Acts 22:26

26 And [when] the centurion heard [this], he went to the military tribune [and] reported [it], saying, "What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen!"

Acts 22:26 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 22:26

When the centurion heard that
The question put by Paul, which strongly suggested that he was a Roman:

he went and told the chief captain; what Paul had said: saying, take
heed what thou dost;
or "art about to do"; lest some bad consequences should follow; lest he should affront the Roman people and senate, and lose his place, if not incur some corporeal punishment:

for this man is a Roman;
and it can never be answered to bind and beat a Roman.

Acts 22:26 In-Context

24 the military tribune ordered him to be brought into the barracks, saying he was to be examined with a lash so that he could find out for what reason they were crying out against him in this way.

25 But when they had stretched him out for the lash, Paul said to the centurion standing there, "Is it permitted for you to flog a man [who is] a Roman citizen and uncondemned?"

26 And [when] the centurion heard [this], he went to the military tribune [and] reported [it], saying, "What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen!"

27 So the military tribune came [and] said to him, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?" And he said, "Yes."

28 And the military tribune replied, "I acquired this citizenship for a large sum of money." And Paul said, "But I indeed was born [a citizen].

Footnotes

• [a]. *Here "[when]" is supplied as a component of the participle ("heard") which is understood as temporal
• [b]. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
• [c]. *Here "[and]" is supplied because the previous participle ("went to") has been translated as a finite verb
• [d]. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation