Acts 21:35
And when he came upon the stairs, so it was, that he was borne of the soldiers for the violence of the people.
Original Language Analysis
ἐγένετο
he came
G1096
ἐγένετο
he came
Strong's:
G1096
Word #:
3 of 17
to cause to be ("gen"-erate), i.e., (reflexively) to become (come into being), used with great latitude (literal, figurative, intensive, etc.)
ἐπὶ
upon
G1909
ἐπὶ
upon
Strong's:
G1909
Word #:
4 of 17
properly, meaning superimposition (of time, place, order, etc.), as a relation of distribution (with the genitive case), i.e., over, upon, etc.; of re
τοὺς
G3588
τοὺς
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
5 of 17
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
συνέβη
so it was
G4819
συνέβη
so it was
Strong's:
G4819
Word #:
7 of 17
to walk (figuratively, transpire) together, i.e., concur (take place)
βαστάζεσθαι
that he was borne
G941
βαστάζεσθαι
that he was borne
Strong's:
G941
Word #:
8 of 17
to lift, literally or figuratively (endure, declare, sustain, receive, etc.)
αὐτὸν
G846
αὐτὸν
Strong's:
G846
Word #:
9 of 17
the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative g1438) of the third person, and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons
ὑπὸ
of
G5259
ὑπὸ
of
Strong's:
G5259
Word #:
10 of 17
under, i.e., (with the genitive case) of place (beneath), or with verbs (the agency or means, through); (with the accusative case) of place (whither (
τῶν
G3588
τῶν
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
11 of 17
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
στρατιωτῶν
the soldiers
G4757
στρατιωτῶν
the soldiers
Strong's:
G4757
Word #:
12 of 17
a camper-out, i.e., a (common) warrior (literally or figuratively)
διὰ
for
G1223
διὰ
for
Strong's:
G1223
Word #:
13 of 17
through (in very wide applications, local, causal, or occasional)
τὴν
G3588
τὴν
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
14 of 17
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
Historical Context
The stairs connected the temple court to the Fortress of Antonia. This location became the stage for Paul's defense speech in Acts 22, using the elevated position to address the crowd below.
Questions for Reflection
- Have you experienced situations where God's protection came through authorities or systems you might not expect?
- What does Paul's calm response to life-threatening violence teach about trusting God in crisis?
Analysis & Commentary
The mob's violence was so intense that soldiers had to carry Paul up the stairs to the fortress, protecting him from being torn apart. The Greek 'bastazō' (carried) suggests he was lifted bodily by soldiers forming a protective shield. This dramatic scene demonstrated both the depth of religious hatred and God's preservation through Roman military intervention.