The Meaning of Acts 24:23 Explained

Acts 24:23

KJV: And he commanded a centurion to keep Paul, and to let him have liberty, and that he should forbid none of his acquaintance to minister or come unto him.

YLT: having given also a direction to the centurion to keep Paul, to let him also have liberty, and to forbid none of his own friends to minister or to come near to him.

Darby: ordering the centurion to keep him, and that he should have freedom, and to hinder none of his friends to minister to him.

ASV: And he gave order to the centurion that he should be kept in charge, and should have indulgence; and not to forbid any of his friends to minister unto him.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  he commanded  a centurion  to keep  Paul,  and  to let [him] have  liberty,  and  that he should forbid  none  of his  acquaintance  to minister  or  come  unto him. 

What does Acts 24:23 Mean?

Verse Meaning

While Paul waited for Lysias to appear in Caesarea, the apostle continued to enjoy considerable personal freedom as well as Roman protection from his Jewish enemies. Paul"s friends probably included Aristarchus, Luke , and Philip the evangelist who evidently lived in Caesarea ( Acts 27:2; Acts 21:8).

Context Summary

Acts 24:17-27 - A Trembling But Venal Judge
The case had broken down. Paul's statement of faith and the absence of confirmatory evidence directly contradicted the only charge against him. Felix dared not hand over Paul as guilty, and he was equally unwilling to offend the high priest's party; so he postponed his decision. In the meantime Paul's custody was not to be severe. His friends might freely see him, and the long hours were doubtless lightened by visits from Luke and Aristarchus, Philip the evangelist, and other members of the local Christian community.
At first the governor was prepossessed in Paul's favor. He had some intimate knowledge concerning the tenets of the early Church, Acts 24:22. He had studied it as an intellectual system, and was interested to have opportunity for conversation with its foremost exponent. But his illicit union with Drusilla, whose husband was living, and his hope to receive a bribe from Paul's friends, made him obtuse and dead to the claims of Christ. Paul, on the other hand, seemed oblivious to any thought of himself or of his dependence on the governor's whim, and used his one opportunity in seeking the salvation of this weak and sordid soul. It was in vain. Felix was anchored to a mudbank and would not avail himself of the rising tides of life about him. [source]

Chapter Summary: Acts 24

1  Paul being accused by Tertullus the orator,
10  answers for his life and doctrine
24  He preaches Christ to the governor and his wife
26  The governor hopes for a bribe, but in vain
27  Felix, succeeded by Festus, leaves Paul in prison

Greek Commentary for Acts 24:23

And should have indulgence [εχειν τε ανεσιν]
From ανιημι — aniēmi to let loose, release, relax. Old word, in the N.T. only here and 2 Thessalonians 1:7; 2 Corinthians 2:13; 2 Corinthians 7:5; 2 Corinthians 8:13. It is the opposite of strict confinement, though under guard, “kept in charge” (τηρεισται — tēreisthai). [source]
Forbid [κωλυειν]
To hinder “no one of his friends” No one of Paul‘s “own” (cf. Acts 4:23; John 1:11) or intimates. Of these we know the names of Luke, Aristarchus, Trophimus, Philip the Evangelist. [source]
Liberty [ἄνεσιν]
From ἀνίημι , to send up; thence, to loosen, release. It is almost exactly expressed by our vulgarism, to let up. The noun here is more correctly rendered by Rev., indulgence. In all the other New Testament passages it is rendered rest, ease, or relief. See 2 Corinthians 2:13; 2 Corinthians 7:5; 2 Corinthians 8:13; 2 Thessalonians 1:7. [source]
To minister [ὑπηρετεῖν]
See on officer, Matthew 5:25. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 24:23

