The Meaning of Acts 23:16 Explained

Acts 23:16

KJV: And when Paul's sister's son heard of their lying in wait, he went and entered into the castle, and told Paul.

YLT: And the son of Paul's sister having heard of the lying in wait, having gone and entered into the castle, told Paul,

Darby: But Paul's sister's son, having heard of the lying in wait, came and entered into the fortress and reported it to Paul.

ASV: But Paul's sister's son heard of their lying in wait, and he came and entered into the castle and told Paul.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  when Paul's  sister's  son  heard  of their lying in wait,  he went  and  entered  into  the castle,  and told  Paul. 

What does Acts 23:16 Mean?

Context Summary

Acts 23:12-24 - Would-Be Murderers Baffled
The Lord had told His servant that he was needed in Rome, but the conspirators said that he should not leave Jerusalem. There is only one conclusion when such a collision occurs-God's word must stand to the discomfiture of those who have sworn that they will neither eat nor drink till they have perpetrated their plan to the contrary.
These high ecclesiastics fell in with an infamous plot. What will not unscrupulous men do under cover of religion! It is a pleasing trait that the Roman officer took Paul's nephew by the hand and led him aside for a private audience. How proudly would the boy recount the whole story to his mother, when he emerged from those grim walls. At nine o'clock that night there was a clattering of horses' hoofs as seventy horsemen and two hundred soldiers went through the stone-paved streets on their way to Caesarea. Already Paul had begun his journey to Rome. Often afterward, when it seemed as though his life would be forfeited, he must have stayed on the Master's words, So must thou bear witness also at Rome. What a life-buoy that promise was! And if God had saved him from the mob at Jerusalem and given him the friendship of Lysias, what could God not do for him in the future! [source]

Chapter Summary: Acts 23

1  As Paul pleads his cause,
2  Ananias commands them to strike him
7  Dissension among his accusers
11  God encourages him
14  The Jews' vow to kill Paul,
20  is declared unto the chief captain
27  He sends him to Felix the governor

Greek Commentary for Acts 23:16

Their lying in wait [την ενεδραν]
Old word from εν — en (in) and εδρα — hedra (seat), ambush. In N.T. only here and Acts 25:3. Accusative object of ακουσας — akousas [source]
He came [παραγενομενος]
Second aorist middle participle of παραγινομαι — paraginomai It may mean, “having come upon them” and so discount their plot, a graphic touch. Vincent thinks that some Pharisee, since Paul was a Pharisee and so a member of the “guild,” told his nephew of the plot. Perhaps, and perhaps not. Told Paul (απηγγειλεν τωι Παυλωι — apēggeilen tōi Paulōi). This nephew is not known otherwise. He may be a student here from Tarsus as Paul once was. Anyhow he knows what to do when he catches on to the conspirators. He had enough address to get into the barracks where Paul was. He ran the risk of death if discovered. [source]
Told Paul [απηγγειλεν τωι Παυλωι]
This nephew is not known otherwise. He may be a student here from Tarsus as Paul once was. Anyhow he knows what to do when he catches on to the conspirators. He had enough address to get into the barracks where Paul was. He ran the risk of death if discovered. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 23:16

