Acts 23:28

And when I would have known the cause wherefore they accused him, I brought him forth into their council:

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

23:25-35 God has instruments for every work. The natural abilities and moral virtues of the heathens often have been employed to protect his persecuted servants. Even the men of the world can discern between the conscientious conduct of upright believers, and the zeal of false professors, though they disregard or understand not their doctrinal principles. All hearts are in God's hand, and those are blessed who put their trust in him, and commit their ways unto him.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Should have been killed of them - Was about to be killed by them. The life of Paul had been twice endangered in this manner, Acts 21:30; Acts 23:10.

With an army - With a band of soldiers, Acts 23:10.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

27. came I with an army—rather, "with the military."

Matthew Poole's Commentary

The council understanding those questions (as he thought) best, and having yet retained some power fron the Romans concerning them.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And when I would have known the cause,.... Or crime, he was guilty of:

wherefore they accused him: which they charged him with, and for which they beat him almost to death:

I brought him forth into their council; their court of judicature, the great sanhedrim.

Geneva Study Bible

And when I would have known the cause wherefore they accused him, I brought him forth into their council:

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Expositor's Greek Testament

Acts 23:28. δέ: if we read τε Weiss regards it as closely connecting the wish of the chiliarch with the previous rescue affected by him, and as hoping to veil his conduct in the interim which was so open to censure.—ἐνεκάλουν αὐτῷ, Acts 19:38, with dative of the person as here, and in classical Greek, cf. Sir 46:19. In N.T. only in Luke and Paul, cf. Simcox, Language of the N.T., p. 148.—In the letter of Lysias Hilgenfeld omits Acts 23:28-29, as an addition of the “author to Theophilus”. Acts 23:26; Acts 23:30, are quite sufficient, he thinks, for “military brevity,” whilst Acts 23:28 could not have been written by Lysias since he would have written an untruth. But it is quite conceivable that the Roman would not only try to conceal his previous hastiness, but to commend himself to the governor as the protector of a fellow-citizen. Spitta omits Acts 23:28 in the letter, and Jüngst also Acts 23:29. But Jüngst equally with Hilgenfeld declines to omit the whole letter as Clemen proposes.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

28. And when I would have known, &c.] The Rev. Ver. more literally “and desiring to know, &c.” The method by which the chief captain proposed to learn the charge against Paul was by scourging the prisoner. Cp. Acts 22:24.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 28. - Desiring to know for when 1 would have known, A.V.; down unto for forth into, A.V. Acts 23:28