedrim, and told to the chief priests some of them what they had resolved on. and elders, and said, We have bound ourselves under a great curse, that we will eat nothing until we have slain Paul. 15 Now therefore him down unto you 15. And therefore desired that the whole sanheye with the council drim would signify their desire to the colonel, that signify to the chief he would on the morrow bring Paul down to them, captain that he bring to examine him upon some interrogatories; and, said tomorrow, as though they, by the way, before he come near the councilenquire house, we will lie in ambush, and be sure to kill him. something more perfectly concerning him: and we, or ever he come near, are ready to kill him. ye would 8 16 And when Paul's sister's son heard of 'their lying in wait, he went and entered into the castle, and told Paul. 17 Then Paul called one of the centu k captains of the guard, and desired him to con message to him. rions unto him, and duct that young man to the colonel, to deliver a said, Bring this young man unto the chief captain: for he hath a certain thing to tell him. 18 So he took him, and brought him to 6 the things concerning me, và đẹp lâu. μοσίαν. περὶ αὐτοῦ. 7 confederacy, or, agreement by oath, ovve 8 know more exactly the things concerning him, διαγινώσκειν ἀκριβέστερον τὰ 9 the ambush, τὴν ἐνέδραν. the chief captain, and said, Paul the prisoner called me unto him, and prayed me to bring this young man unto thee, who hath something to say unto thee. 19 Then the chief captain took him by the hand, and went with him aside privately, and asked him, What is that thou hast to tell me? 20 And he said, The Jews have agreed to desire thee that thou wouldest bring down Paul to morrow into the council, as though they would enquire somewhat 10 of him more perfectly. 21 But do not thou yield unto them: for there lie in wait for him of them more than forty men, which have bound themselves with an oath, that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him and now are they ready, looking for a promise from thee. 23 And he called 1 unto him two 'centu- captains of two bands, and bid them have their rions, saying, Make bands in readiness, and take to their assistance ready two hundred seventy horsemen, and a guard of two hundred men soldiers to go to to watch and ward, to go to Cæsarea Stratonis, a men threescore and haven town, (see note [c] ch. xviii.) presently after ten, and [6] spear- nine of the clock that night. men two hundred, Cæsarea, and horse 11 10 concerning, Tepi. 11 a guard of. HAMMOND, VOL. I. PP at the third hour of the night; 24 And provide m them beasts, that they may set Paul on, and bring him safe unto Felix the governor. 25 And he wrote a letter after this man ner: 26 Claudius Lysias unto the most excellent governor Felix sendeth greeting. 27 This man was taken of the Jews, and should have been killed of them: then came I with 12 an army, and rescued him, having understood that he was a Roman. 28 And when I would have known the cause wherefore they accused him, I brought him forth into their council: 29 Whom I perceived to be accused of questions of their law, but to have horse or mule for Paul to ride on, and bring— n "nothing laid to his no charge brought against him punishable either charge worthy of with death or bonds by the Roman law (which had death or of bonds. not yet set out any decree against Christians). 30 And 13 when it was told me how that the Jews laid wait for the man, I 12 a band of soldiers, σrpareúμari, ver. 10. 13 when I was told of a conspiracy that would be against him from the Jews, presently I sent him, Mnvvbelons dé poi èmißovλñs eis τὸν ἄνδρα μέλλειν ἔσεσθαι ὑπὸ τῶν Ἰουδαίων, ἐξαυτῆς ἔπεμψα. |