Acts 23:10

10 And when ther arose greate debate the captayne fearynge lest Paul shuld have bene pluckt asondre of them comaunded the soudiers to goo doune and to take him from amonge them and to bringe him into the castle.

Acts 23:10 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 23:10

And when there arose a great dissension
When that was come to a very great height, hot words were spoken, and they were ready to come to blows, and there was like to be a riot and tumult among them:

the chief captain fearing lest Paul should be pulled in pieces of
them;
either of the Sadducees, whom he had greatly offended and provoked, or of both Sadducees and Pharisees, the one laying hold on him to preserve him from the fury of the other, and the other endeavouring to pluck him out of their hands; and the fears of the chief captain were not so much out of affection to Paul, but lest there should be an uproar, which might issue in sedition, and rebellion against the Roman government, of which the Roman officers were always jealous; and because that Paul was a Roman, and should he suffer him to be destroyed in an illegal manner, he must be accountable for it: wherefore he

commanded the soldiers to go down:
either from the castle of Antonia, or from a superior part of the temple, where he with his guards were, to hear this cause before the sanhedrim, to that part where it sat, and Paul was: and

take him by force from among them;
if they refused to deliver him up, to make use of their arms:

and bring him into the castle;
of Antonia, where he was before.

Acts 23:10 In-Context

8 For ye Saduces saye that ther is no resurreccio nether angell nor sprete. But the Pharisayes graunt bothe.

9 And ther arose a great crye and the Scribes which were of the Pharisayes parte arose and strove sayinge: we fynde none evyll in this man. Though a sprete or an angell hath apered to him let vs not stryve agaynst God.

10 And when ther arose greate debate the captayne fearynge lest Paul shuld have bene pluckt asondre of them comaunded the soudiers to goo doune and to take him from amonge them and to bringe him into the castle.

11 The nyght folowyng God stode by him and sayde: Be of good cheare Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Ierusalem so must thou beare witnes at Rome.

12 When daye was come certayne of the Iewes gaddered them selves to geder and made a vowe sayinge that they wolde nether eate nor drinke till they had killed Paul.