John 13:1 His own [τοὺς ἰδίους]
See on Acts 1:7. Compare John 17:6sqq.; Acts 4:23; Acts 24:23; 1 Timothy 5:8; John 1:11. [source]
Acts 20:34 These hands [αι χειρες αυται]
Paul was not above manual labour. He pointed to his hands with pride as proof that he toiled at his trade of tent-making as at Thessalonica and Corinth for his own needs Ministered (υπηρετησαν — hupēretēsan). First aorist active of υπηρετεω — hupēreteō to act as under rower, old verb, but in the N.T. only in Acts 13:36; Acts 20:34; Acts 24:23. While in Ephesus Paul wrote to Corinth: “We toil, working with our own hands” (1 Corinthians 4:12). “As he held them up, they saw a tongue of truth in every seam that marked them” (Furneaux). [source]
Acts 20:34 Ministered [υπηρετησαν]
First aorist active of υπηρετεω — hupēreteō to act as under rower, old verb, but in the N.T. only in Acts 13:36; Acts 20:34; Acts 24:23. While in Ephesus Paul wrote to Corinth: “We toil, working with our own hands” (1 Corinthians 4:12). “As he held them up, they saw a tongue of truth in every seam that marked them” (Furneaux). [source]
Acts 4:23 To their own company [προς τους ιδιους]
Their own people as in John 1:11; John 13:1; Acts 24:23; 1 Timothy 5:8; Titus 3:14, not merely the apostles (all the disciples). In spite of Peter‘s courageous defiance he and John told the brotherhood all that had been said by the Sanhedrin. They had real apprehension of the outcome. [source]
2 Corinthians 7:5 Rest [ἄνεσιν]
Rev., relief. See on liberty, Acts 24:23. [source]
2 Corinthians 2:13 Rest [ἄνεσιν]
Rev., relief. See on liberty, Acts 24:23. [source]
2 Corinthians 2:13 I had no relief [ουκ εσχηκα ανεσιν]
Perfect active indicative like that in 2 Corinthians 1:9, vivid dramatic recital, not to be treated as “for” the aorist (Robertson, Grammar, p. 896, 898ff.). He still feels the shadow of that restlessness. Ανεσις — Anesis from ανιημι — aniēmi to let up, to hold back, is old word for relaxing or release (Acts 24:23). [source]
Ephesians 6:9 Forbearing [ἀνιέντες]
See on the kindred noun ἄνεσις , A.V., liberty, Acts 24:23. [source]
2 Thessalonians 1:7 Rest [ἄνεσιν]
See on liberty, Acts 24:23. With this exception only in Paul. [source]

What do the individual words in Acts 24:23 mean?

having commanded the centurion to keep him to [let him] have then ease and not to forbid the own of him to minister to him
διαταξάμενος τῷ ἑκατοντάρχῃ τηρεῖσθαι αὐτὸν ἔχειν τε ἄνεσιν καὶ μηδένα κωλύειν τῶν ἰδίων αὐτοῦ ὑπηρετεῖν αὐτῷ

διαταξάμενος  having  commanded 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Middle, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: διατάσσω  
Sense: to arrange, appoint, ordain, prescribe, give order.
ἑκατοντάρχῃ  centurion 
Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: ἑκατοντάρχης 
Sense: an officer in the Roman army.
τηρεῖσθαι  to  keep 
Parse: Verb, Present Infinitive Middle or Passive
Root: τηρέω  
Sense: to attend to carefully, take care of.
ἔχειν  to  [let  him]  have 
Parse: Verb, Present Infinitive Active
Root: ἔχω  
Sense: to have, i.e. to hold.
ἄνεσιν  ease 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: ἄνεσις  
Sense: a loosening, relaxing.
κωλύειν  to  forbid 
Parse: Verb, Present Infinitive Active
Root: κωλύω  
Sense: to hinder, prevent forbid.
ἰδίων  own 
Parse: Adjective, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: ἴδιος  
Sense: pertaining to one’s self, one’s own, belonging to one’s self.
αὐτοῦ  of  him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
ὑπηρετεῖν  to  minister 
Parse: Verb, Present Infinitive Active
Root: ὑπηρετέω  
Sense: to act as a rower, to row.
αὐτῷ  to  him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.