Atti 21:33

33 E il capitano, accostatosi, lo prese, e comandò che fosse legato di due catene; poi domandò chi egli era, e che cosa avea fatto.

Atti 21:33 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 21:33

Then the chief captain came near
To the place where the Jews were beating Paul:

and took him
the Arabic version adds, "from them"; he rescued him out of their hands, as he himself says, ( Acts 23:27 ) .

And commanded him to be bound with two chains:
partly to appease the people, and partly to secure Paul; who, he supposed, had been guilty of some misdemeanour, which had occasioned this tumult; these two chains were put, one on one arm, and the other on the other arm; and were fastened to two soldiers, who walked by him, having hold on those chains, the one on his right hand, and the other on his left; and thus Agabus's prophecy in ( Acts 21:11 ) was fulfilled:

and demanded who he was;
or asked and inquired about him, who he was, of what nation he was, what was his character, business, and employment: this inquiry was made, either of the apostle himself, or of the people; and so the Arabic version renders it, "he inquired of them who he was"; also

and what he had done;
what crime he had been guilty of, that they used him in such a manner.

Atti 21:33 In-Context

31 Ora, com’essi cercavano d’ucciderlo, il grido salì al capitano della schiera, che tutta Gerusalemme era sottosopra.

32 Ed egli in quello stante prese de’ soldati, e de’ centurioni, e corse a’ Giudei. Ed essi, veduto il capitano, e i soldati, restarono di batter Paolo.

33 E il capitano, accostatosi, lo prese, e comandò che fosse legato di due catene; poi domandò chi egli era, e che cosa avea fatto.

34 E gli uni gridavano una cosa, e gli altri un’altra, nella moltitudine; laonde, non potendone egli saper la certezza, per lo tumulto, comandò ch’egli fosse menato nella rocca.

35 Ed avvenne, quando egli fu sopra i gradi, ch’egli fu portato da’ soldati, per lo sforzo della moltitudine.