Acts 21:31

31 quaerentibus autem eum occidere nuntiatum est tribuno cohortis quia tota confunditur Hierusalem

Acts 21:31 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 21:31

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.

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FOOTNOTES:

F2 Joseph. de Bello Jud. l. 2. c. 12. sect. 1. & l. 5. c. 5. sect. 8.

Acts 21:31 In-Context

29 viderant enim Trophimum Ephesium in civitate cum ipso quem aestimaverunt quoniam in templum induxisset Paulus

30 commotaque est civitas tota et facta est concursio populi et adprehendentes Paulum trahebant eum extra templum et statim clausae sunt ianuae

31 quaerentibus autem eum occidere nuntiatum est tribuno cohortis quia tota confunditur Hierusalem

32 qui statim adsumptis militibus et centurionibus decucurrit ad illos qui cum vidissent tribunum et milites cessaverunt percutere Paulum

33 tunc accedens tribunus adprehendit eum et iussit alligari catenis duabus et interrogabat quis esset et quid fecisset