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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When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the crowd and laid hands on him, crying out, "Men of Israel, help. This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, and the Law, and this place. Moreover, he also brought Greeks into the temple, and has defiled this holy place." read more. For they had previously seen Trophimus, the Ephesian, with him in the city, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple. All the city was moved, and the people ran together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple. Immediately the doors were shut. As they were trying to kill him, news came up to the commanding officer of the regiment that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. Immediately he took soldiers and centurions, and ran down to them. They, when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, stopped beating Paul. Then the commanding officer came near, arrested him, commanded him to be bound with two chains, and inquired who he was and what he had done.
Then the commanding officer came near, arrested him, commanded him to be bound with two chains, and inquired who he was and what he had done. Some shouted one thing, and some another, among the crowd. When he could not find out the truth because of the noise, he commanded him to be brought into the barracks. read more. When he came to the stairs, it happened that he was carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd; for the crowd of the people followed after, crying out, "Away with him."
the commanding officer commanded him to be brought into the barracks, ordering him to be examined by scourging, that he might know for what crime they yelled at him like that. When they had tied him up with thongs, Paul asked the centurion who stood by, "Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and not found guilty?" read more. When the centurion heard it, he went to the commanding officer and told him, "What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman." The commanding officer came and asked him, "Tell me, are you a Roman?" He said, "Yes." The commanding officer answered, "I bought my citizenship for a great price." Paul said, "But I was born a Roman." Immediately those who were about to examine him departed from him, and the commanding officer also was afraid when he realized that he was a Roman, because he had bound him.
When it was day, the Jews formed a conspiracy, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul. There were more than forty people who had made this conspiracy. read more. They came to the chief priests and the elders, and said, "We have bound ourselves under a great curse, to taste nothing until we have killed Paul. Now therefore, you with the council inform the commanding officer that he should bring him down to you, as though you were going to judge his case more exactly. We are ready to kill him before he comes near." But Paul's sister's son heard of their lying in wait, and he came and entered into the barracks and told Paul. Paul summoned one of the centurions, and said, "Bring this young man to the commanding officer, for he has something to tell him." So he took him, and brought him to the commanding officer, and said, "Paul, the prisoner, summoned me and asked me to bring this young man to you, who has something to tell you." The commanding officer took him by the hand, and going aside, asked him privately, "What is it that you have to tell me?" And he said, "The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though intending to inquire somewhat more accurately concerning him. Therefore do not yield to them, for more than forty men lie in wait for him, who have bound themselves under a curse neither to eat nor to drink until they have killed him. Now they are ready, looking for the promise from you." So the commanding officer let the young man go, charging him, "Tell no one that you have revealed these things to me." He called to himself two of the centurions, and said, "Prepare two hundred soldiers to go as far as Caesarea, with seventy horsemen, and two hundred men armed with spears, at the third hour of the night." He asked them to provide animals, that they might set Paul on one, and bring him safely to Felix the governor. He wrote a letter like this: "Claudius Lysias to the most excellent governor Felix: Greetings. "This man was seized by the Jews, and was about to be killed by them, when I came with the soldiers and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman. Desiring to know the cause why they accused him, I brought him down to their council. I found him to be accused about questions of their law, but not to be charged with anything worthy of death or of imprisonment. When I was told that there would be a plot against the man, I sent him to you immediately, charging his accusers also to bring their accusations against him before you." So the soldiers, carrying out their orders, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris. But on the next day they left the horsemen to go with him, and returned to the barracks. When they came to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul 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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As they were trying to kill him, news came up to the commanding officer of the regiment that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.