There is no question regarding the meaning of the words which the Good News Translation has rendered could not find out exactly what had happened, but this is rendered variously by the different translations: “impossible for him to get any positive information” (Jerusalem Bible), “could not be certain of the facts” (Phillips), and “could not get at the truth” (New English Bible). The fort (see Jerusalem Bible and La Sainte Bible: Nouvelle version Segond révisée “the fortress”; Revised Standard Version, Phillips, and New English Bible “the barracks”) is most probably a reference to the place where the Roman soldiers were garrisoned, that is, the Antonia. The Antonia, which overlooked the temple area, was connected with it by two flights of stairs.

The expression there was such confusion may be rendered as “because people were saying so many different things, the commander could not find out.”

The final phrase, he ordered his men to take Paul up into the fort, may be rendered as direct discourse in a number of languages—for example, “he ordered his men, Take Paul up into the fortress,” The term fort may be rendered as “strong building,” “protected building,” or even “building which could be defended.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Acts of the Apostles. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1972. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .