Lysias (commander)
The Roman commander in Jerusalem
Claudius Lysias was a Roman military tribune and commander of the garrison at the Antonia Fortress in Jerusalem. He rescued the apostle Paul from an angry mob, protected him against a conspiracy, and then sent him to the governor Felix in Caesarea for trial.
Événements clés
Rescues Paul from the crowd
When an agitated mob tried to kill Paul in the temple, Lysias intervened with soldiers and arrested Paul to protect him.
31While they were trying to kill him, word reached the commander of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.
ζητούντων ⸀τε αὐτὸν ἀποκτεῖναι ἀνέβη φάσις τῷ χιλιάρχῳ τῆς σπείρης ὅτι ὅλη ⸀συγχύννεται Ἰερουσαλήμ,
32He immediately took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them. When the crowd saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.
ὃς ἐξαυτῆς παραλαβὼν στρατιώτας καὶ ἑκατοντάρχας κατέδραμεν ἐπʼ αὐτούς, οἱ δὲ ἰδόντες τὸν χιλίαρχον καὶ τοὺς στρατιώτας ἐπαύσαντο τύπτοντες τὸν Παῦλον.
33Then the commander came up, arrested him, and ordered him to be bound with two chains. He asked who he was and what he had done.
⸂τότε ἐγγίσας⸃ ὁ χιλίαρχος ἐπελάβετο αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐκέλευσε δεθῆναι ἁλύσεσι δυσί, καὶ ἐπυνθάνετο ⸀τίς εἴη καὶ τί ἐστιν πεποιηκώς.
34Some in the crowd shouted one thing and some another, and since he could not learn the truth because of the uproar, he ordered Paul to be taken into the barracks.
ἄλλοι δὲ ἄλλο τι ⸀ἐπεφώνουν ἐν τῷ ὄχλῳ· μὴ ⸂δυναμένου δὲ αὐτοῦ⸃ γνῶναι τὸ ἀσφαλὲς διὰ τὸν θόρυβον ἐκέλευσεν ἄγεσθαι αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν παρεμβολήν.
35When Paul reached the steps, the violence of the mob was such that he had to be carried by the soldiers,
ὅτε δὲ ἐγένετο ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀναβαθμούς, συνέβη βαστάζεσθαι αὐτὸν ὑπὸ τῶν στρατιωτῶν διὰ τὴν βίαν τοῦ ὄχλου,
36for the crowd of people kept following, shouting, "Away with him!"
ἠκολούθει γὰρ τὸ πλῆθος τοῦ λαοῦ ⸀κράζοντες· Αἶρε αὐτόν.
Discovers Paul's Roman citizenship
Lysias intended to interrogate Paul by flogging, but stopped when he learned that Paul was a Roman citizen, which made such treatment illegal.
24the commander ordered that Paul be brought into the barracks, directing that he be flogged and questioned so that he might find out why the crowd was shouting at him like this.
ἐκέλευσεν ⸂ὁ χιλίαρχος εἰσάγεσθαι αὐτὸν⸃ εἰς τὴν παρεμβολήν, ⸀εἴπας μάστιξιν ἀνετάζεσθαι αὐτὸν ἵνα ἐπιγνῷ διʼ ἣν αἰτίαν οὕτως ἐπεφώνουν αὐτῷ.
25But as they were stretching him out to be whipped, Paul said to the centurion standing there, "Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who has not even been condemned?"
ὡς δὲ ⸀προέτειναν αὐτὸν τοῖς ἱμᾶσιν εἶπεν πρὸς τὸν ἑστῶτα ἑκατόνταρχον ὁ Παῦλος· Εἰ ἄνθρωπον Ῥωμαῖον καὶ ἀκατάκριτον ἔξεστιν ὑμῖν μαστίζειν;
26When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and reported it. "What are you about to do?" he said. "This man is a Roman citizen."
ἀκούσας δὲ ὁ ἑκατοντάρχης προσελθὼν ⸂τῷ χιλιάρχῳ ἀπήγγειλεν⸃ λέγων· ⸀Τί μέλλεις ποιεῖν; ὁ γὰρ ἄνθρωπος οὗτος Ῥωμαῖός ἐστιν.
27The commander came and asked him, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?" "Yes," he answered.
προσελθὼν δὲ ὁ χιλίαρχος εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Λέγε μοι, ⸀σὺ Ῥωμαῖος εἶ; ὁ δὲ ἔφη· Ναί.
28The commander said, "I paid a great deal of money for my citizenship." "But I was born a citizen," Paul replied.
ἀπεκρίθη ⸀δὲ ὁ χιλίαρχος· Ἐγὼ πολλοῦ κεφαλαίου τὴν πολιτείαν ταύτην ἐκτησάμην. ὁ δὲ Παῦλος ἔφη· Ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ γεγέννημαι.
29Immediately those who were about to interrogate him withdrew, and the commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put a Roman citizen in chains.
εὐθέως οὖν ἀπέστησαν ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ οἱ μέλλοντες αὐτὸν ἀνετάζειν· καὶ ὁ χιλίαρχος δὲ ἐφοβήθη ἐπιγνοὺς ὅτι Ῥωμαῖός ἐστιν καὶ ὅτι ⸂αὐτὸν ἦν⸃ δεδεκώς.
Brings Paul before the Jewish council
To find out what the charges against Paul were about, Lysias brought him before the Sanhedrin, the Jewish council.
30The next day, wanting to know exactly what the Jews were accusing him of, he released him and ordered the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul down and had him stand before them.
Τῇ δὲ ἐπαύριον βουλόμενος γνῶναι τὸ ἀσφαλὲς τὸ τί κατηγορεῖται ⸀ὑπὸ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἔλυσεν ⸀αὐτόν, καὶ ἐκέλευσεν ⸀συνελθεῖν τοὺς ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ ⸀πᾶν τὸ ⸀συνέδριον, καὶ καταγαγὼν τὸν Παῦλον ἔστησεν εἰς αὐτούς.
1Paul looked straight at the council and said, "Brothers, I have lived before God with a completely clear conscience up to this day."
ἀτενίσας δὲ ⸂ὁ Παῦλος τῷ συνεδρίῳ⸃ εἶπεν· Ἄνδρες ἀδελφοί, ἐγὼ πάσῃ συνειδήσει ἀγαθῇ πεπολίτευμαι τῷ θεῷ ἄχρι ταύτης τῆς ἡμέρας.
2At that, the high priest Ananias ordered those standing beside him to strike him on the mouth.
ὁ δὲ ἀρχιερεὺς Ἁνανίας ἐπέταξεν τοῖς παρεστῶσιν αὐτῷ τύπτειν αὐτοῦ τὸ στόμα.
3Then Paul said to him, "God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit there judging me according to the law, and yet you break the law by ordering me to be struck?"
τότε ὁ Παῦλος πρὸς αὐτὸν εἶπεν· Τύπτειν σε μέλλει ὁ θεός, τοῖχε κεκονιαμένε· καὶ σὺ κάθῃ κρίνων με κατὰ τὸν νόμον, καὶ παρανομῶν κελεύεις με τύπτεσθαι;
4Those standing nearby said, "Do you dare insult God's high priest?"
οἱ δὲ παρεστῶτες εἶπαν· Τὸν ἀρχιερέα τοῦ θεοῦ λοιδορεῖς;
5Paul answered, "I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest; for it is written, 'You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.'"
ἔφη τε ὁ Παῦλος· Οὐκ ᾔδειν, ἀδελφοί, ὅτι ἐστὶν ἀρχιερεύς· γέγραπται γὰρ ⸀ὅτι Ἄρχοντα τοῦ λαοῦ σου οὐκ ἐρεῖς κακῶς.
6Then Paul, realizing that one party was made up of Sadducees and the other of Pharisees, called out in the council, "Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. I am on trial for the hope and the resurrection of the dead!"
Γνοὺς δὲ ὁ Παῦλος ὅτι τὸ ἓν μέρος ἐστὶν Σαδδουκαίων τὸ δὲ ἕτερον Φαρισαίων ⸀ἔκραζεν ἐν τῷ συνεδρίῳ· Ἄνδρες ἀδελφοί, ἐγὼ Φαρισαῖός εἰμι, υἱὸς ⸀Φαρισαίων· περὶ ἐλπίδος καὶ ἀναστάσεως νεκρῶν ⸀ἐγὼ κρίνομαι.
7When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.
τοῦτο δὲ αὐτοῦ ⸀λαλοῦντος ἐγένετο στάσις τῶν Φαρισαίων ⸂καὶ Σαδδουκαίων⸃, καὶ ἐσχίσθη τὸ πλῆθος.
8For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection, and no angel or spirit, while the Pharisees affirm them all.
