Act 22:24-27 | PNT | STEP | Bade that he should be examined by scourging . Probably ignorant of the Hebrew tongue, unable to understand what had caused the fury of the people, thinking that it might be due to the commission of some horrible crime by the speaker, the chief captain, drawing him into the castle, ordered that he be put to the torture to compel him to make a confession. Until recent times, it was common to torture prisoners under the belief that thus they could be compelled to speak the truth. Scourging was the usual method of torture among the Romans. The prisoner's back was bared, he was bound, and the rods borne by the lictors were usually employed.

Acts 22:24-27

Bade that he should be examined by scourging. Probably ignorant of the Hebrew tongue, unable to understand what had caused the fury of the people, thinking that it might be due to the commission of some horrible crime by the speaker, the chief captain, drawing him into the castle, ordered that he be put to the torture to compel him to make a confession. Until recent times, it was common to torture prisoners under the belief that thus they could be compelled to speak the truth. Scourging was the usual method of torture among the Romans. The prisoner's back was bared, he was bound, and the rods borne by the lictors were usually employed. Paul said unto the centurion. Who was seeing that the chief captain's orders were carried out.

Is it lawful for you to scourge . . . a Roman? Once before at Philippi, he had appealed to his rights as a Roman (Ac 16:37), but this was after the scourging. For this man is a Roman. The name "Roman" acted like magic in each case. The centurion at once pauses, tell his commander to beware; no officer dared to lay a hand in violence on a Roman citizen without trial. The calm was at once allowed, for it was a capital offense to make a false claim of citizenship, and none dared attempt it. Suetonius says: ``He who falsely pretended to Roman citizenship was beheaded on the Esquiline hill.'' A constant traveler like Paul would be likely to carry papers that would prove his claims. Art thou a Roman? The commander comes at once to inquire for himself.