Acts 23:24

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Also provide mounts for Paul to ride and bring him safely to Felix the governor.”

King James Version (1611)
And prouide them beasts, that they may set Paul on, and bring him safe vnto Felix the gouernour.

King James Version
And provide them beasts, that they may set Paul on, and bring him safe unto Felix the governor.

English Standard Version
Also provide mounts for Paul to ride and bring him safely to Felix the governor."

New American Standard Bible
They were also to provide mounts to put Paul on and bring him safely to Felix the governor.

New Century Version
Get some horses for Paul to ride so he can be taken to Governor Felix safely."

Amplified Bible
also provide mounts for Paul to ride, and bring him safely to Felix the governor."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
They were also to provide mounts to put Paul on and bring him safely to Felix the governor.

Legacy Standard Bible
and provide mounts to put Paul on and bring him safely to Felix the governor."

Berean Standard Bible
Provide mounts for Paul to take him safely to Governor Felix."

Contemporary English Version
Get a horse ready for Paul and make sure that he gets safely through to Felix the governor."

Complete Jewish Bible
also provide replacements for Sha'ul's horse when it gets tired; and bring him through safely to Felix the governor."

Darby Translation
And [he ordered them] to provide beasts, that they might set Paul on them and carry [him] safe through to Felix the governor,

Easy-to-Read Version
Get some horses for Paul to ride so that he can be taken to Governor Felix safely."

Geneva Bible (1587)
And let them make readie an horse, that Paul being set on, may be brought safe vnto Felix the Gouernour.

George Lamsa Translation
And provide also an animal that they may set Paul on, and carry him safe to Felix the governor.

Good News Translation
Provide some horses for Paul to ride and get him safely through to Governor Felix."

Lexham English Bible
And provide mounts so that they can put Paul on them and bring him safely to Felix the governor."

Literal Translation
and animals to stand by, so that setting Paul on, they may bring him to Felix the governor.

American Standard Version
and he bade them provide beasts, that they might set Paul thereon, and bring him safe unto Felix the governor.

Bible in Basic English
And get beasts so that they may put Paul on them, and take him safely to Felix, the ruler.

Hebrew Names Version
He asked them to provide animals, that they might set Sha'ul on one, and bring him safely to Felix the governor.

International Standard Version
Provide an animal for Paul to ride, and take him safely to Governor Felix."

Etheridge Translation
but provide also a beast to carry Paulos, and escape to Felix the governor. [fn]

Murdock Translation
And provide also a saddle beast, that they may set Paul on it, and carry him safely to Felix the governor.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And delyuer them beastes, that they may set Paul on, and bryng hym safe vnto Felix the hye deputie.

English Revised Version
and he bade them provide beasts, that they might set Paul thereon, and bring him safe unto Felix the governor.

World English Bible
He asked them to provide animals, that they might set Paul on one, and bring him safely to Felix, the governor.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And provide beasts, to set Paul upon, and conduct him safe to Felix the governor.

Weymouth's New Testament
He further told them to provide horses to mount Paul on, so as to bring him safely to Felix the Governor.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And make ye redy an hors, for Poul to ride on, to lede hym saaf to Felix, the presydent.

Update Bible Version
and [he bade them] provide beasts, that they might set Paul thereon, and bring him safe to Felix the governor.

Webster's Bible Translation
And provide [for them] beasts, that they may set Paul on, and bring [him] safe to Felix the governor.

New English Translation
and provide mounts for Paul to ride so that he may be brought safely to Felix the governor."

New King James Version
and provide mounts to set Paul on, and bring him safely to Felix the governor."

New Living Translation
Provide horses for Paul to ride, and get him safely to Governor Felix."

New Life Bible
Get horses ready for Paul to ride. Take him to Felix, the leader of the people."

New Revised Standard
Also provide mounts for Paul to ride, and take him safely to Felix the governor."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
beasts also provide, in order that, seating Paul thereon, they may bring him safely through unto Felix the governor.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And provide beasts, that they may set Paul on and bring him safe to Felix the governor.

