Acts 23:18

18 The centurion brought him to the captain and said, "The prisoner Paul asked me to bring this young man to you. He said he has something urgent to tell you."

Acts 23:18 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 23:18

So he took him, and brought him to the chief captain
Immediately, without any more to do, without curiously inquiring into the thing, or examining the young man about it; which showed him to be a man of a good disposition, and ready to do a kind office, even to a prisoner:

and said, Paul the prisoner called me to him;
either vocally or by some gesture, beckoned him to him:

and prayed me to bring this young man unto thee, who hath something
to say unto thee;
in which may be observed the apostle's manner of address to the centurion, on this occasion; it was by way of entreaty; he asked it as a favour of him, to introduce his nephew to the chief captain; and the honour and modesty of the centurion, he did not seek by any methods to get the secret out, either of Paul or the young man; but readily undertakes the affair, honourably performs it, acquaints the captain with the circumstances of it, tells him the young man had something to say to him, he could not tell what, and then departs.

Acts 23:18 In-Context

16 Paul's nephew, his sister's son, overheard them plotting the ambush. He went immediately to the barracks and told Paul.

17 Paul called over one of the centurions and said, "Take this young man to the captain. He has something important to tell him."

18 The centurion brought him to the captain and said, "The prisoner Paul asked me to bring this young man to you. He said he has something urgent to tell you."

19 The captain took him by the arm and led him aside privately. "What is it? What do you have to tell me?

20 Paul's nephew said, "The Jews have worked up a plot against Paul. They're going to ask you to bring Paul to the council first thing in the morning on the pretext that they want to investigate the charges against him in more detail.