As Paul reached the stairs, the mob grew so violent the soldiers had to lift him to their shoulders to protect him.
Parallel translations
- WEB When he came to the stairs, he was carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd;
- KJV And when he came upon the stairs, so it was, that he was borne of the soldiers for the violence of the people.
- BSB When Paul reached the steps, he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob.
- NKJV When he reached the stairs, he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob.
- NASB When Paul got to the stairs, it came about that he was carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob;
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The violence of the crowd is so great that the soldiers have to carry Paul up the stairs. The hostility against the gospel and its messenger is intense.
Overview
The stairs led from the temple court up into the Antonia Fortress. The mob's surging violence forces the soldiers to lift Paul to protect him. Paul follows in the footsteps of Christ, who was hated without cause (John 15:25), yet is shielded by God's providence working through Rome's intervention.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Jer 23:10For the land is full of adulterers; for because of the curse the land mourns. The pastures of the wilderness are dried up. Their course is evil, and their might is not right;
- Hab 1:2–3Yahweh, how long will I cry, and you will not hear? I cry out to you “Violence!” and will you not save?
- Acts 21:40When he had given him permission, Paul, standing on the stairs, beckoned with his hand to the people. When there was a great silence, he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, saying,
- Gen 6:11–12The earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.
- Ps 58:2No, in your heart you plot injustice. You measure out the violence of your hands in the earth.
- Ps 55:9Confuse them, Lord, and confound their language, for I have seen violence and strife in the city.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Acts is the risen Christ continuing his work by the Spirit through the church, as the apostles preach that there is salvation in no other name under heaven.
How Acts 21:35 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.