And when he was come to the stairs, it fell out that he was carried by the soldiers, because of the violence of the people.
οτε δε εγενετο επι τους αναβαθμους συνεβη βασταζεσθαι αυτον υπο των στρατιωτων δια την βιαν του οχλου
5 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Since they saw that the followers of the new grace observed the precepts of the law less and performed the temple rites less often, they feared, as it says in the Gospel, that the Romans would come and destroy their place and nation (see Jn 11:48).
The Apostle was seized, and the enraged crowd would have torn him apart if the tribune, Lysias (Acts 23:26), commander of the Jerusalem garrison, had not heard of the popular disturbance and come to the scene with part of the troops entrusted to him. Thinking Paul truly guilty of something, the tribune approached, took him, and ordered him to be bound with two chains. Then, unable to learn what the prisoner was accused of because of the disorderly shouting of the people, he ordered him to be brought into the fortress.
But as soon as he had managed to go up the stairs leading to the top of the building and then into the fortress, the mob feared that it would be deprived of the pleasure of taking vengeance. It made a new attack on him with savage cries, "Away with him!" The Apostle Paul, unable to walk by himself because of the blows he had received, was lifted by the soldiers and carried out of the crowd. He was saved from being torn to pieces chiefly because Lysias kept him near himself.
"On the stairs": this means the stairway leading into the fortress. In all probability, like the stairs leading to the outer gates of the temple itself, it was a broad stone stairway open on every side.
The way from the temple courts to the fortress of Antonia was not long, but it proved difficult for Paul. It went uphill and was narrow, especially where there were steps like a stairway.
Therefore, seeing this great inconvenience, the soldiers thought it better to carry Paul in their arms, as if in triumph. His enemies followed in great numbers and cried, “Away with him!”
In like manner the evildoers also cried out against Christ, “Away with Him!” (Lk 23:18), or according to the Greek reading, “Take Him away.” That means, “Remove Him from among the living.”
For the Jews had the custom of crying this phrase against righteous men. Yet, as Saint John Chrysostom says, “Some think that the expression ‘take him away’ means the same as, according to our Roman custom, ‘place him under arrest.’
But ‘Take Him away,’ said of Christ, meant ‘Crucify Him’ (Lk 23:21).” One may think that the apostle too was led into the same praetorium into which Jesus Christ had been led; see Mk 15:16; cf. Jn 18:28.
For by “praetorium,” in the broad sense, is meant “the whole lodging occupied by the Roman government, with all its annexes.” This is clearly indicated by Saint Mark’s expression that the soldiers led the Lord inside the courtyard, that is, into the praetorium.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 17 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS