Acts 21:31

While they were trying ¹  to kill him, a report ²  was sent up ³  to the commanding officer ⁴  of the cohort ⁵  that all Jerusalem was in confusion. ⁶ 

While they were trying to kill him, news reached the commander of the Roman troops that the whole city of Jerusalem was in an uproar.

While they were seeking to kill him, a report came up to the commander of the Roman cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion.

As they were trying to kill him, word reached the commander of the Roman regiment that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.

As they were trying to kill him, word came to the captain of the guard, "A riot! The whole city's boiling over!"

And while they were attempting to put him to death, news came to the chief captain of the band that all Jerusalem was out of control.

While they were trying to kill him, word came to the tribune of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.

Now as they were seeking to kill him, news came to the commander of the garrison that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.

While they were trying ¹  to kill him, a report ²  was sent up ³  to the commanding officer ⁴  of the cohort ⁵  that all Jerusalem was in confusion. ⁶ 

¹ tn Grk “seeking.”

² tn Or “information” (originally concerning a crime; BDAG 1050 s.v. φάσις).

³ tn Grk “went up”; this verb is used because the report went up to the Antonia Fortress where the Roman garrison was stationed.

⁴ tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). In Greek the term χιλίαρχος (ciliarco") literally described the “commander of a thousand,” but it was used as the standard translation for the Latin tribunus militum or tribunus militare, the military tribune who commanded a cohort of 600 men.

⁵ sn A cohort was a Roman military unit of about 600 soldiers, one-tenth of a legion.

⁶ tn BDAG 953 s.v. συγχέω has “Pass. w. act.force be in confusion…ὅλη συγχύννεται ᾿Ιερουσαλήμ 21:31.”