Acts 22 30

Acts 22:30 kjv

On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him from his bands, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down, and set him before them.

Acts 22:30 nkjv

The next day, because he wanted to know for certain why he was accused by the Jews, he released him from his bonds, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down and set him before them.

Acts 22:30 niv

The commander wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews. So the next day he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the members of the Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul and had him stand before them.

Acts 22:30 esv

But on the next day, desiring to know the real reason why he was being accused by the Jews, he unbound him and commanded the chief priests and all the council to meet, and he brought Paul down and set him before them.

Acts 22:30 nlt

The next day the commander ordered the leading priests into session with the Jewish high council. He wanted to find out what the trouble was all about, so he released Paul to have him stand before them.

Acts 22 verses

Acts 22 30 Meaning

Acts 22:30 describes the Roman commander's decisive action to understand the nature of the accusations against Paul. Having realized Paul was a Roman citizen and still not grasping the intricacies of Jewish religious law, he sought a formal inquiry. To achieve this, he temporarily released Paul from detention and convened the supreme Jewish court, the Sanhedrin, along with its chief priests, ordering them to assemble. His intention was to bring Paul before them to clarify the true charges leveled against him by the Jews, thus initiating a structured judicial process within the Jewish framework, under Roman oversight.

Acts 22 30 Context

Acts chapter 22 recounts Paul's defense before a hostile Jewish crowd in Jerusalem, following his arrest in the Temple area. He had been seized by an enraged mob convinced he had defiled the Temple and taught against Jewish law (Acts 21:27-28). The Roman commander, Claudius Lysias, intervened to rescue Paul from being beaten to death (Acts 21:31-33). After Paul revealed his Roman citizenship, the commander was compelled to understand the true nature of the charges, as a Roman citizen could not be scourged without due process. Acts 22:30 thus sets the stage for a formal investigation, transitioning Paul from the brink of mob violence and unauthorized flogging to a legal hearing before the highest Jewish court, aimed at discovering the precise legal (from a Roman perspective) or religious (from a Jewish perspective) accusation.

