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Thursday, August 28th, 2025
the Week of Proper 16 / Ordinary 21
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Read the Bible

Christian Standard Bible ®

Acts 23:19

The commander took him by the hand, led him aside, and inquired privately, “What is it you have to report to me?”

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Change of Venue;   Claudius Lysius;   Minister, Christian;   Paul;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - War;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Ordination;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Lysias Claudius;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Acts;   Ambush;   Letter;   Persecution in the Bible;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Caesarea;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Captain;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Claudius;   Paul;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Army, Roman;   Aside;  

Parallel Translations

King James Version (1611)
Then the chiefe captaine tooke him by the hand, and went with him aside priuately, and asked him, What is that thou hast to tell me?
King James Version
Then the chief captain took him by the hand, and went with him aside privately, and asked him, What is that thou hast to tell me?
English Standard Version
The tribune took him by the hand, and going aside asked him privately, "What is it that you have to tell me?"
New American Standard Bible
The commander took him by the hand, and stepping aside, began to inquire of him privately, "What is it that you have to report to me?"
New Century Version
The commander took the young man's hand and led him to a place where they could be alone. He asked, "What do you want to tell me?"
Amplified Bible
The commander took him by the hand and stepping aside, began to ask him privately, "What is it that you have to tell me?"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
The commander took him by the hand and stepping aside, began to inquire of him privately, "What is it that you have to report to me?"
Legacy Standard Bible
And the commander took him by the hand and stepping aside, began to inquire of him privately, "What is it that you have to report to me?"
Berean Standard Bible
The commander took the young man by the hand, drew him aside, and asked, "What do you need to tell me?"
Contemporary English Version
The commander took the young man aside and asked him in private, "What do you want to tell me?"
Complete Jewish Bible
The commander took him by the hand, led him aside privately and asked, "What is it you have to tell me?"
Darby Translation
And the chiliarch having taken him by the hand, and having gone apart in private, inquired, What is it that thou hast to report to me?
Easy-to-Read Version
The commander led the young man to a place where they could be alone. The commander asked, "What do you want to tell me?"
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then the chiefe captaine tooke him by the hande, and went apart with him alone, and asked him, What hast thou to shewe me?
George Lamsa Translation
Then the captain took the young man by his hand, and drew him aside, and asked him, What have you to tell me?
Good News Translation
The commander took him by the hand, led him off by himself, and asked him, "What do you have to tell me?"
Lexham English Bible
And the military tribune, taking hold of his hand and withdrawing privately, asked, "What is it that you have to report to me?"
Literal Translation
And laying hold of his hand, and drawing aside privately, the chiliarch asked, What is it that you have to report to me?
American Standard Version
And the chief captain took him by the hand, and going aside asked him privately, What is it that thou hast to tell me?
Bible in Basic English
And the chief took him by the hand and, going on one side, said to him privately, What is it you have to say to me?
Hebrew Names Version
The commanding officer took him by the hand, and going aside, asked him privately, "What is it that you have to tell me?"
International Standard Version
The tribune took him by the hand, stepped aside to be alone with him, and asked, "What have you got to tell me?"
Etheridge Translation
And the tribune took the youth by his hand, and led him on one side, and asked him, What hast thou to tell me?
Murdock Translation
And the Chiliarch took the young man by his hand, and led him one side, and asked him: What hast thou to tell me?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then the hye captayne toke hym by the hande, and went with hym out of the way, and asked hym: What is it that thou hast to tell me?
English Revised Version
And the chief captain took him by the hand, and going aside asked him privately, What is that thou hast to tell me?
World English Bible
The commanding officer took him by the hand, and going aside, asked him privately, "What is it that you have to tell me?"
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And the tribune taking him by the hand, and going aside privately asked, What is it, that thou hast to tell me?
Weymouth's New Testament
Then the Tribune, taking him by the arm, withdrew out of the hearing of others and asked him, "What have you to tell me?"
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the tribune took his hoond, and wente with hym asidis half, and axide hym, What thing is it, that thou hast to schewe to me?
Update Bible Version
And the colonel took him by the hand, and going aside asked him privately, What is it that you have to tell me?
Webster's Bible Translation
Then the chief captain took him by the hand, and went [with him] aside privately, and asked [him], What is that thou hast to tell me?
New English Translation
The commanding officer took him by the hand, withdrew privately, and asked, "What is it that you want to report to me?"
New King James Version
Then the commander took him by the hand, went aside, and asked privately, "What is it that you have to tell me?"
New Living Translation
The commander took his hand, led him aside, and asked, "What is it you want to tell me?"
New Life Bible
The captain took him by the hand and they walked over where they could be alone. He said, "What is it that you have to tell me?"
New Revised Standard
The tribune took him by the hand, drew him aside privately, and asked, "What is it that you have to report to me?"
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And the captain, taking him by the hand, and going aside, began, privately, to ask - What is it which thou hast to report unto me?
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the tribune, taking him by the hand, went aside with him privately and asked him: What is it that thou hast to tell me?
Revised Standard Version
The tribune took him by the hand, and going aside asked him privately, "What is it that you have to tell me?"
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
The hye captayne toke him by the hond and wet a parte with him out of the waye: and axed him: what hast thou to saye vnto me?
Young's Literal Translation
And the chief captain having taken him by the hand, and having withdrawn by themselves, inquired, `What is that which thou hast to tell me?'
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then the hye captayne toke him by the hande, and wente asyde with him out of the waye, and axed him: What is it, that thou hast to saye vnto me?
Mace New Testament (1729)
then the tribune taking him by the hand, retir'd with him in private, and ask'd, what he had to say.
THE MESSAGE
The captain took him by the arm and led him aside privately. "What is it? What do you have to tell me?"
Simplified Cowboy Version
The commander looked around and then took the boy by the shoulder and led him a little way away and said, "What is it, son?"

