Acts 21:33
◄  Acts 21:33  ►
New International Version (©2011)
The commander came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. Then he asked who he was and what he had done.

New Living Translation (©2007)
Then the commander arrested him and ordered him bound with two chains. He asked the crowd who he was and what he had done.

English Standard Version (©2001)
Then the tribune came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. He inquired who he was and what he had done.

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
Then the commander came up and took hold of him, and ordered him to be bound with two chains; and he began asking who he was and what he had done.

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
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.

Holman Christian Standard Bible (©2009)
Then the commander came up, took him into custody, and ordered him to be bound with two chains. He asked who he was and what he had done.

International Standard Version (©2012)
Then the tribune came up, grabbed Paul, and ordered him to be tied up with two chains. He then asked who Paul was and what he had done.

NET Bible (©2006)
Then the commanding officer came up and arrested him and ordered him to be tied up with two chains; he then asked who he was and what he had done.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English (©2010)
And the Chiliarch called him and took him and commanded to bind him with two chains, and he was asking about him, who he was and what he had done.

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
Then the officer went to Paul, grabbed him, and ordered him to be tied up with two chains. The officer asked who Paul was and what he had done.

King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
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.

American King James Version
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.

American Standard Version
Then the chief captain came near, and laid hold on him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains; and inquired who he was, and what he had done.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Then the tribune coming near, took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains: and demanded who he was, and what he had done.

Darby Bible Translation
Then the chiliarch came up and laid hold upon him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains, and inquired who he might be, and what he had done.

English Revised Version
Then the chief captain came near, and laid hold on him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains; and inquired who he was, and what he had done.

Webster's Bible Translation
Then the chief captain came near and took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains: and inquired who he was, and what he had done.

Weymouth New Testament
Then the Tribune, making his way to him, arrested him, and, having ordered him to be secured with two chains, proceeded to ask who he was and what he had been doing.

World English Bible
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.

Young's Literal Translation
Then the chief captain, having come nigh, took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains, and was inquiring who he may be, and what it is he hath been doing,

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

21:27-40 In the temple, where Paul should have been protected as in a place of safety, he was violently set upon. They falsely charged him with ill doctrine and ill practice against the Mosaic ceremonies. It is no new thing for those who mean honestly and act regularly, to have things laid to their charge which they know not and never thought of. It is common for the wise and good to have that charged against them by malicious people, with which they thought to have obliged them. God often makes those a protection to his people, who have no affection to them, but only have compassion for sufferers, and regard to the public peace. And here see what false, mistaken notions of good people and good ministers, many run away with. But God seasonably interposes for the safety of his servants, from wicked and unreasonable men; and gives them opportunities to speak for themselves, to plead for the Redeemer, and to spread abroad his glorious gospel.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 33. - Laid hold on for took, A.V.; inquired for. demanded, A.V. Laid hold on (ἐπελάβετο); see Acts 17:19, note. Bound with two chains; as St. Peter was (Acts 12:6). Ἄλυσις means properly "a chain on the hands" as opposed to πέδη, a fetter (Mark 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.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

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, Acts 23:27.

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 Acts 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.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

33. commanded him to be bound with two chains—(See on [2088]Ac 12:6).

Acts 21:33 Parallel Commentaries

Acts 21:33 NIV
Acts 21:33 NLT
Acts 21:33 ESV
Acts 21:33 NASB
Acts 21:33 KJV

Bible Hub: Online Parallel Bible


Paul Seized in the Temple
…32Who immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down to them: and when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, they left beating of Paul. 33Then 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. 34And some cried one thing, some another, among the multitude: and when he could not know the certainty for the tumult, he commanded him to be carried into the castle. …

Acts 12:6 The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance.
Acts 20:23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me.
Acts 21:11 Coming over to us, he took Paul's belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, "The Holy Spirit says, 'In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.'"
Acts 22:29 Those who were about to interrogate him withdrew immediately. The commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put Paul, a Roman citizen, in chains.
Acts 22:30 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 26:29 Paul replied, "Short time or long--I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains."
Acts 28:20 For this reason I have asked to see you and talk with you. It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain."
Ephesians 6:20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
Philippians 1:7 It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me.
2 Timothy 1:16 May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains.
2 Timothy 2:9 for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God's word is not chained.