Acts 22 30 Word analysis

• The next day (τῇ ἐπαύριον, tē epaurion): Signifies a rapid response and an immediate continuation of events, underscoring the urgency for the commander to resolve the situation, especially given Paul's Roman citizenship.
• intending (βουλόμενος, boulomenos): Denotes a deliberate will or purpose, not a casual decision. The commander had a clear objective: to get to the bottom of the matter. This highlights his commitment to Roman legal principles.
• to find out the truth (γνῶναι τὸ ἀσφαλές, gnōnai to asphales):
  • γνῶναι (gnōnai): "to know, to understand." Implies gaining clear, precise information.
  • τὸ ἀσφαλές (to asphales): "the sure, the safe, the reliable, the certain." This emphasizes the commander's desire for concrete facts and accurate intelligence, moving beyond the rumors and mob hysteria. It reflects Roman administrative concern for order and reliable information, especially when dealing with potential civil unrest.
• why he was being accused by the Jews (τί κατηγορεῖται ὑπὸ τῶν Ἰουδαίων, ti katēgoreitai hypo tōn Ioudaiōn):
  • τί κατηγορεῖται (ti katēgoreitai): "what he is being accused of." The present passive verb indicates an ongoing state of accusation. The commander genuinely did not understand the religious nature of the charges, viewing it perhaps as an internal Jewish dispute or a miscommunication.
  • ὑπὸ τῶν Ἰουδαίων (hypo tōn Ioudaiōn): "by the Jews." Identifies the accusers specifically, emphasizing the communal nature of the grievance against Paul.
• he released him (ἔλυσεν αὐτόν, elysen auton):
  • ἔλυσεν (elysen): "he loosed." This likely means he released Paul from the chains or bonds he was put in earlier (Acts 22:29) and possibly from close confinement, allowing him to appear freely before the council, though still under Roman guard. It was not a complete freedom but a release for the specific purpose of the hearing.
• and ordered (ἐκέλευσεν, ekeleusen): Demonstrates the commander's Roman authority. Despite the Sanhedrin's religious autonomy, they were ultimately subject to Roman power. The commander commanded them to assemble, not merely requested.
• the chief priests and all the Sanhedrin to assemble (τοὺς ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ ὅλον τὸ συνέδριον συνελθεῖν, tous archiereis kai holon to synedrion synelthein):
  • τοὺς ἀρχιερεῖς (tous archiereis): The Sadducean high priestly families, holding significant political and religious power.
  • ὅλον τὸ συνέδριον (holon to synedrion): "all the Sanhedrin," meaning the entire council of 71 elders, encompassing chief priests, scribes, and elders, representing the supreme judicial and legislative body of the Jews. The commander wanted a full and authoritative hearing.
  • συνελθεῖν (synelthein): "to come together, to assemble."
• and brought Paul down and had him stand before them (καὶ καταγαγὼν τὸν Παῦλον ἔστησεν εἰς αὐτούς, kai katagagōn ton Paulon estēsen eis autous):
  • καταγαγὼν (katagagōn): "having led down, brought down." Implies moving Paul from the Antonia Fortress, which was on a higher elevation overlooking the Temple courts, to a lower area, likely within or near the Temple precincts where the Sanhedrin customarily met.
  • ἔστησεν εἰς αὐτούς (estēsen eis autous): "had him stand among/before them." A formal presentation for judgment or examination, signaling the commencement of an official hearing.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• The next day, intending to find out the truth: Emphasizes the commander's administrative duty and his desire to ascertain verifiable facts in a case involving a Roman citizen, crucial for maintaining order and justice. This reflects Roman jurisprudence that valued clarity in accusations.
• why he was being accused by the Jews: Reveals the commander's perplexity regarding the nature of the Jewish accusations. He could not grasp the theological nuances that drove the Jewish hostility towards Paul, seeing it as an internal dispute rather than a matter of Roman law violation.
• he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the Sanhedrin to assemble: Illustrates the temporary yet effective exertion of Roman authority over the highest Jewish religious council. Paul's conditional release was a practical measure to facilitate his appearance, not a full acquittal.
• and brought Paul down and had him stand before them: Describes the physical action and the ceremonial presentation of Paul before his accusers and judges. It transitions Paul from military custody to a Jewish legal forum, highlighting the gravity and public nature of the impending hearing.

Acts 22 30 Bonus section

The meeting convened in Acts 22:30 was highly unusual for the Sanhedrin. While the Sanhedrin possessed authority over religious matters, convening a session on a commander's order to explain charges against a Roman citizen represented a nuanced intersection of powers. The commander likely knew the Sanhedrin would provide the authoritative Jewish legal interpretation. This arrangement indicates the subtle and often strained relationship between the Roman overlords and their Jewish subjects, where Roman law took precedence over local customs in matters concerning Roman citizens. Paul's strategic use of his Roman citizenship had successfully bought him time and shifted the arena of his defense, moving from a violent mob to a somewhat more structured, albeit equally hostile, religious tribunal. This situation echoes Christ's own trials, where both Jewish and Roman authorities were involved in His condemnation.

Acts 22 30 Commentary

Acts 22:30 is a pivotal moment, shifting Paul's immediate fate from a potentially unjust flogging by Romans to an encounter with his Jewish brethren on a more formal, if still highly prejudiced, stage. The commander, Claudius Lysias, demonstrates his adherence to Roman legal protocols, seeking "the reliable truth" when confronted with the unusual situation of a Roman citizen facing religiously charged accusations he himself couldn't comprehend. His act of convening the Sanhedrin asserts Roman political dominion over the local Jewish governing body, highlighting the uneasy co-existence of these two powers. Paul, a Jew accused by Jews before Jews, but now under the protection and facilitation of Rome, stands as a symbol of the complex interactions between religious law, civil law, and individual rights in the Roman Empire. This event underscores the Providential hand that continually positioned Paul before influential leaders, enabling him to bear witness to the Gospel.