Then the commanding officer came near, arrested him, commanded him to be bound with two chains, and inquired who he was and what he had done.
Parallel Translations
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Then the commanding officer came near, arrested him, commanded him to be bound with two chains, and inquired who he was and what he had done.
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Then the captayne came neare and toke him and commaunded him to be bounde with two chaynes and demaunded what he was and what he had done.
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Then the chiefe Captaine came neere and tooke him, and commanded him to be bound with two chaines, and demaunded who he was, and what he had done.
Cross-references (16)
Passages linked to Acts 21:33 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Ephesians 6:20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
- Acts 21:11 Coming to us and taking Paul’s belt, he bound his own feet and hands, and said, “The Holy Spirit says: ‘So the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt, and will deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’ ”
- Acts 12:6 The same night when Herod was about to bring him out, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains. Guards in front of the door kept the prison.
- Acts 20:23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions wait for me.
- Acts 22:29 Immediately those who were about to examine him departed from him, and the commanding officer also was afraid when he realized that he was a Roman, because he had bound him.
- Acts 28:20 For this cause therefore I asked to see you and to speak with you. For because of the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.”
- 2 Timothy 2:9 in which I suffer hardship to the point of chains as a criminal. But God’s word isn’t chained.
- Judges 15:13 They spoke to him, saying, “No, but we will bind you securely and deliver you into their hands; but surely we will not kill you.” They bound him with two new ropes, and brought him up from the rock.
- Judges 16:8 Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven green cords which had not been dried, and she bound him with them.
- Judges 16:12 So Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them, then said to him, “The Philistines are on you, Samson!” The ambush was waiting in the inner room. He broke them off his arms like a thread.
- Judges 16:21 The Philistines laid hold on him and put out his eyes; and they brought him down to Gaza and bound him with fetters of bronze; and he ground at the mill in the prison.
- John 18:29-30 Pilate therefore went out to them, and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” They answered him, “If this man weren’t an evildoer, we wouldn’t have delivered him up to you.”
- Acts 22:24-25 the commanding officer commanded him to be brought into the barracks, ordering him to be examined by scourging, that he might know for what crime they shouted against him like that. When they had tied him up with thongs, Paul asked the centurion who stood by, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and not found guilty?”
- Acts 25:16 I answered them that it is not the custom of the Romans to give up any man to destruction before the accused has met the accusers face to face and has had opportunity to make his defense concerning the matter laid against him.
- Acts 26:29 Paul said, “I pray to God, that whether with little or with much, not only you, but also all that hear me today, might become such as I am, except for these bonds.”
- 2 Timothy 1:16 May the Lord grant mercy to the house of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain,
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (13 sources)
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John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 33 Then the chief captain came near, and took…
33 Then the chief captain came near, and took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains; and demanded who he was, and what he had done.
Ver. 33. To be bound with two chains] As if he would have presently punished him. This he did to satisfy the mad multitude.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain Bound with two chains; whether as Peter was, See…
Bound with two chains; whether as Peter was, See Poole on "Act 12:6", or that he was bound with one upon his feet, and with the other upon his hands, it was exactly fulfilled what Agabus had prophesied concerning him, Act 21:11. So does God provide, that not one word of his servants, which they speak from him, shall fail; and that St. Paul should be heard before he was condemned.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain Then the chief captain came near,.... To the place…
Then the chief captain came near,.... To the place where the Jews were beating Paul:
and took him the Arabic version adds, "from them"; he rescued him out of their hands, as he himself says, Act 23:27.
