Charles Ellicott Commentary Acts 23:16

"But Paul`s sister`s son heard of their lying in wait, and he came and entered into the castle and told Paul." — Acts 23:16 (ASV)

Paul’s sister’s son. The passage is noteworthy as being the only reference to any of St. Paul's relatives in the Acts. The fact that St. Paul lodged with Mnason, as far as it goes, suggests the probability that neither the sister nor the nephew resided permanently in Jerusalem. We do not even know whether they were members of the Christian society, though this may, perhaps, be inferred from the eagerness of the son to save his uncle from the danger which he knew to be imminent.

We find that St. Paul had relatives at Rome (Romans 16:7; Romans 16:11). Was this nephew one of them who had come to Jerusalem to keep the feast, and heard talk of the plot (it is difficult to keep a secret in which forty men are sharers) in the caravanserai where he and other pilgrims lodged? We see, from this fact, that St. Paul, though in custody, was allowed to communicate freely with his friends. This, perhaps, accounts for the fullness with which the whole history is given. The writer of the Acts had accompanied the Apostle, and was not likely to desert his friend if he could possibly gain access to him.