Revised Standard Version
Also provide mounts for Paul to ride, and bring him safely to Felix the governor."

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And delyvre them beastes that they maye put Paul on and bringe him safe vnto Felix the hye debite

Young's Literal Translation
beasts also provide, that, having set Paul on, they may bring him safe unto Felix the governor;'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and delyuer the beastes, that they maye set Paul theron, and brynge him safe vnto Felix the debyte,

Mace New Testament (1729)
let them take care to see Paul mounted, and convoy him safe to governour Felix.

Simplified Cowboy Version
Give Paul his own horse and get him to Governor Felix."

Contextual Overview

¹²Next day the Jews worked up a plot against Paul. They took a solemn oath that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed him. Over forty of them ritually bound themselves to this murder pact and presented themselves to the high priests and religious leaders. "We've bound ourselves by a solemn oath to eat nothing until we have killed Paul. But we need your help. Send a request from the council to the captain to bring Paul back so that you can investigate the charges in more detail. We'll do the rest. Before he gets anywhere near you, we'll have killed him. You won't be involved." ¹⁶Paul's nephew, his sister's son, overheard them plotting the ambush. He went immediately to the barracks and told Paul. Paul called over one of the centurions and said, "Take this young man to the captain. He has something important to tell him." ¹⁸ The centurion brought him to the captain and said, "The prisoner Paul asked me to bring this young man to you. He said he has something urgent to tell you." ¹⁹ The captain took him by the arm and led him aside privately. "What is it? What do you have to tell me?" ²⁰Paul's nephew said, "The Jews have worked up a plot against Paul. They're going to ask you to bring Paul to the council first thing in the morning on the pretext that they want to investigate the charges against him in more detail. But it's a trick to get him out of your safekeeping so they can murder him. Right now there are more than forty men lying in ambush for him. They've all taken a vow to neither eat nor drink until they've killed him. The ambush is set—all they're waiting for is for you to send him over." ²² The captain dismissed the nephew with a warning: "Don't breathe a word of this to a soul." ²³The captain called up two centurions. "Get two hundred soldiers ready to go immediately to Caesarea. Also seventy cavalry and two hundred light infantry. I want them ready to march by nine o'clock tonight. And you'll need a couple of mules for Paul and his gear. We're going to present this man safe and sound to Governor Felix." ²⁵Then he wrote this letter: From Claudius Lysias, to the Most Honorable Governor Felix: Greetings! I rescued this man from a Jewish mob. They had seized him and were about to kill him when I learned that he was a Roman citizen. So I sent in my soldiers. Wanting to know what he had done wrong, I had him brought before their council. It turned out to be a squabble turned vicious over some of their religious differences, but nothing remotely criminal. The next thing I knew, they had cooked up a plot to murder him. I decided that for his own safety I'd better get him out of here in a hurry. So I'm sending him to you. I'm informing his accusers that he's now under your jurisdiction. ³¹The soldiers, following orders, took Paul that same night to safety in Antipatris. In the morning the soldiers returned to their barracks in Jerusalem, sending Paul on to Caesarea under guard of the cavalry. The cavalry entered Caesarea and handed Paul and the letter over to the governor. ³⁴After reading the letter, the governor asked Paul what province he came from and was told "Cilicia." Then he said, "I'll take up your case when your accusers show up." He ordered him locked up for the meantime in King Herod's official quarters.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

beasts: Nehemiah 2:12, Esther 8:12, Luke 10:34

Felix: Acts 23:26, Acts 23:33-35, Acts 24:3, Acts 24:10, Acts 24:22-27, Acts 25:14

the governor: Matthew 27:2, Luke 3:1

Reciprocal: Acts 17:10 - the brethren Acts 21:32 - took Acts 23:31 - as Acts 27:43 - willing Acts 28:7 - the chief

