Then the soldiers, according as it was commanded them, taking Paul, brought him by night to Antipatris.
οι μεν ουν στρατιωται κατα το διατεταγμενον αυτοις αναλαβοντες τον παυλον ηγαγον δια της νυκτος εις την αντιπατριδα
4 Church Fathers comment on this verse
As if he were some king, Paul was escorted by such a multitude of armed men, and at night besides, because they feared an attack by the unruly people. After leading him out of the city, they left him. The commander would not have sent him under such a strong guard unless he himself recognized his innocence and saw the Jews' resolve to murder him.
The Jews were greatly angered that the Roman official was not wholly on their side. They were also angered that the trial of Paul had not fulfilled their desire to deliver the apostle to death.
Then certain fanatics from among them, forty men in number, took a vow neither to eat nor drink until they had killed Paul.
To carry out their murderous design, they told the high priest and the other members of the Sanhedrin to ask the commander to bring Paul before them again for trial. During his journey to the Sanhedrin, they intended to kill him.
But their design was discovered, and Paul’s nephew brought it to the commander’s attention.
The commander continued to respect and protect the Roman citizen in Paul. Therefore, on the night before the day when the conspirators expected to carry out their plan, he sent him under a strong guard to Caesarea, to Felix, the proconsul of Judea.
In a special letter, he explained to him the circumstances of the apostle’s arrest, his Roman citizenship, and his political innocence.
To Antipatris: a city built by Herod I and named in honor of his father, Antipater. It lay on the road from Jerusalem to Caesarea, forty-two Roman miles, about sixty versts, from Jerusalem, and twenty-six from Caesarea.
Paul’s journey under a great escort took place at night, partly from necessity and partly because night travel in that country was convenient. There was bright starlight, perhaps even moonlight, and the usual night coolness.
This was pleasant both for the horsemen and especially for the infantry, of whom there were then more than four hundred.
That same night they all came to the first city on the road, Antipatris, so named in honor of Antipater, the father of Herod I.
Because of the danger, the journey of fifty versts was made very hastily. On the next day it became clear that no attack on Paul was now possible.
Therefore all four hundred infantrymen returned to the fortress, while the horsemen escorted Paul to Caesarea. There they presented him to Felix together with the letter.
“They escorted Paul as if he were some king, with a multitude of armed attendants,” says Saint John Chrysostom. “The commander would not have sent him under so strong a guard unless he himself recognized his innocence and saw the Jews’ resolve to murder him.”
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 17 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS