THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES - Chapter 22 - Verse 24

Verse 24. The castle. The tower of Antonia. He would be there removed entirely from the wrath of the Jews.

Should be examined. anetazesyai. The word examine with us commonly means to inquire, to question, to search for, or to look carefully into a subject. The word here used is commonly applied to metals, whose nature is tested or examined by fire; and then it means to subject to torture or torments, in order to extort a confession, where persons were accused of crime. It was often resorted to among the ancients. The usual mode has been by the rack; but various kinds of torments have been invented in order to extort confessions of guilt from those who were accused. The whole practice has been one of the most flagrant violations of justice, and one of the foulest blots on human nature. In this case, the tribune saw that Paul was accused violently by the Jews; he was ignorant of the Hebrew language, and had not probably understood the address of Paul; he supposed from the extraordinary excitement that Paul must have been guilty of some flagrant offence, and he therefore resolved to subject him to torture, to extort from him a confession.

By scourging. By the scourge or whip. Comp. Heb 11:36. This was one mode of torture, in order to extort a secret from those who were accused. {**} "chief captain" "Commander"