Then straightway they departed from him, which should
have
examined him
By scourging; namely, the soldiers, who under the inspection of
the centurion, and by the order of the chief captain, were
binding him with thongs to scourge him, and thereby extort from
him his crime, which was the cause of all this disturbance; but
hearing that he was a Roman, either of their own accord, or
rather at the order of their officers, either the centurion or
chief captain, or both, left binding him, and went their way:
and the chief captain also was afraid after he knew that he
was a
Roman;
lest he should be called to an account for his conduct, and his
commission should be taken from him: chiefly,
and because he had bound him;
not only had commanded him to be bound with thongs to a pillar,
in order to be scourged, but he had bound him with two chains,
when first seized him; and, as before observed, (See Gill on
Acts
22:25); it was a heinous crime to bind a Roman.
