23:17a
called: Here the word called refers to asking someone to come. The centurion was not standing next to Paul, so he walked over to Paul when Paul asked to speak to him. Other ways to translate this word are:
summoned
-or-
asked to come
centurions: A “centurion” was an officer in the Roman army who usually led one hundred soldiers. Translate this word as you did in 10:1 or 22:25.
23:17b
Take this young man to the commander; he has something to tell him: This is a command, but the centurion understood it as a request (“asked me,” 23:18b). Paul was a Roman citizen, but he was under guard, so he could not demand that the centurion obey him.
In some languages a literal translation would wrongly indicate a demand. If that is true in your language, translate it as a polite request. For example:
Please take this young man to the commander; he has something to tell him.
-or-
Could you take this young man to the commander? He has something to tell him.
young man: The Greek words that the Berean Standard Bible translates young man here and in 23:18 and 23:22 refer to a young man between approximately sixteen and twenty-eight years old.
commander: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as commander means “leader of one thousand soldiers.” This kind of officer commanded six hundred to a thousand soldiers in the Roman army. See how you translated this word in 21:31 or 23:15.
he has something to tell him: The Greek conjunction that is often translated “for” introduces this clause. It introduces the reason for Paul telling the centurion to take his nephew to the commander. For example:
for he has something to tell him (Revised Standard Version)
The Berean Standard Bible uses a semi-colon (;) to indicate a connection but omits the conjunction. In some languages it is more natural to begin a new sentence here and imply the meaning of “for.”
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