Contextual Overview

12When it was morning, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves under a curse not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. 13There were more than forty who had formed this plot. 14These men went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have bound ourselves under a solemn curse that we won’t eat anything until we have killed Paul. 15So now you, along with the Sanhedrin, make a request to the commander that he bring him down to you as if you were going to investigate his case more thoroughly. But, before he gets near, we are ready to kill him.” 16But the son of Paul’s sister, hearing about their ambush, came and entered the barracks and reported it to Paul. 17Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the commander, because he has something to report to him.” 18So he took him, brought him to the commander, and said, “The prisoner Paul called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, because he has something to tell you.” 19The commander took him by the hand, led him aside, and inquired privately, “What is it you have to report to me?”20“The Jews,” he said, “have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the Sanhedrin tomorrow, as though they are going to hold a somewhat more careful inquiry about him. 21Don’t let them persuade you, because there are more than forty of them lying in ambush—men who have bound themselves under a curse not to eat or drink until they have killed him. Now they are ready, waiting for your consent.”

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

took: Jeremiah 31:32, Mark 8:23, Mark 9:27

What: Nehemiah 2:4, Esther 5:3, Esther 7:2, Esther 9:12, Mark 10:51

Reciprocal: Judges 3:19 - a secret 2 Kings 9:6 - he arose

Cross-References

Genesis 3:19
You will eat bread by the sweat of your browuntil you return to the ground,since you were taken from it.For you are dust,and you will return to dust.”
Genesis 23:9
to give me the cave of Machpelah that belongs to him; it is at the end of his field. Let him give it to me in your presence, for the full price, as burial property.”
Genesis 23:10
Ephron was sitting among the Hethites. So in the hearing of all the Hethites who came to the gate of his city, Ephron the Hethite answered Abraham:
Genesis 47:30
When I rest with my fathers, carry me away from Egypt and bury me in their burial place.”
Genesis 50:13
They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave at Machpelah in the field near Mamre, which Abraham had purchased as burial property from Ephron the Hethite.
Genesis 50:25
So Joseph made the sons of Israel take an oath: “When God comes to your aid, you are to carry my bones up from here.”
Job 30:23
Yes, I know that you will lead me to death—the place appointed for all who live.
Ecclesiastes 6:3
A man may father a hundred children and live many years. No matter how long he lives, if he is not satisfied by good things and does not even have a proper burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he.
Ecclesiastes 12:5
Also, they are afraid of heights and dangers on the road;the almond tree blossoms,the grasshopper loses its spring,and the caper berry has no effect;for the mere mortal is headed to his eternal home,and mourners will walk around in the street;
Ecclesiastes 12:7
and the dust returns to the earth as it once was,and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then the chief captain took him by the hand,.... Some have thought that the reason of this was, that he expected that the young man had brought him a present in his hand, from Paul; but this is to represent him as a sordid mercenary man, which ought not to be said, without sufficient proof; rather this should be considered as an instance of civility and humanity, and what showed him to be a man of breeding and good manners; and might be done partly out of respect to Paul, and partly to encourage the young man to use freedom in the account he was about to give him:

and went with him aside privately; concluding by his coming from Paul, and perceiving by the account of the centurion, that he had a secret to communicate to him; wherefore it was acting a wise and prudent part to take him into a private room, and hear what he had to say:

and asked him, what is that thou hast to tell me? thereby giving the young man an opportunity, and encouraging him to relate the secret to him.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Took him by the hand - As an expression of kindness and civility. He did it to draw him aside from the multitude, that he might communicate his message privately.


 
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