Acts 23:16Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The providence of God arranged that they did not know the young man would overhear. And again human care is observed. See: Paul allows no one to learn this, not even the centurion, lest the matter become public. But the centurion took the young man and brought him to the tribune. The tribune rightly orders the matter concealed, so that no one would know it. Then he tells the centurions what must be done. See, even after this appearance the Lord allows Paul again to be saved in a human way. It is worthy of wonder that Paul was not troubled and did not say, 'What does this mean? Have I been deceived by Christ?' No, he neither thought nor felt anything of the sort. He only believed. Yet while believing, he did not sleep. He did not fail to do what could be done with the help of human wisdom.

"But Paul's sister's son heard of the ambush." It was by God's providential ordering that the Jews did not notice how he could have heard it.

The Jews were greatly angered that the Roman official was not entirely on their side. They were also angered that Paul's trial had not fulfilled their desire to hand the Apostle over to death. Then certain fanatics from among them, forty in number, vowed neither to drink nor eat until they had killed Paul. To carry out their murderous design, they told the high priest and the other ranks of the Sanhedrin to ask the tribune to bring Paul to them again for trial. During his journey to the Sanhedrin, they intended to kill him. But their design was discovered and brought to the tribune's knowledge by Paul's nephew. The tribune continued to respect and protect Paul as a Roman citizen.

Paul's sister's son: nothing more is known of him beyond what is told here. "Having entered the fortress": probably, after Paul declared his Roman citizenship, he was not kept under very strict custody, so that his relatives could have access to him. Thus he was also kept afterward in Caesarea (Acts 24:23) and in Rome (Acts 28:16). Nevertheless, he was still a prisoner (v. 18).

The overthrow of the plot of the forty was certainly accomplished according to God's providence. St. John Chrysostom bears witness to this, saying: 'The Lord arranged that he, either Paul or his relative, learned of their plot. By the fact that they could say nothing against Paul, and by making their plot secretly, they exposed themselves and showed that they were nothing. After Paul's departure, the chief priests probably came with a request to the tribune and returned in shame, without success. And see what deceit: the chief priests themselves were as though placed under necessity.