The Meaning of Acts 22:30 Explained

Acts 22:30

KJV: On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him from his bands, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down, and set him before them.

YLT: and on the morrow, intending to know the certainty wherefore he is accused by the Jews, he did loose him from the bonds, and commanded the chief priests and all their sanhedrim to come, and having brought down Paul, he set him before them.

Darby: And on the morrow, desirous to know the certainty of the matter why he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him, and commanded the chief priests and all the council to meet, and having brought Paul down set him before them.

ASV: But on the morrow, desiring to know the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him, and commanded the chief priests and all the council to come together, and brought Paul down and set him before them.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

<1161> On the morrow,  because he would  have known  the certainty  wherefore  he was accused  of  the Jews,  he loosed  him  from  [his] bands,  and  commanded  the chief priests  and  all  their  council  to appear,  and  brought  Paul  down,  and set him  before  them. 

What does Acts 22:30 Mean?

Verse Meaning

"The irregular structure of Luke"s account of Paul"s defense before the Sanhedrin evidently reflects the tumultuous character of the session itself. Three matters pertaining to Luke"s apologetic purpose come to the fore: (1) Christianity is rooted in the Jewish doctrine of the resurrection of the dead (cf. Acts 23:6); (2) the debate Paul was engaged in regarding Christianity"s claims must be viewed as first of all a Jewish intramural affair (cf. Acts 23:7-10); and (3) the ongoing proclamation of the gospel in the Gentile world stems from a divine mandate (cf. Acts 23:11)." [1]
The commander released Paul from his chains but kept him in custody. He decided the Sanhedrin could discover why the Jews were accusing Paul since he could not figure this out. He ordered this body to meet to examine Paul because he was responsible for keeping peace in Jerusalem. If Paul"s offenses proved inconsequential, Claudius Lysias would release him. If the Jews charged him with some religious crime, the Sanhedrin could try him. If they charged him with a civil crime, the Roman provincial governor would try him. [1]
This was at least the sixth time that the Sanhedrin had to evaluate the claims of Christ. The first occasion was when it met to consider reports about Jesus ( John 11:47-53), and the second was Jesus" trial ( Matthew 26:57-68; Matthew 27:1-2; Mark 14:53-65; Mark 15:1; Luke 22:66-71). The third meeting was the trial of Peter and John ( Acts 4:5-22), the fourth was the trial of the Twelve ( Acts 5:21-40), and the fifth was Stephen"s trial ( Acts 6:12 to Acts 7:60).

Context Summary

Acts 22:17-30 - Saved For Further Service
To the story of his conversion, as given in Acts 9:1-43, the Apostle here adds a detailed account of that memorable interview in the Temple, when he questioned the advisability of the Lord's command that he should leave Jerusalem, and received his final and irrevocable commission to go to the Gentiles. It is a great privilege to be permitted to overhear this dialogue! How close and intimate is the disciple's relationship with his Lord! God allowed Abraham, Moses, and Jeremiah to reason with Him. He does not crush down our intelligence. It is His own word, "Come, let us reason together." But there is a point beyond which we may not go, when we must accept without question the final instructions of our Captain.
A free-born Roman was Paul. More than once he had asserted his rights as a Roman citizen, as at Philippi. There are various social and political advantages which we can turn to account in our service of the gospel, but they cannot carry us very far, and ultimately we are better off if we step out upon the unwonted waters, simply because Jesus says, Come! [source]

Chapter Summary: Acts 22

1  Paul declares how he was converted to the faith,
17  and called to his apostleship
22  At the very mentioning of the Gentiles the people exclaim on him
24  He would have been scourged;
25  but claiming the privilege of a Roman, he escapes

Greek Commentary for Acts 22:30

To know the certainty [γνωναι το ασπαλες]
Same idiom in Acts 21:34 which see. [source]
Wherefore he was accused [το τι κατεγορειται]
Epexegetical after to ασπαλες — asphales Note article (accusative case) with the indirect question here as in Luke 22:1, Luke 22:23, Luke 22:24 (which see), a neat idiom in the Greek. Commanded (εκελευσεν — ekeleusen). So the Sanhedrin had to meet, but in the Tower of Antonia, for he brought Paul down (καταγαγων — katagagōn second aorist active participle of καταγω — katagō). Set him First aorist active (transitive) indicative of ιστημι — histēmi not the intransitive second aorist εστη — estē Lysias is determined to find out the truth about Paul, more puzzled than ever by the important discovery that he has a Roman citizen on his hands in this strange prisoner. [source]
Commanded [εκελευσεν]
So the Sanhedrin had to meet, but in the Tower of Antonia, for he brought Paul down (καταγαγων — katagagōn second aorist active participle of καταγω — katagō). [source]
Set him [εστησεν]
First aorist active (transitive) indicative of ιστημι — histēmi not the intransitive second aorist εστη — estē Lysias is determined to find out the truth about Paul, more puzzled than ever by the important discovery that he has a Roman citizen on his hands in this strange prisoner. [source]
Brought Paul down []
To the meeting-place of the Sanhedrim: probably not their usual place of assembly, which lay within the wall of partition, which Lysias and his soldiers would not have been allowed to pass. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 22:30

Acts 21:34 When he could not know [μη δυναμενου αυτου γνωναι]
Genitive absolute of present middle participle of δυναμαι — dunamai with negative μη — mē and second aorist active infinitive of γινωσκω — ginōskō The certainty (το ασπαλες — to asphales). Neuter articular adjective from α — a privative and σπαλλω — sphallō to make totter or fall. Old word, in the N.T. only in Acts 21:34; Acts 22:30; Acts 25:26; Philemon 3:1; Hebrews 6:19. Into the castle Koiné{[28928]}š word from παρεμβαλλω — paremballō to cast in by the side of, to assign soldiers a place, to encamp (see note on Luke 19:43). So παρεμβολη — parembolē comes to mean an interpolation, then an army drawn up (Hebrews 11:34), but mainly an encampment (Hebrews 13:11, Hebrews 13:13), frequent in Polybius and lxx. So here barracks of the Roman soldiers in the tower of Antonia as in Acts 21:37; Acts 21:22: Acts 21:24; Acts 23:10, Acts 23:16, Acts 23:32. [source]
Acts 21:34 The certainty [το ασπαλες]
Neuter articular adjective from α — a privative and σπαλλω — sphallō to make totter or fall. Old word, in the N.T. only in Acts 21:34; Acts 22:30; Acts 25:26; Philemon 3:1; Hebrews 6:19. [source]

What do the individual words in Acts 22:30 mean?

On the now next day desiring to know - for certain why he is accused by the Jews he unbound him and commanded to assemble the chief priests all the council having brought down - Paul he set [him] among them
Τῇ δὲ ἐπαύριον βουλόμενος γνῶναι τὸ ἀσφαλὲς τί κατηγορεῖται ὑπὸ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἔλυσεν αὐτόν καὶ ἐκέλευσεν συνελθεῖν τοὺς ἀρχιερεῖς πᾶν τὸ συνέδριον καταγαγὼν τὸν Παῦλον ἔστησεν εἰς αὐτούς

Τῇ  On  the 
Parse: Article, Dative Feminine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
δὲ  now 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: δέ  
Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
ἐπαύριον  next  day 
Parse: Adverb
Root: ἐπαύριον  
Sense: on the morrow, the next day.
βουλόμενος  desiring 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Middle or Passive, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: βούλομαι  
Sense: to will deliberately, have a purpose, be minded.
γνῶναι  to  know 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Active
Root: γινώσκω  
Sense: to learn to know, come to know, get a knowledge of perceive, feel.
τὸ  - 
Parse: Article, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἀσφαλὲς  for  certain 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: ἀσφαλής  
Sense: firm (that which can be relied on).
τί  why 
Parse: Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: τίς  
Sense: who, which, what.
κατηγορεῖται  he  is  accused 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Middle or Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: κατηγορέω  
Sense: to accuse.
Ἰουδαίων  Jews 
Parse: Adjective, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: Ἰουδαῖος  
Sense: Jewish, belonging to the Jewish race.
ἔλυσεν  he  unbound 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: λύω  
Sense: to loose any person (or thing) tied or fastened.
ἐκέλευσεν  commanded 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: κελεύω  
Sense: to command, to order.
συνελθεῖν  to  assemble 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Active
Root: συνέρχομαι  
Sense: to come together.
ἀρχιερεῖς  chief  priests 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: ἀρχιερεύς  
Sense: chief priest, high priest.
συνέδριον  council 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: συνέδριον  
Sense: any assembly (esp.
καταγαγὼν  having  brought  down 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: κατάγω  
Sense: to lead down, bring down.
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.
ἔστησεν  he  set  [him] 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἵστημι  
Sense: to cause or make to stand, to place, put, set.