Acts 21:32
ESV
He at once took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them. And when they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.
NIV
He at once took some officers and soldiers and ran down to the crowd. When the rioters saw the commander and his soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.
NASB
He immediately took along some soldiers and centurions and ran down to the crowd; and when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.
CSB
Taking along soldiers and centurions, he immediately ran down to them. Seeing the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.
NLT
He immediately called out his soldiers and officers and ran down among the crowd. When the mob saw the commander and the troops coming, they stopped beating Paul.
KJV
Who immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down unto them: and when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, they left beating of Paul.
NKJV
He immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down to them. And when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.
What does Acts 21:32 mean?
Jews from Asia, a large province in western modern-day Turkey, previously saw Paul in Jerusalem with Trophimus, an Asian Gentile. When they later see Paul in the temple, they erroneously assume Paul brought Trophimus inside with him. That would be considered a religious offense, and punishable under Roman law. The accusers rile up the crowd of worshipers who promptly drag Paul out of the temple, shut the gates, and beat him. Before they can kill him, the Roman tribune hears of the commotion and intervenes (Acts 21:23–31).The tribune is probably not yet thirty years old, likely a young senator taking a year to learn more about the Empire. That experience comes by providing administration and leadership for the Roman army's outpost in Jerusalem. The centurions are army officers in command of about 100 legionaries; about 600 soldiers live in barracks in Jerusalem.
The governor is in Caesarea Maritima, sixty miles away. Jerusalem is rather notorious for civil unrest. A Roman leader who loses control of Jerusalem may face dismissal—as Pilate discovered some time after his experience with Jesus. The tribune needs to stop the riot and extricate Paul from their grasp. However, he needs to accomplish this without such a show of strength the crowd will feel threatened. Then he needs to take Paul into the barracks to interrogate him and determine what is going on.
