Acts 21:35

35 And when Paul came to the grees, it befell that he was borne of knights, for strength of the people.

Acts 21:35 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 21:35

And when he came upon the stairs
Or steps, which led up to the castle; for it was built upon a very high place, as appears from the account of it in the preceding verse; to which agrees what Aristaeas ^F7 says of it in the following words;

``in order to have knowledge of all things, we went up to a castle adjoining to the city, which is situated in a very high place, fortified with very high towers, built with large stones, as we supposed for the preservation of the places about the temple, if there should be any lying in wait, or tumult, or enemies should enter; so that none might be able to make way in at the walls about the temple; for in the towers of the castle lay very sharp darts and various instruments, and the place was upon a very great eminence.''

So it was that he was borne of the soldiers for the violence of the
people:
the sense is, either that the crowd of the people was so great, and they so pressed upon Paul and the soldiers that conducted him, that he was even thrown upon them, and bore up by them; or else such was the rage of the people against him, that the soldiers were obliged to take him up in their arms, and carry him, in order to secure him from being tore in pieces by them.

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FOOTNOTES:

F7 Hist. de 70 Interpret. p. 36. Ed. Oxon.

Acts 21:35 In-Context

33 Then the tribune came, and caught him, and commanded, that he were bound with two chains [Then the tribune coming to, caught him, and commanded to be bound with two chains]; and asked, who he was, and what he had done.

34 But others cried other thing among the people [Soothly others cried other thing in the company]. And when he might know no certain thing for the noise/And when he might not know [the] certain thing for the noise, he commanded him to be led into the castles.

35 And when Paul came to the grees, it befell that he was borne of knights, for strength of the people.

36 For the multitude of the people followed him, and cried [crying], Take him away.

37 And when Paul began to be led into the castles, he said to the tribune, Whether it is leaveful to me [If it is leaveful to me], to speak any thing to thee? And he said [Which said], Canst thou Greek?