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Then the soldiers, as it was commanded them, took Paul, and brought him by night to Antipatris.
Acts 23:31 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB So the soldiers, carrying out their orders, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris.
  • BSB So the soldiers followed their orders and brought Paul by night to Antipatris.
  • NKJV Then the soldiers, as they were commanded, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris.
  • NASB So the soldiers, in accordance with their orders, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris.
  • NLT So that night, as ordered, the soldiers took Paul as far as Antipatris.

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 soldiers, obeying their orders, take Paul by night to Antipatris. The first stage of the protective journey to Caesarea is completed.

Overview

Antipatris lay on the road from Jerusalem toward Caesarea, a roughly day's march away. The night march beyond the reach of the conspirators secures Paul's escape. The faithful execution of the escort's orders shows God's promise being carried out through ordinary obedience and providence.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 3

  • Luke 7:8For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.
  • Acts 23:23–24And he called unto him two centurions, saying, Make ready two hundred soldiers to go to Caesarea, and horsemen threescore and ten, and spearmen two hundred, at the third hour of the night;
  • 2 Tim 2:3–4Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (6)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Acts videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Acts 23:31YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on ActsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

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 23:31 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.