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And commanded him to be bound with two chains: partly to appease the people, and partly to secure Paul; who, he supposed, had been guilty of some misdemeanour, which had occasioned this tumult; these two chains were put, one on one arm, and the other on the other arm; and were fastened to two soldiers, who walked by him, having hold on those chains, the one on his right hand, and the other on his left; and thus Agabus's prophecy in Act 21:11 was fulfilled:
and demanded who he was; or asked and inquired about him, who he was, of what nation he was, what was his character, business, and employment: this inquiry was made, either of the apostle himself, or of the people; and so the Arabic version renders it, "he inquired of them who he was"; also
and what he had done; what crime he had been guilty of, that they used him in such a manner.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain Then the tribune - Having made his way through…
Then the tribune - Having made his way through the multitude, came near and took him - And how many great ends of providence were answered by this imprisonment? This was not only a means of preserving his life, (after he had suffered severely for worldly prudence,) but gave him an opportunity of preaching the Gospel safely, in spite of all tumult, chap. xxii, 22, yea, and that in those places to which otherwise he could have had no access, verse 40. And commanded him to be bound with two chains - Taking it for granted he was some notorious offender. And thus the prophecy of Agabus was fulfilled, though by the hands of a Roman.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 33. And took him] With great violence, according…
Verse 33. And took him] With great violence, according to Ac 24:7, probably meaning an armed force.
To be bound with two chains] To be bound between two soldiers; his right hand chained to the left hand of the one, and his left hand to the right of the other. See Clarke on Ac 12:6.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain To be bound with two chains - To show…
To be bound with two chains - To show to the enraged multitude that he did not intend to rescue anyone from justice, but to keep the peace. Paul’s Being thus bound would convince them of his determination that justice should be done in the case. Probably he was bound between two soldiers, his right arm to the left arm of the one, and his left arm to the right arm of the other. See the notes on Act 12:6. Or, if his hands and feet were bound, it is evident that it was so done that he was able still to walk, Act 21:37-38. This was in accordance with the prediction of Agabus, Act 21:11.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain Two chains, for his hands and feet; or perhaps…
Two chains, for his hands and feet; or perhaps one chain was put on each hand, which was likewise tied to a soldier on each side of him, who led him. This was the Roman custom of binding prisoners. See Seneca, ep. v. et lib. de tranquil. animi. x. See Acts xii. 6, 7.
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain commanded him to be bound with two chains--(See on…
commanded him to be bound with two chains--(See on Act 12:6).
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 33. Two chains—(See note on Act_12:6.)
33. Two chains—(See note on Act_12:6.)
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 33. Then … took him] The last verb implies…
33. Then … took him] The last verb implies a formal arrest, therefore the Rev. Ver. rightly gives “laid hold on him.” The chief captain did not come with a view to relieve St Paul, but to find out what was the matter, and seeing the Apostle in the hands of the mob, himself arrested him, that he might not be killed without a hearing.
and … two chains] (Cp. Act_12:6.) Evidently, as appears from his language afterwards, regarding him as some desperate criminal. The chief captain would have thought little of any question about Jewish law (see Act_23:29).
Read full note →
and demanded … done] The English word demand had in early times the sense of “ask,” “inquire.” Cp. Cymbeline, iii. 6. 92, “We’ll mannerly demand thee of thy story.” But it has in modern times only the stronger meaning of imperative questioning. Therefore Rev. Ver. “and inquired.” The inquiry was made of the crowd, not of the Apostle.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (33) Commanded him to be bound with two chains.—Looking…
(33) Commanded him to be bound with two chains.—Looking to the usual Roman practices in the treatment of prisoners, we may think of each chain as fastened at one end to the Apostle’s arm, and at the other to those of the soldiers who kept guard over him. (See Notes on Act_12:6; Act_28:16.) So shackled, he was taken before the Chiliarch Lysias for a preliminary inquiry.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain Laid hold on for took, A.V; inquired for. demanded,…
Laid hold on for took, A.V; inquired for. demanded, A.V. Laid hold on (ejpelabeto); see Act_17:19, note. Bound with two chains; as St. Peter was. (Act_12:6)
Alusiv means properly "a chain on the hands" as opposed to pedh, a fetter; (Mar_5:4) and therefore the two chains are not to be understood of chains on his hands and feet, with Kuinoel, but, as in the case of Peter, of chains fastening him to a soldier on both hands.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
J. W. McGarvey 1914 · Public Domain See notes on verse 31
See notes on verse 31
J. W. McGarvey (with Philip Y. Pendleton), Commentaries on the New Testament (The Fourfold Gospel, 1914; Acts; and the epistles) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.