Antipatris was forty-two miles from Jerusalem. The escort and their prisoner made the forced march in a night. Next day the legionaries marched back to Jerusalem while the mounted soldiers rode forward to Caesarea, which was twenty-six miles farther on. The Apostle therefore entered Caesarea in a guise different from that in which he had left it, Acts 21:16. Philip and the other Christians must have been startled to see how soon their forebodings were fulfilled as the great missionary, from whom they had parted with so many tears, rode through the streets surrounded by soldiers.
When Felix read the letter which Lysias had sent explaining the case, he handed Paul over to a soldier to be kept in one of the guard-rooms of the old palace which now formed the stately residence of the governors of Judea. What mingled feelings must have filled that lion heart, as he realized that, while Rome had him in her power, all the artifice of his bitter foes would now be powerless to do him bodily harm. The psalms which he had sung at Philippi would come to mind with added force as he strengthened his soul in God. [source]
Chapter Summary: Acts 23
1As Paul pleads his cause, 2Ananias commands them to strike him 7Dissension among his accusers 11God encourages him 14The Jews' vow to kill Paul, 20is declared unto the chief captain 27He sends him to Felix the governor
What do the individual words in Acts 23:32 mean?
On thenownext dayhaving allowedthehorsemento gowithhimthey returnedtothebarracks