Bible Strands
Acts 23:32
The next day they returned to the barracks and let the horsemen go on with him.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The narrative describes the Roman escort's actions immediately after reaching Antipatris. The soldiers transfer custody of the prisoner from their own ranks to a specialized cavalry detachment to continue the journey to Caesarea.
The words — The Greek term ἐπαύριον (epaurion) literally means "on the next day," marking a temporal shift in the escort's movement. The participle ἐάσαντες (easantes) conveys "having allowed" or "having let go," indicating the formal handover of responsibility to the horsemen.
The thread — This relay of custody follows the commander's earlier troop preparation in Acts 23:23 and precedes the horsemen's arrival in Caesarea in Acts 23:33. The logistical transfer mirrors the Roman military protocol seen in Acts 23:10 where the commander intervenes to protect the prisoner.
Why it lands — The verse requires the reader to recognize the systematic, state-sponsored protection surrounding the prisoner. It demands attention to how institutional authority facilitates the movement of the message rather than hindering it.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
On the morrow they left the horsemen to go with him, and returned to the castle:
Cross-references
- Acts 23:10 The dispute grew so violent that the commander was afraid they would tear Paul to pieces. He ordered the soldiers to go down and remove him by force and bring him into the barracks.
- Acts 23:23 Then he called two of his centurions and said, “Prepare two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea in the third hour of the night.