^23:10When the argument became³¹ so great the commanding officer³² feared that they would tear Paul to pieces,³³ he ordered the detachment³⁴ to go down, take him away from them by force,³⁵ and bring him into the barracks.³⁶

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Footnotes

31 This genitive absolute construction with the participle γινομένης (ginomenēs) has been taken temporally (it could also be translated as causal).
32 Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). In Greek the term χιλίαρχος (chiliarchos) literally described the “commander of a thousand,” but it was used as the standard translation for the Latin tribunus militum or tribunus militare, the military tribune who commanded a cohort of 600 men.
33 Grk “that Paul would be torn to pieces by them.” διασπάω has “of an angry mob μὴ διασπασθῇ ὁ Παῦλος ὑπʼ αὐτῶν that Paul would be torn in pieces by them Ac 23:10.” The passive construction is somewhat awkward in English and has been converted to an equivalent active construction in the translation.
34 Normally this term means “army,” but according to στράτευμα, “Of a smaller detachment of soldiers, Ac 23:10, 27.” In the plural it can be translated “troops,” but it is singular here.
35 Or “to go down, grab him out of their midst.”
36 Or “the headquarters.” παρεμβολή 2 has “barracks/headquarters of the Roman troops in Jerusalem Ac 21:34, 37; 22:24; 23:10, 16, 32.”

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

And when the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him away from among them by force and bring him into the barracks.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

The dispute became so violent that the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force and bring him into the barracks.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

When the dispute became violent, the commander feared that Paul might be torn apart by them and ordered the troops to go down, take him away from them, and bring him into the barracks.

NLTNew Living Translation

As the conflict grew more violent, the commander was afraid they would tear Paul apart. So he ordered his soldiers to go and rescue him by force and take him back to the fortress.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

And when the dispute became severe, the military tribune, fearing lest Paul be torn apart by them, ordered the detachment to go down, take him away from their midst, and bring him into the barracks.

KJV 1900King James Version

And when there arose a great dissension, the chief captain, fearing lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces of them, commanded the soldiers to go down, and to take him by force from among them, and to bring him into the castle.

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