Acts 21:33

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.

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
Then	τότε tote	G5119	the when · adverb
captain	χιλίαρχος chiliarchos	G5506	the commander of a thousand soldiers ("chiliarch" · noun — nominative singular masculine
near	ἐγγίσας engisas	G1448	to make near · verb — aorist active participle, nominative singular masculine
took	ἐπελάβετο epelabeto	G1949	to seize (for help · verb — second aorist middle deponent indicative, 3rd person singular
him	αὐτοῦ autou	G846	the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — genitive singular masculine
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
commanded	ἐκέλευσεν ekeleusen	G2753	"hail" · verb — aorist active indicative, 3rd person singular
bound	δεθῆναι dethēnai	G1210	to bind (in various applications · verb — aorist passive infinitive
two	δυσὶν dusin	G1417	"two" · adjective — dative plural feminine
chains	ἁλύσεσιν halusesin	G254	a fetter or manacle · noun — dative plural feminine
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
demanded	ἐπυνθάνετο epunthaneto	G4441	to question · verb — imperfect middle or passive deponent indicative, 3rd person singular
who	τίς tis	G5101	an interrogative pronoun · interrogative pronoun — nominative singular masculine
was	εἴην eíēn	G1498	might (could
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
what	τί ti	G5101	an interrogative pronoun · interrogative pronoun — accusative singular neuter
had	ἐστί estí	G2076	he (she or it) is
done	πεποιηκώς. pepoiēkōs	G4160	to make or do (in a very wide application · verb — perfect active participle, nominative singular masculine

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Ephesians 6:20 For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
Acts 21:11 And when he was come unto us, he took Paul’s girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jew…
Acts 12:6 And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers…
Acts 20:23 Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me.
Acts 22:29 Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a R…
Acts 28:20 For this cause therefore have I called for you, to see you, and to speak with you: because that for the hope of Israel I am bound with this…
2 Timothy 2:9 Where in I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound.
Judges 15:13 And they spake unto him, saying, No; but we will bind thee fast, and deliver thee into their hand: but surely we will not kill thee. And the…

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Acts 21:27–end

We have here Paul brought into a captivity which we are not likely to see the end of; for after this he is either hurried from one bar to another, or lies neglected, first in one prison and then in another, and can neither be tried nor bailed. When we see the beginning of a trouble, we know not either how long it will last or how it will issue. I. We have here Paul seized, and laid hold on. 1. He was seized in the temple, when he was there attending the days of his purifying, and the solemn services of those days, Act 21:27. Formerly he had been well known in the temple, but now he had been so long in his travels abroad that he had become a stranger there; so that it was not till the seven d…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Acts 21:33

commanded him to be bound with two chains--(See on Act 12:6).

Adam Clarke on Acts 21:33

And took him - With great violence, according to Act 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 the note on Act 12:6.

John Gill on Acts 21:33

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 aske…

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The Church Fathers

Nevertheless the torments that lay harshly upon his constricted arms did not tie his mind, because Paul's epistle, full of light, proclaims that the servants can be bound [but] the faith cannot be bound, and the word is not allowed to be restrained by tortures.
— Arator, ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 2

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Antonia — A fortress in Jerusalem, at the north-west corner of the temple area. It is called “the castle” (Acts 21:34, 37). From the stairs of this castle Paul delivered his famous speech to the multitude in…
Chain — (1.) A part of the insignia of office. A chain of gold was placed about Joseph’s neck (Gen. 41:42); and one was promised to Daniel (5:7). It is used as a symbol of sovereignty (Ezek. 16:11). The…
Claudius — Lame. (1.) The fourth Roman emperor. He succeeded Caligula (A.D. 41). Though in general he treated the Jews, especially those in Asia and Egypt, with great indulgence, yet about the middle of his…
John — (1.) One who, with Annas and Caiaphas, sat in judgment on the apostles Peter and John (Acts 4:6). He was of the kindred of the high priest; otherwise unknown. (2.) The Hebrew name of Mark (q.v.). He…
Lysias, Claudius — The chief captain (chiliarch) who commanded the Roman troops in Jerusalem, and sent Paul under guard to the procurator Felix at Caesarea (Acts 21:31-38; 22:24-30). His letter to his superior officer…
Chains · Used to confine pri — Used to confine pri
Claudius Lysius · A Roman military officer — A Roman military officer
Prisoners · Paul — Paul
Roman Empire, The · Allusions to judicial affairs of: Prisoners chained to soldiers for safety — Allusions to judicial affairs of: Prisoners chained to soldiers for safety
Soldiers · Maintain the peace — Maintain the peace

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Acts 21:33

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Acts 21:27–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Acts 21:33

Adam Clarke on Acts 21:33

John Gill on Acts 21:33

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Acts 21:33

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Acts 21:27–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Acts 21:33

Adam Clarke on Acts 21:33

John Gill on Acts 21:33

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on Acts 21:31–end

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Acts 21:31