Claudius Lysias — Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary

Commander of the Roman garrison in Jerusalem who wrote a letter to the Roman procurator Felix concerning the apostle Paul (Acts 23:26). His title in Greek (chiliarch) identifies him as a commander of 1,000 troops. Although Claudius Lysias is unknown outside the NT, some information about him is supplied by the book of Acts. His surname Lysias is Greek. The Roman name Claudius was evidently taken at the time he purchased his Roman citizenship (22:28).

Show passage in OET: ACT 23:26

OET-RV ACT 23:26

26 ⇔“Greetings to the most excellent Governor Felix from Klaudios Lusias.

OET-LV ACT 23:26

26 Klaudios Lusias, to _be _greeting to _the most _excellent governor Faʸlix.

Show passage in OET: ACT 22:28

OET-RV ACT 22:28

28 “Yeah, and I paid a lot for mine as well,” mocked the commander.
¶ “Actually mine is through birth,” Paulos responded.

OET-LV ACT 22:28

28 and the commander answered:
I this the acquired citizenship of_a_great sum.
But the Paulos was _saying:
But I even have _been _born free.

Jump to OET ACT 23:26 section.

Jump to OET ACT 22:28 section.

Stationed in the Antonia fortress overlooking the northern sector of the temple area in Jerusalem, he rescued Paul from a Jewish mob that was about to kill him there. He allowed Paul to speak to the Jews from one of the two staircases that led from the Court of the Gentiles in the temple up to the Antonia (Acts 21:40) and prevented Paul from being scourged when he learned of Paul’s Roman citizenship (22:22-29). Claudius Lysias sent Paul secretly to Caesarea under heavy guard when Paul’s nephew informed the tribune of a Jewish plot to murder the apostle in Jerusalem (23:16-35).

Show passage in OET: ACT 21:40

OET-RV ACT 21:40

40 The commander nodded, so the soldiers stood Paulos on the stairs where he gestured to the people. The crowd quietened down, and so Paulos spoke loudly in his Hebrew language:

OET-LV ACT 21:40

40 And of_ him _having _permitted, the Paulos having _stood on the stairs, gestured with _his hand to _the people, and great silence having _become, he _called _out in _his Hebraios language saying,

Show passage in OET: ACT 22:22–29

OET-RV ACT 22:22

22 Until this point in his message, the crowd had been listening to Paulos, but now they started shouting, “Do away with this man! He doesn’t deserve to live in this world!”

OET-RV ACT 22:23

23 Then they yelled and threw some of their clothes down onto the ground and threw dust up into the air.

OET-RV ACT 22:24

24 So the commander ordered Paulos to be brought inside into barracks and ordered that he be flogged and interrogated to determine what he’d done that would make the crowd react like that.

OET-RV ACT 22:25

25 But as they strapped him down and stretched him out for the flogging, Paulos asked the centurion standing there, “It is legal for you to flog a Romaios citizen who hasn’t even been tried?”

OET-RV ACT 22:26

26 When he heard that, the centurion went to the commander and reported, “How are we going to handle this, because this man is a Romaios citizen?”

OET-RV ACT 22:27

27 So the commander went in to where Paulos was and asked him, “Tell me the truth. Are you a Romaios citizen?”
¶ “Yes I am,” said Paulos.

OET-RV ACT 22:28

28 “Yeah, and I paid a lot for mine as well,” mocked the commander.
¶ “Actually mine is through birth,” Paulos responded.

OET-RV ACT 22:29

29 At this point, the soldiers who were about to interrogate Paulos left the room, and even the commander was now afraid after learning that he’d had a Romaios citizen tied down to be flogged.

OET-LV ACT 22:22

22 And they _were _hearing from _him until this the message, and they _lifted _up the voice of _them saying:
Be _taking _away the such man from the earth, because/for it _was_ not _befitting him to _be _living.

OET-LV ACT 22:23

23 and them Crying _out, and throwing _down their clothes, and casting dust into the air,

OET-LV ACT 22:24

24 the commander commanded him to _be _being _brought _in into the barracks, having _said him to _be _being _interrogated by _floggings, in _order _that he _may _know for that cause they _were _crying _out thus to _him.

OET-LV ACT 22:25

25 But as they _stretched_ him _out with _the straps, the Paulos said to the centurion having _stood, is _it _permitting to _you _all to _be _flogging if a_man Ɽōmaios and uncondemned?

OET-LV ACT 22:26

26 And having _heard it the centurion, having _approached to _the commander, he _reported saying:
What are _you _going to _be _doing?
For/Because the this man is a_Ɽōmaios.

OET-LV ACT 22:27

27 And having _approached, the commander said to _him:
Be _telling to _me, are you a_Ɽōmaios?
And he was _saying:
Yes.

OET-LV ACT 22:28

28 and the commander answered:
I this the acquired citizenship of_a_great sum.
But the Paulos was _saying:
But I even have _been _born free.

OET-LV ACT 22:29

29 Therefore the ones going to _be _interrogating him immediately withdrew from him, the also and was_ commander _afraid, having _learned that he _is a_Ɽōmaios, and because he _was having _bound him.

Jump to OET ACT 21:40 section.

Jump to OET ACT 22:22–29 section.

How Luke, the writer of Acts, obtained a copy of the official letter about Paul written by Claudius to Felix the governor is not known, but the document provides an important vindication of Paul’s character and conduct in the face of his opponents’ accusations.