Σαδδουκαῖοι ⸀μὲν γὰρ λέγουσιν μὴ εἶναι ἀνάστασιν ⸀μήτε ἄγγελον μήτε πνεῦμα, Φαρισαῖοι δὲ ὁμολογοῦσιν τὰ ἀμφότερα.
9A great uproar arose, and some of the scribes from the party of the Pharisees stood up and argued sharply, "We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?"
ἐγένετο δὲ κραυγὴ μεγάλη, καὶ ἀναστάντες ⸂τινὲς τῶν γραμματέων⸃ τοῦ μέρους τῶν Φαρισαίων διεμάχοντο λέγοντες· Οὐδὲν κακὸν εὑρίσκομεν ἐν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ τούτῳ· εἰ δὲ πνεῦμα ἐλάλησεν αὐτῷ ἢ ⸀ἄγγελος—
10The dispute grew so violent that the commander, afraid that Paul would be torn apart by them, ordered the troops to go down, take him from among them by force, and bring him into the barracks.
πολλῆς δὲ ⸀γινομένης στάσεως ⸀φοβηθεὶς ὁ χιλίαρχος μὴ διασπασθῇ ὁ Παῦλος ὑπʼ αὐτῶν ἐκέλευσεν τὸ στράτευμα ⸀καταβὰν ἁρπάσαι αὐτὸν ἐκ μέσου αὐτῶν, ἄγειν ⸀τε εἰς τὴν παρεμβολήν.
Thwarting the Conspiracy Against Paul
When Lysias learned of a conspiracy in which more than forty men had sworn to kill Paul, he acted quickly to protect the prisoner.
16But the son of Paul's sister heard about the ambush, so he went to the barracks and told Paul.
Ἀκούσας δὲ ὁ υἱὸς τῆς ἀδελφῆς Παύλου ⸂τὴν ἐνέδραν⸃ παραγενόμενος καὶ εἰσελθὼν εἰς τὴν παρεμβολὴν ἀπήγγειλεν τῷ Παύλῳ.
17Paul called one of the centurions and said, "Take this young man to the commander; he has something to report to him."
προσκαλεσάμενος δὲ ὁ Παῦλος ἕνα τῶν ἑκατονταρχῶν ἔφη· Τὸν νεανίαν τοῦτον ⸀ἄπαγε πρὸς τὸν χιλίαρχον, ἔχει γὰρ ⸂ἀπαγγεῖλαί τι⸃ αὐτῷ.
18So the centurion took him along and brought him to the commander, saying, "The prisoner Paul called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, since he has something to tell you."
ὁ μὲν οὖν παραλαβὼν αὐτὸν ἤγαγεν πρὸς τὸν χιλίαρχον καὶ φησίν· Ὁ δέσμιος Παῦλος προσκαλεσάμενός με ἠρώτησεν τοῦτον τὸν ⸀νεανίαν ἀγαγεῖν πρὸς σέ, ἔχοντά τι λαλῆσαί σοι.
19The commander took him by the hand, drew him aside privately, and asked, "What is it you have to report to me?"
ἐπιλαβόμενος δὲ τῆς χειρὸς αὐτοῦ ὁ χιλίαρχος καὶ ἀναχωρήσας κατʼ ἰδίαν ἐπυνθάνετο· Τί ἐστιν ὃ ἔχεις ἀπαγγεῖλαί μοι;
20He said, "The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, on the pretext of inquiring more closely into his case.
εἶπεν δὲ ὅτι Οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι συνέθεντο τοῦ ἐρωτῆσαί σε ὅπως αὔριον ⸂τὸν Παῦλον καταγάγῃς εἰς τὸ συνέδριον⸃ ὡς ⸀μέλλον τι ἀκριβέστερον πυνθάνεσθαι περὶ αὐτοῦ·
21Do not let them persuade you. More than forty of them are lying in ambush for him, men who have sworn an oath neither to eat nor drink until they have killed him. They are ready now, waiting for your consent."
σὺ οὖν μὴ πεισθῇς αὐτοῖς, ἐνεδρεύουσιν γὰρ αὐτὸν ἐξ αὐτῶν ἄνδρες πλείους τεσσεράκοντα, οἵτινες ἀνεθεμάτισαν ἑαυτοὺς μήτε φαγεῖν μήτε πιεῖν ἕως οὗ ἀνέλωσιν αὐτόν, καὶ νῦν ⸂εἰσιν ἕτοιμοι⸃ προσδεχόμενοι τὴν ἀπὸ σοῦ ἐπαγγελίαν.