Acts 21:34 When he could not know [μη δυναμενου αυτου γνωναι]
Genitive absolute of present middle participle of δυναμαι — dunamai with negative μη — mē and second aorist active infinitive of γινωσκω — ginōskō The certainty (το ασπαλες — to asphales). Neuter articular adjective from α — a privative and σπαλλω — sphallō to make totter or fall. Old word, in the N.T. only in Acts 21:34; Acts 22:30; Acts 25:26; Philemon 3:1; Hebrews 6:19. Into the castle Koiné{[28928]}š word from παρεμβαλλω — paremballō to cast in by the side of, to assign soldiers a place, to encamp (see note on Luke 19:43). So παρεμβολη — parembolē comes to mean an interpolation, then an army drawn up (Hebrews 11:34), but mainly an encampment (Hebrews 13:11, Hebrews 13:13), frequent in Polybius and lxx. So here barracks of the Roman soldiers in the tower of Antonia as in Acts 21:37; Acts 21:22: Acts 21:24; Acts 23:10, Acts 23:16, Acts 23:32. [source]
Acts 21:34 Into the castle [εις την παρεμβολην]
Koiné{[28928]}š word from παρεμβαλλω — paremballō to cast in by the side of, to assign soldiers a place, to encamp (see note on Luke 19:43). So παρεμβολη — parembolē comes to mean an interpolation, then an army drawn up (Hebrews 11:34), but mainly an encampment (Hebrews 13:11, Hebrews 13:13), frequent in Polybius and lxx. So here barracks of the Roman soldiers in the tower of Antonia as in Acts 21:37; Acts 21:22: Acts 21:24; Acts 23:10, Acts 23:16, Acts 23:32. [source]
Acts 23:21 For there lie in wait [ενεδρευουσιν γαρ]
Present active indicative of ενεδρευω — enedreuō old verb from ενεδρα — enedra (Acts 23:16), in the N.T. only here and Luke 11:54 which see. Till they have slain him (εως ου ανελωσιν αυτον — heōs hou anelōsin auton). Same idiom as in Acts 23:12 save that here we have ανελωσιν — anelōsin (second aorist active subjunctive) instead of αποκτεινωσιν — apokteinōsin (another word for kill), “till they slay him.” Looking for the promise from thee This item is all that is needed to put the scheme through, the young man shrewdly adds. [source]
Acts 25:3 That he would send for [οπως μεταπεμπσηται]
First aorist middle subjunctive of μεταπεμπω — metapempō (See note on Acts 24:24, and Acts 24:26) with final particle οπως — hopōs like ινα — hina Aorist tense for single case. Laying wait (ενεδραν ποιουντες — enedran poiountes). See note on Acts 23:16 for the word ενεδρα — enedra Old idiom (Thucydides) for laying a plot or ambush as here. Only these two uses of ενεδρα — enedra in N.T. Two years before the Sanhedrin had agreed to the plot of the forty conspirators. Now they propose one on their own initiative. On the way Down along, up and down along the way. Plenty of opportunity would occur between Caesarea and Jerusalem for ambush and surprise attacks. [source]
Acts 25:3 Laying wait [ενεδραν ποιουντες]
See note on Acts 23:16 for the word ενεδρα — enedra Old idiom (Thucydides) for laying a plot or ambush as here. Only these two uses of ενεδρα — enedra in N.T. Two years before the Sanhedrin had agreed to the plot of the forty conspirators. Now they propose one on their own initiative. [source]

What do the individual words in Acts 23:16 mean?

Having heard however the son of the sister of Paul of the ambush having come near and having entered into the barracks he reported [it] - to Paul
Ἀκούσας δὲ υἱὸς τῆς ἀδελφῆς Παύλου τὴν ἐνέδραν παραγενόμενος καὶ εἰσελθὼν εἰς τὴν παρεμβολὴν ἀπήγγειλεν τῷ Παύλῳ

Ἀκούσας  Having  heard 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἀκουστός 
Sense: to be endowed with the faculty of hearing, not deaf.
δὲ  however 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: δέ  
Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
υἱὸς  son 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: υἱός  
Sense: a son.
τῆς  of  the 
Parse: Article, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἀδελφῆς  sister 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: ἀδελφή  
Sense: a full, own sister.
Παύλου  of  Paul 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: Παῦλος  
Sense: Paul was the most famous of the apostles and wrote a good part of the NT, the 4 Pauline epistles.
τὴν  of  the 
Parse: Article, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἐνέδραν  ambush 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: ἐνέδρα  
Sense: a lying in wait, an ambush.
παραγενόμενος  having  come  near 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Middle, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: παραγίνομαι  
Sense: to be present, to come near, approach.
εἰσελθὼν  having  entered 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: εἰσέρχομαι  
Sense: to go out or come in: to enter.
εἰς  into 
Parse: Preposition
Root: εἰς  
Sense: into, unto, to, towards, for, among.
παρεμβολὴν  barracks 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: παρεμβολή  
Sense: an encampment.
ἀπήγγειλεν  he  reported  [it] 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἀγγέλλω 
Sense: to bring tidings (from a person or a thing), bring word, report.
τῷ  - 
Parse: Article, Dative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Παύλῳ  to  Paul 
Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: Παῦλος  
Sense: Paul was the most famous of the apostles and wrote a good part of the NT, the 4 Pauline epistles.