Acts 28:16

Acts 28:16 . And when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard — Or prefect of the pretorian band, according to his commission. It was customary for prisoners who were brought to Rome, to be delivered to this officer, who had the charge of the state prisoners. The person who now held this office was the noted Afranius Burrhus. But Paul was suffered to dwell by himself with a soldier that kept him — Dr. Lardner proves, from Ulpian, that the proconsul was to judge whether a person, under accusation, was to be thrown into prison, or delivered to a soldier to be guarded, or committed to sureties, or trusted on his parole of honour. The humanity with which Julius all along treated the apostle merits particular attention. At Sidon he allowed him to go ashore to visit his Christian friends. And, when they were shipwrecked on the island of Melita, he kept the soldiers from killing the prisoners that he might save Paul. And because some brethren at Puteoli wished Paul to remain with them a week, he was so good as to grant their desire. And, as this worthy person is said by Luke to have courteously entreated Paul through the whole of the voyage, he may have bestowed on him favours which are not particularly mentioned. Those, however, which are mentioned deserve notice, as proofs of esteem and love from a heathen very honourable to the apostle.

Julius’s regard for Paul was founded, at first, on the favourable opinion which Festus, Agrippa, and the tribunes, had formed of his cause, and which no doubt, they made known to Julius before he left Cesarea. But his esteem of the apostle must have increased by what he himself observed in the course of their acquaintance. For, in his conversation, Paul expressed such just views of God and religion, and of the duties of morality; and, in his actions, showed such benevolence to mankind, and such a concern for their real interest, as could not fail to endear him to so great a friend to virtue, as this centurion seems to have been. Besides, if Paul was represented to Julius as one who could work miracles, that circumstance alone would induce him to treat him with great respect. And more especially, when he became himself a witness to the accomplishment of Paul’s prediction concerning their shipwreck, and to the miraculous cures which he performed on the sick, in the island of Melita. Julius, therefore, having so great a friendship for Paul, and, it may be, a favourable opinion of the Christian doctrine, we may suppose that when he delivered the prisoners to Afranius Burrhus, who was then pretorian prefect, he did justice to Paul by representing him, not only as entirely innocent of any real crime, but as a man of singular probity, who was highly favoured of God, and endowed with extraordinary powers.

The captain of the guard; the praefectus praetorio, being commander-in-chief over the soldiers, and unto whom the prisoners of state were usually committed. Paul was suffered to dwell by himself; God by this means giving Paul an opportunity to go abroad at his pleasure; though chained, as Acts 28:20 , yet he might preach the gospel, and that was not bound, 2 Timothy 2:9 . And now God is with Paul, as he was with Joseph, in prison, Genesis 39:21 , and procures him favour.

Acts 28:16 . Τῷ Παύλῳ ) A more recent transcriber has formed a neat paraphrase: ὁ ἑκατόνταρχος παρέδωκε τοὺς δεσμίους τῷ στρατοπεδάρχῃ · τῷ δὲ Παύλῳ , κ . τ . λ .[157] What became of the other prisoners is of no interest to us. We may suppose that Festus had written to Rome in as mild terms as possible; with which comp. ch. 25 and 26— ΚΑΘʼ ἙΑΥΤῸΝ ) by himself , wherever he thought fit. He got a lodging , which he hired , Acts 28:23 ; Acts 28:30 .— στρατιώτῃ , a soldier ) who was joined to Paul by a chain, as was the custom, and who might thus continually hear his teaching. [157] Hence the shorter reading both is declared by the margin of Ed. 2 to be the reading better established, and has been received by the Germ. Vers.—E. B. The words ὁ ἑκατόνταρχος — στρατοπεδάρχῃ are omitted by AB Vulg. Memph.: and so Lachm. Rec. Text and Tisch. support the words without any very old authority save the later Syr.—E. and T.

