Acts 24:23

αὐτὸν for τὸν Παῦλον with אABCE. Vulg. ‘eum.’

ἤ προσέρχεσθαι omitted with אABCE. Not represented in Vulg.

23. διαταξάμενος τῷ ἑκατοντάρχῃ, having commanded the centurion. It might perhaps be one of the two whom Lysias had put in charge of the conveyance of Paul (Acts 23:23). One might be appointed to go on to Cæsarea, while the other returned with the larger part of the convoy from Antipatris.

τηρεῖσθαι αὐτόν, that he should be kept in charge. τηρεῖσθαι only conveys the idea of safe keeping, not of severe detention, and it is clear that for some reason Felix shewed himself well-disposed towards the Apostle. Either his conscience moved him or his hope of gain, or perhaps the flattery and compliments of Tertullus had overshot their mark.

ἕχειν τε ἄνεσιν, and should have indulgence, i.e. the strict prison rules were to be relaxed in his favour.

For ἄνεσις cf. 1Es 4:62, ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς ἄφεσιν καὶ ἄνεσιν.

καὶ μηδένα κωλύειν, and that he should hinder no one. Here is a change of subject in the sentence. Παῦλον was the subject to the two first infinitives, to κωλύειν the subject is τὸν ἑκατοντάρχην.

τῶν ἰδίων αὐτοῦ, of his friends. More literally ‘of his own people.’ Here from our limited knowledge we are only able to think of Philip the Evangelist, who would be particularly a friend of St Paul; but he had been more than once before in Cæsarea, and he had no doubt made himself known there as in other places. Those unnamed disciples of Cæsarea (Acts 21:16) would be among the persons who had a warm interest in St Paul, and it is dear from St Luke’s language that there were friends at hand and ready to visit the Apostle when they were allowed.

ὑπηρετεῖν αὐτῷ, to minister unto him. ὑπηρετεῖν implies the doing of those services of which a prisoner even under such liberal conditions must ever stand in need. They would be his means of communication with the outer world. And the cupidity of Felix may have suggested that through these friends the means might be supplied for purchasing the Apostle’s release.