22The commander dismissed the young man with the order, "Tell no one that you have reported this to me."
ὁ μὲν οὖν χιλίαρχος ἀπέλυσε τὸν ⸀νεανίσκον παραγγείλας μηδενὶ ἐκλαλῆσαι ὅτι ταῦτα ἐνεφάνισας πρὸς ⸀ἐμέ.
Sending Paul to Felix at Caesarea
Lysias organized a large military escort of nearly 500 men to safely bring Paul to the governor Felix at Caesarea, along with a letter explaining the case.
23Then he summoned two of his centurions and said, "Have two hundred soldiers ready to march to Caesarea, along with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen, by nine o'clock tonight.[^1]"
[^1]: Literally "the third hour of the night," counting from about six in the evening.
Καὶ προσκαλεσάμενός ⸂τινας δύο⸃ τῶν ἑκατονταρχῶν εἶπεν· Ἑτοιμάσατε στρατιώτας διακοσίους ὅπως πορευθῶσιν ἕως Καισαρείας, καὶ ἱππεῖς ἑβδομήκοντα καὶ δεξιολάβους διακοσίους, ἀπὸ τρίτης ὥρας τῆς νυκτός,
24Also provide mounts for Paul, so that he may be brought safely to Felix the governor."
κτήνη τε παραστῆσαι ἵνα ἐπιβιβάσαντες τὸν Παῦλον διασώσωσι πρὸς Φήλικα τὸν ἡγεμόνα,
25And he wrote a letter to this effect:
γράψας ἐπιστολὴν ⸀ἔχουσαν τὸν τύπον τοῦτον·
26Claudius Lysias, to His Excellency Governor Felix: Greetings.
Κλαύδιος Λυσίας τῷ κρατίστῳ ἡγεμόνι Φήλικι χαίρειν.
27This man was seized by the Jews, and they were about to kill him when I came with my troops and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman citizen.
τὸν ἄνδρα τοῦτον συλλημφθέντα ὑπὸ τῶν Ἰουδαίων καὶ μέλλοντα ἀναιρεῖσθαι ὑπʼ αὐτῶν ἐπιστὰς σὺν τῷ στρατεύματι ⸀ἐξειλάμην, μαθὼν ὅτι Ῥωμαῖός ἐστιν,
28Wanting to know the charge on which they were accusing him, I brought him down to their council.
βουλόμενός ⸀τε ⸀ἐπιγνῶναι τὴν αἰτίαν διʼ ἣν ἐνεκάλουν αὐτῷ, ⸀κατήγαγον εἰς τὸ συνέδριον αὐτῶν.
29I found that the accusations concerned disputes about their own law, and that he was charged with nothing deserving death or imprisonment.
ὃν εὗρον ἐγκαλούμενον περὶ ζητημάτων τοῦ νόμου αὐτῶν, μηδὲν ⸀δὲ ἄξιον θανάτου ἢ δεσμῶν ⸂ἔχοντα ἔγκλημα⸃.
30When I was informed that there was to be a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once, instructing his accusers to state their case against him before you.
μηνυθείσης δέ μοι ἐπιβουλῆς εἰς τὸν ⸀ἄνδρα ἔσεσθαι ⸀ἐξαυτῆς ἔπεμψα πρὸς σέ, παραγγείλας καὶ τοῖς κατηγόροις ⸀λέγειν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐπὶ ⸀σοῦ.
31So the soldiers, following their orders, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris.
Οἱ μὲν οὖν στρατιῶται κατὰ τὸ διατεταγμένον αὐτοῖς ἀναλαβόντες τὸν Παῦλον ἤγαγον ⸀διὰ νυκτὸς εἰς τὴν Ἀντιπατρίδα·
32The next day they let the horsemen go on with him and returned to the barracks.
τῇ δὲ ἐπαύριον ἐάσαντες τοὺς ἱππεῖς ⸀ἀπέρχεσθαι σὺν αὐτῷ ὑπέστρεψαν εἰς τὴν παρεμβολήν·
33When the horsemen came to Caesarea, they delivered the letter to the governor and handed Paul over to him.
οἵτινες εἰσελθόντες εἰς τὴν Καισάρειαν καὶ ἀναδόντες τὴν ἐπιστολὴν τῷ ἡγεμόνι παρέστησαν καὶ τὸν Παῦλον αὐτῷ.