Reference: Lysias Claudius
Fausets
A Roman chiliarch or captain in charge of the troops of the citadel Antonia at Paul's last visit to Jerusalem. He rescued Paul from the fanatical crowd, and subsequently from the plot of more than 40 zealots against his life (Ac 21:27-36; 23:12-33). With worldly tact he in writing to Felix makes no mention of having bound Paul for scourging (Ac 21:33; 22:24-29), for he" feared" the consequences to himself of having so treated a Roman citizen. Still his treatment of the apostle otherwise, after he knew his Roman citizenship, was fair and firm.
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The seven days were almost over when the Asiatic Jews, catching sight of him in the temple, stirred up all the crowd and laid hands on him, shouting, "To the rescue, men of Israel! Here is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against the People and the Law and this Place! And he has actually brought Greeks inside the temple and defiled this holy Place!" read more. (They had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian along with him in the city, and they supposed Paul had taken him inside the temple.) The whole city was thrown into turmoil. The people rushed together, seized Paul and dragged him outside the temple; whereupon the doors were immediately shut. They were attempting to kill him, when word reached the commander of the garrison that the whole of Jerusalem was in confusion. Taking some soldiers and officers, he at once rushed down to them, and when they saw the commander and the soldiers they stopped beating Paul. Then the commander came up and seized him; he ordered him to be bound with a couple of chains, and asked "Who is he?" and "What has he done?"
Then the commander came up and seized him; he ordered him to be bound with a couple of chains, and asked "Who is he?" and "What has he done?" Some of the crowd roared one thing, some another, and as he could not learn the facts owing to the uproar, he ordered Paul to be taken to the barracks. read more. By the time he reached the steps, he had actually to be carried by the soldiers on account of the violence of the crowd, for the whole mass of the people followed shouting, "Away with him!"
till the commander ordered him to be taken inside the barracks and examined under the lash, so as to find out why the people shouted at him in this way. They had strapped him up, when Paul said to the officer who was standing by, "Are you allowed to scourge a Roman citizen ??and to scourge him without a trial?" read more. When the officer heard this, he went to the commander and said to him, "What are you going to do? This man is a Roman citizen." So the commander went to him and said, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?" "Yes," he said. The commander replied, "I had to pay a large sum for this citizenship." "But I was born a citizen," said Paul. Then those who were to have examined him left him at once alone; even the commander was alarmed to find that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had bound him.
When day broke, the Jews formed a conspiracy, taking a solemn oath neither to eat nor to drink till they had killed Paul. There were more than forty of them in this plot. read more. They then went to the high priests and elders, saying, "We have taken a solemn oath to taste no food till we have killed Paul. Now you and the Sanhedrin must inform the commander that you propose to investigate this case in detail, so that he may have Paul brought down to you. We will be all ready to kill him on the way down." Now Paul's nephew heard about their treacherous ambush; so he got admission to the barracks and told Paul. Paul summoned one of the officers and said, "Take this young man to the commander, for he has some news to give him." So the officer took him to the commander, saying, "The prisoner Paul has summoned me to ask if I would bring this young man to you, as he has something to tell you." The commander then took him by the hand aside and asked him in private, "What is the news you have for me?" He answered, "The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to-morrow to the Sanhedrin, on the plea that they propose to examine his case in detail. Now do not let them persuade you. More than forty of them are lying in ambush for him, and they have taken a solemn oath neither to eat nor to drink till they have murdered him. They are all ready at this moment, awaiting your consent." Then the commander dismissed the youth, bidding him "Tell nobody that you have informed me of this." He summoned two of the officers and said, "Get ready by nine o'clock to-night two hundred infantry to march as far as Caesarea, also seventy troopers, and two hundred spearmen." Horses were also to be provided, on which they were to mount Paul and carry him safe to Felix the governor. He then wrote a letter in the following terms. "Claudius Lysias, to his excellency the governor Felix: greeting. This man had been seized by the Jews and was on the point of being murdered by them, when I came on them with the troops and rescued him, as I had ascertained that he was a Roman citizen. Anxious to find out why they accused him, I took him down to their Sanhedrin, where I found he was accused of matters relating to their Law but not impeached for any crime that deserved death or imprisonment. I am informed a plot is to be laid against him, so I am sending him to you at once, telling his accusers that they must impeach him before you. Farewell." The soldiers, according to their instructions, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris. Next day the infantry returned to their barracks, leaving the troopers to ride on with him. They reached Caesarea, presented the letter to the governor, and also handed Paul over to him.
Smith
Lys'ias Clau'dius,
a chief captain of the band, that is, tribune of the Roman cohort who rescued St. Paul from the hands of the infuriated mob at Jerusalem, and sent him under a guard to Felix, the governor or proconsul of Caesarea.
seq.; Acts 23:26; 24:7 (A.D. 55.)
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They were attempting to kill him, when word reached the commander of the garrison that the whole of Jerusalem was in confusion.