And as they went about to kill him
In the manner as zealots did, without bringing him before any court of judicature, without any charge, trial, and condemnation:
tidings came unto the chief captain of the band;
the Roman band of soldiers, who were placed near the temple, to keep the peace of the city, and persons in order; and who were more especially needful, at such a time as the feast of Pentecost, when there was such a great concourse of people in the city, and indeed always were in arms at such times F2; this chief captain was Claudius Lysias, as appears from ( Acts 23:26 ) to him the report of the disturbance was brought; or as it is in the Greek text, the "fame ascended" to him; who very likely might be in the tower of Antonia, which joined to the temple:
that all Jerusalem was in an uproar;
or in confusion, and therefore it became him, as a Roman officer, to take care to quell it, lest it should issue in sedition and rebellion.