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Acts 22:24

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The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know wherefore they cried so against him.

The chief captain {G5506} commanded {G2753} him {G846} to be brought {G71} into {G1519} the castle {G3925}, and bade {G2036} that he {G846} should be examined {G426} by scourging {G3148}; that {G2443} he might know {G1921} wherefore {G1223}{G3739}{G156} they cried {G2019} so {G3779} against {G2019} him {G846}.

so the commander ordered him brought into the barracks and directed that he be interrogated and whipped, in order to find out why they were yelling at him like this.

the commander ordered that Paul be brought into the barracks. He directed that Paul be flogged and interrogated to determine the reason for this outcry against him.

the chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, bidding that he should be examined by scourging, that he might know for what cause they so shouted against him.

Commentary

Acts 22:24 describes a pivotal moment in the Apostle Paul's arrest in Jerusalem, where the Roman chief captain, Claudius Lysias, attempts to understand the intense public outcry against him.

Context

Following a riot in the Temple courts, Paul was rescued by Roman soldiers from a mob of Jews intent on killing him. He was then given permission by the chief captain to address the crowd from the stairs of the Antonia Fortress. Paul recounted his dramatic conversion experience and his divine commission to preach to the Gentiles. However, the mention of being sent to the Gentiles (Acts 22:21) ignited the crowd's fury once more, leading to a renewed uproar. Bewildered by the Jewish religious and cultural complexities, and unable to comprehend the specific accusations, the chief captain resorted to a common Roman investigative method: interrogation by scourging.

Key Themes and Messages

  • Roman Justice and Methods: The chief captain's command reflects the Roman pragmatic approach to law and order. When faced with an incomprehensible situation and a volatile crowd, the immediate concern was to ascertain the cause of the disturbance and who was responsible. Scourging was a brutal but standard method of extracting information, particularly from non-citizens.
  • Misunderstanding and Desperation: The Roman officer's primary motivation was to "know wherefore they cried so against him." He was desperate to understand the intense hatred directed at Paul, which seemed illogical from a Roman perspective. This highlights the chasm between Roman legal understanding and Jewish religious fervor.
  • Divine Providence Amidst Adversity: While the prospect of scourging was dire, this command inadvertently sets the stage for Paul to reveal his Roman citizenship (Acts 22:25), a critical turning point that provides him legal protection and influences the entire course of his subsequent trials and journey to Rome.

Linguistic Insights

The term "scourging" in this verse comes from the Greek verb mastigoo (μαστιγόω), which means "to flog," "to whip," or "to beat with a lash." This was not merely a light beating; it was a severe and often life-threatening punishment, typically inflicted with a whip (a flagellum) that could have pieces of bone or metal embedded in its thongs, designed to tear the flesh. It was a common preliminary to crucifixion and a routine method of interrogation for those who were not Roman citizens.

Related Scriptures

Paul was no stranger to such harsh treatment. He recounts multiple instances of being beaten and flogged in his letters, as seen in 2 Corinthians 11:24-25. An earlier experience where Paul and Silas were severely beaten and imprisoned in Philippi (Acts 16:22-24) provides another parallel, though in Philippi, their Roman citizenship was asserted *after* the beating.

Practical Application

This verse reminds us that even in moments of extreme misunderstanding and potential suffering, God is sovereign. Paul's circumstances, though grim, were orchestrated by God to protect him and advance the gospel. Believers today can find comfort in knowing that God's hand is at work even when facing unjust accusations or difficult situations, often using unexpected means to achieve His purposes and provide opportunities for witness.

Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash (May 20, 2025) using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Acts 23:10 (3 votes)

    And when there arose a great dissension, the chief captain, fearing lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces of them, commanded the soldiers to go down, and to take him by force from among them, and to bring [him] into the castle.

  • John 19:1 (3 votes)

    ¶ Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged [him].

  • Acts 21:31 (3 votes)

    And as they went about to kill him, tidings came unto the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.

  • Acts 21:32 (3 votes)

    Who immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down unto them: and when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, they left beating of Paul.

  • Acts 21:34 (3 votes)

    And 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.

  • Hebrews 11:35 (2 votes)

    Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:

  • Acts 16:37 (2 votes)

    But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast [us] into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out.