On hearing this, the centurion went and reported it to the commander. “What are you going to do?” he said. “This man is a Roman citizen.”
Parallel translations
- WEB When the centurion heard it, he went to the commanding officer and told him, “Watch what you are about to do, for this man is a Roman!”
- KJV When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman.
- NKJV When the centurion heard that, he went and told the commander, saying, “Take care what you do, for this man is a Roman.”
- NASB When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and told him, saying, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman.”
- NLT When the officer heard this, he went to the commander and asked, “What are you doing? This man is a Roman citizen!”
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
Alarmed, the centurion warns the commander that Paul is a Roman. The claim of citizenship sends a ripple of fear through the soldiers.
Overview
Violating a citizen's rights could bring severe penalties on the officers responsible. The centurion's urgency shows how seriously Rome guarded its citizens. God uses even the structures of imperial law to shield his servant and advance the gospel toward Rome itself.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 2
- Acts 23:27This man was seized by the Jews, and they were about to kill him when I came with my troops to rescue him. For I had learned that he is a Roman citizen,
- Acts 22:29Then those who were about to interrogate Paul stepped back, and the commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put a Roman citizen in chains.
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.
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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.