16. when we came to Rome—the renowned capital of the ancient world, situated on the Tiber. the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard—the Prætorian Prefect, to whose custody, as commander of the Prætorian guard, the highest military authority in the city, were committed all who were to come before the emperor for trial. Ordinarily there were two such prefects; but from A.D. 51 to 62, one distinguished general—Burrus Aframus, who had been Nero's tutor—held that office; and as our historian speaks of "the captain," as if there were but one, it is thought that this fixes the apostle's arrival at Rome to be not later than the year 62 [Wies]. But even though there had been two when Paul arrived, he would be committed only to one of them, who would be "the captain" who got charge of him. (At most, therefore, this can furnish no more than confirmation to the chronological evidence otherwise obtained). but Paul was suffered to dwell by himself with a—"the" soldier that kept him—"guarded" him. (See on [2141]Ac 12:6). This privilege was allowed in the case of the better class of prisoners, not accused of any flagrant offense, on finding security—which in Paul's case would not be difficult among the Christians. The extension of this privilege to the apostle may have been due to the terms in which Festus wrote about him; but far more probably it was owing to the high terms in which Julius spoke of him, and his express intercession in his behalf.

It was overruled, however, for giving the fullest scope to the labors of the apostle compatible with confinement at all. As the soldiers who kept him were relieved periodically, he would thus make the personal acquaintance of a great number of the Prætorian guard; and if he had to appear before the Prefect from time to time, the truth might thus penetrate to those who surrounded the emperor, as we learn, from Php 1:12, 13, that it did.

Verse 16. - Entered into for came to , A.V. and T.R.; the words which follow in the T.R. and the A.V., the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard: but , are omitted in the R.T. and R.V., following א , A, B, and many versions; Alford retains them, Meyer speaks doubtfully; abide for dwell , A.V.; the soldier that guarded him for a soldier that kept him , A.V. The captain of the guard (A.V.); τῷ στρατοπεδάρχῃ : in Latin praefectus praetorio ( Στρατόπεδον , was the Greek name for the castra praetoriana ). There were usually two great officers so called, and it was their special duty to take charge of prisoners sent from the provinces to be tried at Rome. 'Vinctus mitti ad praefectos praetorii met debet" (Pliny, 'Epist.,' 10:65). It has been argued, from the mention of "the captain of the guard," that Paul's imprisonment must have occurred when Burrus was sole prefect, as related by Tacitus ('Annal.,' 12:42, 1), and that hence we get a precise date for it (so Wieseler, 'Chronologic de Apostolisch. Geshichte'). But this can hardly be depended upon. Luke might speak of "the prefect," meaning the one to whom the prisoners were actually committed, just as we might speak of a magistrate writing to "the secretary of state," or an ambassador calling upon "the secretary of state," the matter in hand determining which of the three secretaries we meant. With the soldier that guarded him . It appears from ver. 20 that St.

Paul was subjected to the custodia militaris, i.e. that he was fastened by a single chain to a praetorian ( στρατιώτης ), but, as a special favor, granted probably on the good report of the courteous Julius, was allowed to dwell in his own hired house (ver. 30); see Acts 24:23 . Acts 28:16

Acts 28:16 . The two praefecti praetorio (commanders of the imperial body-guard) had the duty of providing for the custody of accused persons handed over from the provinces to the Emperor, Plin. Ep. x. 65; Philostr. Vit. scholast . ii. 32. That there was at that time only one praefect, namely Burrus, who died before the beginning of March 62, and after whose death there were again two, does not follow from the singular τῷ στρατοπ . (in opposition to Anger, Wieseler, and others); see Introduction, § 4. It is to be taken as: “to the praefectus praetorio concerned ” namely, who then had this duty of receiving (comp. ὁ ἱερεύς Acts 14:13 ), and to whose dwelling, therefore, the centurion repaired with a view to deliver over the prisoners. This does not suppose (as Wieseler objects) that the praefect received them in person ; he had his subalterns. καθ ̓ ἑαυτόν ] for himself , apart from the other prisoners. See Acts 28:23 ; Acts 28:30 . This special favour is explained partly from the report of Festus, which certainly pointed to no crime ( Acts 25:25 , Acts 26:31 ), and partly from the influence of the centurion who respected Paul, and would specially commend him as having saved the lives of all on board. σὺν τῷ … στρατιώτῃ ] This was a praetorian (Grotius in loc .; Krebs, Opusc . p. 151 f.), to whom Paul, after the manner of the custodia militaris, was bound by the arm with a chain ( Acts 28:20 ). See on Acts 24:27 .