Paul speaks

Acts 21:37-40 Paul speaks to the captain, then to the crowd

Verses 37-38: As Paul is being led away, he asks the captain for an audience with him. (ελληνιστι γινωσκεις) “Canst thou speak Greek,” the captain asks? Yes, and Paul can speak Hebrew as well! See verse 40 and 22:2. The captain is surprised that Paul speaks fluent Greek, and that he is not who he assumed him to be. Perhaps based on what he thought he heard in the shouts of the crowd, and/or perhaps based on his knowledge of recent past events in Jerusalem, the captain thought this man was a leader from Egypt who had created an uproar leading a company of murderers, and which Egyptian was still on the loose.[1] He now realizes he is mistaken.

Verse 39: Paul explains who he is – I am a Jew (not an Egyptian), from the important city of Tarsus (no mean city; a litotes, figure of speech) in Cilicia. He does not yet clarify that he is a free Roman citizen, perhaps holding that in reserve for when it is needed. He then solicits the chief captain that he be allowed to address the crowd.

Verse 40: The captain agreed, giving him permission to speak. Paul stood on the stairs of the castle. When he beckoned with his hand to the people, it got their attention and they began to quieten down to see what he would say. When the silence broke out, Paul began to address them. He spoke to them in the Hebrew language. The crowd initially was intrigued.

The last verse of the chapter ends with a comma, leading forward to the record of the speech Paul will make from the stairs to the people of Jerusalem.

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[1] This may be the same person who Josephus described coming out of Egypt claiming to be a prophet, and who drew a multitude of followers to himself. He and his followers were routed by Felix’s soldiers, but the Egyptian escaped. Antiquities, Book XX, 8.6; Wars, Book II, 13.5. This is the same Felix who is mentioned as governor in Acts 23, so it is the right time frame. The numbers of people given by Josephus vary from the biblical account, as well as his own accounts in Antiquities and Wars. Regardless, we can rely on the accuracy the Spirit-inspired account given by Luke., while concluding Josephus might have got part of his record right.