The Meaning of Acts 21:32 Explained

Acts 21:32

KJV: 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.

YLT: who, at once, having taken soldiers and centurions, ran down upon them, and they having seen the chief captain and the soldiers, did leave off beating Paul.

Darby: who, taking with him immediately soldiers and centurions, ran down upon them. But they, seeing the chiliarch and the soldiers, ceased beating Paul.

ASV: And forthwith he took soldiers and centurions, and ran down upon them: and they, when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, left off beating Paul.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Acts 21:32 Mean?

Context Summary

Acts 21:27-40 - Facing A Bigoted Mob
Four days passed and there seemed a hope that, as the number of pilgrims grew less, Paul might escape recognition till his vow was fulfilled. In fulfilling it he was required to live with four paupers in a chamber of the Temple, to pay for sixteen sacrificial animals and the accompanying meat offerings on their behalf, and to stand with them while the priest offered lambs and rams on their behalf.
But as the ceremonies were approaching completion, he was recognized by Jews from Ephesus and other cities of Asia-perhaps Alexander the coppersmith was one of them-and a cry of hatred and horror was raised. They had seen the Ephesian Trophimus walking with him in the streets of Jerusalem, and supposed that Paul had taken him into the holy precincts. The punishment for that crime was death. They therefore seized him and forced him through the Beautiful Gate and down the fifteen steps, that they might kill him outside the Temple. This outburst attracted the notice of the Roman garrison in the neighboring Castle of Antonia, and Lysias with his soldiers forced his way through the throng, rescued Paul from his would-be murderers, and bore him beyond their reach. God had other work for the Apostle yet to do. [source]

Chapter Summary: Acts 21

1  Paul calls at the house of Philip, whose daughters prophesy
10  Agabus, foretelling what should befall him at Jerusalem,
13  he will not be dissuaded from going thither
17  He comes to Jerusalem;
27  where he is apprehended, and in great danger, but by the chief captain is rescued;
37  and requests, and is permitted to speak to the people

Greek Commentary for Acts 21:32

Forthwith [εχαυτης]
Common in the Koiné{[28928]}š (εχ αυτης — exō autēs supply ωρας — hōras hour). [source]
He took [παραλαβων]
See Acts 21:24, Acts 21:26.Centurions (εκατονταρχας — hekatontarchas). See note on Luke 7:2 for discussion. Plural shows that Lysias the chiliarch took several hundred soldiers along (a centurion with each hundred). Ran down Effective second aorist active indicative of katatrechō From the tower of Antonia, vivid scene. And they (κατεδραμεν — hoi de). Demonstrative use of κατατρεχω — hoi The Jewish mob who had begun the work of killing Paul (Acts 21:31). Left off beating Paul The participle with οι — pauomai describes what they were already doing, the supplementary participle (Robertson, Grammar, p. 1121). They stopped before the job was over because of the sudden onset of the Roman soldiers. Some ten years before in a riot at the passover the Roman guard marched down and in the panic several hundred were trampled to death. [source]
Centurions [εκατονταρχας]
See note on Luke 7:2 for discussion. Plural shows that Lysias the chiliarch took several hundred soldiers along (a centurion with each hundred). [source]
Ran down [katedramen)]
Effective second aorist active indicative of katatrechō From the tower of Antonia, vivid scene. And they (κατεδραμεν — hoi de). Demonstrative use of κατατρεχω — hoi The Jewish mob who had begun the work of killing Paul (Acts 21:31). Left off beating Paul The participle with οι — pauomai describes what they were already doing, the supplementary participle (Robertson, Grammar, p. 1121). They stopped before the job was over because of the sudden onset of the Roman soldiers. Some ten years before in a riot at the passover the Roman guard marched down and in the panic several hundred were trampled to death. [source]
And they [κατεδραμεν]
Demonstrative use of κατατρεχω — hoi The Jewish mob who had begun the work of killing Paul (Acts 21:31). [source]
Left off beating Paul [οι δε]
The participle with οι — pauomai describes what they were already doing, the supplementary participle (Robertson, Grammar, p. 1121). They stopped before the job was over because of the sudden onset of the Roman soldiers. Some ten years before in a riot at the passover the Roman guard marched down and in the panic several hundred were trampled to death. [source]
Centurions []
See on Luke 7:2. [source]
Unto them [ἐπ ' αὐτούς]
Better, upon them. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 21:32

Acts 24:6 We seized [εκρατησαμεν]
As if the Sanhedrin had arrested Paul, Tertullus identifying himself with his clients. But it was the mob (Acts 21:28-31) that attacked Paul and Lysias who rescued him (Acts 21:32.). [source]

What do the individual words in Acts 21:32 mean?

who at once having taken with [him] soldiers and centurions ran down upon them - And having seen the commander the they stopped beating - Paul
ὃς ἐξαυτῆς παραλαβὼν στρατιώτας καὶ ἑκατοντάρχας κατέδραμεν ἐπ’ αὐτούς οἱ δὲ ἰδόντες τὸν χιλίαρχον τοὺς ἐπαύσαντο τύπτοντες τὸν Παῦλον

ἐξαυτῆς  at  once 
Parse: Adverb
Root: ἐξαυτῆς  
Sense: on the instant, forthwith.
παραλαβὼν  having  taken  with  [him] 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: παραλαμβάνω  
Sense: to take to, to take with one’s self, to join to one’s self.
στρατιώτας  soldiers 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: στρατιώτης  
Sense: a (common) soldier.
ἑκατοντάρχας  centurions 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: ἑκατοντάρχης 
Sense: an officer in the Roman army.
κατέδραμεν  ran  down 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: κατατρέχω  
Sense: to run down, hasten down.
ἐπ’  upon 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἐπί  
Sense: upon, on, at, by, before.
οἱ  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἰδόντες  having  seen 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: εἶδον 
Sense: to see with the eyes.
χιλίαρχον  commander 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: χιλίαρχος  
Sense: a chiliarch, the commander of a thousand soldiers.
ἐπαύσαντο  they  stopped 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Middle, 3rd Person Plural
Root: παύω  
Sense: to make to cease or desist.
τύπτοντες  beating 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: τύπτω  
Sense: to strike, beat, smite.
τὸν  - 
Parse: Article, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Παῦλον  Paul 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: Παῦλος  
Sense: Paul was the most famous of the apostles and wrote a good part of the NT, the 4 Pauline epistles.