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And provide them beasts,.... Horses or mules; the Syriac version reads in the singular number, "a beast": and one being sufficient for Paul, here may be a change of number; the Arabic and Ethiopic versions leave out these words, but the following clause makes them necessary:

that they may set Paul on; on the beast, or on one of the beasts provided; if more than one were provided, they might be for his companions, to go along with him:

and bring him safe unto Felix the governor; this man, of a servant, was made a freed man by Claudius Caesar g, and by him appointed in the room of Cumanus governor of Judea h; he was the brother of Pallas, who had the chief management of affairs under the emperor; and this Felix married three persons successively, that were of royal families; hence Suetonius i calls him the husband of three queens; one of these was Drusilla, afterwards mentioned in Acts 24:24 who was sister to King Agrippa. Tacitus calls him Antonius Felix k which name he had from Antonia the mother of Claudius', whose servant he was; Josephus l calls him Claudius Felix, which name he took from the Emperor Claudius, who from so low and mean condition raised him to such honour and dignity; his name Felix signifies "happy": according to Tacitus m, when Felix was first sent into Judea, the government was divided between him and Cumanus; Felix had Samaria, and Cumanus the other part, which was called the nation of the Galilaeans; but Josephus takes no notice of any such division, he says n, that Cumanus was banished; and after that Felix was sent by Caesar, governor of Judea, of Galilee, Samaria, and Peraea; and so he seems to be governor of the whole country at this time; he was now at Caesarea, and it is plain that Judea was under his government, since Paul, a prisoner at Jerusalem, is sent down unto him; and in this his government he continued during the life of Claudius; and when Nero became emperor, and added four cities to the kingdom of Agrippa, he constituted Felix governor of the rest of Judea o; which character he bore till he thought fit to remove him, and put Festus in his room, of whom mention is made hereafter: after these words the following ones are added, in the Vulgate Latin version, "for he was afraid lest perhaps the Jews should take him by force and kill him, and afterwards he should bear the reproach, as if he had took money"; but they are not to be found in any Greek copies.

g Aurel. Victor. Epitome Imper. Rom. p. 324. Sueton. Vita Claudii, sect. 29. h Joseph. de Bello Jud. l. 2. c. 12. sect. 8. i Ut supra. (g) k Hist. 1. 5. l Antiqu. l. 20. c. 6. sect. 1. m Hist. l. 12. & 21. n Antiqu. l. 20. c. 5. sect. 3. & c. 6. sect. 1. De Bello Jud. l. 2. c. 12. sect. 7, 8. o De Bello Jud. l. 2. c. 13. sect. 2.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And provide them beasts - One for Paul, and one for each of his attendants. The word translated “beasts” κτήνη ktēnē is of a general character, and may be applied either to horses, camels, or donkeys. The latter were most commonly employed in Judea.

Unto Felix the governor - The governor of Judea. His place of residence was Caesarea, about 60 miles from Jerusalem. See the notes on Acts 8:40. His name was Antonius Felix. He was a freedman of Antonia, the mother of the Emperor Claudius. He was high in the favor of Claudius, and was made by him governor of Judea. Josephus calls him Claudius Felix. He had married three wives in succession that were of royal families, one of whom was Drusilla, afterward mentioned in Acts 24:24, who was sister to King Agrippa. Tacitus (History, v. 9) says that he governed with all the authority of a king, and the baseness and insolence of a slave. “He was an unrighteous governor, a base, mercenary, and bad man” (Clarke). See his character further described in the notes on Acts 24:25.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Acts 23:24. Provide them beasts — One for Paul, and some others for his immediate keepers.

Felix the governor. — This Felix was a freed man of the Emperor Claudius, and brother of Pallas, chief favourite of the emperor. Tacitus calls him Antonius Felix; and gives us to understand that he governed with all the authority of a king, and the baseness and insolence of a quondam slave. E libertis Antonius Felix per omnem saevitiam ac libidinem jus regium servili ingenio exercuit. Hist. v. 9. He had, according to Suetonius, in his life of Claudius, chap. 28, three queens to his wives; that is, he was married thrice, and each time to the daughter or niece of a king. Drusilla, the sister of Agrippa, was his wife at this time; see Acts 24:24. He was an unrighteous governor; a base, mercenary, and bad man: see Acts 24:2.