Acts 21:34-40

21:34 But some in the crowd shouted one thing, and others something else,¹ and when the commanding officer² was unable³ to find out the truth⁴ because of the disturbance,⁵ he ordered Paul⁶ to be brought into the barracks.⁷ 21:35 When he came to the steps, Paul⁸ had to be carried⁹ by the soldiers because of the violence¹⁰ of the mob, 21:36 for a crowd of people¹¹ followed them,¹² screaming, “Away with him!” 21:37 As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks,¹³ he said¹⁴ to the commanding officer,¹⁵ “May I say¹⁶ something to you?” The officer¹⁷ replied,¹⁸ “Do you know Greek?¹⁹ 21:38 Then you’re not that Egyptian who started a rebellion²⁰ and led the four thousand men of the ‘Assassins’²¹ into the wilderness²² some time ago?”²³ 21:39 Paul answered,²⁴ “I am a Jew²⁵ from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of an important city.²⁶ Please²⁷ allow me to speak to the people.” 21:40 When the commanding officer²⁸ had given him permission,²⁹ Paul stood³⁰ on the steps and gestured³¹ to the people with his hand. When they had become silent,³² he addressed³³ them in Aramaic,³⁴

¹tn L&N 33.77 has “ἄλλοι δὲ ἄλλο τι ἐπεφώνουν ἐν τῷ ὄχλῳ ‘some in the crowd shouted one thing; others, something else’ Ac 21:34.”

²tn Grk “he”; the referent (the commanding officer) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

³tn This genitive absolute construction has been translated temporally; it could also be taken causally: “and since the commanding officer was unable to find out the truth.”

⁴tn Or “find out what had happened”; Grk “the certainty” (BDAG 147 s.v. ἀσφαλής 2).

⁵tn Or “clamor,” “uproar” (BDAG 458 s.v. θόρυβος).

⁶tn Grk “him”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁷tn Or “the headquarters.” BDAG 775 s.v. παρεμβολή 2 has “barracks/headquarters of the Roman troops in Jerusalem Ac 21:34, 37; 22:24; 23:10, 16, 32.”

⁸tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁹sn Paul had to be carried. Note how the arrest really ended up protecting Paul. The crowd is portrayed as irrational at this point.

¹⁰tn This refers to mob violence (BDAG 175 s.v. βία b).

¹¹tn Grk “the multitude of people.” While πλῆθος (plhqo") is articular, it has been translated “a crowd” since it was probably a subset of the larger mob that gathered in v. 30.

¹²tn The word “them” is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

¹³tn Or “the headquarters.” BDAG 775 s.v. παρεμβολή 2 has “barracks/headquarters of the Roman troops in Jerusalem Ac 21:34, 37; 22:24; 23:10, 16, 32.”

¹⁴tn Grk “says” (a historical present).

¹⁵tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers) See note on the term “commanding officer” in v. 31.

¹⁶tn Grk “Is it permitted for me to say” (an idiom).

¹⁷tn Grk “He”; the referent (the officer) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹⁸tn Grk “said.”

¹⁹sn “Do you know Greek?” Paul as an educated rabbi was bilingual. Paul’s request in Greek allowed the officer to recognize that Paul was not the violent insurrectionist he thought he had arrested (see following verse). The confusion of identities reveals the degree of confusion dominating these events.

²⁰tn L&N 39.41 has “οὐκ ἄρα σὺ εἶ ὁ Αἰγύπτιος ὁ πρὸ τούτων τῶν ἡμερῶν ἀναστατώσας ‘then you are not that Egyptian who some time ago started a rebellion’ Ac 21:38.”

²¹tn Grk “of the Sicarii.”

sn The term ‘Assassins’ is found several times in the writings of Josephus (J. W. 2.13.3 [2.254-257]; Ant. 20.8.10 [20.186]). It was the name of the most fanatical group among the Jewish nationalists, very hostile to Rome, who did not hesitate to assassinate their political opponents. They were named Sicarii in Latin after their weapon of choice, the short dagger or sicarius which could be easily hidden under one’s clothing. In effect, the officer who arrested Paul had thought he was dealing with a terrorist.

²²tn Or “desert.”

²³tn Grk “before these days.”

²⁴tn Grk “said.”

²⁵tn Grk “a Jewish man.”

²⁶tn Grk “of a not insignificant city.” The double negative, common in Greek, is awkward in English and has been replaced by a corresponding positive expression (BDAG 142 s.v. ἄσημος 1).

²⁷tn Grk “I beg you.”

²⁸tn The referent (the commanding officer) has been supplied here in the translation for clarity.

²⁹tn Grk “Giving him permission.” The participle ἐπιτρέψαντος (epitreyanto") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

³⁰tn Grk “standing.” The participle ἑστώς (Jestws) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

³¹tn Or “motioned.”

³²tn γενομένης (genomenhs) has been taken temporally. BDAG 922 s.v. σιγή has “πολλῆς σιγῆς γενομένης when a great silence had fallen = when they had become silent Ac 21:40.”

³³tn Or “spoke out to.” L&N 33.27 has “to address an audience, with possible emphasis upon loudness – ‘to address, to speak out to.’ πολλῆς δέ σιγῆς γενομένης προσεφώνησεν τῇ ᾿Εβραίδι διαλέκτῳ ‘when they were quiet, he addressed them in Hebrew’ Ac 21:40.”

³⁴tn Grk “in the Hebrew dialect, saying.” This refers to the Aramaic spoken in Palestine in the 1st century (BDAG 270 s.v. ῾Εβραΐς). The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in English and has not been translated.