Acts 22:28

28 And the captayne answered: with a greate some obtayned I this fredome. And Paul sayde: I was fre borne.

Acts 22:28 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 22:28

And the chief captain answered, with a great sum obtained I
this freedom
For, it seems, he was not a Roman born, but very likely a Grecian, or Syrian, by his name Lysias; and as all things were now venal at Rome, the freedom of the city was to be bought with money, though a large sum was insisted on for it: this the chief captain said, as wondering that so mean a person, and who he understood was a Jew by birth, should be able to procure such a privilege, which cost him so much money:

and Paul said, but I was free born;
being born at Tarsus; which, as Pliny says ^F12, was a free city, and which had its freedom given it by Mark Antony, and which was before the birth of Paul; and therefore his parents being of this city, and free, he was born so.

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FOOTNOTES:

F12 Nat. Hist. l. 5. c. 27.

Acts 22:28 In-Context

26 When the Centurion hearde that he went and tolde the vpper captayne sayinge: What intendest thou to do? This man is a Romayne.

27 Then the vpper captayne came and sayde to him: tell me art thou a Romayne? He sayde: Yee.

28 And the captayne answered: with a greate some obtayned I this fredome. And Paul sayde: I was fre borne.

29 Then strayght waye departed from him they which shuld have examyned him. And the hye captayne also was a frayde after he knewe that he was a Romayne: because he had bounde him.

30 On the morowe because he wolde have knowen the certayntie wherfore he was accused of the Iewes he lowsed him from his bondes and commaunded the hye Prestes and all the counsell to come together and brought Paul and set him before them.